Gillian Polack's Blog, page 55
September 22, 2014
gillpolack @ 2014-09-23T13:27:00
Baggage is on sale again, this time in a US edition. There's some stuff I need to chase up for it, but I'm very chuffed to see it out there again. Nearly 1/3 of this volume was reprinted in a single years' best volume - that's how good the stories are.
What's interesting about this edition is that it's published in the US, but that Borgo/Wildside have kept the very Australian nature of the original. They've changed the cover and there is no longer any internal art, but there some slight revisions by authors and I got to write a new something to tell the story of Baggage.
This book did so amazingly well when it first came out in Australia. I'm interested to see how it does a few years later and how US readers handle it. It's such a very Australian set of short stories, and it addresses the baggage we carry so very differently from other volumes I've read. I love it that KJ Bishop wrote something focussed and small and that Jennifer Fallon wrote something funny and that Lucy Sussex took us to New Zealand and ... so many things to love about this volume.
For anyone who was at my Loncon academic paper, the short story I talked about is in Baggage. This means all the works I talked about are now in print, which is a good thing in so many ways.
What's interesting about this edition is that it's published in the US, but that Borgo/Wildside have kept the very Australian nature of the original. They've changed the cover and there is no longer any internal art, but there some slight revisions by authors and I got to write a new something to tell the story of Baggage.
This book did so amazingly well when it first came out in Australia. I'm interested to see how it does a few years later and how US readers handle it. It's such a very Australian set of short stories, and it addresses the baggage we carry so very differently from other volumes I've read. I love it that KJ Bishop wrote something focussed and small and that Jennifer Fallon wrote something funny and that Lucy Sussex took us to New Zealand and ... so many things to love about this volume.
For anyone who was at my Loncon academic paper, the short story I talked about is in Baggage. This means all the works I talked about are now in print, which is a good thing in so many ways.
Schedulings
My novel edges closer to release. I saw the cover today... And I started thinking about the launch. And...much and.
I have other things to do, but novelstuff mostly took precedence.
I have my Conflux schedule. It's a small one, for I can only do two days because of Yom Kippur. It's small, but very cool:
“WHERE DO I COME FROM?” PANEL
This panel explores cultural background as part of character development. How has this shaped some authors’ character development in their work? What if you need to create a new culture for your character’s backstory?
Book Launch: Gillian Polack Details 5.30pm Sunday, Conflux Registration Area.
HISTORICAL JOURNEY Presentation by Gillian Polack. Historical research can be a great source for plot and character development. What are the resources, research strategies, challenges, successful approaches and responsibilities for using past reality in fiction? 2pm Monday
Time to return to whatever I was doing a few minutes ago. Or maybe I could have a cuppa and then return to it. Or I could do everything at once...
I have other things to do, but novelstuff mostly took precedence.
I have my Conflux schedule. It's a small one, for I can only do two days because of Yom Kippur. It's small, but very cool:
“WHERE DO I COME FROM?” PANEL
This panel explores cultural background as part of character development. How has this shaped some authors’ character development in their work? What if you need to create a new culture for your character’s backstory?
Book Launch: Gillian Polack Details 5.30pm Sunday, Conflux Registration Area.
HISTORICAL JOURNEY Presentation by Gillian Polack. Historical research can be a great source for plot and character development. What are the resources, research strategies, challenges, successful approaches and responsibilities for using past reality in fiction? 2pm Monday
Time to return to whatever I was doing a few minutes ago. Or maybe I could have a cuppa and then return to it. Or I could do everything at once...
September 21, 2014
gillpolack @ 2014-09-21T17:50:00
Today is a day of much sorting, but also of aches catching up and (now, at least) being gentle on myself.
I realised late last night that I have new courses to teach and Rosh Hashanah in the same week, along with much deadline. I knew this two months ago - it's why I overworked so massively before I left - but I'd forgotten it now. I hadn't actually sorted out shopping or cooking or almost anything I needed for the silly season. It's like thinking "Christmas is coming!" four days before. I'm not going to visit family this year (for obvious reasons) but the preparations still needed to be done and the dinner at my place after Yom Kippur will still take place and my cupboards were pretty bare for that's the state I left them in in early August.
