As I've said before, I "get away from it all" on these twice-yearly vactaions, and "it all" includes my comptuer and the internet and surfing the Web and all that cool hip talk I really don't understand. (Probably "it all" includes any writing, though, on rare occasion, I scribble down a note or type a page or two on the old typewriter I do take with me.)

So you won't see me here till, oh, next Sunday night at the earliest, but maybe not till the Tuesday after that...maybe longer if I go somewhere else beyond my immediate plans.

(Oh, yeah, my immediate plans. Atlanta, Charlotte, Atlanta again, then home.)

sorry all i just got out of the Hospital after 36 days in and out of conscious. i realy dont know what happened but i do know that i have a lot of "HAPPY PILLS" to take, so call off the search for me.

any way i just wanted to say I LIVE ONCE AGAIN.

I'm going to be in Dublin. So that will be a lot of fun! I'm excited.

In other news, I had a sad experience in my fiction writing class this morning. A kid wrote a story entitled "Alien Blood" which was about a little girl who had AIDS, so her parents told her she had alien blood. Then of course the male narrator falls in love with her. It wasn't too bad of a story. But anyway, two of the people in the class, plus the professor, said that when they first read the title, they thought, "Oh, no, not science fiction!"

It made me sad. When I first read the title, I was thinking "Oh, yay! Someone is finally writing something interesting! Maybe we can avoid the dysfunctional love relationship story for once." Which didn't happen, but oh well.

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two of the people in the class, plus the professor, said that when they first read the title, they thought, "Oh, no, not science fiction!"...

So that pretty much ruined my idea to write a fantasy story for my next assignment. I don't think it will go over well. Guess I'll be writing for my audience...

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I agree with G42. Not only that, if I were to hear such a comment, I'd make it as Asimovish, Nivenesque, Bradbury-like that I could.
I don't know about the rest of you but our chosen genre has taken about as bad of a rap as it can. It is unjustified. In my opinion, Sci-fi/fantasy/horror has the highest standards for publication their is.
Almost all of the romance you'll read is adverbed littered drivel. Most of the mystery's are filled with shallow characters and are, ironically, predictable. Action/drama's are so unbelievable they become dull. And the fiction they ply on Oprah that makes the best sellers list for weeks? Please, teh characters in them are as aloof as the authors that never need fresheners in their bathrooms.

You paid for the class, correct Mary Ann? Force feed them what you know, what you like, and what feels right to you. Challenge them to give a meaningfull critique other than 'I don't like Sci-Fi'. Writers are supposed to be opened minded. Don't hesitate to throw that in their face.

Anyways.

Something else happened that encourages me to go ahead and write a fantasy story: Junot Diaz came to campus to do a reading, and we were required to attend for our class. He did a question and answer session at the end. When someone asked him something about science fiction, he responded with a little speech about how science fiction, fantasy, and other genres that people tend to think of as "junk fiction" (his words, not mine) actually contain some of the most honest treatments of humanity's uglier issues, like genocide for instance. Mr. Diaz said that he's learned a lot from books like Dune and Lord of the Rings.

The best part is that my professor was there too. I hope he learned something.

Damn memory, its failing me.

My second grade teacher misspelled "peninsula." Or have I mentioned that before.

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Second grade was when I became a man.

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Second grade was when I became a man.

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How many times did you fail first?

And in answer to snapper's question, I skipped first grade because I was so smart. It was second grade that was the killer.

i need to get back to ancient Rome at around 462 time frame.

There are assorted Robert Nowells, Robert Nolls, Robert Knolles, Robert Knowalls, and Robert Noels scattered around. I seem to, at least, be the only active Robert Nowall who hangs around online. (There might be another one in England, not active online, but it may be a misspelling.)

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Now if I only knew who played Clint Eastwood's hair in DIRTY HARRY, I'd die a happy man. (A shock of hair in that flick; I think it had its own personal assistant.)

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