In my lungs and through my chest, I know you're listening

[sovay]

I did not speak in tongues. I did sing one of my own songs at the end of "Chez Vous Soon," even though I am not a three-person alternative band circa 2005. I opened with "And Black Unfathomable Lakes" and added "Last Drink Bird Head" partway through the Q&A because three more people had just arrived and it seemed unfair for them not to hear any fiction. Salimata Kamara hosted and asked really good questions, as did the audience which included kenjari, skygiants, my parents, and other people who are not on Dreamwidth. I got asked about mythology, music, how my stories come together, whether I have ever been surprised by a character. spatch took a picture. I appear to have Fred the white hole in my hair.



I was not quite running on no sleep since Monday, having managed to pass out for an hour around noon, but I don't think my body believed it. I had a storm-coming headache while reading about a character with one. I had a wonderful time all the same. We had dun dun noodles with my father at Mary Chung's beforehand and ice cream with my mother at Toscanini's afterward and none of us made it out of the bookstore without taking a few new books with us. The temperature appears to be slowly contracting to something that isn't like living inside a bath towel. It is my fervent hope that once the performance adrenaline finishes burning itself out of my system, I will actually collapse.

I think I really like doing readings.

Comments

[umadoshi]

I'm so glad it went well. ^_^

[sovay]

I'm so glad it went well.

Thank you.

[yhlee]

I'm glad your reading went well! I'm only sorry I couldn't have been there. :)

[sovay]

I'm glad your reading went well! I'm only sorry I couldn't have been there.

Thank you!

Teleporter, damn it. Someday.

[ckd]

Same! (Teleporter now plz)

[genarti]

Ditto!

But I did at least get to hear about how fun it was for an audience member from skygiants; she said very.

[sovay]

But I did at least get to hear about how fun it was for an audience member from skygiants; she said very.

Yay!

There should be at least one more reading connected with this book and I will attempt to publicize it more. This week turned out to be mostly about getting through it.

[skygiants]

This was indeed what I reported! :D (The singing was lovely.)

[sovay]

(The singing was lovely.)

Thank you.

[a_reasonable_man]

I'm sorry I missed this reading! I would have liked to hear you sing that song, because I wanted to know the tune.

My family have been patrons of Mary Chung's for three generations. (I'm in the middle one.) The Dun Dun Noodles are a classic.

[moon_custafer]

Tumblr has trained me to hear that in my head as “(Law & Order) DUN-dun Noodles.”

[sovay]

I'm sorry I missed this reading! I would have liked to hear you sing that song, because I wanted to know the tune.

I'll sing it for you the next time I see you! I fell down on publicizing this one, but it was a hell-week.

My family have been patrons of Mary Chung's for three generations. (I'm in the middle one.) The Dun Dun Noodles are a classic.

My father remembered them fondly from his student and teaching days at BU. He thinks the recipe has changed a little since then, but found them just as laceratingly delicious. I was happy.

Pandemonium reading

[dramaticirony]

The reading was lovely, you are quite accomplished at it. The singing was delightful as well.

And I have a whole new book of Sonya Taaffe stories for the long weekend!

Alex Jeffers did a really nice job with the with the book design, it's so inviting. And, as you mentioned, D.G. Smith's cover illustration is quite nice.

Re: Pandemonium reading

[sovay]

The reading was lovely, you are quite accomplished at it. The singing was delightful as well.

Thank you!

And I have a whole new book of Sonya Taaffe stories for the long weekend!

I hope you enjoy them! I still think it's wonderful that you were able to find a library hardcover. I am sorry to be in the Gloucester Library, but maybe they'll pick up Forget the Sleepless Shores instead. It would be thematic.

Alex Jeffers did a really nice job with the with the book design, it's so inviting. And, as you mentioned, D.G. Smith's cover illustration is quite nice.

I really, really love this book as an object. It's just beautiful.

[selkie]

You have an excellent face and I am super put out to have missed the reading. They really ought to have built the Boswash Corridor Hyperrail by now!

[sovay]

You have an excellent face and I am super put out to have missed the reading.

I wish you had been!

(Oh, my God, you should set up local readings with the next book. Talk to the Emryses. I bet people would show.)

They really ought to have built the Boswash Corridor Hyperrail by now!

Would it be so much to ask if we had a small wormhole?

[ashnistrike]

My favorite local bookstore, where I do my launches, is expanding their romance section--so I would be happy to put you in touch and the timing seems like it would be good.

(I think this was about Selkie's book, rather than Sovay's? But I would also be happy to connect Sovay with East City Books next time you're going to be in DC, and suspect they'd be very pleased.)

