Got a kitten, kitten, kitten, kitten in my hair

[sovay]

It is the seventh anniversary of Kittening Day, when the children of golden-eyed Hera left their fosterage with the family of a_reasonable_man and came to live with us. We celebrate them constantly.



Hestia, presiding over the remains of her scratch box. One of her cult titles is Death to Cardboard.



Autolycus, sacked out on my shoulder. A few nights ago he chased a plastic bottlecap through the apartment at exactly the hour we wanted to be asleep.

I learned tonight that in 1930, John Steinbeck wrote, shelved, but did not destroy an unpublished werewolf novel called Murder at Full Moon. "Its characters include . . . an eccentric amateur sleuth who sets out to solve the crime using techniques based on his obsession with pulp detective fiction." Take my money, please.

Comments

[skygiants]

When the Steinbeck article was linked to me I was at first fully convinced it was an old April Fool's post. I had to hunt down other dates before I was convinced.

[sovay]

I had to hunt down other dates before I was convinced.

I desperately and unironically want to read it.

[starlady]

Deeply unfair that the estate has been holding out on what is clearly the best Steinbeck novel.

[sovay]

Deeply unfair that the estate has been holding out on what is clearly the best Steinbeck novel.

Right?!

[sholio]

I learned tonight that in 1930, John Steinbeck wrote, shelved, but did not destroy an unpublished werewolf novel called Murder at Full Moon. "Its characters include . . . an eccentric amateur sleuth who sets out to solve the crime using techniques based on his obsession with pulp detective fiction."

Well, this explains something cryptic I saw on Twitter. This is the BEST thing I have ever heard and I am deeply saddened we may never get to read it. Clearly I need to write my own werewolf detective novel in that case.

[sovay]

Clearly I need to write my own werewolf detective novel in that case.

I agree with your conclusion.

(I understand that posthumous publication is ethically complicated, but . . . Steinbeck werewolf novel.)

[gwynnega]

Happy kitten-versary!

[sovay]

Happy kitten-versary!

Thank you!

[vass]

Happy catsiversary.

I haven't read any Steinbeck yet, but now I too want to read that werewolf novel.

[sovay]

Happy catsiversary.

Thank you!

I haven't read any Steinbeck yet, but now I too want to read that werewolf novel.

I actually like Steinbeck, which makes the werewolf prospect even more appealing!

[genarti]

Seven years! How!! They are such marvelous soft beasts.

The werewolf novel news blew my mind. I read the article thinking "this is an April Fool's joke, right??" at every step even though nothing about it actually suggests that it is, except for everything about it. What an incredible thing to be real. I would LOVE to read it.

[sovay]

Seven years! How!! They are such marvelous soft beasts.

They are. I tell Autolycus he has the fur of a chinchilla. Then he wants to know where the rest of the chinchilla is and why he hasn't got it.

The werewolf novel news blew my mind. I read the article thinking "this is an April Fool's joke, right??" at every step even though nothing about it actually suggests that it is, except for everything about it. What an incredible thing to be real. I would LOVE to read it.

It's so much not what I would have expected from early Steinbeck, it delights me all the more. There weren't even that many werewolf novels in 1930! I want to read this one just to find out what his take was! Even if it turns out not to be supernatural. Even if it turns out not to be all that good. Although I see no reason for it not to be a good pulp werewolf novel; that's a whole lot of good things in one.

[chanter1944]

*pets the kittens, kittens, kittens, once they're out of Sovay's hair* XD May you have many more wonderful years with these clearly marvelous and well-beloved cats.

The icon is of a purrful lap cat of a torbie tripod who was, after the pic was taken, adopted by a fellow volunteer and is, last I heard, happy as can be and charming her person's entire family.

[sovay]

May you have many more wonderful years with these clearly marvelous and well-beloved cats.

Thank you.

*hugs*

The icon is of a purrful lap cat of a torbie tripod who was, after the pic was taken, adopted by a fellow volunteer and is, last I heard, happy as can be and charming her person's entire family.

Oh, good cat. I am glad to hear it. I write with a lap cat of my own.

[pameladean]

Happy kittening day! P.

[sovay]

Happy kittening day!

Thank you!

[thawrecka]

Aw, kitties!

I didn't enjoy any of the Steinbeck I read in high school but I would honestly give that a chance.

[sovay]

Aw, kitties!

They are very cat and we tell them so!

I didn't enjoy any of the Steinbeck I read in high school but I would honestly give that a chance.

I didn't enjoy any of the Steinbeck I was assigned in school, either, which considering how much I enjoyed the Steinbeck I found on my own time feels like a major misstep on the part of American education. If the werewolf novel gets published, maybe it will become a cornerstone of the curriculum instead.

