The Real New Book!

 

The CAS-inspir'd book is -- a future project.  I have found it extremely difficult to begin work on.  I knew that it wou'd be difficult, but it is more so than I thought, & I may simply not have what it takes to write such a book. But not to fear, my darlinks!

Larry Roberts, who just publish'd Some Unknown Gulf of Night, seems anxious to have another book from me!  Now, my last few books have been so serious that I feel a wee ache to do something rather camp, yet still Lovecraftian and creepy.  I've also been wanting to do something with an exotic setting, as can be found in the weird fiction of Henry S. Whitehead.  Don't know if that is viable.  Maybe I could invent a haunted island or something.  Anyway, writing for Larry Roberts gives me the freedom to be wild and eccentric and as kinky as I wanna be -- he is, after all, the publisher of Edward Lee.  

So I have the idea for this new collection.  Imagine a book co-written by H. P. Lovecraft, Henry S. Whitehead, and Ronald Firbank !  With just a pinch of Poe and Saki.  Now some of ye may never have heard of Ronald Firbank.  I have been trying to get the biography written by Jonathan Fryer (see above) for some time.  I thought the book was already publish'd but it ain't available anywhere.  One of my favourite books these past few decades has been Prancing Novelist: In Praise of Ronald Firbank, by Brigid Brophy, whut I discover'd during my initial discovery of Oscar Wilde.

It's a classic examination of this remarkable writer.  His prose style is what one might call High Camp.  Some of his sentences fairly shriek.  I thought that would be a sublime prose style to emulate in my new book for Arcane Wisdom Press, Midnight Din and other Weird Stories.  I've just completed my share of working on my collaborative book with Jeffrey Thomas, Encounters with Enoch Coffin, and I've really enjoy'd writing stories with a recurring character.  So for this new book I thought I would have a recurring Queen called Reginald Din.  It will be a wonderful challenge, to write tales that are campy and irreverent & yet absolutely Lovecraftian-creepy as well.  We shall see if I am the woman who can pull it off.

Another challenge:  I wrote Some Unknown Gulf of Night last November/December, in a matter of six weeks.  I plan to write this entire new book before this year is over, whut gives me about four months.  I love that idea and I think, if I can find the concentration, to accomplish this.

My thoughts and prayers are with ye who are in the path of this huge storm, Hurricane Irene.  I hope that you have fled, however harsh an ordeal that may be.  I have had fantasies of what I would take with me if such a storm was headed my way, & I know that I would have to rent one of those U-Haul gigs that was large enough to hold all my books and Barbra Streisand cds.  Our big worry here on the Northwest is The Big One, a nine-point earthquake.  Be safe, my darlings!