Interesting coincidence. I just happened to be thinking about the piece that Erin wrote for Wendy’s memorial service, and without my noticing, she happened to post it on her website.
It’s very good, and I think you should all read the rest of it.
She taught me “never buy anything you don’t love.” And later she changed it: “Never do anything you don’t love.” And she didn’t.
It is unfair that Wendy was taken from us after far too short a life, but that doesn’t change the fact that she had a good life, because she had the integrity to do what she loved, and she was damn good at it.
If there is any advice I could give to the rest of the world, it would be that.
Non Partisan Alliance Hits Big Four-Oh
I’d like to welcome aboard What the Deuce to the Blogging Alliance of Non Partisan Canadians. Geoff at What the Deuce is a special addition to the BANPC, as he represents website number forty.
I feel that this is a milestone. The BANPC began on April 23, and in less than four months, it has accumulated a diverse collection of sites. From independent-minded NDPers to strident Libertarians, from Republican-sympathizers and small-c conservatives to centrists (lots of centrists), to people who don’t feel particularly political; all have found a home here.
It hasn’t always been easy keeping such a diverse group together. There have been strong words between members, and one or two have departed as a result, but for the most part people have stuck it out. Disagreements have been handled through counter-arguments placed on one’s own blog. And from what I’ve seen, people who visit one BANPC website tend to visit others, and as a result, they get exposed to different opinions and are given (I hope) cause to think. I believe that the BANPC shatters the echo chamber that sometimes encloses more partisan blogrolling alliances, and we’ve also been blessed by a high quality of writing on the websites who have joined us.
We’ve had other departures as well, due to natural website outages, but gradually the group has grown, and now we are forty, and I’m pleased as punch.
What’s next? More sites, I hope. And I hope we can continue to gather together strong writers and a diverse collection of links. I would like to bring on board more blogs whose raison d’etre is cultural rather than political, but political sites will continue to be welcome.
Thanks to all non-partisan bloggers for making this alliance so successful so soon. And here’s to future member number forty-one.
(Updated: Well that was quick)
Thanks, Cameron
Finally, let me say again that Cameron Dixon is the coolest!
I’ve started work editing Rosemary and Time. Barry Jowett will be working with me on this around mid-September, but he encouraged me to look at the manuscript and implement what good ideas came to mind. His only complaint about the story is that it’s too fast paced; there aren’t enough spaces of falling action to allow the reader to catch their breath.
So I went and looked at sections of the story that could be easily lengthened and paced properly, and I came up with two, including the scene in the railway tunnel, just after Puck sacrifices himself so that Peter and Rosemary can continue on to the final destination. Travelling scenes are usually the best places for a little falling action. But what to put here?
Trust Cameron to go beyond what I wanted. More than just padding, he pointed out that the point where Puck sacrifices himself would be the precise point where Rosemary would throw the book against the wall, if she could. How would she react given that she’s now inside that book and no longer has that option?
Wow. I suddenly realized I had a far more powerful scene here than what was originally on paper.
So that’s one change that’s going to happen. So far, it’s looking good. I’d preview it for you here, but I’m afraid you folks are going to have to wait until the book comes out next spring.