Editor Juliet Ulman Talks Editing, Writing, Red Ink, Her Moods, and Yarn

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

On my podcast, If You’re Just Joining Us, I just posted a very interesting interview with editor Juliet Ulman.

I had met her years ago at a World Fantasy Convention and again at a SFWA meeting, but we hadn’t really spoken. Several months ago, I heard that Night Shade Books (my publisher) had hired her to edit Yarn.

Before the edits even came in, I asked her if she’d talk about editing and editing my book. Juliet agreed and we arranged to talk when I was about halfway through the book — just as I was coming out of the lowest depth of my editing depression!

Interview with SciFi and Fantasy Editor Juliet Ulman on If You’re Just Joining Us.

Pre-order Yarn and save a whopping 50%

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

Night Shade Books, my publisher, is having a sale:

It’s that time of year again: sale time at Night Shade Books! We’ve got a lot of big new titles coming in, and we need to clear space in a big way (and pay off a few print bills)! So for the next week, from Monday, March 15 until midnight on Sunday, March 21, we’re offering 50% off all in-stock and forthcoming* Night Shade titles, with a four book minimum order. Just use the coupon code 50NSB2010 at checkout, and we’ll do the rest!

The amazing thing is you can pre-order Yarn! That’s the sequel to Grey, that I’m finishing now! I mean, right now.

Ironing techniques by professional craftsmen (shirt)

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

As much as I admire the ironing and the production in this video, don’t you get the sense that guy is a real hard ass? Right after this he headed out to some bar, knocked back six Sopporos while smoking twice as many Seven Stars. No, I’m wrong! This guy drinks what they called misu-wari in Japan — whiskey and water.

Notice how hard he presses. One reason he’s pressing so hard is that he’s not got a steam iron. When I fell in love with industrial ironing, back in the 90’s when I was taking classes at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) it was partly the weight, the masculinity of the equipment, and the power of the steam system that made me think, ironing is cool.

If you’ve read my first novel Grey (and I know almost everyone has by now!) that experience at FIT is where I got the idea for the competitive ironing. This video reaffirms my belief. Someday there will be a CIL.

The video was produced Garra, which is a Japanese men’s cosmetics company. It was part of a bachelor’s “how-to” section on their site, including how to tie a tie, mix a cocktail, do magic tricks, etc. The ironing, because of the man and his muscular style, is far and away the best part.

None of them have any speaking, but the ironing because of the blank stage really ends up emphasizing the ironing action in a tea-ceremony way.

Their site is at: http://garra.jp/style/tailored/index.html

Is This a Navigation Device for a SteamPunk Zepplin? Close! It’s an Antique Sock Knitting Machine.

Saturday, March 6th, 2010

When I saw these images at Old Tyme Stockings it took hundred foot-pounds of willpower not to head over to eBay and start bidding on one of these hand crank-powered antique circular sock-knitting machines. For an idea of how these work and what they sound like, see the video demonstration of a woman using a knitting to make the heel of a sock:

A hundred years ago farm wives purchased these and knit socks for extra money. Now crafters and collectors are buying, refurbing, and using them. I love when previously obsolescent things are rediscovered and given new life and meaning — especially in the world of fashion.

In Grey, I riffed on a similar notion of what was yesterday’s drudgery will be tomorrow’s sport. Influence by the cool industrial steam irons that I used when I was taking classes at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, I wondered what future competitive ironing might be like. The idea was to iron a dress shirt and compete on smoothness and speed. Just like any sport involving technology there were brands, makes and models of steam irons, boards, and endless variation of technique.

The protagonist in Yarn, Tane Cedar, used an imaginary device that was half exercise equipment and half futurological circular knitting machine. Think of it as: Wii Fit meets circular kitter. It’s coming! Just as 3D printers are slowly heading our way, someday we’ll be able to weave and knit anything we want.

Already of course, some manufactures (like Nike) let you customize your sneakers. But I’m talking about being able to design and manufacture our own shoes, jackets, and pants exactly as we wish.

Will an onslaught of DIY manufacturing make all of us islands of our own fashion? I don’t think so. Just as T-shirt printing has created an infinite number of small designers and companies, so we will surely see thousands of small groups or individuals making shirts, jackets, socks, gloves, or underwear.

Listen to an episode of If You’re Just Joining Us where I talked with freelance journalist , Jacob Fenston about Life Death and T-Shirts.

In future posts, I’ll discuss what Tane knits, who he knits for, and how his knitting could get him killed.

The New Entertainer

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

I thought I would restart my blog with a video about the remarkable designer and even better showman, Alexander McQueen. (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010).

There has been much written about him and his untimely death by more qualified than I. But more than many fashion designers, his shows represented something that I expect and hope to see more and more. And certainly not just in the world of fashion.

Recently Steve Jobs presented the iPad, and while I think the device is the greatest since the original Mac – strike that – maybe the greatest thing Apple has yet produced, I was disappointed with the show.

What does Apple need? A little more drama. A little more Hollywood. They need some explosions. Yards of sheer silk. Some fake blood.

I’m only partially joking.

In Grey, my first novel, I began to explore the idea of the combination of the entertainer, the inventor, and the CEO. The father of the protagonist thought he was such a man. Truth was, he had more in common with most of today’s CEOs — usually stiff suits who are better with numbers and org charts than people. And keep them away from a guitar or the vocal riffs of popular song!

But my forthcoming Yarn, I have a supporting character who is a great singer and dancer, an astounding fashion designer, an expert politician, and a towering celebrity.

I think this character is partly an expression of the tremendous concentrations of wealth power in this global era. There is little that makes me angrier than reading about some useless CEO floating to earth in his 40 million dollar golden parachute. Or those Wall Street making more money for themselves at the expense of everything else.

At the same time, as a writer and reader, I thirst for disaster. Things suck now. And yet, they’re don’t suck enough!

Grey was an exploration of how might things go awry between a father and son, a company and its promise and customers. It was also about a caustic culture that seemed to the protagonist (and me) to have gone mad.

Yarn explores the same culturepocalypse, but widens the scope. Up for examination is agribusiness, fast food, the idea that 1 out of 32 american is under correctional supervision, terrorism, and my usual suspects of celebrity, fashion, and corporate malfeasance.

In the coming weeks and months, I hope to write about these and other ideas from the books, share some of the inspirations, and the behind the scenes writing and editing, and the promotion of Yarn.

Join me. And please, help out!