Steve Berman's Blog, page 9
May 15, 2011
Gaylaxicon and such
Survived another Gaylaxicon - they seem to be getting smaller every year :(
It was terrific to see so many old friends that I only seem to see at conferences (which is, I suppose, the main reason so many of us go travel across country to attend cons). There was some debauchery at a club and other amusing stories to tell. If only I had the time.
And, btw, I am now on Twitter. Yes, I know, I know... but if you desire to follow my twitt'd adventures I am @thesteveberman
It was terrific to see so many old friends that I only seem to see at conferences (which is, I suppose, the main reason so many of us go travel across country to attend cons). There was some debauchery at a club and other amusing stories to tell. If only I had the time.
And, btw, I am now on Twitter. Yes, I know, I know... but if you desire to follow my twitt'd adventures I am @thesteveberman
May 12, 2011
Photos
Sample pictures I took yesterday of the model for my website revision:
May 9, 2011
Call for Submissions: Boys of Summer
So, since I enjoyed working on
Speaking Out
so much, I'm once more editing a young adult anthology for Bold Strokes Books.
Boys of Summer
I'm seeking short stories between 2,500 and 10,000 words that involve self-assured gay male teens during summer. Such stories can range from romances to adventure to magic realism (but there will only be a limited number of the latter sort of tale). And while the stories do not have to have happy endings, the protagonists must be positive about their sexual identity. If you have read the stories in How They Met and Other Stories by David Levithan, you have a good idea of my taste for non-genre YA short fiction.
Submissions are due on November 1st, 2011. The book releases in July of 2012. Stories should be sent in standard manuscript format as a RTF file to sberman8 AT yahoo DOT com. Include a cover letter.
Payment for stories ranges from $100 to $250 depending on length.
Feel free to query me with an idea.
Boys of Summer
I'm seeking short stories between 2,500 and 10,000 words that involve self-assured gay male teens during summer. Such stories can range from romances to adventure to magic realism (but there will only be a limited number of the latter sort of tale). And while the stories do not have to have happy endings, the protagonists must be positive about their sexual identity. If you have read the stories in How They Met and Other Stories by David Levithan, you have a good idea of my taste for non-genre YA short fiction.
Submissions are due on November 1st, 2011. The book releases in July of 2012. Stories should be sent in standard manuscript format as a RTF file to sberman8 AT yahoo DOT com. Include a cover letter.
Payment for stories ranges from $100 to $250 depending on length.
Feel free to query me with an idea.
May 6, 2011
Forget that Macavity guy...
My Daulton is a most extraordinary cat. The other day I noticed he had a 1" diameter spot on his side licked free of fur. I suspect it was caused by a spider bite (something similar had happened to my past beloved cat, Rebel Without Claws). The bare patch was not bloody, did not look infected, but I still put some Neosporin on it. And Daulton decided to lick the spot anew. And when I tried to stop him, verbally and manually, he gave me a fresh and stinkiest stink-eye possible before escaping.
So, I decided to purchase a cat collar to prevent him from licking the spot. I found a pliable one, less Cone of Shame and more Collar of Inconvenience. I rush ordered it. And when I put it on Daulton, he did his best impression of me dancing, rearing up, struggling for balance, trying to escape attention. And, being Jewish and descended from one of Houdini's assistant felines (hello, milk can trick demands kitty attendants!!), he got out of the collar in a matter of seconds. I tried a second time. He was free even faster.
Sigh. I gave in. And, after examining the bare patch, saw it was more a pale scab last night. I still added more ointment. But he seems no worse for the experience. In fact, to make amends, I fed him tiny portions of medium rare filet mignon last night. He approved.
Oh, and I sent off the first four chapters to the S&S editor. And worked on a post-apocalyptic Mummers story for E. Sedia. And now back to Lethe work. Many books, so little time.
So, I decided to purchase a cat collar to prevent him from licking the spot. I found a pliable one, less Cone of Shame and more Collar of Inconvenience. I rush ordered it. And when I put it on Daulton, he did his best impression of me dancing, rearing up, struggling for balance, trying to escape attention. And, being Jewish and descended from one of Houdini's assistant felines (hello, milk can trick demands kitty attendants!!), he got out of the collar in a matter of seconds. I tried a second time. He was free even faster.
Sigh. I gave in. And, after examining the bare patch, saw it was more a pale scab last night. I still added more ointment. But he seems no worse for the experience. In fact, to make amends, I fed him tiny portions of medium rare filet mignon last night. He approved.
Oh, and I sent off the first four chapters to the S&S editor. And worked on a post-apocalyptic Mummers story for E. Sedia. And now back to Lethe work. Many books, so little time.
May 5, 2011
Yikes
So, I'm going to Wellspring, which is sort of like CheeseHeaven in my mind. That may sound cruel but how else to describe the Lake Geneva, WI version of the Blue Heaven retreat?
Why did I sign up for a workshop after the horrors of Clarion (may that institution rot!)?
Because, in my Xanax bliss I thought it would be the perfect way to convince me to finally write another novel.
Hah!
And I was very lazy for weeks. No, months.
Then, my pal Tony D (of Spiderwick fame) and his wife Angie kept on encouraging me to take up a novel that sorta piqued one editor's interest (sadly, before editor could begin talk of *CONTRACT* he was let go).
Now Tony & Angie have piqued a new, much more powerful editor into agreeing to see some of the manuscript. Over the past 2 weeks I have done a major revision of the first four chapters. It's almost a different book. Hopefully it is a better book.
