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

[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.