Michael Thomas Ford's Blog, page 7

Clowning Around

Last night Patrick and I went to see "Brick Circk" at The Marsh, a performance space here in San Francisco. "Brick Circk" is playing as part of the International Czech Theater Festival. It's a one-man show by famed clown Stevo Capko.

That's right, I said famed clown. And there's more--I adore clowns. Especially clowns from the Eastern European clowning tradition, which is about as different from American clowning as borscht is from Jello. American clowning is all "Ha ha! That's so cute!" Europ...

The Pursuit of Happiness

A few nights ago I stumbled across a new show called Bored to Death. It's on HBO, it stars Jason Schwartzman, Ted Danson, and Zach Galifianakis, and it is apparently one of those too-clever-by-half shows in which Schwartzman's character (Jonathan Ames) is a stand-in for show creator Jonathan Ames. The fictional Ames is a young writer from Brooklyn who has one novel under his belt, can't finish the second one, and drinks too much. I don't know how closely this mirrors the life of the real JA, ...

I Ate It Up, I Loved It So

I didn't expect a whole lot from the movie adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are. To be perfectly honest, I'm really tired of the whole supergenius-who-will-save-literature aura that surrounds Dave Eggers (who co-wrote the script), and it all felt just a little too hipper-than-thou what with Spike Jonze directing and Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs doing the soundtrack. I'm sure they're all lovely people, and it's not their fault that they're currently pop culture icons, but it's easy to be ...

Tickets, Please

Here is a list of artists I have not seen live:

Shawn Colvin
Toni Childs
Angelique Kidjo
Rosanne Cash
k.d. lang
Jann Arden
Cyndi Lauper
Joan Jett
Ozzy Osbourne
The New York Dolls

I could have seen them. I had tickets. I just didn't go.

This happens a lot, and not just for concerts. I have piles of unused tickets for operas, plays, and symphony performances. I even have unused airline tickets, the most recent being for a trip to New York I never took.

The ticket thing has become something of a joke amongst...

Things I Want: Part 2

Earlier this week I wrote about what I would buy if one of my books sold spectacularly well and I found myself with some cash to throw away on things other than the mortgage, taxes, and the dogs' vet bills. At the time the only thing I could think of to get myself was this crazy wonderful monkey lamp.

But the monkey lamp--fabulous as it is--costs only $995. Also, as my friend Robert pointed out, it's boringly practical. It was suggested by several people that I should try to think of something...

Jane's On Target!

I just found out that Jane Bites Back has been selected as a Target Breakout Book, which they describe as "Hot subjects and up-and-coming authors for readers looking for the next big thing."

This means that not only will JBB be carried in every Target store, it will be shelved on endcaps. You know--those displays they have at the end of every aisle where they put the detergents, underpants, and lipsticks you must own or risk having an unfulfilling life.

I am so excited that people doing their w...

KISS, KISS

Here is what I've accomplished this week: I've listened to the entire KISS discography. In chronological order. Well, almost all of it--the 18 group albums and the four solo albums. I didn't include the four live albums or the seven million best-of compilations.

This actually started two weeks ago, when Patrick asked me to accompany him to Walmart. Normally I wouldn't do this, as the closest Walmart is about 45 minutes away and I can stand being in the car for only about five minutes...

At Least They Spelled Your Name Right . . .

Take a look at the clip on the right. It's from the New York Times Book Review. Every writer wants to be mentioned in the NYTBR, right?

Sure. But I'm not sure every writer wants to be mentioned in the NYTBR along with the phrase jumped the squid.

I know, it's used with tongue firmly in cheek, and it isn't specifically in reference to Jane Bites Back. But you know how writers are. We get neurotic at the drop of a hat. Or the squirt of an ink sac. Ha ha! See, I can be funny too!

Really, I'm sort o...

Monkey Business

From time to time someone asks me, "If one of your books sells really well and you actually have some money, what will you buy?"

I've never had a good answer for this. Sure, I'd pay off the house if I could. But that's not what they mean. They want to know what things I would get for myself. You know, like a car. Or gold teeth. Actually, I already have one gold tooth. Well, a gold crown anyway. It doesn't have my name spelled out in diamonds on it or anything, and it's way back in my mouth whe...

It's Fang-tastic!

The first review for Jane Bites Back came in today. It's from Publishers Weekly. Here's what they have to say:

Jane Bites Back Michael Thomas Ford. Ballantine, $14 paper (288p) ISBN 978-0-345-51365-6

Ford's (Last Summer) fang-tastic satire of the Jane Austen craze catches up with "Elizabeth Jane Fairfax," the undead 233-year-old author and owner of an upstate New York book store. She's disgusted by the Pride and Prejudice knockoffs that fly out of her store (poor Jane hasn't seen a royalty...