Most of the friends who are willing to help me with big shopping trips were either away or in significant pain (leaving both of us unable to carry things - for things kinda hurt right now) so I asked C if he would mind attaching a giant other-groceries run to the back of our market trip. He didn't, and I have now done a mega-shop. I've also seen this week's Dr Who. I have seen each episode this season in an entirely different household, covering three countries.
I can't believe how much I've bought, but all I need is a single local shop for fresh ingredients just before Yom Kippur and I'm fine for the whole High Holy Days, including the dinner party at the end and the houseguest in the middle.
C helped with carrying and N helped with putting away, which latter was an unexpected bonus. I fed her bits of stray chicken from the pre-cooked chickens I was transforming into various other things, and then we had tea and chocolate and I showed her the photos I took for her. N's the friend who wanted the white swans, and she wanted to see me talking to Peter Davison and check out the sign collection I put together for her. Her favourite sign of all is the one on the train from Euston to Holyhead.
Where I am now is not a bad place, in preparation terms. The chicken soup for Saturday week is on and I have all the remaining ingredients to add as required and I have containers to freeze it in. I have more than 20 emergency meals to get myself through the next few weeks (in case they're as ferocious as I feel they might be) and I have breakfasts for the same period. My emergency stocks of many foods are sorted and I also have eggs and onions and oil and other basic ingredients. I have all the ingredients for honey cake, this year with melted chocolate topping (because I feel like it). I have apples and I have honey to dip the apples in. I have lemons and blood oranges and that new type of citrus I like so much. I have enormous amounts of fresh fennel to crunch on.
I need to post a parcel with select presents to Melbourne, and a parcel with vegemite to the US (Jeff VanderMeer doesn't believe I will do this, and foolishly gave me an address) and maybe a couple of other parcels. Those are for Tuesday on the way to teaching, when I will also pay the last of my bills. At that moment my bank account will cease hemorrhaging and I will be able to return to normal.
I have just 5 things to do tonight, but they're not small things. This means I'd better get started. I don't want to. Right now I feel worse for wear - I think it's just my body adjusting to local everything again but my body is whingeing its way through adjustment as if I'd put it through a meat-grinder and I'm tired of telling it to behave. This, too, means I'd better get started. Time, tide and the items on my lists wait for no-one.
I realised late last night that I have new courses to teach and Rosh Hashanah in the same week, along with much deadline. I knew this two months ago - it's why I overworked so massively before I left - but I'd forgotten it now. I hadn't actually sorted out shopping or cooking or almost anything I needed for the silly season. It's like thinking "Christmas is coming!" four days before. I'm not going to visit family this year (for obvious reasons) but the preparations still needed to be done and the dinner at my place after Yom Kippur will still take place and my cupboards were pretty bare for that's the state I left them in in early August.
Most of the friends who are willing to help me with big shopping trips were either away or in significant pain (leaving both of us unable to carry things - for things kinda hurt right now) so I asked C if he would mind attaching a giant other-groceries run to the back of our market trip. He didn't, and I have now done a mega-shop. I've also seen this week's Dr Who. I have seen each episode this season in an entirely different household, covering three countries.
I can't believe how much I've bought, but all I need is a single local shop for fresh ingredients just before Yom Kippur and I'm fine for the whole High Holy Days, including the dinner party at the end and the houseguest in the middle.
C helped with carrying and N helped with putting away, which latter was an unexpected bonus. I fed her bits of stray chicken from the pre-cooked chickens I was transforming into various other things, and then we had tea and chocolate and I showed her the photos I took for her. N's the friend who wanted the white swans, and she wanted to see me talking to Peter Davison and check out the sign collection I put together for her. Her favourite sign of all is the one on the train from Euston to Holyhead.
Where I am now is not a bad place, in preparation terms. The chicken soup for Saturday week is on and I have all the remaining ingredients to add as required and I have containers to freeze it in. I have more than 20 emergency meals to get myself through the next few weeks (in case they're as ferocious as I feel they might be) and I have breakfasts for the same period. My emergency stocks of many foods are sorted and I also have eggs and onions and oil and other basic ingredients. I have all the ingredients for honey cake, this year with melted chocolate topping (because I feel like it). I have apples and I have honey to dip the apples in. I have lemons and blood oranges and that new type of citrus I like so much. I have enormous amounts of fresh fennel to crunch on.
