I'm currently about halfway through writing an essay for The Neil Gaiman Reader, a non-fiction book of critical essays and papers about Gaiman's work, being edited by Darrell Schweitzer, who, if you are familiar with the speculative fiction markets, is the long-time editor of the even longer running Weird Tales. It's a topic which I find particularly facinating, though whether Schweitzer finds it fascinating is probably a more important point. I originally wanted to write a somewhat fictional biography, but after scouring the internet, and spending an entire afternoon in NCSU's D.H. Hill Library, I discovered that there is virtually no information out there about Gaiman's life apart from writing (which was the reason I wanted to write about it in the first place). Disheartened, I wrote back to Schweitzer and told him I wouldn't be able to do the biography, but had this other topic, which actually fit a little better to what he was trying to accomplish with his book. I won't divulge the topic here quite yet, as I'm still in the process of writing the essay, but once it's done and turned in, I'd be happy to share it.

I'm also currently working on my novel, An American Symphony, as well as a short story that won't leave me alone, a Christmas tale about Mary Slattery from "Book Storey" meeting her husband for the first time. If I can get that one done by summertime, I'll be able to send it out in time for editors to possibly accept it for a Christmas issue. And if I can get the novel done by the end of the year, I'll be ecstatic.

I got together with my friend Jamie Bishop last night, and after telling him what I was working on, he said, "You know, Jason, you're the only person I know who works at a computer for eight hours, then comes home and does homework." To which I shrugged, and smiled, and mumbled something nondescript and self-effacing.

We talked about my story "One Big Crunch" and how if after sending it to the Chiaroscuro short story contest and coming up empty, we'd try to do a small collaboration and send it to The Dream Engine, which is edited by artist Tim Mullins, and where Jamie's already had some art published. Even if it's only a small zine, I'd still like to see it published somewhere. I like the story enough not to give up on it, and Jamie shares my enthusiasm, so let's just hope we're not the only ones.

We also talked about the cover that Jamie is illustrating for his father's new collection of short stories, Brighten to Incandescence, which is coming out from Golden Gryphon Press hopefully later this year, and which contains fantastic stories like "Tithes of Mint and Rue" and "Chihuahua Flats." The cover looks really cool, and I can't wait to see it on the bookstore shelves.

Hope all your St. Patrick's Days were rollicking and full of good cheer.

And for those of you new to this journal, Céad Míle Fáilte, which is Gaelic for "A Hundred Thousand Welcomes."