Ah, Greg has taken the great leap, and I applaud him, and wish him well, and look forward to seeing what he produces with (at least) six months of no day job, with all that suddenly-free time devoted to his writing. If it were me, I'd spend three months sitting around in my boxer shorts eating peanut butter right out of the jar with a wooden spoon and watching cartoons, and then I'd spend the next three months writing some stories about a guy watching TV and spying on the neighbors or something, and it would suck. But I suspect Greg is a better man, and has a stronger will, than I.

If I had six months to write, I'd have to treat it like a job, set a schedule for myself, be disciplined, or I wouldn't accomplish anything more than I do now. I've had the occasional free month in the past, and I tended to spend it sitting in cafés, sipping coffee, watching the pretty women walk by, and reading a lot. Which is a wonderful way to spend a month, actually, but it doesn't get books written.

Make it good, Greg. Soon you'll be living the dream, and damn, how great is that?



I've got a poem up at Chizine now, "Courting Costs". It's about a goat. And some lizards. Go read it!



So, I quit Star*Line. Or, more properly, gave my notice. I'm going to keep editing through the end of the year, and probably until March of next year, when there's someone tentatively lined up to take over.

I love Star*Line, but -- well, here's what I wrote to the officers of SFPA:

I'm afraid it might be time to start looking for a new editor for Star*Line. Much as I enjoy doing it, I'm finding myself increasingly squeezed on time, especially now that I've started a 'zine of my own. I thought I'd be able to juggle everything, but I'm having trouble keeping up, particularly now that I'm trying to make a serious effort to be a novelist. (I'm cutting back on my freelance book reviewing, too, because the income & enjoyment is insufficient for the effort.) I have enough material to put together the last two issues of the year -- and would like to do so! --and can continue into next year, too, if we don't find a replacement soon. But it's something to start thinking about. I've appreciated the opportunity to serve SFPA in this way, and it's been a great experience, but, regrettably, I don't think I can promise my full attention and best work anymore, and feel I should step down.

And that's basically it. Whenever something has to get shoved aside, it's Star*Line, and that's not fair to the readers. Besides, my editing-itch gets scratched by co-producing Flytrap, now. Plus, at Flytrap, I have control over every aspect of the process, from editorial to production to payment to distribution, while at Star*Line, I only have control over editorial. Which I thought would make everything easier, but it's actually very frustrating, because when things go wrong, there's nothing I can do about it; when there are delays, I can't expedite; when people complain, I can only say "Sorry, that's not my department." Whereas with Flytrap, it's all in mine & Heather's hands. Much more satisfying for a mild control freak like me.



Oh, hey -- no hives. Gone for two days now. So call it a freaky interlude, blessedly passed.



I'm having trouble focusing on reading, lately. I can get through a short story, but then my mind wanders, and every attempt I've made to read a novel has gotten derailed, as I jump from one book to the next.

Presently reading Quicksilver, which is very heavy (I mean in terms of weight), and pleasant. Just finished A Stir of Bones by fellow Rio Hondoan Nina Hoffman, and it was lovely, and chilling, and honest. I'm going to review it, for Strange Horizons, I think. Other than that, lots of stories, in lots of different anthologies, and some poetry, here and there.