BitLit

The Daily Lunchtime Blog Roundup

There's a tremendous amount of alone-time associated with my job in the summer.  Edith's an awesome companion, but she doesn't talk.  Yet.  (Wonderfalls, anyone?)  Since the feeling of disconnectedness is the enemy, the daily lunchtime blog roundup has become pretty important to me. 

If you're craving your daily dose of celebrity dish, ditch Perez Hilton and make your way over to Dlisted instead.  Blogger Michael K. always says the appropriate inappropriate thing, and I'm not fooled - he's one clever man.
Initiate Yourself: "Kate Gosselin's Hair Continues To Boggle My Mind"

If it's entertainment news you want, I'd skip the vapid people at People and try Entertainment Weekly's EW.com instead.  It covers too much American Idol for my taste, but I'm choosing to assume it's just a phase.  Get your movie, tv, music, dvd, book, and pop culture updates here. 
Initiate Yourself: "Style Hunter: I Want THAT 'Lost' trench coat!"

io9.com is the newest member of the GawkerMedia family and, if you ask me, the best.  Where else can you read-up on the back story of Star Trek before seeing the new film, catch the latest pics from outer space courtesy of Hubble, or hear about Jacqueline Carey's new novel all in one fell swoop?  If I could be one of their interns, I could die happy.
Initiate Yourself: Chart Porn - The Measure of a Robot and Killer Chip - Germans Deny Patent for GPS/Poison Microchip

You might think I'd stay in the Gawker family and head to Kotaku for my gaming news, but I prefer Joystiq.  I'm eagerly anticipating Mass Effect 2 and more dlc for Fable II.  Joystiq tracks the business models, development news, and reviews for XBOX, PS3, Wii, and handhelds and even has a partnership with WoW Insider if, you know, you spend your nights in Azaroth.  I don't judge. 
Initiate Yourself: How many people are working on Assassin's Creed 2? A lot. and Silent Hill: Not your mother's cosplay

I fell in fashion love with Tom & Lorenzo over at Project Rungay back when it was chronicling the triumphs and disasters of TV's Project Runway contestants and hosts.  Since Project Runway appears to have plummited off the runway faster than a model in 7-inch lucite heels, their blog is now more about fashion on tv and celebrities in general, and has opened up to include recaps of new fashion shows.  And it's wonderful - they do their research and we get the pay-offs!  So that's how the gays roll.  To get the straight-talk from the straight gals, check out Go Fug Yourself.  Each post is like a love letter.  A love letter begging the pictured to reconsider their hideous red carpet choices.  Their hatred of the romper and their love of Tilda Swinton makes me just want to read more.  Initiate Yourself: The Fashion Show: Report Card Time! and Well Played, Rachel Weisz

And, just for fun...

Twilightguy Kaleb Nation blogs about reading Ms. Meyer's books.  As a male.  Hilarity, and a surprising amount of insight, ensues.  Initiate: Reading Breaking Dawn: Chapter 1 (Engaged)

Jodienas - because it's more fun to watch a cute Australian teach you about make-up than to try it yourself, alone.  Initiate: My Contest Entry - Ursula

What Claudia Wore takes a look at the cover fashions of our favorite childhood heroines - The Babysitter's Club - and close reads the text in a way that indicates that the blogger has a lot of free time.  Intensely smart, though, and from the same blogger who gives us What Chuck Wore, which details Mr. Chuck Bass of Gossip Girl and his TRULY TERRIBLE wardrobe choices.  I prefer What Claudia Wore because of the literary bend and its ability to take you back to the early 90s in an uncomfortable way.  She critiques poor Dawn, MaryAnn, Stacey (did you know she has diabetes?), and Kristy, but somehow the funky Claudia Kishi can do know wrong.  Initiate: Mystery #5 - Mary Anne and the Secret in the Attic and #65 - Stacey's Big Crush

Happy Hunting!

KAB

Neil Gaiman Narrates, Finland's Jouni Koponen Illustrates: The Apocalypse

I've been getting more and more excited about Neil Gaiman's visit to The Rose O'Neill Literary House.  What most of my students don't realize is that I'm a HUGE Neil Gaiman fan myself.  I first met him when I was just 16 years old, during a trip to London.  My father stood through the rain with me in the long winding line outside of the Bloomsbury district's Forbidden Planet.  The prospect of getting to show him around our literary operation 8 years later is nearly too much for me to handle.  

A quick read of io9.com this morning revealed that Finnish artist Jouni Koponen has illustrated Neil Gaiman's fantastic poem "The Day the Saucers Came," which is about numerous science fiction apocalypses happening in quick succession.  This isn't the first Gaiman work that Koponen has illustrated; he's done illustrations for "Shoggoth's Old Peculiar," "Babycakes," and "A Study in Emerald."  

Naturally, I bought the Lit House 1 of the 500 made.  It'll look great in the dining room.

KAB

Literature At The Margins kicks off tonight!

