Gwenda, Author at Gwenda Bond

Wow

7 Comments / Books, Scientifiction / By Gwenda / October 20, 2007

So, there’s all this talk — some it really useful — about short fiction and etc. And I could talk about that, but I’d rather recommend something great instead. Luckily, I tend to read the last story of anthologies first, and I just started Ellen and Terri’s trickster anthology, Coyote Road. You need this book, because Kij Johnson’s "The Evolution of Trickster Stories Among the Dogs of North Park After the Change" is AMAZING. A knockout. One of the best stories I’ve read in ages. How does Kij manage that devastating yet hopeful ending? No one does it better.

I’m more than looking forward to reading all the rest too.

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Thursday Hangovers

2 Comments / Hangovers / By Gwenda / October 18, 2007

Leila rounds up the lukewarm-to-hated-it reviews of Alice Sebold’s latest. I adored The Lovely Bones, but it does sound not-nearly-as-good. Here’s hoping the next one is a return to form. (Contrary opinions more than welcome in the comments, if you’ve read and liked it.)
The dynamite Sarah Ellis — who’s on the faculty at my MFA program — just won the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, which even comes with a check for $20,000. Yay!
Damon Garr offers some interesting commentary on the debate about whether to publish "original" versions of Raymond Carver stories. And see David Anthony Durham’s thoughts as well.
Will smart cars conquer the US?
Stephanie Aulenback’s Little Known Facts About Children’s Literature.
Everyone who didn’t read Joe Hill’s 20th Century Ghosts when it was released in a smallish run by a British press, can now do so. The stories are fabulous.
Eve’s Alexandria on my favorite novel of recent years, Geoff Ryman’s Air. I wish everyone would read it. I wish there was a lot more science fiction like it.
Wes Stace’s top 10 ventriloquist novels.
And Justine pointed out this divinely fun piece on the madness of Frankfurt.
Second Chris Barzak novel, which will be AMAZING!
Writers: Do not piss off your publicist.
Jed Berry: SUPASTAH! (Also, Aunt Gwenda IMPERSONATOR!)
Freelancers need health insurance too. (Via Austin.)

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As Usual

1 Comment / Nattering / By Gwenda / October 18, 2007

Behind on everything — especially email, and my feed reader has 417 new items — but will try my best to catch up this weekend.

I think I forgot to mention that we finally saw The Jane Austen Book Club last weekend and liked it a great deal, actually. It’s not as good as the book, obvs, but was a pleasurable way to spend two hours (even if Hugh Dancy’s pronunciation of Ursula, as in Ursula Le Guin, drove us crazy). How often do you see a movie about people who really care about books? It was nice.

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Reviewing the Review

18 Comments / Children's Lit Fabulosity, Scientifiction / By Gwenda / October 17, 2007

So over at SF Site, Paul Kincaid reviewed Pat Murphy’s The Wild Girls, and wasn’t all that impressed. But the fabulous Literaticat has responded to the review ably, point by point, and reached the conclusion that this is actually the best middle grade book of the year.

How had I not heard about this one? Making note to get a copy, stat.

Updated: Niall has further thoughts related to the topic.

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Belated Heroes Yammer

6 Comments / TV Goodness / By Gwenda / October 16, 2007

Anything to say about The Kindness of Strangers? I haven’t watched it yet, but will today.

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Memo

2 Comments / Effing Genius / By Gwenda / October 15, 2007

to Dave Schwartz — you need to watch this IMMEDIATELY. (The rest of you might like it too.)

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Come One, Come All

Books, Children's Lit Fabulosity / By Gwenda / October 15, 2007

Just a reminder for anyone who’s local that Scott will be making his final tour appearance tonight at 7 p.m. at Joseph-Beth Booksellers. Don’t ask him about his Wii tennis skills though. (Because they are HARDCORE.) (MOSTLY.)

At any rate, you can buy Extras here.

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Monday Hangovers

1 Comment / Hangovers / By Gwenda / October 15, 2007

Christopher‘s a star — or, at least, our local weekly did an excellent profile about his writing and yellow bike wrangler duties.
Coffee and Ink weighs in on the first few Heroes episodes. She rightly points out — as others have — that it took awhile to get cooking last season too.
The weekend saw an incredibly disappointing mini-storm involving an (unfortunate) letter from Ursula Le Guin to Cory Doctorow over his posting her piece that quite a few other people also posted awhile back, an (unnecessary) apology from Cory Doctorow to her, and more reaction to that.
Coilhouse, a wonderful-looking new online and print magazine. (Via Karen Meisner.)
And, speaking of Karen, she has a lovely post about the movie version of The Devil Wears Prada and why the protag should have dumped her boy instead of apologizing.
Jim Di Bartolo makes cute shirts.
Jeff VanderMeer has a breakthrough about outlining while working on a Predator novel.
Fox rains on the Buffy sing-a-long parade.
The Washington Post looks at the use of music in advertising.

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Snowflakes

1 Comment / Children's Lit Fabulosity / By Gwenda / October 15, 2007

This week, please check out the first round of snowflake postings for the Robert’s Snow charity auction. (Props to Jen Robinson for putting together this list and to Jules and Eisha for masterminding the effort. You guys warm the cockles of my cranky black heart.)

Monday, October 15

Randy Cecil at ChatRabbit
Michelle Chang at The Longstockings
Kevin Hawkes at Cynthia Lord’s Journal
Barbara Lehman at The Excelsior File
Grace Lin at In the Pages

Tuesday, October 16

Selina Alko at Brooklyn Arden
Scott Bakal at Wild Rose Reader
Alexandra Boiger at Paradise Found
Paige Keiser at Your Neighborhood Librarian
Janet Stevens at The Miss Rumphius Effect

Wednesday, October 17

Rick Chrustowski at laurasalas
Diane DeGroat at Jama Rattigan’s Alphabet Soup
Ilene Richard at Something Different Every Day
Brie Spangler at Lectitans
Don Tate at The Silver Lining

Thursday, October 18

Brooke Dyer at Bookshelves of Doom
D.B. Johnson at Lessons from the Tortoise
Erin Eitter Kono at Sam Riddleburger
Sherry Rogers at A Life in Books
Jennifer Thermes at Through the Studio Door

Friday, October 19

Graeme Base at Just One More Book
Denise Fleming at MotherReader
Jeff Mack at AmoXcalli
Jeff Newman at A Year of Reading
Ruth Sanderson at Book Moot

Saturday, October 20

Linas Alsenas at A Wrung Sponge
Theresa Brandon at The Shady Glade
Karen Katz at Whimsy Books
Judy Schachner at Kate’s Book Blog
Sally Vitsky at Shelf Elf: read, write, rave

Sunday, October 21

Matthew Cordell at Just Like the Nut
Maxwell Eaton III at Books and Other Thoughts
Roz Fulcher at Goading the Pen
Susie Jin at sruble’s world
Susan Mitchell at Check It Out

Please take time out to visit all of these blogs, and read about these fabulous illustrators. And, if you’re so inclined, think about bidding for a snowflake in the Robert’s Snow auction. Each snowflake makes a unique gift (for yourself or for someone else), and supports an important cause.

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Never Too Much of a Good Thing

1 Comment / Books / By Gwenda / October 13, 2007

The fabulous Midori Snyder has launched her own site, but will continue blogging at the Endicott Studio too. Go say hi.

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