Casey June Wolf's Blog, page 9

Whoa. That was a quiet spell.

So here I am after so many months, and what have I got to say for myself?

Well, as earlier posts have indicated, I've been rethinking a few things. (For a clear evocation of that, visit "A Necessary Change".) In the last year I've written some stories, but I haven't been sending them out. Priorities, after Dad died, shifted. Hanging around polishing off edits seemed less important than having the nephew over for a visit, hanging with Mum in Winnipeg, cleaning up my house and health and noticing the world whirling by. With the limits on my energy being what they are, I chose life over writing.

My impatience with social media has been climbing, too. Beyond the expectations of self-promotion, there is the endless wheel of email and chitchat, and with constant weariness, answering missives often ends up being all I have energy for. I'd rather see a handful of real people, I've decided, than send scattershot Facebook messages to three hundred and have perhaps one notice that I've written, or type in quickie answers to a hundred brief posts. So I've deleted my Facebook account, and I'm thinking of cutting out all but the business email, too. Imagine! Can it even be done?

I have been enjoying reading. And being. And being with. I look forward to writing more. But in the meantime, cutting back to the main trunk seems like a wise way to prune. And getting some of those stories into the mail will be a good test of the waters of writing. But life trumps. If you want me, come to my door. Much better than email--don't you think?

Interrogation and Flesh-Eating Heretics

Another view of VCon 35. Geoff Cole staged a reading of his short story "Abbatoir Blues". I volunteered to be the 2nd person in the reading--as it turned out, an evil, mean, yukky interrogator of Our Hero. Cold readings are always exciting--I knew nothing about the story when we picked up the books and the video recorder clicked On. For the full poop on Geoff, The Blackness Within Anthology, and Geoff's writing, go to Geoffrey W. Cole Science Fiction Writer.

Meanwhile...

A Had Time Was Good By All!

OMG, as the saying goes, what a perfectly MAD time we had this past weekend at VCon 35.
VCon is my local SF convention and I have been going (more on than off) since VCon 11. When I was 3. This year's theme was steampunk--a genre about which I know little but which has the coolest costumes and props, all brass and cogwheels and flash Victorian clothing.
My main occupations were:participating in one of 3 Writers Workshops, which entailed reading and carefully critiquing three novel beginnings. A very interesting endeavour. Lots of work, on everyone's part, and educational for all. (Fun, as well. Who'd a thunk it possible?)doing readings, including:-- my short story "Dreamcatcher", from Room Magazine's Speculative Fiction issue, in a group reading with Donna McMahon and Marcie Tentchoff. -- the part of the Interrogator for Geoff Cole's short story "Abattoir Blues" from The Blackness Within. (watch for the video!)-- performing as one of a panel of literature-mauling Turkey Readers, in which we read TheWorst of the Worst and force unwitting audience members to act out the evil scripts.Rim World Legacy... A modest example of the depths to which we sink at SF cons...
at last I was able to contain my enthusiasm no longer. When Virginia O'Dine rose to read the final Turkey, I offered myself as the Evil Queen, and, bounding from the podium, joined Steph Thevideoguy and an 8 foot tall monster in a diabolical battle of wit and wonder.Scene from the diabolical battle of wit and wonder:

And so you can see why VCon keeps us coming back for more.
Till next year!
Video credit, Jax184. Photo credit, Virginia O'Dine, which is strange, since she is the one doing the reading in this picture...

Three Events

Just a reminder that I'll be at the opening day (tomorrow!) of "A Book Arts Mosaic", hosted by the Burnaby Arts Council, features 26 works by 33 Canadian book artists from across Canada. The exhibition runs from September 18 to October 3 at the Deer Lake Gallery. Hand-crafted books and books by local authors.

I will also be reading in the Authors Tent at Vancouver's Word on the Street on 26 Sept.--next Sunday--at 4:30, along with Ashley Little and Lorrie Miller. "The Corpse Pose", from Room...

Two Events

Just a reminder that I'll be at the opening day (tomorrow!) of "A Book Arts Mosaic", hosted by the Burnaby Arts Council, features 26 works by 33 Canadian book artists from across Canada. The exhibition runs from September 18 to October 3 at the Deer Lake Gallery. Hand-crafted books and books by local authors.

I will also be reading in the Authors Tent at Vancouver's Word on the Street on 26 Sept.--next Sunday--at 4:30, along with Ashley Little and Lorrie Miller. "The Corpse Pose", from Room...

Photos by Skot Nelson: Main Street Magazine Tour

The Main Street Magazine Tour was well attended, well put together, and quite enjoyable. Nephew Harper Campbell came along with Clelie and I, and we had a good visit before and after the event. Photographer Skot Nelson posted a number of shots on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/penguinstorm/with/4911333495/

Here are Skot's photos of the Kafka's Coffee & Tea performances by myself and Elena Johnson.

Alien Contact!

Well, here I am, pointing you toward August's Broad Pod -- the podcast of Broad Universe. Broad Universe promotes the "voices of women in science fiction, fantasy, and horror". It's podcast blog, Broad Pod, features short readings by a selection of writers on a given theme each month. On the theme of Alien Contact, you'll find me among my colleagues, reading from "Equals", a story about the ethics of first contact. The full story is in my book Finding Creatures & Other Stories.


"Equals" is "...

Upcoming Readings of "The Corpse Pose"

I'll be reading "The Corpse Pose" a couple of times in Vancouver this and next month. The story was the first I wrote following my Dad's death in December, and deals with death from a number of angles. I wonder how easy it will be to read it to an audience. With that slight trepidation, I am looking forward to the events. 

"The Corpse Pose" will be published in the December Room Magazine's Women and Spirituality issue.

The Short Version:

The Main Street Magazine Tour! Thursday, August 19, 2010, ...

"Sometimes I wonder if God is weeping"

"Sometimes I wonder if God, or whomever is up there somewhere, is weeping. Or if he's mad as all get out."

Lily

Hi, Lil.
I kind of think it is neither. That we exist at all is such a miracle. That a gecko can move and breathe is an amazing overabundance of good fortune. There is no reason that such a thing must ever have happened, and yet it has. When a toad then shoots out her tongue and eats him it is not bad luck, it is absolute imperative for life to go on. We have to die. Our bodies must...

Posture of the Infinite: She Likes It!

Anantasana

I just wanted to share with you Elisa's comments on "The Posture of the Infinite", the story I wrote for her (as a prize, using her prompts. See my interview with Bitten By Books).

Spoiler Alert!

You are right - the story isn't exactly what I prompted for, but I think that's a good thing.   :)

There were moments where the story reminded me of The Epic of Gilgamesh, which is one of my favorite stories from my time at University studying literature and history. I love the idea that...