Quoth

Whether they applaud or critique Graham’s corporal punishment, most black people debating the issue acknowledge that the desperate public beating came from centuries of black parents knowing they have to discipline their children harshly, or else white society will do it for them – and they may not survive it. – “The hideous white hypocrisy behind the Baltimore ‘Hero Mom’ hype: How clueless media applause excuses police brutality” by Joan Walsh, Salon.com

Quoth

Get through a draft as quickly as possible. Hard to know the shape of a thing till you have a draft. Literally, when I wrote the last page of my first draft of Lincoln’s Melancholy I thought, ‘Oh shit, now I get the shape of this.’ But I had wasted years, literally years, writing and re-writing the first third to first half. The old writer’s rule applies: Have the courage to write badly. – Joshua Wolf shenk

Snippet

Occurred to me walking home; two jogging people passed me. One said “follow me” and rabbit chasers or something else on the back of his red shirt.

===

It wasn’t until I’d heard a body collapsing behind me that I’d turned.
I swore.
I thought I’d had my mental influence under wraps; she’d got caught in up in it in my passing.
My determined, dogged aim to just simply jog must have snagged her, sitting by a park bench. Her overweight body, unsuited for the exertion even in her warm, conservative manner of dress, her face and skin red from the unhealthy exertion, gasped on the cobbled path in a most alarming manner. Others had already gathered around her.
I removed my hood, and approached the group, seeing how I could help.

People watching

Seen in the line for my obligatory large pop (I fill it with ice, *then* add pop after) at the corner Mc Donald’s:-

etched into the jacket of the person before me:- “PantyChrist”

“That’s hilarious,” I tell the dude.

“It’s actually a feminist ban in Toronto,” he informs me.

“Get out!” I say.

So um. I changed my SMNC nick to it. I’ll switch it back to Spiderlilly soon, I guess 😀

Hugo nominations: Fan, incoming, 3, 2, 1 …

Our semi-pro paying compatriots, over at Andromeda Inflight Spaceways Magazine, had this to say about the Hugo ballot…

Simon Petrie

The 2015 Hugo award nominations have been announced, and Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine is shortlisted among those in the ‘Best Semiprozine’ category. A Hugo nomination is, of course, marvellous recognition for the achievements of a little Australian-based magazine, which has played its part in starting the careers of a great many local and overseas specfic authors, and which has given many members of the Andromeda Spaceways team, myself included, a great deal of useful experience in the tasks associated with publishing. As a member of the ASIM team, I ought to feel considerable pride in the nomination; and yet I cannot, not as I should. For it appears we did not get there under our own steam, but as one of the recommendations listed on the ‘Sad Puppies 3’ slate.

Lest this be seen as mere coincidence, I don’t see how it can be. ASIM‘s never been Hugo-shortlisted…

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