[sovay]

(I think this was about Selkie's book, rather than Sovay's? But I would also be happy to connect Sovay with East City Books next time you're going to be in DC, and suspect they'd be very pleased.)

(Thank you! But, yes, if you are able to help with setting up readings for selkie's next book, that would be wonderful.)

[kenjari]

It was a very good reading indeed, and also very excellent to see you!

[sovay]

It was a very good reading indeed, and also very excellent to see you!

Thank you, and likewise! We should actually hang out now that I know you're not in a different state.

[gwynnega]

That is an excellent photo of what was clearly an excellent reading!

[sovay]

That is an excellent photo of what was clearly an excellent reading!

Thank you! It was fun.

[pameladean]

That's a great photo. I'm so glad the reading went well.

I'm slowly getting through your radio interview. I am a terrible listener even if the material is fascinating. But I'm really enjoying it, enjoying the movie camaraderie, as it were; and learning a lot. You sound remarkably like you -- by which, I guess I mean that the cadences of your speech are perhaps not predictable from your writing, but rather made familiar by it.

Also! My copy of your book arrived yesterday and it is so gorgeous!

P.

[sovay]

That's a great photo. I'm so glad the reading went well.

Thank you!

I'm slowly getting through your radio interview. I am a terrible listener even if the material is fascinating.

I am not offended. I don't listen to radio interviews by preference if I can read what people said; it's hugely easier for me. Except where music is concerned, I am a much better learner in print than by ear. (It's not even conscious: if I'm reading and someone's speaking to me, I can completely miss it. This was tested as recently as Wednesday, when one of my doctors who spotted me in a waiting room had to say my name two or three times before it registered.) I suspect it's part of the reason I didn't pay attention to movies for years.

But I'm really enjoying it, enjoying the movie camaraderie, as it were; and learning a lot. You sound remarkably like you -- by which, I guess I mean that the cadences of your speech are perhaps not predictable from your writing, but rather made familiar by it.

That is a really neat thing to hear. Thank you for telling me. I am especially glad you are enjoying the interview if listening is not your optimal mode.

Also! My copy of your book arrived yesterday and it is so gorgeous!

I love how this book came out. I love the colors, the font, the accidental matching of cover art to author photo, the blurbs (of which there are even more at the website); it just makes me happy.

[pameladean]

I am not offended. I don't listen to radio interviews by preference if I can read what people said; it's hugely easier for me. Except where music is concerned, I am a much better learner in print than by ear. (It's not even conscious: if I'm reading and someone's speaking to me, I can completely miss it. This was tested as recently as Wednesday, when one of my doctors who spotted me in a waiting room had to say my name two or three times before it registered.) I suspect it's part of the reason I didn't pay attention to movies for years.

I am very like this myself, though I had not considered that these traits might have contributed to my relative indifference to most movies. That's very enlightening.

"But I'm really enjoying it, enjoying the movie camaraderie, as it were; and learning a lot. You sound remarkably like you -- by which, I guess I mean that the cadences of your speech are perhaps not predictable from your writing, but rather made familiar by it."

That is a really neat thing to hear. Thank you for telling me. I am especially glad you are enjoying the interview if listening is not your optimal mode.

Yes, indeed, I think that does say something about the nature of the interview. It's really charming and informative.

I love how this book came out. I love the colors, the font, the accidental matching of cover art to author photo, the blurbs (of which there are even more at the website); it just makes me happy.

Oh yes, I wondered about whether the matching of cover art to author photo was deliberate or not; it's almost better in some ways that it's accidental. And the blurbs are AWESOME. I hope to start reading it tomorrow and am using this possibility to bribe myself to work on my annoying novel.

P.

[choco_frosh]

I think I really like doing readings.
I am bummed that I missed yet another of them!
I hope sleep happened. I got rather less of it than usual. (Both of these thanks to the fact that I was cleaning out my room in my old apartment until midnight.)

[sovay]

I am bummed that I missed yet another of them!

There should be at least one more in the fall!

I hope sleep happened. I got rather less of it than usual.

Sleep did happen, and I am thinking that even more of it may happen if I get off Dreamwidth and just go to bed. I hope yours tonight is better.

*hugs*

[asakiyume]

Did I not comment on this? How did that (fail to) happen?

This looks excellent; I like their creative stacking of your book and your scholarly air as you read.

[sovay]

This looks excellent; I like their creative stacking of your book and your scholarly air as you read.

Thank you! (I am glad you came back for this post.)