Dispatches since 2005
The journal
Announcements, new editions, travel, diving, cooking and the working life of a novelist — 207 entries, all of them here in full.
July 22, 2011 · 59 words
And Speaking of Rupert Murdoch . . .
Wifi here has got very slow, and I’m unable to upload your daily amusements. But if I put a video on this page, all I have to upload is the code, and although it will take fifteen minutes, you’ll probably be able to see it. So here, via Sean Eret, is It’s a Wonderful […]
Read entry →July 19, 2011 · 415 words
Alas, Borders
Borders is dead. The bookstore chain failed to find a white knight that satisfied its creditors, and will go into receivership within the next few days. This, my friends, is bad. Borders was nearly half the bookstore sales in North America. While competitors like Amazon and Barnes & Noble will doubtless pick up some [&
Read entry →July 19, 2011 · 124 words
Something To Look Forward To
Let it not be said that we are idle here at Taos Toolbox. Among other things, we have plotted and outlined Christie Yant’s next novel, put the whole thing on a series of 3×5 cards, and then stuck them on a door (because doors, as you know, are symbolic). Here’s a picture. Nor will this […]
Read entry →July 16, 2011 · 73 words
Mystery Thing
I’m still up at Taos Toolbox teaching and doing critiques, and it’s taking up most of my time, so here’s something to amuse you while I’m otherwise occupied. What is this thing? Is this a still from a movie? Photoshop magic? An object that exists in our world, or only in someone’s imagination? And even […]
Read entry →July 14, 2011 · 89 words
Steampunk Cool
We see here Toolbox student Jeff Dunteman’s Aetheric Concentrator. Jeff was concerned that he might not get his wi-fi here in our remote mountain lodge, so he built this nifty two-way antenna out of a 1919 bathroom heater and a pill bottle, among other things. The desk is also made out of plumbing bits so […]
Read entry →July 13, 2011 · 73 words
Peace
Here’s a rainbow that I captured with my Pentax just outside my door, just a few minutes ago. Shortly afterward, a mule deer wandered into sight, then wandered out again. I took her picture, but it wasn’t very successful. We’ve had a good day of workshopping here at Taos Toolbox, with some very smart and […]
Read entry →July 11, 2011 · 70 words
Stormy Weather
Here’s a picture taken from just outside my door. “But Walter,” I hear you say, “this picture’s all dark and murky!” Yes. Isn’t it great? These are storm clouds. In a short while, rain is going to come pouring down. For someone who’s lived in drought conditions since February, this is wonderful. And this is […]
Read entry →July 10, 2011 · 61 words
Up the Mountain
Nancy Kress and I are in Taos Ski Valley, where the Taos Toolbox workshop will begin tomorrow. It’s lovely here. It’s cool, unlike the 100-degree waterless desert— my home— that I left this afternoon. The air is scented with pines. And it rained thoroughly this evening— the first rain I’ve seen since
Read entry →July 9, 2011 · 1,678 words
Expectations
I’ve recently completed the video game L.A. Noire (sic), which has prompted some thoughts about audience expectations, and how to satisfy them— or at least mollify them, assuming that actual satisfaction turns out not to be possible. For those of you who haven’t somehow been swept up in the hype, L.A. Noire (sic)
Read entry →July 7, 2011 · 255 words
March of Time
I keep telling myself I need to post on this here blog, but then I keep saying, “I got all this other stuff to do, why don’t I do that first, and then do my blog post?” Except that all this other stuff keeps growing, and the blog posts keep getting postponed. I don’t have […]
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