The rule of Faulkner-Finlay

According to William Faulkner and amended by Charles Coleman Finlay (in April 2004's Locus interview):

'People who can't write poetry write short stories; people who can't write short stories write novels.' I think there's a modern addendum to that: People who can't write novels write endless fantasy series.

Nail head, meet hammer.

Now playing: Strauss, Death And Transfiguration, Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel. If someone has another version of this to recommend, please let me know. Maazel bothers me.

Like new

Check out "The Growing Market For Slightly Used Books" in today's Wall Street Journal. The article examines publishers' conundrum about the exponential increase (and ease) of online sales of used books. Some literary agents are even clamoring for additional royalties on sales of used books. An interesting article.

One gripe: the art that accompanies the article contains photos of several recent bestsellers, including E.L. Doctorow's The March, Christopher Paolini's Eldest and Robert Hicks' The Widow of the South. In a box beside each book are listed the dustjacket retail prices and the used prices available from Amazon, Alibris or Abebooks. The differences are quite striking. But consider this. The retail price for The March is $25.95. The used Amazon price is $14.44. The NEW Amazon price, however, is just $16.62. And if you take your Barnes & Noble card (I know you all have one) to the store, you can usually get at least 30% off new hardcovers. The actual disparity between used and new prices on many items is far less than the Journal article claims .

Now playing: Wagner, Good Friday Music from Parsifal, Philadelphia Orchestra, Christian Thieleman

K

Strikeouts are an abomination (for a hitter, obviously). If you can't even put the ball in play, you can't take advantage of any of the myriad unforeseen turns of fate that can happen on a baseball field (errors, brain cramps, unlikely bounces over a fielder's glove, broken-up double plays).

So it is doubly damning that the Reds, who had one of the sorriest collective pitching performances in recent memory this season, may wind up with one of the sorriest collective batting performances as measured by strikeouts.

From the Dayton Daily News' estimable Hal McCoy:

Entering Friday's game, the Reds already had three players with 100 or more strikeouts — Adam Dunn (154), Wily Mo Pena (110) and Felipe Lopez (104). Austin Kearns was only four away from 100 and LaRue only two.

That would give the Reds five players with more than 100 strikeouts. The team never has had more than three players with 100 whiffs in a season.

Yuck.

Now playing: Berlioz, Overture to Benvenuto Cellini, Baltimore Symphony, David Zinman

Starting too late

Ever get deep into writing a story and realize that you've written 75% of it in past preterite?

Guess I need to go back and start this story a little earlier along its timeline. Damn.


Now playing: Barber, First Essay, St. Louis Symphony, Leonard Slatkin. When I was an impressionable undergraduate, most 20th-century-music instruction--once you made passing mention of Strauss, various Russians and Debussy-- centered on the deconstructionists (Schoenberg, Webern, Berg), the weirdos (Cage, Crumb) and the apologists (Boulez). But I ask you, gentle reader, what has become (right or wrong) the most enduring, most widely heard piece of classical music of the 20th Century? That's right: Barber's Adagio. Where did Barber come in all of this training I had?
Barber? Barber who?

Word count

697

Had a great time with Andy at Neil Gaiman's signing. Look for a new cover to the next printing of Stardust.

Now playing: "Black Dog," Led Zeppelin

Too ugly to write about

U of L is getting HAMMERED by South Florida.

Disclaimer: I'll not be talking about U of L football this week. Mostly I'll be trying to forget about U of L football this week.


OUCH. We suck.

Return of the Sensible Poll

From The Washington Post:

1. Texas
2. Florida State
3. Louisiana State
4. Virginia Tech
5. Georgia Tech

A great explanation of the faults of poll-making in general and some unique ways to look at how to build a poll.

Now playing: "All The Things You Are," Ella Fitzgerald. I worship Ella. I think her Songbooks should be required listening in public schools. But I think that the very young Barbra Streisand's version of "All The Things You Are," which includes the verse as well as the chorus, is better. I like this song more as a straight-ahead ballad than the easy swing of Nelson Riddle's arrangement for Ella.

I can die happy

Danger Mouse on DVD

Now playing: "Greenbacks," Ray Charles

Who are you?

Take this quiz: which sci-fi writer are you? Then check out the other quizzes, too.

Apparently, I am Robert Heinlein. (And Gustav Mahler. Rock on.)


