I'm a college professor, teaching a freshman composition class at a small pacific northwestern university. Your essay on "where you get your ideas" would be a wonderful addition to my curriculum, and I was wondering if I was free to use it.
I'd be most grateful (and would possible send you a batch of the best chocolate chip cookies ever if you were to say yes).
Thanks.
micheal
I appreciate the cookie-based bribery, but it's not needed. Sure you can use it, feel free -- there are a couple of universities using it currently, and as far as I can tell, they just link to it as part of their online syllabus. I'm glad it helps.
More on how to get comics in Germany:
Hi Neil,
I've just read Verena's Mail and am still slightly shocked. Where the heck does she live? My Comic-Shop usually has no problems getting issues only a few days later than they are published in the US. But to help Verena, she should maybe look for another comic shop, a (complete?) list is available here:
http://www.comic.de/helferlein/adr_buchhandel.0-4.html
or here
http://www.comicradioshow.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Haendlerliste&file=index
And there's an online shop at
http://www.hummelcomic.de/index.phpbut I have no personal experience with them. And I can't figure out if they haven't 1602 in store or if I'm just to stupid to find it.
If you still have questions, Verena, you can go to the newsgroup
de.alt.comics, to the comic forum at
http://www.comicforum.de/comicforum/
or just drop me a mail ;-) [alexanderaaron
bye
Alex (who is longing for the exact dates of Neil's trip to Europe as well, because he needs to book his trip to Norway)
Thanks Alex. I'll try and get all the information tomorrow -- I'll be in Norway in the first week of October, but which days I'm not yet certain.
Hi Neil,
This isn't a question, just an encouraging note to those who feel insufficiently cool to go into comic stores. I had never been into a comic store until last week, when I went to the one in Cambridge to get a copy of 1602 for my beloved comic-loving husband (who introduced me to your books!) I am a full-on married orthodox Jewish woman, complete with long sleeves, stockings, long skirt and wig in 80 degree heat. I walked in and said, "1602, please." And the man smiled and handed me a copy. Totally painless, and my husband was happy. I think the moral of this story is, you're never too weird for a comic store.
:) Abby & Mendel
I can't think of anyone I've ever met who was too weird for a comics store...
Lots of messages pointing out that Michael Dirda wrote Anastasia Nutter when he meant Anathema Device, which is the kind of thing you do when you're using your memory, and no, it wasn't the American Name For the Character, as someone wanted to know.
Dear Neil,
Good to hear you will be providing the introduction for a Doctor Who Telos Novella. May I ask you a Who-related question for the fiction fanzine I edit?
The question is: which element of Doctor Who do you consider to be essential to the longevity, success and popularity of the show and why? Your answer doesn't have to be long, just a couple of sentences would be great. Responses we've had so far include elements such as "time travel", "wit" and Terry Pratchett suggested "wobbly sets"!
Thanks for your time,
Richard Salter
I think fond memories of being shows wonderful things play an enormous part in it -- my relationship with Dr Who tends to have a lot to do with my memories of Dr Who. The majority of the Telos introduction (to Paul McCauley's excellent novella Eye of the Tyger) is for the most part me trying to explain what Dr Who meant to me as a kid, and why the things it did to me as a kid still matter to me now -- and how they creep out in my work, and at the back of my head, to this day.
There's more info on the Telos book here, at http://www.cuttingsarchive.org.uk/telos/who_nov/novella12/main12.htm. (I signed all the signature plates while I was in the UK a couple of months ago.)
...
Lots of people have asked if they let me into the Hugo Losers party at Torcon 3. Indeed they did. They were very nice about it. And I even lent the Hugo to people who needed it (see http://www.emcit.com/ph_t3_07.shtml for details...)
...
Information on the October 16th San Jose conversation and "An Evening With..." is here: http://www2.sjsu.edu/depts/hum_arts/events.html and at http://www.litart.org/ (which has the tickemaster link).
Several people have written to say that they've had problems getting online tickets for the Novello Festival in Charlotte N.C. on Oct 18th, and a few people thought it was sold out. I can't see any enidence of this on the site itself -- if anyone knows if it's sold out or not let me know....
...
And to finish, something about the Neverwhere DVD...
Hi Neil,
I'm sure your loyal readers don't need to be reminded that the Neverwhere DVD set is due out this Tuesday, the 9th. And if they're so inclined, they can pay about $30 for it at places like Amazon-- but they may instead want to preorder it for $21.25 at DeepDiscountDVD (http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/dvd.cfm?itemID=ANE070853).
Can't wait to see it for the first time!
Eric