Dispatches since 2005
The journal
Announcements, new editions, travel, diving, cooking and the working life of a novelist — 156 entries, all of them here in full.
April 10, 2016 · 107 words
Last Chance for the Toolbox
There are still a very few places left at Taos Toolbox, this year’s master class for science fiction and fantasy. But if you’re planning to apply, you’d better get the applications to us in the next couple weeks, because after that, you’ll have to wait till next year. Remember, this year’s special guest instructor is [
Read entry →April 6, 2016 · 299 words
Fiat Lux
I’ll be leaving tomorrow for a couple days in the sophisticated metropolis of Portales, NM, for the fortieth annual Jack Williamson Lectureship. Fun will be had. In the meantime I’m deeply enjoying my schadenfreude at the continuing revelations of the Panama Papers. The premiere of Iceland has resigned. And the Great F
Read entry →April 5, 2016 · 560 words
Panama Gold
So I was about to write something along the lines of, “Once again, the global financial underbelly has been exposed.” But then I thought, Hey, how many global financial underbellies are there, anyway? Lots, apparently. Maybe 11.5 million of them. 11.5 million is the number of documents extracted from the Panamanian law
Read entry →March 31, 2016 · 461 words
This Week in History
For some reason this blog seems to be tracking a number of history stories. Here are some more Satellite photos seem to have revealed a Viking settlement in North America. Magnetometer readings later taken at the remote site, called Point Rosee, a grassy headland above a rocky beach an hour’s trek from the nearest road
Read entry →March 30, 2016 · 87 words
Do Right
From a young Peggy Lee, one of many classic renditions of “Why Don’t You Do Right,” also known as “The Weed Smoker’s Dream.” While touring with the Goodman band, Miss Lee obsessively played Lil Green’s rendition of the song, which had earlier been recorded by the Harlem Hamfats (who were, by the way, from Chicago). [&h
Read entry →March 30, 2016 · 653 words
Reviews Too Late: The Heavy Water War
The Heavy Water War (UK title: The Saboteurs), streamable on Netflix, is a six-episode Norwegian television production that tells a number of parallel stories: that of the Nazi nuclear program, the British and Norwegian saboteurs who tried to stop it, and the management of Norsk Hydro, the company who owned the heavy-w
Read entry →March 28, 2016 · 437 words
The Graveyard of Conan
A 3200-year-old bronze-age battlefield has been excavated next to the Tollense River near the Baltic Sea. The result: 10,000 bones of at least 130 individuals, plus some horses. The bodies, all men, were hacked with swords, stabbed with spears, and shot with bronze arrowheads. Archaeologists have only opened 450 square
Read entry →March 25, 2016 · 199 words
Tools for Life
Here, meeting in what is perhaps the most unflattering lighting ever, is last weekend’s reunion of Taos Toolbox grads. Included in the unflattering light is Melinda Snodgrass, who is not a Toolbox vet but has twice been a special lecturer. It hardly seems fair that she must share the dismal lighting with us. This group
Read entry →March 24, 2016 · 1,205 words
Protagonists
So I was talking to an acquaintance whose family hails from Tennessee. He said, “In my family we used to be embarrassed that the Yankees came and took away our plantation. But now what’s embarrassing is that we had a plantation in the first place.” Which is enlightened self-knowledge, if you ask me. And which […
Read entry →March 17, 2016 · 132 words
Big Oops
Alert reader Bruce Perens has written to let me know that the ebooks of Aristoi have a formatting error, in that one chapter was moved to the end of the file. And by end, I mean end, after the “Other Books by Walter Jon Williams” section and everything. This mistake has now been corrected, and the revised file [&hellip
Read entry →March 15, 2016 · 92 words
St. Urho Rides Again! (on a bar stool. on skis.)
“Heinäsirkka, heinäsirkka, mene täältä hiiteen!” Yes, another year has gone by, so on Wednesday its time to don the green and purple and celebrate St. Urho’s Day! Just so you can get an idea of the sort of mischief you can get into on St. Urho’s day, here’s a video of the celebrations from Menahga, […]
Read entry →