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July 12, 2005

It Will Appear (Eventually)

This week I've had a cold, an infection to a bite on my leg, and a bloody stab on my hand when my attempt at plucking out the avocado pit wound up jabbing straight through the fruit and into my palm. (See picture #1 below.)

Plus, I've had to fight the tormenting shame at realizing I really like the Tommy Hilfiger reality show, The Cut. (See picture #2 below-- mmmmmmm, Wes, my favorite contestant.)

However... my mind is eased at last, because I finally sold my third novel to HarperCollins. (Whose new HarperPerennial logo, I think, is really cool-- very 'olive floating in martini' or, perhaps, like the avocado with pit that my knifestab missed. See picture #3 above.)

Anyway, that's the good news I hinted at in the last email. Now I can be assured that WE DISAPPEAR won't, um, disappear. I have to finish before the end of winter, which shouldn't be a problem as I've been writing feverishly. However, if in the near future you wonder why I haven't been emailing back, the reason will hopefully be that I'm working.

I've always loved 80's synthpop, and I really like the moodier, darker contemporary electronic bands, so lately I've been listening to a lot of CDs that combine those styles. Here are some things I've really liked recently that fit into this category:

(above, L to R) Junior Boys, "Last Exit"; Jori Hulkkonen, "Dualizm"; Kiln, "Sunbox" ep; Neulander, "Smoke & Fire"; and Solvent, "Apples + Synthesizers".

Mysterious Skin is still slowly moving around the US. I'll be in New Haven at their Criterion Cinemas on Friday, July 22nd, doing the Q&A for the premiere of the movie there.

Also, the MSKIN novel, which was never published in France, is finally coming out in October there. I've never been to France, so I'm thrilled that my publisher, Au Diable Vauvert, is bringing me over.

Dear lovers of vinyl LPs and/or bad art design-- I realize this page has been floating around for ages, but it's always good for a hearty laugh. And as an added bonus, there are more!