I left the exam this morning feeling dizzy and hollow. Part of that was not having remembered breakfast before I left the house. The rest was, well, this was the hard one. It’s all downhill from here.

I’m really not up to blogging, but I wanted to share a wonderful post about Leigh Brackett, you really should go read it. But this is… yeah. I am just not this eloquent.

Space opera, as every reader doubtless knows, is a pejorative term often applied to a story that has an element of adventure. Over the decades, brilliant and talented new writers appear, receiving great acclaim, and each and every one of them can be expected to write at least one article stating flatly that the day of space opera is over and done, thank goodness, and that henceforth these crude tales of interplanetary nonsense will be replaced by whatever type of story that writer happens to favor — closet dramas, psychological dramas, sex dramas, etc., but by God important dramas, containing nothing but Big Thinks. Ten years late, the writer in question may or may not still be around, but the space opera can be found right where it always was, sturdily driving its dark trade in heroes.”

And a bit of housekeeping: you will note that I’m updating the store with a few pieces of original art. These are one-of-a-kind, and when they are gone, I retain the electronic rights and could run prints but I probably won’t. If you’re Christmas shopping and want something for the person who has everything, these watercolors just might be the ticket. If you don’t see the piece you want, contact me about a commission. If you would rather have your artwork unmatted, let me know.

And now I’m off to study for the next exam.

Christmas Tree painting
One of the little watercolors I’m offering for sale. They are matted at 5×7 in an 8×10 black mat.

Comments

3 responses to “Reeling”

  1. Reality Observer Avatar
    Reality Observer

    Yay! The big one is done, good for you! A couple more days, and I’ll stop hearing the queued-up poetry readings through the house (she’s an audial learner…).

    Speaking of, the verse selections are excellent – but I’m afraid the art just doesn’t speak to me. Not to worry, there are (at a conservative estimate) a few million who would disagree with me about that…

    1. The art – most of my art – doesn’t work for the First Reader, either. He likes more photo-realistic, and I just… my fingers don’t do that. Fortunately, some people do like abstracts.

      1. Reality Observer Avatar
        Reality Observer

        Hmm. Being an introspective analyzer, I try to figure out why I like (or don’t like) what I come across. Doing more thinking on this one – I believe it is that “Nighmare Before Christmas” is one of my daughter’s (both of them) favorite movies – and not mine. (The trailed out branches to support the poetry remind me inescapably of Jack’s fingers.)

        Doesn’t apply to all of your works by any means. If I ever get this home office into shape to be worthy of good art, I am hoping that you are offering prints of “Zen Kitty” by then. I absolutely love that one…