captnofmyheart, and happy early birthday to wildviolet4. I hope you both have wonderful days and terrific years to come!News from the world of history:
* "Diary a Clue to Amelia Earhart Mystery"
* "Architect Claims to Solve Pyramid Secret"
News from the world of genre fiction:
* This year's James Tiptree, Jr. Award for gender-exploring science fiction goes jointly to Shelley Jackson for Half Life and Catherynne M. Valente for The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden, with a special recognition to Julie Phillips for her biography James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon.
* Winners of this year's Bram Stoker Awards for horror fiction are novel Lisey's Story by Stephen King, first novel Ghost Road Blues by Jonathan Maberry, long fiction Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge, short fiction "Tested" by Lisa Morton, anthology Retro Pulp Tales by Joe R. Lansdale and (in a tie) Mondo ZombieM by John Skipp, collection Destinations Unknown by Gary A. Braunbeck, nonfiction Final Exits by Michael Largo and (in another tie) Gospel of the Living Dead by Kim Paffenroth, and poetry Shades Fantastic by Bruce Boston. Also presented were the Lifetime Achievement Award, to Thomas Harris, and the Specialty Press Award, to PS Publishing.
Misc:
I'm heading out again to New Hampshire to participate in a scholarly colloquium on "Secession, Local Autonomy, and Liberty." Thanks to my new notebook computer (named "Ginevra") I should be online a bit throughout the week, though, and I will return home on Friday. Take care, everyone!
I sing of brooks, of blossoms, birds, and bowers:
Of April, May, or June, and July flowers.
I sing of Maypoles, Hock-carts, wassails, wakes,
Of bridegrooms, brides, and of the bridal cakes.
- Robert Herrick, Hesperides, 1648
