An Ongoing, Erratic Diary

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Completed stories for Demimonde so far include:

Here, Under the Twin Moons
The Night Air
Crackles and Chokes
Thick as a Brick
Past Echoes
Hammer in the Dark
Old Friends Meet

If you're as geeky as me, you can read the table of contents as a poem. Like this:

Here, under the twin moons / the night air / crackles and chokes, / thick as a brick. / Past echoes / hammer in the dark; / old friends meet.

Yes, I'm weird and a little obsessive. But it pleases me.

Note: I am not the first to do this. Vikram Seth offers a far more virtuoso version in his novel-in-sonnets, The Golden Gate -- the table of contents is a sonnet, as is the acknowledgements page, the dedication, and every page thereafter. It's also a beautiful and moving story. Damn, he's good.

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Anand was playing with the alarm clock yesterday, and apparently set it for 3:45. Thanks, baby. Thanks a lot. I couldn't get myself back to sleep.

I did churn through some more e-mail this morning (down to 234!). The problem with answering backlogged e-mail from over a year ago is, it's embarrassing. On the other hand, not answering it at all feels rude. I did get back one snotty response already from someone, yay. But others seem charmingly bewildered that I bothered to reply at all. Oh well. Various old projects are slowly chugging to life again. Very slowly.

I'm finally picking an illustrator for Demimonde! More on that shortly. On the downside, someone else JUST published a sf book with a very similar title, The Demi-Monde: Winter. I was briefly crushed, but then decided it was okay, because I wasn't sure I loved the title anyway. Maybe the word 'demimonde', which I do love, will become part of a subtitle. Hmmm. The first story is titled "Here, Under the Twin Moons." Would that work for a book title? Or should I try to incorporate either the war or the sex more explicitly in the title? Suggestions welcome.

I didn't get enough sleep over the weekend, in part because we went to a fun dinner in the city with some of Kevin's colleagues (thanks, Alex and Alina!) and got back late. Late is 10 p.m. these days, apparently. So I didn't work out Sat or Sun but I think I have to do it today, even though I feel yuck. I will probably feel worse after exercising, but then I will feel better, and that will be a longer-lasting effect. So I tell myself.

My students are moving from personal blogs to topical blogs, and this week's emphasis is on food. This is a fun week. Everyone likes food. :-) Need some reading? Recommendations, for your gustatory pleasure:

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The last cooking class was packed, and I had to turn people away, so we're doing it again. :-)

Sri Lankan Cooking Class

Menu:

salmon (or tofu) curry
lentils with caramelized onions
beet and coconut milk curry
lemon-masala mushrooms
fried eggplant sambol
saffron-rose rice

Sunday March 11, 3:30 - 6:30
Cost: $35 / class
Class size is limited to 8; if the class fills, we'll set up an alternate date in April or May.

To register using your credit card or PayPal, just click below and fill in the appropriate amount. I'll contact you via e-mail to ask whether you prefer to cook/eat shrimp or tofu (vegetarian alternative), and make a note of the names of those attending the workshop. If you prefer to pay by check, or have any questions, please e-mail me directly for more info.

A Taste of Serendib