Now playing: Granados, Intermezzo from Goyescas, Celin Romero

Thoughts on Fevre Dream

Fevre Dream
George R. R. Martin

I dislike vampire tales. Laurell Hamilton does nothing for me. I laughed all the way through Bram Stoker's Dracula--though that may have had more to do with Keanu Reeves than Bram Stoker. But I couldn't generate much enthusiasm for Richard Matheson's universally heralded I Am Legend, either (but I'm considering giving it another chance; Laurell Hamilton, not so much).

Against that disposition, I loved Fevre Dream. Credit GRRM for a skillful reinvention, if you will, of the vampire myth (origins, characteristics, weaknesses, motivations). The novel also explores the nature of Evil and the power of choice to define the good, the bad and all the gray in between. GRRM plays off this theme heavily in his Song of Ice and Fire books, but here plays on the twist of one vampire's struggle to choose life over his inherent need to kill.

More than an exquisitely rendered vampire yarn, though, Fevre Dream is a tale of a wild, young U.S. that gets but the barest of hints in most histories. GRRM's steamboat captain Abner Marsh reminds me not so much of an obligatory reluctant protagonist as he does a pirate captain, swashbuckling even as he is deliberate, intractable and loyal.

Finally, GRRM does here what he does so well in all of his stories: spins out an intriguing tale and gradually draws his characters toward a seemingly conclusive juncture that he then uses to spin the story out again in an unexpected direction. Even in a book as short as Fevre Dream GRRM manages to pull this off not once, but twice, and to great effect each time.

Highest recommendation.

Nancy Drew (and the Hardy Boys)

I got a big kick out of this, from The Washington Post.

As I recall, the only book I ever stayed up past my bedtime to read as a child (complete with flashlight under the bedcovers) was The Hidden Staircase. I was far more into the Hardy Boys, however. By the time I was growing up, the publisher had begun to reissue both the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew as low-priced hardbacks (the kind with the cover art printed right onto the cover, sans dustjacket), and even gave these series new life in The Hardy Boys Casefiles and The Nancy Drew Casefiles. These books had a more contemporary sensibility, and were much edgier. In the first of the HB Casefiles, Joe Hardy's girlfriend Iola was killed by a bomb in her car.

But the copies of the Hardy Boys I most vividly remember are the ones I took from my grandparents' house that had belonged to my mother and aunt. The dustjackets (those that remained) were dry, cracked and peeling, and the books had that "old book" smell, but from those I read through nearly the entire output of "Franklin W. Dixon."

Now playing: "Cold As Ice," Foreigner

44 down, 456-ish to go

Highlights from recent re-discoveries among my CD collection (sorry, Chris, but I haven't gotten to Wagner yet):

Sir Edward Elgar

• My allocation to Elgar is limited to a collection of marches (with top-notch performance from the Royal Philharmonic) and one version of Enigma Variations, but I am quite taken with his music. Of special esteem is the "Coronation March."

We Are In Love, Harry Connick, Jr.

• Connick's preference for ballads at impossibly slow tempos notwithstanding, there are some real gems on this album. "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" and the original "I'll Dream Of You Again" feature Branford Marsalis to great effect. Cole Porter's "It's Alright With Me" is rollicking--and features Connick's all-too-infrequently heard improvisation chops. The charming "Heavenly" presents Connick overdubbed and a cappella.

Now playing: J.S. Bach, Passacaglia & Fugue in C minor, E. Power Biggs. It really bothers me when CDs that I have had for a long time are out of print. It seems to suggest that I am old.

8 and 9

U of L 63, Oregon State 27.

But it was not even that close. I have to admit, though, that I actually turned the game off at the end of the first quarter, frustrated by U of L's inability to move the ball or stop OSU's offense. (The fake punt really set me off.) Of course, like a moth to a flame, I was drawn inexorably back in and watched the rest of the game with the sadistic glee of a fan who not only wants his team to beat up the opponent but set them and their cheerleaders on fire.

And so it is that U of L moves up again in both polls, though moving higher will depend more on somebody else losing than on U of L's ability to blow out overmatched Big East opponents (knock on wood).


And who knew? Apparently there is a professional football team again in Cincinnati.

Now playing: Brahms, String Quintets, Juilliard String Quartet and Walter Trampler.

