Tiah Beautement's Blog, page 145

Why SA doesn't read

While I'm ignoring Tuesday book day, I'd like to bring your attention to ReadSA. They have posted two articles recently on why SA does not read. The first is a M&G article that, well, hmmm .... I'm ... hmmmmmm ... yet, interesting all the same. I enjoyed the second one from Sangonet Pulse looks to be examining the subject in better depth with far more accuracy and constructive insight. Yet, I am still not entirely sure how they think it is possible to have books selling for R50. I am all for ...

Editing or bust

At the CT book fair I was chatting away to a lovely author whose second book had just hit the "finished" stage and was now on the "whose gonna publish me" stage. Being kind, she asked if I had anything in the works. I confessed that I'd just had a chat to an editor over my ms and was going to return to the grind stone. She gave me a sympathetic look and said something like, "I really don't like that stage." I was shocked. I loved that part - where you show your draft to somebody, get feedback...

Saturday games

We were planning to go surfing this morning. Then somebody sent me an email. Lots of info on change of currents this time of year which supposedly cause the fish to start travelling around. This, supposedly, causes the sharks to... SHARKS! Sharks. There are always sharks around here. But they've got different patterns and movements, and being an email that was meant for surfing country up the Garden Route, its way of reassurance was to emphasise where the sharks are playing - right on my beac...

Writing: Marketing & Money

Damaria of Storypot (and many other online pages) has had two very interesting posts: Yesterday's on writers marketing themselves. Something I admittedly stink at despite doing this for other people. Given the SA market, I don't think I'm the only one. Today's post is the next step - the fact that SA writers don't make money. Please have a look. It is an excellent read. There is always the age old argument that one should do crafts for the love of. But the cliché "time is money" is a cliché f...

My morning at ball-skills...

"Mrs B my daddy got drunk and had to go to jail."

Brave women

I spotted this link on belly boarders. Which, if I am understanding things correctly is like surfing on belly, rather than your standard boogie boarding. They do look more like a surf board... But what mostly grabbed my attention is where this event is held: Cornwall. That's in England. Not a wetsuit in sight. Brrrrr.... Do you get drunk first? The one woman looks so happy! I live in AFRICA, I still love my wetsuit. England...swimsuit. No wonder they ruled half of planet earth at one point. (...

Mr Fuzzy update

For all those not in my FB world: Mr Fuzzy went to the vet yesterday. Mr Fuzzy is alive and well. Which should not be surprising. But the vet, who had the personality of the grim reaper, was not so optimistic. Without even a hello, he walked up, took Mr Fuzzy in his carrier and said, "We'll do our best." Off he went with Mr Fuzzy, looking very glum indeed. WTF? In the meantime, it can take as long as 6 weeks for the hormones to work themselves out. But other than that, Mr Fuzz is fine. And by...

No man in a towel

And I am sorry about that. But I do have the link to the ilovelibraries.org which contains links to your youtube fav, Old Spice Man, along with a Dewy Decimal Rap and The Library Song. What more could you want on a Monday?

Good news!

I think. Remember when Mbeki was president? He had a problem with HIV & AIDS. To solve the problem, he decided they no longer existed. At least, not in the way the disease exists for everyone else. What is so interesting about this is that a draft of my book came into the hands of a government committee. The same government who was under Mbeki, declaring a war against the commonly accepted version of HIV & AIDS. My book, along with the theme of unexpected parenthood, was all about HIV & AIDS....

Your favorite position?

BookSA has a nice thread on the M&G article on the state of SA lit. I haven't read all of the books mentioned. Intrigued by I Ain't Yo Bitch. Anybody read it? Thoughts? Speaking of reading - how do you like to read? The Guardian actually wrote an article discussing this very question.