A Long Working Vacation

A week from this coming Friday will be an important anniversary for me. It was one year ago, on November 30th, that Billy Joe posted my first truly personal article, The Hell-Bound Train. Since then, I’ve been part of the mainstream of the discourse on this blog. It has been delightful for me, since I have found inspiration in places that I didn’t even know existed.

You might have noticed that my article contributions have dropped off somewhat over the last month or so. I have, too, so I think it’s time to take a semi-official, semi-leave of absence. I do have at least one more exciting interview to publish before the end of the year, but that is awaiting the return email from the interviewee. I understand why it is taking so long, since she’s a very busy woman who is only going to get busier in the next six weeks. I’ll still comment occasionally, too, when time permits.

There’s three important reasons for my time being full right now.

First of all, three weeks from tomorrow, December 14th, will be my last day in my office. My retirement will be official at last. I’ve already supervised my last official wet lab; the students have made it through the semester with no one coming out of the lab on a stretcher. My job there is done, but it takes a lot of work to finish up a twenty-five year career in research and teaching, let alone deal with the collection of junk that piles up in one’s office over that time. I may write fully about my feelings about the whole process when I get closer to the date. Right now, I’m just a bit numb.

Secondly, the holidays are fast approaching and our calendar here at the house is filling up really quickly with places we need to be and people we need to see. Kitten’s mother is coming up from Florida for the first time in a number of years and a lot is revolving around her. I’m going to try to coax Mother down from the farm to Champaign for at least one party. If I’m lucky, my brother will be coming, too. We’re all combining and comparing lists for each others’ presents and it should be a very happy Yule for all of us.

Finally, I need to get down to some serious writing work for a bit. I am happy and very proud to announce that I expect to publish my first book on March 31, 2008. It’ll be published by Peregrination Press out of Halifax, printed by lulu.com, and should be available on Amazon.com as a trade paperback for about $16 or so.

Those of you who have been my constant companions on this blog will recognize most of the material in the book, since it will be collected best of my first year’s writings here. They’ll be edited for obvious errors, collected by topic and have their own short introductions to each of the categories. I plan to include the Tonica Stories, the Radical Stories, all of my articles on workable polyamory, a few science articles, the coverage of the Heinlein Centennial and my short fiction as well as at least three long works exclusive to the book and available nowhere on the ‘Net, ever. The working title is Riding the Hell-Bound Train: Collected Writings 2007.

I’ve retained the services of a professional illustrator to do the front and back covers so that even if I never sell a single copy of the book, I’ll still have a couple great framed black-and-white drawings to put on my wall. My wife, Cheron, (who created and published an entire role-playing game) will be my editor for the volume. I’m very excited–assembling a book out of constituent articles looks to be harder but more interesting than about anything I’ve done in the last twenty years.

I’ve got something for you to do, though, faithful readers. I admit that I stole this idea from Scott Adams, who, coincidentally is publishing a collection of his articles from his blog at about the same time as I am. I hope that my book doesn’t drive his out of the market, since I wish him nothing but the best of luck.

Here’s the Contest: Write a blurb for the back of the book. You’ve read my stuff, you’ve been annoyed, amused, laughed and cried a little bit–tell potential readers why. The copy that you write could possibly be printed on the back cover above a pastoral scene derived from A Price Greater Than Rubies. Submit the blurbs here in the comments section to this article, I will pick the best of the submissions. The winner will get a free autographed copy of the book (whether the blurb is used or not.)

Once the book is written and is ready for the printers, I’ll be back, both fore-fingers furiously typing, to interpret the results of the primary elections and to cover the coronation of the Lizard Queen. See you then.

Tom