New Year's resolutions lead to new blog posts. Thus I introduce a new feature of the Alchemist's Arcanabulum: my Faerie Queene Diary

January 1, 2004

It’s New Year’s Day and Tim accused me of
the crime of wasted gifts with rhyme and such.
I took too long with my response (I love
to argue), being flattered and a touch
annoyed–he’d called me Edmund Spenser. Much
too late, I left to join the party at
Deb Notkin’s house. (My editor.) A clutch
of homemade breads lay ready. Soon I sat
with half a loaf and turkey, ready to chew the fat.

I listened: David Bratman held forth on
how the Witch King of Angmar wasn’t stabbed
by Merry’s barrow sword. The blade he’d drawn
in Peter Jackson’s version he’d just grabbed
from Aragorn. Besides, when they were nabbed
by orcs, they’d lost the swords Galadriel
had given him and Pippin. David crabbed
about the cuts and changes, glad to tell
all present what he thought was right with it as well.

And so it went, but no charades, unlike
years past, though Fred still had his teddy bear
(named Fantasy), a jigsaw puzzle (Spike,
from Buffy), but no fireplace. There, where
the fireplace had been, a hole, for there
had been a small incident: It had crashed
straight through the floor. The empty air
was boarded up; a tv now was stashed
in the new hutch (though Alan’s car was nearly smashed).

January 2, 2004

Had lunch with Nathan at the Hick’ry Pit.
He had an omelette, while my french dip looked
like yesterday’s New Year’s Day prime rib. It
was very good, but had to leave: I’d booked
an appointment for Sprite for 2:00, which brooked
no more delays, since she was shivering.
Hematocrit was seventeen. They hooked
up the IV to start delivering
the blood, and Dr. Mohr said I should give a ring.

I did. The transfusion is going well.
I should call back around 5:45.
And Philippe Boulle just wrote to tell
me that old Penny Dreadful’s still alive,
now being done in PDF. I strive
to take this as good news. At least I’m paid
and now my fans can read the book. (The jive
we writers put up with.) Its been delayed
for years, but this is just publishing I’m afraid.