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Best wishes-

  • Dec. 23rd, 2009 at 12:04 AM
by sigune, lullaby
A Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, or whatever you celebrate (as a friend put it last year, "Happy midwinter gift-giving festival!"). And blessings in the New Year, and peace.

For me, it's Christmas. The choir I'm in sang a few of Britten's carols from A Ceremony of Carols for our Christmas concert, so I'd like to post a couple of my favorites from this piece, with children singing them - young girls from Oxford, and young boys from Cambridge. Enjoy! (BTW, these are really sound files, not movies.)

The first is "This Little Babe", sung by the teen girls:



And here are the boys, singing "In Freezing Winter Night". I think this text is very beautiful!

a silly Christmas meme-

  • Dec. 16th, 2009 at 4:48 PM
by sigune, lullaby
I saw this on Bluey's livejournal, tried it, and the result was too good not to steal! Anyone who wants to may steal it from me:

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie.
Above thy deep and dreamless mary-j-59
The silent stars go by.

O Little Town Of Bethlehem
from the Christmas Song Generator.

Get your own song :

The Snowball method of novel writing- thoughts on The Winter Prince, etc.

  • Dec. 14th, 2009 at 11:01 PM
by sigune, lullaby
This is just because we finally got some snow! It was very pretty while it lasted, and a child in my building made an extremely festive snowman with a walking stick and a punk hairdo. Pic below!


Anyway - have you ever wondered how and why some modern novels are so darn long? I think I understand now. All these writers who come up with enormous tomes are following the method I seem to have stumbled upon - the snowball method. Read more... )
by sigune, lullaby
My sister just showed me this video - both of us absolutely love the song, and she said, "If he weren't so blond and good looking, the lead singer could be Snape." True! It's a Canadian band called The Arcade Fire, and the song is Rebellion.

Interview with Megan Whalen Turner!

  • Nov. 16th, 2009 at 7:41 PM
by sigune, lullaby
My sister told me to go look at Eddis Sounis Attolia on livejournal, because there was a link to an exciting interview with Megan Whalen Turner. There is! If you don't know who she is (and especially if you do), go here:

http://hipwritermama.blogspot.com/2009/11/wbbt-megan-whalen-turner.html

It's very cool1
by sigune, lullaby
I've said over on Snapedom that, if Lily was the be-all and end-all for young Sev, she should have been the be-all and end-all. So why couldn't he have joined the Death Eaters specifically to protect her? I do know the answer to that, of course: we couldn't have a scene that might make him more sympathetic. But why did Rowling also have to diminish James and Lily? Consider Voldemort's attack: Read more... )

My sister's new pet:

  • Nov. 15th, 2009 at 5:57 PM
by sigune, lullaby
She to me: what should I name him, X or Costis?
Me to her: Costis needs a fish named after him.

So Costis it is! Here's a pic, I hope - or at least a link to one. He's a wild-type betta and his colors are spectacular.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/deirdrej/4101256781/
by sigune, lullaby
"And then I'll be married. Married! At fourteen, in the very flower of mine age! O, I know that many women my age are already married and mothers to boot, but it simply won't do for me." Goose Chase, page 6.

This may have been the first time I laughed out loud when reading this book. It wasn't the last.
Read more... )

videocast with Michelle Paver-

  • Nov. 11th, 2009 at 10:13 PM
by sigune, lullaby
Yes, I know - I still have to write an actual review of Ghost Hunter But, about ten days ago, Deirdre and I participated in this videocast with Michelle Paver. It's long (over an hour), but fascinating. For those who have time to take a look, and are interested in writing, pay close attention to minutes 13 to 15. I find this positively scary! Deirdre and I were "librarygrl" in the chat room and we did get a question answered toward the end. :)

