The Dog from Porlock

I was in the middle of a very vivid, really fascinating dream in which I and a former boyfriend, living on the east coast (and working at a ski resort of some sort) took an elevator to the first floor of the building (which was built under the mountain) and, in the cafeteria, discussed the need to escape to California. We were packed to go--well, I'd forgotten a big brown-paper-bag with a sweater in it and was contemplating going back to get it --when...

Emily, roused by the Spouse in his got-to-go-to-work-way-too-early routine, came and aggressively washed my face, and I woke up.

There were still many things to find out in that dream. Dammit.

It's Banned Books Week

So of course Book View Cafe is celebrating. No, I'm not making a cake (although suddenly images of a Banned Books Week cake are dancing in my head...) But of course Book View Cafe is getting in on the action. You can join our crack blogging team all week as we celebrate banned books and how they’ve impacted our lives. It starts out with Sue Lange’s “Confessions of a Serial Book Banner,” and moves on to Sherwood Smith’s history of banned books, Brenda Clough’s review of banned comics, my notes on "gatekeeping", Nancy Jane Moore’s discussion of the Texas school system, Amy Sterling’s students’ favorite banned books list, Judith Tarr and Sarah Zettel talking about the Qur’an, Jerry Weinberg sharing fifty years of experience being banned, and Deborah J. Ross arguing the case for not banning offensive books such as Mein Kampf. We’ve even got Steve Gould guest blogging for us.

Bring your lighter fluid and join us!

Ralph Vicinanza

Just heard that Ralph Vicinanza, agent to many of my friends, has died. Only sixty, in his sleep, from a cerebral aneurysm. My heart goes out to his family and his clients and coworkers.

I hate this mortality thing.