So I just sent T & A (no jokes, please) the chapters and a synopsis. And we will see if said editor will be reading them while traveling on business this coming weekend.
I got pulled back into the game, what with all the angst that entails. Yikes.
Why did I sign up for a workshop after the horrors of Clarion (may that institution rot!)?
Because, in my Xanax bliss I thought it would be the perfect way to convince me to finally write another novel.
Hah!
And I was very lazy for weeks. No, months.
Then, my pal Tony D (of Spiderwick fame) and his wife Angie kept on encouraging me to take up a novel that sorta piqued one editor's interest (sadly, before editor could begin talk of *CONTRACT* he was let go).
Now Tony & Angie have piqued a new, much more powerful editor into agreeing to see some of the manuscript. Over the past 2 weeks I have done a major revision of the first four chapters. It's almost a different book. Hopefully it is a better book.
So I just sent T & A (no jokes, please) the chapters and a synopsis. And we will see if said editor will be reading them while traveling on business this coming weekend.
I got pulled back into the game, what with all the angst that entails. Yikes.
May 2, 2011
This version better?
How about:
And here's more description of the anthology:
What other characters from English literature have captivated hearts and minds as thoroughly as Sherlock Holmes and his loyal companion John Watson? Many fans imagine the relationship between these men is deep and more than platonic. In A Study in Lavender, the Holmes universe is queered and authors have devised stories in which Holmes and Watson are lovers, or investigate mysteries of inverts hidden from the laws and cultures of the Victorian era; even the indomitable Lestrade has his turn at love; and famous actors who helped put Holmes on the silver screen face trysts they never dared to film.
And here's more description of the anthology:
What other characters from English literature have captivated hearts and minds as thoroughly as Sherlock Holmes and his loyal companion John Watson? Many fans imagine the relationship between these men is deep and more than platonic. In A Study in Lavender, the Holmes universe is queered and authors have devised stories in which Holmes and Watson are lovers, or investigate mysteries of inverts hidden from the laws and cultures of the Victorian era; even the indomitable Lestrade has his turn at love; and famous actors who helped put Holmes on the silver screen face trysts they never dared to film.
The Game is Afoot!
So, we're tinkering with the cover for June's release of A Study in Lavender: Queering Sherlock Holmes. What do you think?
The anthology features stories by J. R. Campbell * Elka Cloke * William P. Coleman * Michael Cornelius * Joseph G. R. DeMarco * Lyn C. A. Gardner * Rajan Khanna * Vincent Kovar * Stephen Osborne * Katie Raynes * Ruth Sims.
April 24, 2011
Hellebore & Rue
Small press publishing is a quirky business. Even more so when the books are aimed at niche markets.
Every so often authors or editors contact me about releasing a print edition of a book that has been only available as an e-book. That's cool and understable -- we all want to hold proof of our hard work and efforts in our hands, see them on a bookshelf, enter them for awards (the Lammys, for instance, won't consider a book that doesn't have a print edition).
I am really happy when the book is queer spec fic, Lethe's specialty.
So, in May, we're releasing:
JoSelle and Catherine are people I admire and consider friends. I'm very flattered that they accepted my story (an old Clarion tale I revised a great deal). I've heard that many lesbian anthologists are loathe to include work by male authors but my gender was never an issue with H&R. I hope Lethe can sell a lot of copies of this book and that it reaches the finalist ranks of the Lammy for Best LGBT Fantasy / Sci-Fi / Horror.
Here's the link on Amazon./a>
Every so often authors or editors contact me about releasing a print edition of a book that has been only available as an e-book. That's cool and understable -- we all want to hold proof of our hard work and efforts in our hands, see them on a bookshelf, enter them for awards (the Lammys, for instance, won't consider a book that doesn't have a print edition).
I am really happy when the book is queer spec fic, Lethe's specialty.
So, in May, we're releasing:
JoSelle and Catherine are people I admire and consider friends. I'm very flattered that they accepted my story (an old Clarion tale I revised a great deal). I've heard that many lesbian anthologists are loathe to include work by male authors but my gender was never an issue with H&R. I hope Lethe can sell a lot of copies of this book and that it reaches the finalist ranks of the Lammy for Best LGBT Fantasy / Sci-Fi / Horror.
Here's the link on Amazon./a>
April 22, 2011
True love is...
While I was eating matzah and butter last night, Daulton came over and sat beside me. And stared. So I put a generous dollop of butter on a piece and held it out to him. Tentative lick. Another tentative lick. Pause. I offered same piece again. Soon: nom, nom, nom (he was a bit confused why he could not chomp on the butter glob). He had his fill which amounted to 65% of said dollop, then left to lick his face clean.
And, yes, I finished the piece off myself.
A few minutes later, I put my mug of cool water on the floor (I have no coffee table, which makes eating a meal difficult). Daulton, immediately curious what I had just set down in his kingdom, strode over to the mug and began drinking. Yes, he has a full waterbowl in the other room, but why not take advantage of an opportunity?
And, yes, I finished the piece off myself.
A few minutes later, I put my mug of cool water on the floor (I have no coffee table, which makes eating a meal difficult). Daulton, immediately curious what I had just set down in his kingdom, strode over to the mug and began drinking. Yes, he has a full waterbowl in the other room, but why not take advantage of an opportunity?
April 20, 2011
Sad day
Sarah Jane, you were my favorite of the companions. When you returned in the episode "School Reunion" I cried when you said your farewell.
Lis, thank you for bringing to life one of the best characters in science-fiction entertainment.
Lis, thank you for bringing to life one of the best characters in science-fiction entertainment.
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