Stephen Graham Jones's Blog, page 247

It’s October

Meaning: I’m seeing Billie Jean on the shelf at Goodwill. Hoping there’s still one of these there on November 1st, as I really-really want one:

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AMC’s Preacher

Very much digging it. Not at all an easy adaptation. Dug the comic, of course. And really digging his supercab Ford in the television version: I’ve watched so many shows just to get to look at the ride. This may be another, in a very long line.

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Back-to-Back-to-Back Werewolf Events

Which is pretty much what May was, when Mongrels came out. But this is September-land, man. The road, though, it’s a big long slip ‘n slide, isn’t it? You take that first step, then you just keep going and going. This is from the plenary address/discussion/interview at the Western Literature Association’s 2016 conference in Big Sky, Montana (I think all these pics are from/by Billy Stratton): That’s Susan Bernardin on stage with me. Also? There were moose galumphing around the property. And, got to ride up with Earl and Maxine Kingston—very cool people. Her keynote killed. But then, all too soon, I split out of there with Theo Van Alst and Billy Stratton: And, whilst driving west to Missoula/the next event, what’d we see but this sly character slipping over from another reality: Roundabout Butte, there may have been a triple-meat Whopper situation. Okay, there probably almost definitely was. It came to involve chicken fries as well, even. Because: chicken fries. As for why we were headed to Missoula? The Montana Book Festival: And, since I was having to slip out right after my reading, I went ahead and signed everything early (this pic’s from/by Sherwin Bitsui): That werewolf medallion’s by Cinnamon Spear. So cool. And that book I’m actually holding there, it’s thanks to Theo Van Alst. And the one on the far end of the table’s thanks to Richard Thomas. Then, mere moments later, I read them about bestiality, then pet-grenades, then cannibalism—as Reader’s Digest would say, “All in a Day’s Work”: Was  . . . → → →

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The Many Travails of Being a Werewolf

Thanks to my student from wayback Jo Anna Gaona Albiar for showing me this. Not only are pantyhose murder. So are many fashion accessories:

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Werewolves Out in the World, Part XX

Twenty, man, wow. Thought this was a werewolf novel, but I think the book itself is a zombie: it keeps on going. Well, guess zombies don’t have the complete market on that: But that really belongs on the It Came from Del Rio page. This page? It’s all werewolves all the time: one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve thirteen fourteen fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen nineteen And let’s start with a droog from the wayback—Dan’s from The Velvet days, if any of y’all remember them: Whereas Betsy, she’s from this year’s Clarion West (and Indra’s from ’12): Also, I think #SundayMorning should really be a Kris and Johnny thing (“#KrisCash”?). And also a werewolf thing:     How you know Jesse’s both a good writer AND a true fan of BOC? It’s the umlaut. That takes some wizardry I can’t even guess at. Also? You should all be reading Jesse.      Had to page back, as I remember this image, couldn’t figure why it was showing up again, but: same image, different words. Thank you, Betty. And aloha back:     Also thank you Mauveandrosysky. And, man, really? How can anyone follow Laird Barron and hope to come off even halfway decent?   I do dig the Warhol’d up image, though. If y’all don’t know this song/video, you definitely should. Some quality stuff. And, if I recall correctly, possibly NSFW? Then again, I don’t know where you work:     Such a cool list for the yellow book to  . . . → → →

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Texas

This is so right, so real. It’s how you feel, growing up in Texas, then one day leaving. [ from Terms of Endearment ] Then, once you’re somewhere else, this is always playing in all your backgrounds:

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October is for Werewolf Movies

Also, all the other months. But it’s in October that I’m getting to intro Wolfen, The Company of Wolves, and The Howling. Talking about Wolfen at The Alamo Drafthouse down in Denver: [ link ] TalkingThe Company of Wolves and The Howling here at CU Boulder’s International Film Series: [ link / link ] Need I say it’ll be a howling good time?

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High ‘n’ Dry

It’s always driven my crazy, how Guns n’ Roses just apostrophes the truncated ‘d’ of their “and,” but just leaves us all wondering what happened to the ‘a.’ It’s a petty concern, granted, but it seems to me that, if you’re not going to go just with a straight, naked ‘n,’ then you’re kind of compelled to stash an apostrophe on each side of that lonely letter, so that we visually understand it’s really (a)n(d). All of which is to say, quite possibly I was trained on Def Leppard’s High ‘n’ Dry. When in halfway doubt, just put apostrophes everywhere. Only thinking about it because, finally, after so many years of honest devotion and proselytizing and singing along, I saw them last night: They put on a great show, and played everything I wanted, except the one song that was sneaked onto my old cassette of High ‘n’ Dry, as I recall: “Me and My Wine.” But it’s in my head, and my heart. Been singing along with that one since well before I’d ever tasted wine. And, even now—I don’t like wine, but I still love that song. Really, though, Def Leppard was everything I imagined, live. And, man, Tesla was there too, opening. And Tesla still brings it. They were always so good, and still are. Here’s them from last year—same stage, same setup, same guys: Next, I just need to see D-A-D. Somehow, someway.

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The Olden Days

I think when you’re not on facebook all that terrible much—or maybe it’s this way for everyone?—when you do log on, the system serves up some of your old posts for your eyes only, kind of like giving you ideas for how a post works, I guess, or what counts as content, or perhaps it’s, I don’t know, assuming your life is a void now, so it’s time to start mining your own past for shareable stuff. Always feels like it’s saying, “Remember when we used to have fun? Look, here’s proof. It can be this way again.” But maybe I’m assigning more agenda to an algorithm than it deserves. Anyway, while I don’t ever click “(re)share” on those, just because it feels like I’m putting my forepaw into some sort of noose—no, it’s more like a slide, like that’ll be the first slippery step, and them I’m just plummeting down and around and and and—here’s the last two it shuffled up to me. I would think randomly, except I know nothing’s random on social media, everything’s tied to the your profile, to whatever cookie’s you’re dragging, to whatever music you’re playing, to whatever the app can hear in the background, to whatever data place X can buy from place Y, all that truly terrifying stuff meant to direct your clicks here and not there. Reason I’m pasting them up here is that I think it’s kind of cool that they’re from four and six years ago, and they’re both showing some werewolfery. I would say  . . . → → →

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Werewolves Out in the World, Part XIX

Nearly to twenty, here. Somehow/already/amazing/cool. Here’s all the Mongrels before: the Wolves of Yore one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve thirteen fourteen fifteen sixteen seventeen eighteen And, The Wolfen, man. I think The Wolfen wasn’t just the first werewolf novel I read, but one of the first novels I read to just completely thrill me—to fire my imagination, to make me believe in What If.   And: cool, yeah? Black Hole‘s fun. I like how kind of awkward Burns draws all the characters. I’ve always thought that the mechanical ways they move and stand are meant to kind of capture the awkwardness of being a teen:   Good to hear about the audio’d Mongrels:     And, this is only the first superstar/Mongrels appearance in this wrap-up:     I’ve watched way too much Wheel in my short little time on Earth. But I’m not the only one:     Always cool to get written up with Paul:     Okay, not strictly Mongrels, but definitely some werewolfery afoot in this — as near as I can tell — completely accurate, very comprehensive list:     If I only had Stepanie’s last name. Well, I guess I’d be like Erik Storey, except a “Stephen.” I always wanted a writer/book-name, though. Still verymuch do.     My werewolves are all staring at Laura’s avatar:     What an idyllic place for a werewolf novel to land:     Yep: “office rabbit.” Y’all remember Jenny, from the Dallas writeup/interview?      . . . → → →

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