Jay Lake: Writer

[conventions] Norwescon Day Four

Well, that was an easy day. Woke up, worked out, spent some time with lizzyshannon, packed, checked out, loaded the car with the help of the_child, hit the panel on book covers which was oh so ably managed by John Picacio, with supporting roles from Jack Skillingstead, Mary Robinette Kowal and me, then hit the road for home.

I hadn’t expected to write much if at all yesterday, but I did managed 75 minutes in back seat of Irene Radford’s car, pulling out 2,600 words of Their Currents Turn Awry. Given my state of mind and body, I doubt they’re very good words, but that’s what revision is for.

My next writerly appearances are a DAW reading in Seattle on the evening of May 10th, then the Paradise Lost conference the week after that in San Antonio. For now, I’m staying home, working on the book, and trying to keep my happy ass out of the oncology ward.

Tags: Books, Conventions, Currents, Seattle, Texas, Travel, Writing

Posted: 5:53 am Mon April 09 2012 | Comments(2) |

[links] Link salad is working for the weekend

DIALOGUE: Between the Lines — Podcast of yesterday’s radio interview of me with Susan Wingate and Joshua Graham.

Satisfactory Sub-plots, Now With Pictures — Howard Tayler blogs at Inkpunks.

Science Finds Fiction Is Good for Us — Nancy Jane Moore is interesting over at Book View Cafe.

GAMA Announces 38th Annual Origins Awards Nominees — This is cool. A Wizards of the Coast anthology that I have a novelette in has been nominated.

Supercomputer Watson takes on cancer care with Memorial Sloan-Kettering

What Happens When A 35-Year-Old Man Retakes The SAT? —

In Texas Tradition, Museums That Enshrine the Quirky — (Thanks to my Dad.)

Twitter Data Scientist Takes on McDonald’s Entire Menu, Survives — Mining thousands of calories of food isn’t so different from parsing terabytes of tweets.

Is It Time to Embrace Pink Slime?

The White Savior Industrial Complex — (Via danjite.)

Starbucks’ Gay Marriage Support Endorsed By HRC Despite National Organization For Marriage Protest — To quote Shanna Germain: “We will not tolerate an international company attempting to force its misguided values on citizens. The majority of Americans and virtually every consumer in some countries in which Starbucks operates believe that marriage is between one man and one woman. They will not be pleased to learn that their money is being used to advance gay marriage in society.” ~NOM President Brian Brown — I love how he makes it sound like Starbucks is going to go into foreign countries and try to convert people to a specific belief system. Because, you know, what kind of assholes do that?

Mischief follows in partisan Bible translations — American politics had changed between 1977 and 1995. It had polarized and radicalized millions of American Protestants, rallying them around a single issue and thus, as intended, rallying them behind a single political party. In 1977, the sort of American Protestants who purchased most Bibles couldn’t be summed up in a single word. But by 1995, they could be: “abortion.” And for anti-abortion American evangelicals, Exodus 21:12-27 was unacceptable. It suggested that striking and killing an unborn fetus was in a separate category from striking and killing a “person.” Strike and kill a free person, you get the death penalty. Strike and kill an unborn fetus, you get a fine. And so in 1995, like those earlier translators who invented and inserted “Junias,” the translators of the NASB reshaped this passage. Yep, the infallible and inerrant word of God.

Tennessee legislature boldly sets the science clocks back 150 years — I also wonder how the Tennessee lawmakers would feel if, say, teachers used this potential law to teach about Islam, or astrology, or Wiccan beliefs. I do not understand why conservatives hate America so much that they’re intent on destroying the education of everyone’s children.

The Republican Base Exposed — Charles Johnson at LGF once again dives into the comments at FoxNews.com so the rest of us don’t have to. This time it’s about the murder of Trayvon Martin, and we get to see the real driving animus behind the politics of Fox News viewers. To my conservative friends still wonder why the rest of America thinks your party is utterly nuts: this disgusting evil is a core portion of your Republican voting base, validated and cultivated carefully by years of your party’s political and media strategy.

Komen foundation continues to see fallout from Planned Parenthood controversy — It’s so rare to see any meaningful consequences for typical conservative dishonesty and shenanigans.

The Utter Incompetence Of Romney’s Rivals

Barack Obama and the oddballs — An Australian view of the US presidential race. Conservatives claim they are not hobbled by doctrine and ideology. Wow is that a bizarre statement. Conservatives will demonstrably choose doctrine and ideology over facts on the ground every single time. The political history of the last 20 years has proven this ad nauseam.

