James Joyce's Ulysses: Worth The Trouble?

I've almost finished my Proust quota for this year, and I'm looking for a replacement. I always have a classic in rotation with my lighter reading, for contrast and for learning about great prose. I've picked up quite a few writer tricks this way, so I think it's worth it, even though some of them tend to be kind of hard to get through. Some books are pure fun, like cotton candy fluff, but you can't live on that. Sometimes you need to buckle down and eat your oatmeal, because it's good for you. This looks like an oatmeal kind of book. Or maybe spinach. Brussel sprouts?

Anyway, I'm going for it. 

I've heard so many horror stories about this book that I did some research before starting. Apparently you need a reference book to read the actual book, so I browsed a bit on Amazon and ended up with this one: 

Seriously, the pic doesn't do it justice. This thing is fricking huge, and heavy enough to kill a few Mirkwood spiders with. Inside, it's full of tiny print in multiple columns; it reminds me of the bible. And it's all annotations; the original text isn't included. (Btw, someone needs to do an e-book that has the text of Ulysses with links to the annotations. Two books seems like the hard way to do this. I'll have to have both books nearby and go back and forth. Come on people, we're living in the information age!) 

Okay. If I wasn't intimidated before, I sure am now. 

The plan is to read each section once, then wade through the annotations, and then read that section again, so I'll actually be reading the whole thing twice. Do I get a t-shirt or a mug or something when I'm done?  Or a gold star? Literary fistbump? Okay, I'll settle for bragging rights, then.

I'll let you know how it goes. 

Wish me luck, I'm going in.

The Last Days of Summer

We were celebrating my mom's birthday at the summer cottage this weekend, and I thought I'd share a few of the photos I took.  It was quite warm, over 20 degrees Celsius for the most part, although it's starting to look more like fall now.

The morning dew revealed a whole bunch of weird, horizontal spiderwebs in the grass.  They are the very definition of "gossamer."

Then there were these beautiful red dragonflies. In Finnish they're called "syyskorento," autumn fly.

Here's my niece having a fairy-tale moment as the sun sets.

Goodbye, summer. See you next year!

Neil Gaiman Rarities on Humble Bundle

Just thought I'd mention this in case someone missed it. I'm a huge Gaiman fan and have acquired most of his work in one form or another over the years, but the bundle has stuff I've never heard of, rare comics etc. I'm particularly excited about the Babylon 5 script. This one is amazing, don't miss out. And the proceeds go mainly to charity. So a win-win scenario all around.

Here's a link to the bundle:

   https://www.humblebundle.com/books

Oh, and have you read his journal lately? Here's a post he did about the Syrian refugee crisis:

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2015/09/how-to-help-your-family-and-save-lives.html

I'm donating money to the Red Cross, but this is one of those things that makes you feel so sad and powerless. At least Finland is taking in refugees, so I guess we're doing something...

A Poe Poem for the Weekend

This is one of my favourite poems. I know that most people love "The Raven," but this one speaks to me.

“Alone”

BY EDGAR ALLAN POE

From childhood’s hour I have not been 

As others were—I have not seen 

As others saw—I could not bring 

My passions from a common spring— 

From the same source I have not taken 

My sorrow—I could not awaken 

My heart to joy at the same tone— 

And all I lov’d—I lov’d alone— 

Then—in my childhood—in the dawn 

Of a most stormy life—was drawn 

From ev’ry depth of good and ill 

The mystery which binds me still— 

From the torrent, or the fountain— 

From the red cliff of the mountain— 

From the sun that ’round me roll’d 

In its autumn tint of gold— 

From the lightning in the sky 

As it pass’d me flying by— 

From the thunder, and the storm— 

And the cloud that took the form 

(When the rest of Heaven was blue) 

Of a demon in my view—

source: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/175776

Free Writing Course From the University of Iowa!!!!