Still a sensible poll

From The Washington Post:

1. Texas
2. Notre Dame
3. Louisiana State
4. Georgia Tech
5. Virginia Tech

Can't argue with that. All of these teams have beaten top-notch opponents, and--much as I have to say it--if not for Texas' thumping of Ohio State last week, Notre Dame would be #1 here. Yikes.

Garth Nix

Read Jeff Vandermeer's interview with Garth Nix (via Locus).

I have been captivated by Mr. Nix's Abhorsen books, which are considered YA fare. But the world he describes is so uniquely realized that every time I see his name I want to punch myself for not making time to make it through all of his books.

Now playing: Mahler, Symphony No. 2, San Francisco Symphony, Herbert Blomstedt

27 down, 473-ish to go

Highlights of yesterday's CD tour:

When I Look in Your Eyes, Diana Krall

• Ahhhh... Diana Krall. Her "Why Should I Care," which closes this album, is absolutely heart-wrenching.
  Back when I was working in sales for a music company in Texas, I had a client who was in love with Diana Krall. I made the mistake of breaking the bad news to him that Ms. Krall was marrying Elvis Costello. He looked at me like I had run over his dog.

Beethoven, Symphonies 4 and 5, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti

• An artifact from my completist obsession with Maestro Solti and the CSO. Great if you like your Beethoven served with a side of french horn. Dale Clevenger et al. scare me out my skin almost every time I hear the third movement of Symphony No. 5. The strings creep along through the little intro and then Clevenger goes nuclear.

Now playing: Debussy, Twelve Etudes, Mitsuko Uchida.
File this under "what was I thinking?" The playing is great; the music is not.

Unlikely observation

Why is it that every time I see one of these it has someone in it who looks like this? That's just not right.

Now playing: "Let's Face the Music and Dance," Diana Krall

Top 500-ish Countdown

Inspired by Andy, I have decided to wind my way through my entire CD collection, listening to each CD I own.

Today's eclectic mix included:

John Coltrane, Blue Train
Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos, Chant
Rachmaninoff/Prokofiev, Cello Sonatas, Yo-Yo Ma & Emmanuel Ax
Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 2, Chicago Symphony, Claudio Abbado
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Impulse
Miles Davis, Kind of Blue
Britten, Four Sea Interludes, Boston Symphony, Leonard Bernstein

Now playing: Borodin, In the Steppes of Central Asia, National Philharmonic, Loris Tjeknavorian. This is a great disc. You can't beat the price for all the music you get: Symphony No. 2, In the Steppes and music from the Prince Igor ballet. This was the first compact disc I ever bought back in 1990. RCA also has all three Borodin symphonies with National and Tjeknavorian.

Clear thinking

If you pick up today's Wall Street Journal, be sure to check out the editorial, "A 'Moronic' Proposal." (I'd link to it, but wsj.com is for online subscribers only.)

But the money quote:

The glory of what is happening in Bozeman is that taxpayers are proving to be wiser about priorities than politicians.

Does this surprise anyone?


Now playing: "Moment's Notice," John Coltrane

Courage

Robert W. Funk, 1926-2005

Whatever people think of Dr. Funk's theology, he was an undeniably courageous and open person. Read about him here.

The virtue of inaction

Louisville did not play this weekend, but still managed to move up in both polls. And much as I hate to say it, watch out for Notre Dame. I'm sure I'm not the only one (like insert name of Big East football coach here) who wishes they played football in the Big East.

But Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese is OKAY with that? From the Louisville Courier-Journal:

Q: Will Notre Dame ever join the Big East in football?

A: "No," Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said. "I think Notre Dame is an independent in football and will remain an independent in football. A lot of people have trouble accepting that fact — that that is a fact of life. ...

"The most-often-asked question I get in my job is about Notre Dame football. I think I understand Notre Dame football pretty well. They are an independent. They want to be an independent. And I think if I were them, I'd be doing exactly what they're doing, and that is staying as an independent. I think they're the only one that can succeed doing that."

Now playing: "On Green Dolphin Street," Bill Evans

Return of Hand-drawn Insights

Another gem from Nick Anderson.

And one from Aaron McGruder.

A sensible poll

Finally, a college football poll that makes sense. (Look in the sidebar on this page.)