?otd: Tomato or tomahto?

3/23/2012
Writing time yesterday: 1.25 hours (WRPA (Norwescon workshop critique))
Body movement: 30 minute stationary bicycle ride
Hours slept: 8.75 (solid)
Weight: 238.4
Currently reading: Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

Tags: audio, Awards, Books, Cancer, Culture, education, Food, Funny, gay, gender, healthcare, interviews, Language, Links, media, Personal, podcasts, Politics, Process, Religion, sex, stories, Texas, weird, Writing

Posted: 7:56 am Fri March 23 2012 | Comments(0) |

[personal|travel] Home from Texas

I got home from Texas yesterday afternoon. Managed to jam in some good work on the Little Dog synopsis, including an audio readthrough. Also wrote a requested short called “The Cancer Catechism”. I may have overshot the mark a bit on that one, it’s a lot more intense than the market might be wanting. I guess I’ll find out when I send it in.

Yesterday when I posted about Tuesday’s open dinner, as my cousin N— reminded me, I totally forgot to talk about the funniest part. Shortly after we’d been seated, and a while before our party filled the table, people started coming up to us and asking if we were atheists. This happened three or four times in the space of fifteen minutes. We were absolutely baffled as to what was going on. It was hilarious.

Turns out the Atheist Meetup was happening that night at Threadgill’s, and we’d accidentally been given their usual table. The hostess had confused us with that group — I can’t imagine why.

Little Dog is now off for some expert reading on gender issues in the book. “The Cancer Catechism” is now off to my usual gang of first readers. And, erm, there’s this radio interview today.

What, me, busy?

Tags: Books, family, Funny, interviews, Little Dog, Personal, Religion, stories, Texas, Travel, Writing

Posted: 4:46 am Thu March 22 2012 | Comments(1) |

[food] Last night’s open dinner

Last night’s open dinner was terrific. We had nine people, including me, meeting up at Threadgill’s in south Austin. My old friends Chris W. Johnson and Brendan Boerner, whom I’ve known since about 1986, turned up. So did my cousin N—, whom I see only once every few years. She came up from San Antonio. Some of the usual suspects were there, including mrtact, Sean Kelley, @dratz and Mrs. @dratz, as well as Austin area fan and writer John Gibbons.

A good time was had by all, and many calories were consumed. The cross-pollination was fun, too.

Me and my cousin

Photo © 2012 D. Reynolds, reproduced with permission.

Tags: family, Food, friends, Texas

Posted: 3:06 am Wed March 21 2012 | Comments(0) |

[personal] The nostalgia fairy took a dump on me and all I got was this great dinner

Yesterday after getting out of the Day Jobbe function which has brought me to Austin, I drove over to Chuy’s Hula Hut for a solo dinner. This was one of my favorite restaurants when I lived here, and about the last place we ate before Mother of the Child and I skipped town for good back in early 2000. My favorite fajitas anywhere, a quirky lakeside ambience, and generally a relaxed good time.

In the middle of eating, looking out over Lake Austin, it suddenly occurred to me that I had first moved to Austin thirty years ago, in 1982, as a young adult. That was the year I graduated high school — on the day of my eighteenth birthday, no less, back when the drinking age was eighteen — and after spending the summer in Bulgaria, as one does, I’d hied off to Austin to attend the University of Texas that fall.

Thirty years. Thirty freaking years. I’m not freaking old enough to have done something thirty years ago as an adult.

I certainly don’t expect to see another thirty years. Hell, with the cancer lurking, I don’t really expect to see another five years. My move to Austin was well more than half my life ago, and a hugely larger chunk of years than what most likely lies ahead.

Odd, sad and funny.

Today’s my last full day here, as I’m leaving at the crack of dawn on Thursday. Hopefully I’ll see some of you at the open dinner tonight, 7:15 at the Threadgill’s just south of the river.

Tags: Cancer, Food, health, Personal, Texas, Travel

Posted: 3:25 am Tue March 20 2012 | Comments(0) |

[travel|repost] Open dinner in Austin on Tuesday, 3/20 (DATE CHANGE)

Important: the date has changed!!!

I am in Austin, Texas this week for Day Jobbery. As it happens I am free here the evening of Wednesday, 3/21 Tuesday, 3/20. So I’m declaring an open dinner, at Threadgill’s just south of the river. I will be there at 7:15 pm. If I manage to arrive earlier, I’ll hang out in the bar, so look for me there if you arrive earlier.

If you’d like to meet up — and it doesn’t matter if you’re an old friend or we’ve never met, or somewhere in between — please let me know in comments so I can get a headcount.