I was reading a Finnish writing blog called Kirjailijan Elämää, and it mentioned a free writing course open to everyone starting at the University of Iowa on the 25th of September. As you can imagine, I jumped at the chance and signed right up.

The course is online, and consists of video lectures and writing exercises. The idea is to post your work on the course website, and then you'll get (and give!) feedback and participate in the discussions in the course forum.

The course is called "How Writers Write Fiction 2015," and the instructors are Christopher Merrill and Angela Flournoy. There will also be lectures from successful authors of fiction. (The details are available on the website.)

Want to participate?

Check it out here.

Hope to see you there:)

Etymology Expeditions: Weird Finnish Proverbs

Today's subject isn't etymology precisely, but proverbs. Sometimes it's hard to see how bizarre some of the ones in your own language sound to others, because you've been hearing them all your life, but I'll admit some Finnish expressions and proverbs are fairly bonkers.

For example:

Keinot on monet, sanoi akka, kun kissalla pöytää pyyhki.

Loose translation:  There's multiple ways to an end, said the crone, and then used the cat to wipe the table.

It's a "where there's a will, there's a way" kind of thing. Or maybe "think outside the box" would be a better translation of the intent. No idea of the origin. Maybe somebody just couldn't find a dishrag one day, I dunno.

Here's another:

Mies se tulee räkänokastakin, vaan ei tyhjännaurajasta.

Translation: Even a snot-nosed kid will grow up to be a man, but never someone who laughs at trifles.

Yeah. And people wonder why Finns seem serious most of the time.


Elämä hymyilee kuin silakka piimätuopissa.

Life is smiling like a herring in a jug of buttermilk.

Don't look at me, I have no idea. Sounds gross.


Siinä pysyy kuin paska Junttilan tuvan seinässä.

Stuck like shit on the Junttilas' walls.

Means stuck on tight. Origin is uncertain. I'm not sure I want to know. Google at your peril.


I'll leave you with a newer one:

Hänellä ei ole kaikki muumit laaksossa.

Translation: Some of his Moomin trolls have left the valley.

Means something like "he's got a few screws loose."


Do you have a weirder proverb in mind? Tell me in the comments.

Writerly Pursuits: A Progress Report

It's almost fall, and I thought it would be time for another progress report.

I wrote four new short stories during the summer and finally edited the two I had waiting.

I submitted a few stories, and one was accepted by Mothership Zeta, and another one by World Weaver Press for their Frozen Fairy Tales anthology. (And yes, I also got a few rejections, but I try not to dwell on those...)

One story I sent to a Finnish writing competition, and I've got another Finnish story waiting to be revised for the Portti competition, deadline in October.

In August I wanted to do revisions on a piece for a Lovecraft anthology and submit another batch of drabbles to SpeckLit. Both done.

The Lovecraft story proved quite challenging to write. How do you know how many of your own toys to bring when you're playing in somebody else's sandbox? I got a bunch of excellent critiques from Critters on this piece, and revised accordingly. We'll see how it pans out.

I've got my next two short stories ready for Crittering and one Finnish story for my Finnish critique group, so I'm set for a couple of months. (And I did brief outlines of a few more stories for when I have time to write them.)

The only thing that hasn't progressed is the book project. I keep getting distracted by short story ideas, and I'm not sure about my currently planned ending for the book, so I'm stalling. I recently got Scrivener, the writing program (more on that later), and I'm super excited about it, so I'm thinking of uploading what I've got to Scrivener and going from there.

I'm actually looking forward to fall, because I love the darkening nights and the chill in the air. (In Finland, the sun doesn't really set properly in the summer. It's hard to dream up creepy ghoulies when it's light out all the time.) Fall is the perfect season for curling up with the laptop, steaming cups of Earl Grey or hot chocolate within reach.  And Halloween is coming! Yay! Candy apples! Themed cupcakes! Tentacled earrings! Okay, better stop now, going off on a tangent...

What about you? Got any (writing) goals to share?