Poppy Z. Brite's Blog, page 41
June 27, 2012
June 26, 2012
Murder Weather
We're in one of those stretches of subtropical weather where the temperature rarely drops below 85º, even in the middle of the night. My office stays hot and it's hard to work except in short bursts. Thanks to Grey, I have a window air conditioner in the bedroom, and can retreat to the coolness there. I hope to get another for the office, but I hope for a lot of things lately and don't get most of them. This is not entirely a bad thing. My life still has that pared-down, reduced-to-essentials feel. My essentials are not what everyone's might be, but they never feel extravagant. My only extravagant-feeling purchase recently has been an easel, and that's more for what it represents to me (OMG YOU THINK YOU ARE AN ARTIST WHERE'S YOUR BERET) than for the fairly reasonable cost ($16). I like working on it, though.
Some new and unusual eBay auctions up: hardcover firsts of Drawing Blood and Plastic Jesus; chapbook The Feast of St. Rosalie; a numbered copy (327) of the 1250-copy numbered edition of Guilty But Insane; a deluxe limited traycased hardcover edition of The Lazarus Heart; and a pair of Victorian mourning earrings woven out of human hair with rose gold settings. (I have a fairly large collection of Victorian mourning jewelry that I no longer wear or display, and may consider selling more of it depending on how this piece goes.)
Some new and unusual eBay auctions up: hardcover firsts of Drawing Blood and Plastic Jesus; chapbook The Feast of St. Rosalie; a numbered copy (327) of the 1250-copy numbered edition of Guilty But Insane; a deluxe limited traycased hardcover edition of The Lazarus Heart; and a pair of Victorian mourning earrings woven out of human hair with rose gold settings. (I have a fairly large collection of Victorian mourning jewelry that I no longer wear or display, and may consider selling more of it depending on how this piece goes.)
June 20, 2012
That Moment
That moment. The one where you find the right words, or make music no one has ever heard before, or in this case, put two ordinary colors on a canvas, dab off some of one with a paper towel, and go "WHOA!" at the effect you accidentally created. That's the moment we live through the rest of it for.
There needs to be a word for staying up all night drinking Diet Coke and smoking pot and making stuff, knowing that around dawn you will drive over to your sleeping lover's house and slip into the comfort of his bed.
There needs to be a word for staying up all night drinking Diet Coke and smoking pot and making stuff, knowing that around dawn you will drive over to your sleeping lover's house and slip into the comfort of his bed.
June 18, 2012
New Auctions
New eBay auctions are up: hardcovers of Drawing Blood and Wrong Things, chapbooks Would You?, Stay Awake, and one of my very last copies of Con Party at Hotel California. There won't be any more of those when they are gone.
Thanks for your generous bids on the last round of auctions. I do have my testosterone now, though starting it again after a hiatus brings its own set of issues.
Thanks for your generous bids on the last round of auctions. I do have my testosterone now, though starting it again after a hiatus brings its own set of issues.
eBay
eBay auctions ending today: lovely diamond pendant whose reserve is less than a third of its worth, "Serial Killer Cute" shadowbox, and art-cover copy of Lost Souls. Copies of The Lazarus Heart for $20 including domestic shipping are still available too.
I'm kind of in crisis mode. Haven't been able to do, write, or even think much. I'm sorry I have been so remiss in shipping, sending thanks for donations, and otherwise communicating with the world. Will rectify this soon.
I'm kind of in crisis mode. Haven't been able to do, write, or even think much. I'm sorry I have been so remiss in shipping, sending thanks for donations, and otherwise communicating with the world. Will rectify this soon.
June 13, 2012
Two Transgender Definitions
Living stealth: Living your life so that as few people as possible are aware that your current sex doesn't match the one you were assigned at birth.
Passing: Presenting yourself in such a manner that people you encounter in your day-to-day life don't realize that your current sex doesn't match the one you were assigned at birth; being recognized as the gender with which you identify.
I don't have any real interest in living stealth, but the lack of passing wears on me. The idea of spending several more years (possibly all of them) being called "ma'am," and even "ladies" when I'm in the company of a woman, flat-out exhausts me sometimes. The only thing harder would be continuing to live a lie.
