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posted by Neil

Lorraine just came by to tell me that the chestnuts I sprouted and planted in pots in the kitchen have started growing into small trees. My housekeeper followed her in to look at me in the puzzled sort of way you do when someone is in a bed that shouldn't really even be there at noon answering email. "I shall stay in bed for ever, answering email," I told them, amiably. "It's cold out there."

Neither of them seems even slightly phased by this.

...

"Hold Me" -- Hellblazer 27 -- is written about at http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=19497. Weird Tales is now up to Brief Lives in its book-by-book Sandman reviews: http://weirdtales.net/wordpress/2009/01/13/recurring-dream-the-sandman-vol-vii-—-brief-lives/

There are now toy weeping angels.This seems right and proper. On the other hand, the Coraline stuff from Hardees/ Carl Jrs makes me feel like I've slipped into a strange alternate universe because it has nothing to do with me at all -- it just exists, and I kind of hope it will make kids happy, and that some of them may even be moved to find the book but... I dunno. Still processing that one. It's not bad. It just is. Then again, they have nice wallpapers and many useful things. Here's one with the shadow of the Other Mother in it...



It's nice down here in this seldom-visited room. I can see the Amano Dream Hunters centre spread painting and a Barry Windsor Smith Sandman drawing on the wall from where I'm lying, along with several Lisa Snellings statues.

Pretty soon now, I'm going to have to get up.


Neil,

I was very excited to hear that the Premiere for Coraline would be in Portland, OR. I was wondering when I'd be able to get my hands on tickets for the premiere? I'd really love to be the first to see it on my block.

Thank you for what you do,
Jason

What I do know is that the Coraline premiere is the opening night of the Portland International Film Festival. What I don't know is how you get tickets, although looking at the Film festival site, I suspect that you might have to become a "Director" with a $250 donation to get Opening and Closing night tickets. Or find someone who is already a donor and wants to scalp or give away their tickets. Or, possibly, keep an eye on local papers for any Coraline premiere ticket giveaway promotions...

Hi Neil,

Absolutely love your work. You mentioned in a post that you would be attending Portland's International Film Festival for the screening of Coraline. Will you be doing anything else while in Portland (signings and such)? It would be great to see you.

Thanks so much,
Jennifer D

It's possible but not likely, because Laika and Focus (who will be bringing me in for the Premiere) will probably already have packed my dance card with press interviews. If someone with power over my schedule while I'm there decides that what they really need is for me to give a talk or a signing, then it might happen. But you're more likely to get an autograph on the red carpet, I suspect.

How do you prefer your cup of tea?

Not Earl Grey. If it's an black, English breakfast-style tea, then made with boiling water and with cold milk added. If it's green, sencha, or something else, just with hot water.

Because there's a lot of honey around here these days(see beekeeping posts for details) if I use a sweetener it's honey, but usually I don't bother.

...

Lorraine just reappeared holding a plate. "Breakfast for today consists of lightly stir-fried oriental vegetables topped with an egg," she announced. "I presume sir will be taking his breakfast in bed...?" Apparently sarcasm works incredibly effectively to get me out of bed. In case you were wondering.

I sighed, got up and rejoined the world.

Email be blowed.

I am Not Joey Pigza by Jack Gantos, 2007

I listened to the audio version of this new Joey book because there is just NOTHING BETTER than hearing these stories in Gantos's own voice. When I listened to What Would Joey Do?, tears poured down my face as I watched Joey care for his grandmother after she died. Gantos's tender and heartfelt reading of that scene still echoes in my heart.

I think the absence of his voice that is the reason I have not been able to get through my audio book of The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs--as anxious as I was to experience this macabre tale of taxidermy. Lisa Datz ably reads the story but I have found myself unable to get very far in it because I just can't take those "Gantos" moments without him. I will probably end up reading it because then I can supply his intonation in my imagination.

To have a new book appear in a series that we thought was at an end, is a treat. In this book Joey's "thought he was gone for good" father, Carter Pigza, has returned to pick up the reins of family-hood again. He has money because he won the lottery so the family is well off for the first time in their lives. Alas, we know these characters and we know they will not be able to handle it. In one of the most howling-ly funny wedding ceremonies ever, his parents remarry and in honor of their renewal as a family, they change their names to become new people. Carter has adopted Heinz ("You know, Heinz, like the catsup.") as a new surname and he wants Joey to change his identity to become Freddy Heinz. Of course being the Pigzas, they are not actually going through the legal system to do this which sets up a whole new set of problems.

Joey's sense of self will not disappear without a fight though and he is buffeted between wanting to please his parents and his desire and need to hold on to his real identity. And Joey needs to hold on to something as his parents become obsessed with their own lives. His mother's new hobby is spending money and his dad spends his days looking for portents and signs to guide him in picking new lottery numbers.

The writing pulls you into side-splitting laughter and then deep emotional empathy for Joey. There are also more of those signature moments that leave the reader shrieking. Joey's idea of recreating a ride over Niagara Falls using a refrigerator box and the porch roof is a scene that will have readers and listeners covering their eyes. His visit to his grandmother's resting place in St. Mary's Cemetery is at once dear and strange. He has collected cigarette butts to sprinkle over her grave because she loved smoking so much and brought along a can of silver spray paint. After his beautification efforts, his moving talk with her sent me in search of tissues.

I have always loved Joey as a character. Despite his ricocheting attention span and crazy impulses, he is always trying. He understands better than his parents that you have to know and like yourself before you can change for the better and you cannot do it for someone else. He is full of love for his mother, his granny and his dogs and he wants to forgive and love his dad.

The Joey Pigza books are classics. Joey is a character for the ages. We cheer for him because he is just a wonderful kid.

Must Reads:
Jules at 7 Imp has written a most-excellent review of this book.