¦ dialling in from workstation ¦
13:23 GMT, Monday 2nd June 2008. Feels like forever since I posted here. I’m sitting at work, fat on battered jumbo cod and mushy peas. Very nice too. Listening to Air Song, from Leaving Home album by Solar Fields. Blissful. I’m about to wade into the frustrating treacle of Edge. I came back from Cyprus with several pages of gold dust; hand written notes, mapping out the solutions for the plot… ah yes, I have the solutions mapped out but I now seem (or feel as if) to have forgotten how to write. I am criticising sentences as I write them. I am not moving forward. I am stuck in a single stupid chapter. How many times can I rewrite the same few lines? Arrrrrrrrrrghhhhh!!!! Anyway, enough with pathetic creative moaning; there is a solution, just need to keep pushing on….
My mum started her Chemo week before last. Jo and I travelled up to Newcastle to be with her for the days following the treatment, not sure how ill she would become. Tough old boot, my mum. She’ s come through the first session smiling. Another 5 sessions to go, every 3 weeks. Her positive attitude, smiles and her laughter, have prevented me going through the same agony of guilt ---- being in Bristol when I feel like I should be in Newcastle – as I went through with my dad’s illness and demise.
I've been looking for a suitable person to photograph, to include in the redesign of the cover for Dante's Fool. Several months have gone by and nothing. Nada. Zippo. Then I turned round at my desk the other day and saw a man that was perfect: DS Louis Cloud. It was my character. I asked him if he'd be interested in modelling for it. He said yes. So, photos are taken, designs are underway. I'm looking forward to seeing the new jacket.
I have a loose plan to head back to US in later summer / autumn to spend a few days in a creative brainstorm / isolation bubble of a remote country house in upstate NY. Fingers crossed it comes together; ideally I would somehow like to combine this with a trip to Toronto and catch up with people there.
Right, enough of this waffle. Time to grab a coffee and get down to Edge.
Djr