From The Washington Post:

1. Texas Christian
2. Georgia Tech
3. Notre Dame
4. Florida State
5. Virginia Tech

Look at it this way. If the New England Patriots, ostensibly the best team in the NFL, wins 13 games this season but only manages to beat every opponent by one touchdown, they will not be penalized in the postseason. In all likeliness, they will be the AFC East champs and will receive home-field advantage in the playoffs and a first-round bye.

But if Southern California, ostensibly the best team in college football, wins each of its games, but only by one touchdown in every one, the team will in all likeliness find itself cast out of the national championship game (assuming there is another undefeated BCS school), because poll voters expect USC to put up bigger numbers against opponents like Washington State. Not only does a college football team have to compete against other teams, it also has to compete against the expectations--informed, half-witted or otherwise--of the writers and coaches who vote in polls.

This works against a team like TCU just as much as a team like USC. How is it that Oklahoma is ranked higher than TCU this week? Because poll voters expect Oklahoma to be better than TCU, the actual results of their head-to-head matchup notwithstanding.

Absurdity!


Now playing: "Just Friends," J.J. Johnson. This is one of the best live jazz albums ever.

Terry Brooks, Fantastic Apologist

Read this.

Go on. Shell out the whopping 49 cents and read what one of the most popular and prolific of epic fantasists has to say about why we write what we write.

And while you're there, buy some of the short stories that Amazon is offering. This is truly a giant step for short fiction. Hats off to Amazon. I personally will be partaking of Robin Hobb, Michael Swanwick and Gardner Dozois, at least for a first course.

Come on! 49 cents! You can't beat that with a stick!

Now playing: Rachmaninoff, Etude-Tableau, Op. 39, No. 5 in E-flat minor, Van Cliburn

I wonder

About this. It seems to pander and to be fraught with exceptionally high risk for unfavorable metaphors. For example, what if the car crashes or runs out of gas?

And can this car REALLY get 780 miles to a tank of gas? Yes, that says 780.

The Reds have proven that consistency is the key to success. Consider: 21 of their past 30 games have seen quality starts from their pitchers. Over that time they are 16-14. Of course, before the All-Star break they were 35-53, effectively stamping a red-letter "Who Cares?" on the recent renaissance of their starters. Ah, well... at least the pathetically hopeful fan (read: me) has something on which to pin his hopes for next year.

Now playing: Beethoven, Cello Sonata No. 3, Yo-Yo Ma and Emmanuel Ax

Thoughts on The Crystal Cave

A fine read, and another original perspective (of course, when it was published it was very nearly the original) on this hoariest of fantasy sagas. I think the best way to describe the plotting here is episodic, adding event after event like building a wall rather than laying a path. One senses the overall purpose of the narrative rather than feeling like Mary Stewart is driving you forcibly in its direction. (Of course, most of us have the benefit of indelible familiarity with her subject matter, Arthur, Merlin and their ilk, to make the ending all but given before you even crack the book open.)

I normally don't even notice such specific things (and perhaps I should), but I think that Ms. Stewart's dialogue is exceptionally crafted. It is hard to imbue these characters with the proper gravitas that one typically associates with them without having them sound like they learned to speak from reading the King James Bible. But Stewart finds a good balance between the proper "height" of the characters' communications with kings and the like, while keeping their more informal dealings in plain prose sprinkled with humor. This important point from Ms. Stewart on authentic-sounding dialogue, from the author's note:

I have played everywhere by ear, on the principle that what sounds right is acceptable in the context of a work of pure imagination.

Hear, hear! (Pun intended.)

I almost forgot

U of L 31, UK 24.

Not the walloping it could have been. But Elvis Dumervil! SIX sacks. Six. As in "one more than five."

Still Stolen Blog Feature--
Now Playing: "Summertime," Marcus Roberts. Of all the renderings of this pillar of American popular music, this is my favorite. Check it out.

The jury is still out

I am trying. Really. But Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is taking a great deal of patience.

Of course, after a slow start The Crystal Cave has proven to be interesting.

And once I've waded through those I have Fevre Dream waiting.

On the recommendation front, Best American Mystery Stories 2004 has turned out to be smashing. I have previously recommended "Bet on Red," by Jeff Abbott, to some people, but the whole volume has been an intriguing and varied read.



Now playing: "Little Red Haired Girl," Wynton Marsalis