I need to post a parcel with select presents to Melbourne, and a parcel with vegemite to the US (Jeff VanderMeer doesn't believe I will do this, and foolishly gave me an address) and maybe a couple of other parcels. Those are for Tuesday on the way to teaching, when I will also pay the last of my bills. At that moment my bank account will cease hemorrhaging and I will be able to return to normal.
I have just 5 things to do tonight, but they're not small things. This means I'd better get started. I don't want to. Right now I feel worse for wear - I think it's just my body adjusting to local everything again but my body is whingeing its way through adjustment as if I'd put it through a meat-grinder and I'm tired of telling it to behave. This, too, means I'd better get started. Time, tide and the items on my lists wait for no-one.
September 19, 2014
gillpolack @ 2014-09-20T11:57:00
What have I done since I got back? I've drafted my report and read 6 books for Aurealis and almost finished the GUFF paperwork and financial stuff. I've taught and run 2 lots of messages (and will do a third in an hour, which brings me to a nice number). I've almost caught up on my email (a mere 60 to go) and I've downloaded all my photos (over 4000 of them, in the end) and begun the complex task of sending various pictures to the various folks who need them. I've had two meetings and done some work on the Beast. I've paid a bunch of bills, sorted out my finances, and caught up with various online thingies. I've also eaten a whole packet of chocolates filled with cloudberry liqueur. These are my new favourite thing*, and it's lucky for my waistline I can't get them in Australia.
It feels as if I've been back a week, but I've only been back 3 full days. I need to achieve half of this every single day until Rosh Hashanah, though. I think the moral is not to travel during the busy time of the year, for things get postponed rather than disappearing.
I'm enjoying myself, but I feel a little pushed for time. This calls, I think, for a cuppa.
*Along with paprika flavoured chips from Croatia
It feels as if I've been back a week, but I've only been back 3 full days. I need to achieve half of this every single day until Rosh Hashanah, though. I think the moral is not to travel during the busy time of the year, for things get postponed rather than disappearing.
I'm enjoying myself, but I feel a little pushed for time. This calls, I think, for a cuppa.
*Along with paprika flavoured chips from Croatia
September 18, 2014
gillpolack @ 2014-09-19T14:56:00
I'm doing checks for my GUFF report and I've just discovered that the fourth largest representation at the recent SF WorldCon was from Australia. There were more Aussies present than there were representatives of most European countries. What will this do to our reputation for being a sporting, beerdrinking country?
I also found some pictures: https://www.flickr.com/search/?tags=loncon3
And now I must run messages!
For those who wanted to ring me, my phone is now working.
I also found some pictures: https://www.flickr.com/search/?tags=loncon3
And now I must run messages!
For those who wanted to ring me, my phone is now working.
gillpolack @ 2014-09-19T11:40:00
My life has returned to normal excitements. I have no phoneline, for instance, and am still waiting for the servicepeople to deal. A maximum of 48 hours, they say and then they stretch things to that maximum (and just a few hours beyond, if we're being precise), which means I will not have business hours phone access to anything until Monday, which puts a bit of a dint in my getting back to work. It's not only work: I'm supposed to have rung the insurance people, for instance, for they apparently have finally finished all that work and my life can finally move to post burglary mode.
I've nearly finished a clean draft of my trip report. I have about 2 hours work still to do on identifying the photos for it and labelling them. Maybe only one hour, if I'm clever about it. I hope only one hour, for my list of things-to-do is kinda large.
I read my first three Aurealis books last night, and am suddenly a little less behind. If I can get 15 read by the end of the month things will be under control on that front. I don't normally read three in an evening, but these were all very straightforward and even formulaic.
Now I must return to the excitement that is my lists. I need to dramatically diminish them by tomorrow, for I have a meeting tonight and that will mean more work. I think this means 'back to normal' for various Gillian versions of 'normal'.
I've nearly finished a clean draft of my trip report. I have about 2 hours work still to do on identifying the photos for it and labelling them. Maybe only one hour, if I'm clever about it. I hope only one hour, for my list of things-to-do is kinda large.
I read my first three Aurealis books last night, and am suddenly a little less behind. If I can get 15 read by the end of the month things will be under control on that front. I don't normally read three in an evening, but these were all very straightforward and even formulaic.
Now I must return to the excitement that is my lists. I need to dramatically diminish them by tomorrow, for I have a meeting tonight and that will mean more work. I think this means 'back to normal' for various Gillian versions of 'normal'.
