Among the modern masterworks...

Praise from Terri Windling at Endicott Studios:

"Also from Small Beer Press comes Water Logic, Book 3 in the "Elemental Logic" quartet by Laurie J. Marks. This series belongs, in my opinion, among the modern masterworks of "imaginary world" fantasy by writers like Ursula Le Guin, Gene Wolfe, Guy Gavriel Kay, and Patricia McKillip. Why, then, are Marks' books not better known? Partly, it's a problem of timing. Le Guin, Wolfe, Kay, and McKillip all appeared on the fantasy scene when the genre was younger and smaller, allowing new books to receive more attention, and more time and space on bookstore shelves. The first two books of the "Elemental Logic" series, by contrast, appeared (from another publisher) at a time when the fantasy genre was flooded with swords-and-sorcery books featuring female heroes. I initially resisted reading them myself, turned off by the generic swordswomen on the covers -- for there was little about the packaging to suggest how literary, complex, and completely fresh Marks' writing is. (I'm indebted to Delia Sherman for persuading me to give the books a try.)

Marks must also (sadly, for this day and age) resist pigeon-holing or marginalization as an openly gay writer. Yes, there are gay characters in her books. There are also straight characters, tall characters, short characters, strong characters, weak characters...in short, the books are peopled with people, not types. If, like me, reading too many mediocre "imaginary world" fantasies has made you grow a little weary of the form, then try the "Elemental Logic" books. They're both muscular and tender, both adventurous and thoughtful, both earthy and utterly magical. They'll restore your faith in the genre."

news in the new york region this morning:

New York Region News

Elmira: Cremated Remains Recovered
"A large ceramic turtle containing the cremated remains of a woman has been recovered after being accidentally sold for 50 cents at a rummage sale. Anita Lewis, of Elmira, did not know the container held the ashes of her husband’s late wife when she sold the turtle on Saturday..."


New York: Queens: Passenger Sneaks Monkey Aboard Plane
"A man and his small spider monkey were detained yesterday after a flight crew alerted airport officials that they had a monkey aboard their aircraft en route to La Guardia Airport....It was only on the second leg of the flight, from Fort Lauderdale, that other passengers noticed the monkey. “It was clinging to his ponytail underneath his hat,” said Alison Russell, the airline’s spokeswoman."


Manhattan: Principal Faces Dismissal After Religious Ritual
"A principal at a Lower Manhattan high school who performed a Santeria religious ceremony at the school and coerced an assistant to help pay for it is likely to be fired, officials of the Department of Education said yesterday. The principal of Unity Center for Urban Technologies, Maritza Tamayo, paid a friend $1,800 to perform a ritual that involved sprinkling chicken blood on the floors to wipe out negative energy and as an antidote to students who misbehaved, according to a report released yesterday by the department’s special commissioner of investigation."


and in the division of world news:



A giant, smiling Lego man was fished out of the sea in the Dutch resort of Zandvoort on Tuesday.

a productive and satisfying evening

i've rearranged my bookshelves! whew!

i haven't done a major culling of my bookshelves since i moved into my apartment, two and a half years ago -- i didn't need to; they were so big and spacious and empty!


well, it didn't take long to fill them up, and to end up piling things sideways and doubleshelving them.

So - tonight, as penance for not going to the gym, i finally cleared some of the stuff out!

i put all the mass market paperback mysteries on the 2nd to top shelf of the bookshelf, and stacked them sideways. didn't touch the fantasies, except the ones that were on that shelf already, which i weeded thoroughly - since if they were up there, i probably didn't read them much anyways! scanned some (but not all) of the new books on my delicious library program -- i should have put more, but i got distracted and seriously dusty!
i sorted more so that authors stuck with authors, some friends with friends, and some themes with themes (at least in hardcovers), and that at least some more of the books i haven't read got into my plain sight and visible space, and put most of the poetry up top where it's visible but not front and center.

and then i went ahead and posted 37 books on paperback swap!

then i got to that point ... and realized i hadn't put any of the new books into the shelves yet. oops.

but i pulled some more books out, and then made some more room! GO ME.

I call that an entirely satisfying evening... if seriously geeky.

Another great book

I spent my saturday on the stoop, reading a REALLY remarkable book.
it's called Farthing by Jo Walton, and it's really well written, really thought-provoking -- it's just great. i loved it. you should go read it.

PW's review describes it better than i could:

"... a stunningly powerful alternative history set in 1949, eight years after Britain agreed to peace with Nazi Germany, leaving Hitler in control of the European continent. A typical gathering at the country estate of Farthing of the power elite who brokered the deal is thrown into turmoil when the main negotiator, Sir James Thirkie, is murdered, with a yellow star pinned to his chest with a dagger."