Here's the link:
http://www.torak.info/index.php?categoryid=12
by sigune, lullaby
This is passed on from eleanor X, who had posted the video to her own livejournal. It really is a terrific song; I can't get it out of my head, and the lyrics (in spite of a couple of infelicitous words like "puppetile" - why not "puppet-like" or simply "puppet's"?) are pretty astonishing. If you watch this, consider the relationship described between Morgana and young Mordred, and then go here:
http://sigune.livejournal.com/93168.html#cutid1

Follow the links for "the Darkest Hour" and read the whole thing - and you will see, quite clearly, what I only just realized. The Arthur legend is, at heart, a revenge tragedy about a seriously disordered family. And young Mordred - if you read him as the instrument of his mother's revenge; there are other ways of reading him - is actually not so much a villain, as the last victim of this family. Why didn't I see this before?

Anyway, the song and the comic are both terrific, and I look forward to reactions to them both. ) BTw, the little fellow who plays Mordred is much, much closer to my idea of young Harry than Dan Radcliffe. For one thing, he is slender and actually has greenish eyes.

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Thoughts on NaNoWriMo-

  • Oct. 29th, 2009 at 6:42 PM
by sigune, lullaby
Well, November is nearly here, and I have been reading (on the literatureandlatte board, among other places) about National Novel Writing Month. And- Read more... )

A bit apprehensive (another meme)

  • Oct. 22nd, 2009 at 10:11 PM
by sigune, lullaby
I got this from bluestocking79, who has answered some very fascinating questions in a most articulate manner, in spite of having the flu! Here is the meme - I've seen it before, but never dared to do it:

The problem with LJ: we all think we are so close, but really, we know nothing about each other. So ask me something you want to know about me. Something that should be obvious, but you have no idea about. Ask away. Then post this in your LJ and find out what people don't know about you.
by sigune, lullaby
I just saw on Pythia Delphi's livejournal that it is Bohemianspirit's birthday! I am terrible at keeping up with my livejournal friends' birthdays, so please, everyone, consider yourself wished a Happy Birthday!

And - I just found out Dad is in hospital again, so could all my friends who believe in prayer say a prayer for him and my Mom? Thank heavens for my younger sister, who brought him to the hospital; they suspect a mini-stroke, and it's always much better if they get to that fast. He sounds as though he's doing well. Still, it's a worry.

Final thing - I got another betta today. At first, I thought his name might be Aquila, but, once I got him into his bowl at home, I decided he was Severus Secundus, after all. He's very pretty, and seems to be settling in well; unlike Severus primus, he ate right away. But I only gave him one pellet, as an experiment, because the young man at the store told me I have overfed my bettas. Deirdre hasn't, and hers have lived longer than mine. Point taken!

Anyway, here's the pic:

Another meme (from missfloraposte, et al.)

  • Oct. 13th, 2009 at 9:05 PM
by sigune, lullaby
I hope I didn't do this one already! It certainly doesn't belong to me, so anyone who wants to can take it from me. ) I took it three times, and got this result twice (and noticed, further down, that I came out a queen in the chess piece meme. Maybe the universe is trying to tell me something!)


You are The High Priestess


Science, Wisdom, Knowledge, Education.


The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know. The High Priestess is also associated with the moon however and can also indicate change or fluxuation, particularily when it comes to your moods.


What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

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feeling a bit sad-

  • Oct. 8th, 2009 at 9:58 PM
by sigune, lullaby
My little Sevvie died this morning, or late last night. I don't know what of - for a couple of days, he was sulking at the bottom of his bowl and spitting out his food. I tried medicating him, but all I had on hand was fungus guard and bettafix, and, of course, salt. Whatever I did wasn't the right thing.

Poor little guy. I really think he was a bit sick from the time I got him, and there was only one week or so in the two months I had him that he acted like a normal betta (making nests, swimming calmly, eating everything he was given, and so on). I am not as sad as I was when Charlie died, but I still feel bad and sorry about him - most of all because I wish I had known how to help him.