September 17, 2014
gillpolack @ 2014-09-18T13:05:00
I got to sleep at a decent hour (not too early) last night and I taught yesterday morning and I did a little shopping and I had a meeting (online) and I started the Big Email Catch-Up. This morning, however, I turned my alarm off and slept for twelve hours. I didn't mean to sleep for twelve hours, but obviously my body needed it. I'm still exceptionally tired, but I have my to-do list for today (and it's long) and my one for the rest-of-month (which is kinda impossible, because of having lost most of the month to travel, but I'll work my way through it anyhow). And I have no landline (because Telstra lost me my phoneline during my absence, it seems) but all the building was indeed finished during my absence and all that remains are odd pockets of brick dust.
My must-do-or-else- list for today includes reading a single and solitary Aurealis book, finishing unpacking, sending a few urgent emails, finishing my back other emails, getting the GUFF report near final, sorting out my finances, and doing 3 hours work on a paper. That's all I can think of, anyhow. I was going to run messages, but I think I shall be kind to myself and do them tomorrow. I shall also visit Floriade tomorrow, so if anyone wants to join me, now's the time to say.
I've been keeping myself awake by eating cloudberry liqueur chocolates, which is a habit I can't get used to for when they are finished I won't be able to get them again, but it's a very nice habit. I guess I ought to try coffee or even a hairy lemon instead. The occasional chocolate feels terribly hedonistic, though, and is entirely delightful.
My must-do-or-else- list for today includes reading a single and solitary Aurealis book, finishing unpacking, sending a few urgent emails, finishing my back other emails, getting the GUFF report near final, sorting out my finances, and doing 3 hours work on a paper. That's all I can think of, anyhow. I was going to run messages, but I think I shall be kind to myself and do them tomorrow. I shall also visit Floriade tomorrow, so if anyone wants to join me, now's the time to say.
I've been keeping myself awake by eating cloudberry liqueur chocolates, which is a habit I can't get used to for when they are finished I won't be able to get them again, but it's a very nice habit. I guess I ought to try coffee or even a hairy lemon instead. The occasional chocolate feels terribly hedonistic, though, and is entirely delightful.
September 16, 2014
gillpolack @ 2014-09-17T09:30:00
I'm safely home and I'm just about to go to teach my most beloved Wednesday class. They already know that I got back in at an impossible hour and that I'm jetlagged. I think they were hoping for photographs, though, and I'm still downloading those. Over 4000, I took, in the end, and some of them are specifically for my Wednesday class.
I must leave, before I do the natural transition my body demands, which is to go from this chair straight back to bed... I have basic groceries, though, and my breakables arrived safely and my books arrived safely and I've already done one load of washing and answered some urgent emails. And I've paid bills. Just one more bill to pay and one class to teach and... everything today is one thing at a time.
I must leave, before I do the natural transition my body demands, which is to go from this chair straight back to bed... I have basic groceries, though, and my breakables arrived safely and my books arrived safely and I've already done one load of washing and answered some urgent emails. And I've paid bills. Just one more bill to pay and one class to teach and... everything today is one thing at a time.
September 13, 2014
gillpolack @ 2014-09-14T07:04:00
My last night in Finland. Tomorrow the long trip home begins. I'm trying to sort things out in my mind and failing. I've met so many wonderful people and had so many astonishing experiences. How to measure them? I can't. I can't measure friendship or seeing the Northern Lights or any of the other amazing things that have happened.
There are hints of the whole on Facebook, but I'll do a trip report and see if I can talk about some of it, even if it's immeasurable. Thank you GUFF and thank you fandom, for a month of wonder.
For my next trick a novel will be released. That's October. After that I'll probably take a deep breath nd return to mundanity.
There are hints of the whole on Facebook, but I'll do a trip report and see if I can talk about some of it, even if it's immeasurable. Thank you GUFF and thank you fandom, for a month of wonder.
For my next trick a novel will be released. That's October. After that I'll probably take a deep breath nd return to mundanity.
September 12, 2014
gillpolack @ 2014-09-12T18:49:00
A photo ( I hope it's accessible - I'm posting from a bus travelling through rural Finland aand want to get back to enjoying the scenery): https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10203794886745975&set=p.10203794886745975&type=1&theater¬if_t=like_tagged
