Member: kjharrison

Good god yes, summer is pretty much over. I'm going back to Texas at the end of September for family and medical fun, where it will *still* be 90+. There is a reason I moved....

Cheers
RMD

posted by richardderus at 6:01 pm (EST) on Sep 9, 2009

*aaah*

Just wanted to know if you remembered I was alive, so all is well. I wish you wanted mysteries. But there's always SF.

xoxo
RMD

posted by richardderus at 6:41 pm (EST) on Aug 23, 2009

From Umberto Eco to Dennis Cooper. Nice. :)

posted by gregstevenstx at 8:35 pm (EST) on Aug 11, 2009

Hi Ken...drive-by hug

Cheers
RMD

posted by richardderus at 12:04 pm (EST) on May 15, 2009

Hello Ken...I see from your blog that you're aware of the Amazon nastiness. The NYTimes piece on it quoted someone as saying the oopsie was "hamfisted" so I get the very strong sensation that there was intent, and upon discovery of the intent, frantic back-tracking.

Horrible.

I hope your, and Seventh Window's, books are now restored to their proper places. And I might have to start buying less, because I feel the need to move away from Amazon if they're treating us this way. Powell's, anyone?

Cheers
RMD

posted by richardderus at 5:13 pm (EST) on Apr 14, 2009

Hi KJ...no worries on typos. The only place they count off on my personal scorecard is in published books. My dog keeps pawing at me while I type anything because that means I am not Attending to Her Majesty, so typos creep into my notes as well. Assume forgiveness always.

"Memoirs of a Geisha" was a fascinating book. I liked the whole concept of "misuage" being a weirdly empowering thing for the geisha. What irked me royally was "Oh, and then there was WWII which we lost, and anyway..." covering what had to be some significant moments.

Re: wrong man...is there a right one? She's a geisha. Men, all men, are her survival. I don't for an instant get the feeling from this book that she would have any trouble being in relationship with any male who wasn't Jack the Ripper.

The idiots who insulted your list, and then your taste, are probably still unpublished. Deservedly so, if so, and shockingly not, if not. Rule One of Polite Intercourse: Begin as you mean to go on; Rule Two: Belt up if you've nothing nice to say.

"Geek Love" was a very popular read in the book circle. It got raves from most of the folks then attending, which in 1998 was about 15 per meeting. The dissenting voices merely liked it. Style is almost everything in Waugh terms, so if that's not a pleasure to the reader, he should go on the "avoid" list. I feel about Hemingway the way you do about Waugh...his style irks me like Spandex on an ugly ass. All that showy faux simplicity...feh.

I see from your library that Dennis Cooper is well-represented...is he a favorite of yours? I've bought a collection of Ann Bannon novels, do you recommend reading some or is this one of those avoid at all costs writers who's famous for being early to the party?

Cheers, good fortune for the day
RMD

posted by richardderus at 9:52 am (EST) on Mar 30, 2009

Well, we've rectified that now. I've meant to ask you...who was stupid enough to submit something to you as publisher and insult you at the same time?! That was a bonehead maneuver of the boneheadedest sort.

Cheers
RMD

posted by richardderus at 10:30 pm (EST) on Mar 29, 2009

I encountered "slash" fan fiction back in my days of "Firefly" fandom, and was completely verschmeckled that straight women were as turned on by m2m sex as straight men seem to be by f2f sex. Your statement reinforces that perception, though I admit it's a little bit confusing to me still.

At any rate, as long as sales continue to support your press, all to the good. I am always pleased to see independent voices in the marketplace, since it means more and better things for me to read. I am still sad that "our community" doesn't support its artists, but then again I guess the mainstreaming I was pushing for in the 1970s worked and there is perhaps less of a sense of community defined by sexual practices. Perhaps it's time for me to stop looking for the category and start hunting the books themselves...daunting prospect, so much territory to search.

As for gay marriage...one more generation and it will be unremarkable. My daughter's best friend was married to her lover in 2004, and I walked the lassie down the aisle because her own father wasn't able to overcome his distaste for the proceedings. I hear he's now dandling his daughter's partner's children like they were his favorite child's kids. It's one heart and mind at a time, it would seem.

Living in New York, I was surprised that the best the state could do was agree to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. Then I compare that to Texas, my home for the ten years before this, and I see how much of a positive that is...there's a place where the Attorney General is looking for ways to reinstitute sodomy statues so that they can't be struck down.

That's a heart that will be a challenge to change.

Cheers
RMD

posted by richardderus at 10:33 am (EST) on Mar 25, 2009

"Father of Frankenstein" is easily my favorite Bram novel! And I admit that I enjoyed "Gods and Monsters" as well. I'm seeing so many fewer gay-themed major novels these days...seems to me that the Duttons and St. Martins of the world aren't into it anymore. I'm certainly not suggesting the quality is down, because that's not across the board the case; but the quantity of material to choose from has become more a matter of finding smaller houses and self-published authors, often an arduous task.

Guess I'm just cranky. I liked being able to go into Buns and Nubile and find a well-stocked GLBT section, lighter on memoirs and heavier on gay-male-novels than I have found in the past few years. Kensington seems to be one of the few still doing a consistent list of stuff, though not always what I personally want to read.

Cheers
RMD

posted by richardderus at 5:43 pm (EST) on Mar 23, 2009

"Done to death," oof that was a bad pun. Very bad. :-P

Thanks for "interesting library"ing me! I always think of that as a big compliment. I saw that one book we have in common is "To the Lighthouse" by Virginia Woolf...have you read "Mrs. Dalloway" yet? It's a favorite of mine, so I tend to urge it on people no matter what, but seeing as you already have one of Virginny's works...fertile ground...y'know the way it is.

See you 'round the Thing,
RMD

posted by richardderus at 4:57 pm (EST) on Mar 23, 2009

WHAT?! No vampire books?! What kind of a romance publishing house is Seventh Window anyway?

Obviously, I am kidding. I think your list looks very interesting, and I will plan your books into my 2009 purchases. Nice work, and I hope to get some traction on my reading list soon.

Cheers,
Richard

posted by richardderus at 12:25 pm (EST) on Mar 22, 2009

it's interesting to see what books other people have that we have as well. I'm finding this site fun, though I've gotten compulsive about adding books.

posted by BettcherForrest at 9:38 am (EST) on Jan 19, 2009

Hi Ken!

When you go to an author's official "author page" there's a green section on the right hand side called Favorites. Inside the box, there should be a link that says something like "add to your favorites."

Hope that helps.

Happytimes,
Jeremy :)

posted by JeremyCShipp at 1:11 am (EST) on Nov 23, 2007

Hi Ken! Thanks much for the friendship. I haven't read Idoru or Mona Lisa Overdrive, but I'll definitely check them out. If you end up checking out my novel, or any of my other works at some point, I'd love to hear what you think. Here’s wishing you a fantastic day filled with fabulous fates, fanciful festivities, and frolicking phantom footstools.

-Jeremy :)

posted by JeremyCShipp at 6:39 am (EST) on Nov 22, 2007

oh my gosh - thank you so much for taking the time to look that up! i really appreciate it. the truth is, i don't really buy books online, so amazon would not have even occurred to me. i really want to read it so i may not have a choice. thank you again!
ciao, mary

posted by aznstarlette at 9:53 pm (EST) on May 17, 2007