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I learned tonight that in 1930, John Steinbeck wrote, shelved, but did not destroy an unpublished werewolf novel called Murder at Full Moon.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I learned tonight that in 1930, John Steinbeck wrote, shelved, but did not destroy an unpublished werewolf novel called Murder at Full Moon.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!

[radiantfracture]

I desperately and unironically want to read it.

Same!

[vass]

Happy catsiversary.

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

[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]

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!

[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]

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.

[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.

[swan_tower]

YES.

Also, I feel like "John Steinbeck wrote a werewolf murder mystery" is going to be my response to all displays of literary pretension from now on.

[sovay]

Happy kittening day!

Thank you!

[sovay]

Also, I feel like "John Steinbeck wrote a werewolf murder mystery" is going to be my response to all displays of literary pretension from now on.

Do it!

[thawrecka]

Aw, kitties!

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

[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.

[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

[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.

[coraline]

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

[umadoshi]

Happy kitten-versary to you and the magnificent beasties!