Passing: Presenting yourself in such a manner that people you encounter in your day-to-day life don't realize that your current sex doesn't match the one you were assigned at birth; being recognized as the gender with which you identify.
I don't have any real interest in living stealth, but the lack of passing wears on me. The idea of spending several more years (possibly all of them) being called "ma'am," and even "ladies" when I'm in the company of a woman, flat-out exhausts me sometimes. The only thing harder would be continuing to live a lie.
June 11, 2012
Serial Killer Cute (& More)
And three more new eBay items: a copy of Lost Souls with one of my handmade covers, an art shadowbox, and a gorgeous diamond necklace that I've had since 1998 but am obviously never going to wear again. The latter is engraved with the word LOVE and would make a sweet wedding/anniversary/civil union/I-love-you gift.
The shadowbox is the first thing I've put up in a while that I'd call a piece of art as opposed to a craft. I don't want to go into a bunch of pompous distinctions between the two; they just feel different when I'm making them. This one is called "Serial Killer Cute." Comments welcome! Thanks to Grey Cross Studios for the photo.
The shadowbox is the first thing I've put up in a while that I'd call a piece of art as opposed to a craft. I don't want to go into a bunch of pompous distinctions between the two; they just feel different when I'm making them. This one is called "Serial Killer Cute." Comments welcome! Thanks to Grey Cross Studios for the photo.
Good eBay Stuff
eBay auctions of the tenth-anniversary edition of Lost Souls, my handmade traycased The Value of X, and a pretty blank journal are ending later today. Copies of The Lazarus Heart in my Big Testosterone Sale are still available too. For those readers who aren't eBay customers, thanks for your patience with these millions of announcements.
June 10, 2012
Brainglue
Trying to make stuff, but everything looks crappy and/or refuses to dry. My thoughts feel like a slow leak.
[ETA: Ha ha ha ha, he laughed bitterly. Was just reading a friend's Facebook status about Ann Coulter. Foolishly opened comments to see if the inevitable "I think she used to be a man" comment was there. Not only was it the fifth comment, it was posted by an ex's ex whom I always found particularly brainless. This proves something, if only that I deserve to be in a bad mood.]
[ETA: Ha ha ha ha, he laughed bitterly. Was just reading a friend's Facebook status about Ann Coulter. Foolishly opened comments to see if the inevitable "I think she used to be a man" comment was there. Not only was it the fifth comment, it was posted by an ex's ex whom I always found particularly brainless. This proves something, if only that I deserve to be in a bad mood.]
June 8, 2012
Storm Front Coming, Mood Indigo
Staying up all night making stuff. I've been getting some effects I love just by coating the shit out of things with plain old Elmer's Glue-All.
I wish this situation was more sustainable -- I love having my own space, and so does Grey, and the meeting up is all the sweeter after we've been apart for a while. But I had to pawn jewelry to make the house payment this month. I haven't had any testosterone in three weeks, which is wreaking havoc with my complexion and God knows what other, less visible things. And I've learned that I can eat a LOT of peanut butter. I don't know what is going to happen, but during these long, (relatively) cool nights of creativity and anticipation, I feel weirdly optimistic nonetheless.
[ETA: TESTOSTERONE SALE!!! Signed trade paperback copies of The Lazarus Heart for $20, which includes domestic media shipping. Please note that I won't be able to start shipping these out for a few days, until some of the payments come through and I can get envelopes and postage.]
I wish this situation was more sustainable -- I love having my own space, and so does Grey, and the meeting up is all the sweeter after we've been apart for a while. But I had to pawn jewelry to make the house payment this month. I haven't had any testosterone in three weeks, which is wreaking havoc with my complexion and God knows what other, less visible things. And I've learned that I can eat a LOT of peanut butter. I don't know what is going to happen, but during these long, (relatively) cool nights of creativity and anticipation, I feel weirdly optimistic nonetheless.
[ETA: TESTOSTERONE SALE!!! Signed trade paperback copies of The Lazarus Heart for $20, which includes domestic media shipping. Please note that I won't be able to start shipping these out for a few days, until some of the payments come through and I can get envelopes and postage.]
