Midori Snyder's Blog, page 54

Returning to Bordertown

It's not as if I don't have enough work to do already. There's new confrontations for Zizola to negotiate on the road in the sequel to The Innamorati. There's revision and preparation of all the out of print novels for release in e-books this fall. There's working with Terri Windling on the new archival home for all of the Endicott Studio for Mythic Arts and Journal of Mythic Arts contents. And then there is this...the irresistible pull back to Bordertown.

So I now find myself working on a Gordian knot of four novellas (the length I always felt belonged best to Bordertown stories). Each one, when completed will stand alone, but in usual Bordertown fashion when taken together, will intertwine at some molecular level. I will be offering each of them as inexpensive digital editions -- but will probably at some point pull them all together into a single volume as a book. (I should note here, that I will submit the stories to Terri for approval and then pay for the license to publish works on Bordertown.)

I have the kernels of the stories: A few
new characters and new martial arts. A boxing gym for youth at risk,
(aren't they all in Bordertown?), a charmed and cursed roda (the circle
in which Capoeira fighters meet), a Bordetown version of the "Hunters
Tale" -- a traditional Afghani folk tale involving complex relationships between hunters, demons, and Peri, and I think in the last one -- a reprise tale involving Laura and Koga -- especially now as I have returned to training Shotokan.

And because the city of Bordertown for me has always been the most important character in the tales, I think a new neighborhood is in order--maybe something tucked in one of its already known neighborhoods -- or a new accretion to the map (if Terri approves). We will see. Writing to discover what is in Bordertown is as close to living there as I can get...and sometimes, that's pretty damn close.

And because I like collecting images of people and places that just might show up in the story -- or at least lend their energy to the details, here is my Bordertown Dreams pinterest board.

Art: Street Art by Just Cobe in Runzmattenweg, Freiburg, Germany and Matthew Woodson/Ghostco.

Seth Globepainter and The Child in Murals

I love these are beautiful, whimsical pieces of public art by French muralist Seth Globepainter who travels the world creating images of children on all manner of walls -- sometimes abandoned buildings, street corners, deserted factories, shops, a refugee camp...

Death and Dinner, Mais Oui.

I am a wee bit past Bastille Day, but in the spirit of that revolutionary and rather bloody event, I would like to offer a meal fit for Death. The Old Foodie, is a brilliant blog devoted to providing readers...

Once Upon a Blog Returns

Once Upon a Blog is a a fascinating blog run by Ink Gypsy on all things fairy tale and multi-media from film to dance to art. The blog had taken a break a while back so I am super excited...

São Luís, Maranhão - Festas Juninas, 2013

My daughter, Taiko Haessler, over at her amazing blog Band of Wild Petticoats, has been posting on her ten day journey to the north of Brazil where she is doing graduate research. Her posts have been extraordinary -- full of...

Painted Deserts and Petrified Forests.

We drove up through some of the most rugged and beautiful territory in northern Arizona, heading for the Navajo Reservation, to visit the Petrified Forest (which is fallen logs over 226 million years old laying on the ground) and hiking...

Jesus on The Fence

In the midst of all my work (and looming deadlines) I received this unexpected gem in the mail and wanted to share it. A gentleman in Madrid, NM had discovered the remnants of the 36 ft wooden statue of Jesus...

Deadlines Looming

With three projects in need of finishing, I had hope to be able to do it all...but it appears I need to get the work done first and then return with a whole bunch of new posts sitting on my...

To Write in the Air: Bakin and Yoshitori

Here's another image that surfaced today that I enjoy because it captures so many stories of flying ships -- whether sailed or feathered, and all the adventures written from such a fanciful vantage point. This is a rather magical novel...

Alphabets, Satyrs, and My Name

Artful alphabets please me. Here is a beautiful early 18th century Italian alphabet currently housed in Berlin, but happily digitized and available online. I like the the fact that my first intial "M" -- is graced by Masks and Satyrs...