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by sigune, lullaby
Travis Prinzi had this meme on his blog back in February; I came across it when I was looking for the Bitter Word's essay on Dumbledore as a narcissist, and I hope he doesn't mind my stealing it. Anyone who wants to may steal it from me!

Here are the rules Travis set out: For each character, try to sum them up with one word. I may add a word or two to explain my choices, being the talkative character that I am! If you like, you can list characters and single words before looking at mine, so you're not influenced by what I say. I'm also going to list the characters before doing the meme.Here goes:

Read more... )

Up in the air (sort of)

  • Sep. 26th, 2009 at 10:37 AM
by sigune, lullaby
several exciting things to report on this week. First, look at my sister's blog. She wrote about our hawk-watching experience better than I ever could. Four species spotted in a half hour (a turkey vulture or two, two sharp-shinned hawks - and I don't think I've ever seen a sharp-shinned hawk before, though I've seen a cooper's - and the Osprey and a really clear view of that Kestrel, who came very close.) Here's the link:

http://deirdrea.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/packing-a-lunch-and-a-wild-thing-in-the-library/#comments

Then, we went to see and hear U2 at the Meadowlands on Thursday night. Exhausting, but wonderful. I got a pretty good pic of the stage set, and my sister took some striking experimental shots. We were up in the peanut gallery, but it was spectacular, anyway. And I was really noticing the band's musicianship, as well as the showmanship. I really, really want to see It Might Get Loud; I love the Edge!

a Question for Writers on my f'list?

  • Aug. 29th, 2009 at 12:16 PM
by sigune, lullaby
I am wondering, at what point in the novel-writing process should one start to look for an agent? From all I have heard, an agent is necessary for a first-timer, and I do want to get this book published. At the moment, I am, though not quite as far along as I'd hoped I'd be, nearly 40 K words in, and may complete the draft (with luck, and if I stay on pace) by December or January. I have perhaps six chapters to go, not counting the one I'm working on now, and have been averaging two chapters a month. The completed first draft will be around 50 to 55 thousand words, and it's a standalone YA SF novel.

So - do I need to have completed the first draft before I begin the search for an agent, or may I/should I start while in process? At this point, I know I can actually climb this mountain and finish the draft, and I really think I will end up with a good book. I can supply a completed outline and sample chapters, plus a one sentence and one paragraph summary of the book. These are below: Read more... )

The Fallacy of the likeable protagonist: a review of The Demon’s Lexicon and Corbenic

  • Aug. 20th, 2009 at 4:27 PM
by sigune, lullaby
The Fallacy of the likeable protagonist: a review of The Demon’s Lexicon and Corbenic
Or, walk softly and carry a sharp sword


This post is inspired by a discussion we’ve been having recently, and also by two excellent books I just read. In the discussion, some people seemed to evaluate characters according to whether they liked them or not. That’s quite human, and I’d guess we readers do it all the time. I’ve done it myself. I’ve said, a few times, about books or films, “I didn’t like it because I didn’t like any of the characters”. But do you really have to like a protagonist for a story to work for you? (Or, in the case of our man Snape, to see that he really *is* the protagonist?) Read more... )
by sigune, lullaby

Sevvie the fish
Originally uploaded by maryj59

Here's my new little betta, who is, of course, called Sevvie. He is very pretty, but is worrying me because he won't eat anything. I hope he makes it.

Otherwise - thanks to all your comments, I realized most of you didn't know the books I was talking about.

Here is a link to the first few pages of Michelle Paver's Wolf Brother My sister also did a podcast where you can hear Iam McKellan reading the first chapter - he has done all the audio for these books. You can download it either by looking for kiscocast on podomatic.com, or by going to www.torak.info and downloading it there.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30965518/ns/today-today_books/

The BBC filmed the first Green Knowe book, and there are a couple of clips on youtube. Here's the first one - makes you wonder where Rowling got some of her ideas!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5a0jCn10ro

Enjoy!

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by sigune, lullaby
[info]mary_j_59
mary_j_59

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