I just met Aaron Diaz, writer/illustrator of web comic Dresden Codak, and he's truly one of the gods in the pantheon of web-comic creators. And he's just the first of many amazing people to arrive for this weekend! Please join us for:

Two whole days of pop culture mayhem, food, and lectures celebrating the genres of literature that are oft ignored in an academic context!

Featuring:
S.T. JOSHI, Bram Stoker Award-winning H.P. Lovecraft scholar
AARON DIAZ, creator of web-comic Dresden Codak
JEPH JACQUES, creator of web-comic Questionable Content
PETER HECK, science fiction and mystery author

Friday, March 21st
6pm - A reading and Q&A with Peter Heck, author of the "Mark Twain Mysteries," detective stories featuring Mark Twain as a sleuth.

Saturday, March 22nd
1pm - A discussion with Aaron Diaz of Dresden Codak
2pm - A discussion with Jeph Jacques of Questionable Content
3pm - Q&A with Jacques and Diaz
4pm - A lecture by leading H.P. Lovecraft scholar S.T. Joshi
5pm - A panel discussion with S.T. Joshi and Peter Heck

The Marginal Lit Fest is marginalizing my sleep

I'm often able to discern my own mental state by tracking my dreams. A few months ago, it was dreams about the fax machine in the House being out of ink. A few months before that, it was dreams about getting my skin caught on the nails sticking out of dozens of empty poster frames. This week, it's all dreams about missing chairs, kitchen disasters, and ill speaking guests. This week, the Literature at the Margins Festival and the rest of our March/April events are on my mind.

Idiots'Fest 2008: Subscribers that Rock!

IDIOTS'FEST 2008: Subscribers that Rock is a two-day literature and music festival in celebration of the Idiots'Books subscribership. THE LIT HOUSE IS A SUBSCRIBER, SO YOU'RE ALL INVITED! Come see and hear authors, musicians, comics, idiots, and physicists. Come eat slow-cooked Virginia barbeque. Come see lovely, historic Chestertown Maryland in the dead of winter! Just come.

Visit the IDIOTS'FEST website!

GUESTS
Jim Shepard, Brian Slattery, Drew Bunting, Matthew Swanson, Robbi Behr, Brian Wecht, Rich Flynn, Aidan Shepard, Victor Wishna

SCHEDULE

Friday, Feb 15, Rose O'Neill Literary House 6:00-8:00pm
Robbi and Matthew read from their work while musicians Brian SlatteryDrew Bunting attempt to distract them with musical instruments
Drew Bunting and Brian Slattery play original and unoriginal music while singing and playing the following: guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and kazoo

Saturday, Feb 16
The Bookplate backroom, 112 South Cross Street, Chestertown, MD
2:30-5:30pm
Victor Wishna, stand-up comic stands up and acts comical
Robbi and Swanson read from their work while musicians contribute tones, both dulcet and jarring
Brian Slattery, author of Spaceman Blues: A Love Song, "rocks" his book while musicians Drew Bunting (guitar), Brian Wecht (keyboard, sax, and clarinet), Rich Flynn (bass), Aidan Shepard (percussion), and Matthew Swanson (harmonica) provide the score. Offensive to the eye and ear
Intermission: Brian Slattery and Victor Wishna will sign their books; also, the audience may rest
Dr. Brian A. Wecht, B.A., PhD., member of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, delivers a stirring lecture titled "String Theory for Idiots" which may involve musicians
Jim Shepard, novelist, short story writer, and finalist for the 2007 National Book Award in Fiction will appear before you. Perhaps he will read. Perhaps he will simply stand and stare. Regardless, you will be grateful to have been there

5:30-6:00
Jim Shepard will sign books for adoring fans and bitter enemies alike

6:00-7:00
Virginia barbeque-brisket, ribs, chicken, seafood, veggies; you will eat a lot and feel sick. $10 a head, $5 for WAC students!

7:00-10:00
The Reverend Drew Bunting and his backing band "Textual Healing" take you places that you have never been. Band members are Brian Wecht, Rich Flynn, Aidan Shepard, and Matthew Swanson

Somewhere out there, there's a tail without a squirrel

Have you been in the backyard of the Lit House lately?

It's a large, lovely expanse of wilderness, and seems the perfect place for a (public safety sanctioned) campfire, complete with stories and marshmallow-roasting.

Or it could be the perfect place for students to set up tents and sleep outdoors. Or, maybe, to set up a stage and hold a concert? Val Larson, one of last year's Fellows, had the fantastic idea of turning it into a Shakespeare Garden.

But for now, it's just a lovely area - perfect for reading a book in or taking a walk through.

Edith can often be found playing out there, and there's other animals, too. Birds and squirrels. But there's one squirrel in particular that has caught my eye and my heart. He's quite small - and HAS NO TAIL. I see him, nearly every day, rooting around through the bushes or jumping along the fence. He's adorable. I've never seen a tail-less squirrel before, and at first no one else believed that the tail-less squirrel existed. Until they saw him too! First Allison N., now Allison F., and Katie, and Emma and Mac - they've all seen the tail-less squirrel!

I'd try to feed him, or invite him closer, but I suspect that Edith may be the reason there's a tail-less squirrel out there in the first place....

K.A.B.