First, I want to express my congrats to a certain Fugitive on his recent successes--the first quite a surprise, the other a much deserved confirmation. I am lucky to know such brilliant folks, folks with smarts and creativity to spare and who are also damn fine human beings. I plan on hanging around long enough for one of them to obtain a position of real power and give me a job. That's a joke. I think. I like my job. It's relaxing...something I suspect could not be said of working for the Fugitive, however rewarding it might otherwise be!
In other news, I am headed to London next month to see my friend in London and enjoy some time with my sweetie--not to be confused with my friend in London, who, though certainly capable of sweetness, is a little too butch for my tastes. She's never been, and I haven't been in more than five years, so I bought us some tickets for a Christmas present. Good times will be had.
The Year of the Dog starts in 11 days. I believe this means good things are in store for Tricky. If it doesn't it ought to. The reading in 2006 is off to a fast start:
Chasing the Devil's Tail by David Fulmer--Fiction
Our Lady of 121st Street by Stephen Adly Guirgis--Drama
In Arabia, We'd All be Kings by Stephen Adly Guirgis--Drama
The Egyptologist by Arthur Phillips--fiction
The Egyptologist starts off with the trappings of the historical mystery genre but eventually becomes a dark comedy. An enjoyable read. Guirgis is also dark, though more in that 90's smart guy kind of way, and his plays display a great ear for the vernacular and a mastery of subtle comic timing. Our lady of 121st Street was especially good. Chasing the Devil's Tail is a first mystery novel by a local Atlanta writer. I gave it a go mostly because the setting is the Storyville district of New Orleans in the early 20th century. Historical figures come and go: Jelly Roll Morton, Buddy Bolden, the photographer Bellocq. It's a decent start for a series (there have been two more since) but one can clearly feel Fulmer working to master the chops of the mystery narrative. I'll probably check out a later entry in the series at some point because his characters are intriguing and he keeps the pages turning without relying on too many cliches.
Right now I'm working on A.S. Byatt's The Biographer's Tale. Good stuff.
