My new essay, Too Many Words, is up at Storytellers Unplugged today. It’s about my recent experiences finding the skinny story inside a fat one.
I received my contributor copies of Dead Reckonings #4 yesterday. This is the first issue I’ve contributed to–I have a long critique of a book of essays about the novels of Thomas Harris and two capsule reviews of chapbooks from Burning Effigy Press. It’s a neat little publication, and I’m pleased to be part of it. I have my assignments for #5 in hand, but can’t work on them until I get the current project completed. I’ve already read the material, so that’s a start.
I had a nice long conversation with my agent yesterday afternoon about the contract for the new project. I didn’t see the original document from the publisher, only the one generated after some intensive negotiations. He went over it line-by-line with me, explaining the significance of certain items and pointing out places where he had negotiated either better terms or clearer language that safeguards my rights. One or two more small matters remain before I get the final document for my signature, but that should happen within the next week or so.
This week’s Grey’s Anatomy was one of the better episodes in a while. Denny is still lingering around the edges, but maybe he’s finally getting the boot. Tyne Daly always elevates any show she appears on, and this was no exception. I liked her interactions with Lexie and the new trauma doctor especially. Christine’s snarky comment about Meredith’s ponytail at the end was actually a sign of a thaw in their relationship, I thought. It was the kind of thing a friend tells another friend. I like the new surgeon, the one who went with Alex to get the donor organs. She is strong and fragile at the same time. And the storyline with the serial killer, played with gusto by Eric Stoltz, was one of the best plot developments in ages. Private Practice looked a little trite by comparison, except for Cooper’s valient choice to fly out to Doc Icecube’s home.