[lauradi7dw]

As implied, there have been a spate of wishes on Twitter for other early supernatural novels by famous authors. The suggestion I liked best was Mark Twain's zombie story.

[sovay]

other early supernatural novels by famous authors. The suggestion I liked best was Mark Twain's zombie story.

I can actually see that working out.

[moon_custafer]

Raymond Chandler did a couple of supernatural short stories, and Tennessee Williams first published work (as Thomas Lanier Williams) was in Weird Tales when he was sixteen. It’s set in ancient Egypt and involves incestuous siblings (so, sort of a Williams theme) and mass slaughter (less so): https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Vengeance_of_Nitocris

[sovay]

Raymond Chandler did a couple of supernatural short stories

How are they?

and Tennessee Williams first published work (as Thomas Lanier Williams) was in Weird Tales when he was sixteen.

Nice work if you can get it!

[selkie]

We had to read that one about the Dust Bowl despair and the one with, with the origination of the Looney Tunes gag, and we could have had werewolves and sleuths?!

Deyne ketzele zind azoy sheyn vi unpilotable cosmic voids.

[sovay]

We had to read that one about the Dust Bowl despair and the one with, with the origination of the Looney Tunes gag, and we could have had werewolves and sleuths?!

spatch actually just had to listen to a serious rant from me about how the Steinbeck I had to read for class was Of Mice and Men (1937) and East of Eden (1952) and the Steinbeck my brother had to read for class was The Red Pony (1933) and The Pearl (1947) and absolutely all that happens if you make a bunch of seventh-graders read The Red Pony is you traumatize them for life. Whereas if you hand them Cannery Row (1945) and Sweet Thursday (1954) you probably have to deal with parental concern-trolling over the drinking and the prostitution, especially over the respect shown the working girls of the the Bear Flag, but you get a pair of sweet, funny, compassionate novels about a bunch of down-and-outs and fuck-ups and weirdos, many of whom achieve happiness and some of whom even find love. I came to The Grapes of Wrath (1939) on my own time and it is pretty bleak, but so were the Dust Bowl and the Depression. The Moon Is Down (1942) remains a great novel of resistance. The Sea of Cortez (1941)/The Log from the Sea of Cortez (1951) is wonderful narrative nonfiction about the sea and philosophy and environmentalism and a really janky boat. But no, give kids The Red Pony or The Pearl or Of Mice and Men and you can put them off Steinbeck for life. I hope we do get the werewolf just as an antidote.

Deyne ketzele zind azoy sheyn vi unpilotable cosmic voids.

A sheynem purry dank!

[coraline]

<3 for the Tori quotes and for the kittens and for you

[sovay]

<3 for the Tori quotes and for the kittens and for you

*hugs*

[umadoshi]

Happy kitten-versary to you and the magnificent beasties!

[sovay]

Happy kitten-versary to you and the magnificent beasties!

Thank you! (Your latest magnificent beastie has marvelous eyes.)

[jesse_the_k]

Excellent kittens. Hestia's red collar completes the formal wear look.

[sovay]

Excellent kittens. Hestia's red collar completes the formal wear look.

Thank you!

[asakiyume]

Happiest of welcome-home anniversaries to your two felines. Lovely photos.

I'd seen the story about Steinbeck's werewolf novel. Marvelous. People are always so much more than what we know of them.

[sovay]

Happiest of welcome-home anniversaries to your two felines. Lovely photos.

Thank you. It's hard to take bad pictures of such good cats.

I'd seen the story about Steinbeck's werewolf novel. Marvelous. People are always so much more than what we know of them.

Yes! This is the kind of surprise about a person that I love.

[nineweaving]

Aw, kittens!

They are pleased with their votaries. Long may the hearth fire stay alight.

Nine

[sovay]

They are pleased with their votaries. Long may the hearth fire stay alight.

Thank you.

*hugs*

[jreynoldsward]

Now I kinda want to write an alt-history novel where Steinbeck becomes a giant of early science fiction/fantasy. He was headed that direction early on in his career (Cup of Gold, plus his later wrestling with an Arthurian novel), and he could have easily diverted into fantasy writing using California settings.

Imagine what that could have been.

[sovay]

He was headed that direction early on in his career (Cup of Gold, plus his later wrestling with an Arthurian novel), and he could have easily diverted into fantasy writing using California settings.

I knew he had done an Arthurian retelling, but I hadn't known he had tried for an actual novel! That would have been fascinating.

Imagine what that could have been.

I think you should.

[dhampyresa]

What lovely kitties!

[sovay]

What lovely kitties!

We love them!