My Name In Print

from Whitman's "Carol of Occupations"
Why, what have you thought of yourself?
Is it you then that thought yourself less?
Is it you that thought the President greater than you?
Or the rich better off than you? or the educated wiser than you?

Because you are greasy or pimpled, or that you were once drunk, or a thief,
Or diseas’d, or rheumatic, or a prostitute—or are so now;
Or from frivolity or impotence, or that you are no scholar, and never saw your name in print,
Do you give in that you are any less immortal?

It's not so much that I'm more immortal now, Walt, but I can hide my greasy, pimpled face behind my copy of The Wittenburg Door #202, which contains my name in print (twice! if you count the table of contents -- and I do), and which came in the mail today.

Tee-hee.

Reality, Fiction Collide

Today through Friday (11/9-11/11) are the dates covered in my WIP. My guestimated weather isn't that far off. There's a warming trend today through tomorrow according to Weather Underground. I think I have temps 5-10 degrees (Fahrenheit) warmer, but it's nice to match the trend. UW shows things cooling off on the weekend with a chance of weather. In my WIP things get bitterly cold on Friday with a storm blowing in that evening. Again, not a perfect match, but it's not inconceivable.

Of greater concern is the possibility that something'll happen in the news that'll foul things up for my story (and whoever they foul things up for in real life, too, I s'pose). If the mystery bulge explodes, for instance. Or there's some scandal in high school 1A football. Terrorism's bad too. Statewide politics is quiet, no politics at all on the front page of the East Oregonian, so I can avoid factoring that in. I haven't specified the year, and have avoided dropping in overt technological references (no iPods or TiVo), so unless something unforeseen happens I should be safe.

Freebie For You

Well, I just got the "thanks but" letter from McSweeney's. Disappointing, but more than offset by getting the Wittenburg Door check in today's mail (still haven't seen the print copy).

In the spirit of overwhelming generousity (and because I can't think of another market to send it to) I present:

If Roget's Thesaurus had an entry for "Snacktacular"

• Belchificent
• Chipticular
• Crunchtastic
• Fudgnormous
• Haagendazzling
• Keeblerific
• Kremendous
• Munchalacious
• Nougatorius
• Saraleeful
• Tasty
• Yumyumbular