Tags: Food, Personal, Repost, Texas, Travel

Posted: 5:08 am Mon March 19 2012 | Comments(2) |

[personal] Walking and writing and working in Austin

Still in Austin. Spent part of yesterday working at Day Jobbery (a very rare weekend commitment), then with friends, then at dinner at the Hyde Park Bar and Grill. Mmm, one of my favorite restaurants. I used to live four blocks from there. Also got some more work done on Little Dog, as well as some critique for the Norwescon writers’ workshop forthcoming.

Walked this morning in downtown Austin, from my hotel by the Convention Center west on Sixth Street to well past Z Tejas and back. Along the way I passed the Hoffbrau House, Hut’s, Katz’s, Frank and Angie’s, Amy’s… I realized that my mental map of my old home town seems to be highly food oriented. I could spend a couple of weeks eating my way across Austin.

Today’s lunch break I’m hoping to catch with a friend, and I’m going to hit Chuy’s Hula Hut this evening. Mmm mmm. Should be able to get some editing time on Little Dog today as well. Tomorrow is iffier because apparently I am committed for 12 hours of Day Jobbery. That means even if I can squeeze out the time, I likely won’t have the energy. Plus tomorrow is the open dinner.

Back to Portland on Wednesday, to see the_child give her presentation on her eight grade project.

See some, all or none of you around the River City here.

Tags: Books, Child, Food, Little Dog, Personal, Texas, Travel, work, Writing

Posted: 5:06 am Mon March 19 2012 | Comments(0) |

[travel] Back in the Lone Star state

Yesterday I flew back to Austin. I slept a bunch on the first leg of the flight, but still managed to knock out worthwhile time on the Little Dog synopsis, plus catch up on my homework for teaching the_child‘s class. After I arrived yesterday, @dratz and Mrs. @dratz drove me out to Driftwood, TX and the mighty Salt Lick BBQ. Pretty much my favorite bbq anywhere, ever. But my gosh, how the place has changed. It used to be pretty much a summer camp dining hall out in the woods of the Hill Country. Now it’s… huge…

But the food. Mmm mmm. If you’re an unreconstructed carnivore, this place is heaven.

This morning I got up early (imagine that) and walked for an hour. The @dratz and Mrs. @dratzs live a few blocks from the house I owned when I lived here, so this is familiar territory. I walked down to the University of Texas campus and back. That would be my alma mater. While I had a pretty good time in college, I don’t tend to be afflicted with nostalgia for those days. Still, being on campus brought back a lot of memories. And I do miss Austin, a lot. I love Portland so much that the missing isn’t bitter, but maybe it’s a bit bittersweet.

Going to work on Little Dog for a while commencing shortly here. Breakfast this morning, probably at Waterloo Ice House, then I’m off to the trade show at noon. (I’m here for Day Jobbery.) Watch this space for confirming announcements about Tuesday’s open dinner.

It’s good to be back in Texas.

Photo © 2012, Joseph E. Lake, Jr.

This work by Joseph E. Lake, Jr. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Tags: Books, Food, friends, Little Dog, Personal, Photos, Texas, Travel, work, Writing

Posted: 5:03 am Sun March 18 2012 | Comments(0) |

[travel|repost] Open dinner in Austin on Tuesday, 3/20 (DATE CHANGE)

Important: the date has changed!!!

I’ll be in Austin, Texas next week for Day Jobbery. As it happens I am free there the evening of Wednesday, 3/21 Tuesday, 3/20. So I’m declaring an open dinner, venue TBD but probably Threadgill’s just south of the river. If you’d like to meet up — and it doesn’t matter if you’re an old friend or we’ve never met, or somewhere in between — please let me know in comments so I can get a headcount. I’ll confirm the venue and the exact time early next week.

See some, all or none of you there!

Tags: Food, Personal, Repost, Texas, Travel

Posted: 5:38 am Thu March 15 2012 | Comments(0) |

[travel] Open dinner in Austin on Wednesday, 3/21

I’ll be in Austin, Texas next week for Day Jobbery. As it happens I am free there the evening of Wednesday, 3/21. So I’m declaring an open dinner, venue TBD but probably Threadgill’s just south of the river. If you’d like to meet up — and it doesn’t matter if you’re an old friend or we’ve never met, or somewhere in between — please let me know in comments so I can get a headcount. I’ll confirm the venue early next week.

See some, all or none of you there!

Tags: Food, Personal, Texas, Travel

Posted: 5:39 am Tue March 13 2012 | Comments(1) |