Journal

Friday, August 25, 2006

not a scary leprechaun

I meant to post a photo of me and Thea Gilmore yesterday, taken at her Oxford Street Borders mini-gig to promote her new CD Harpo's Ghost. But the strange lady who stared at me on Oxford Street and said, out of the blue, "That's remarkably wild hair. Haven't you ever heard of conditioner?" had a point, so the picture of me and Thea where she's wearing her hat, I look like an explosion in a hair factory, and the picture of me in Thea's hat I look like a scary leprechaun.

(I have various family members leaning over my shoulder as I type this. "Let's see it," they said, so I just brought it up on the screen, and they all nodded and said that yes, actually I did look like a scary leprechaun in Thea's hat and probably it might be best if I didn't post it, because pregnant women or the elderly might see it and then there would be trouble.)

(Of course, Thea was quite pregnant and said she thought I looked rather fetching in her hat. Bless.)

So here, instead, is a photo of me age 3, munching an apple. This is the last photo we can find of me with sensible hair.




Back to the USA tomorrow morning.


Dear Mr. Gaiman, I am a devoted fan of your work and a random reader of your journal. I really enjoyed the poem on the August 19th post and as I am to be married next year, I would like it to be a reading at my wedding. I just want to make sure that I am giving proper credit though. Is this your poem or are you, like me, lifting it from another brilliant source? Thanks for everything you have written and continue to write, DB

No, that was me, so that I didn't give them a blank book. Feel free to quote or use it.


Dear Neil Gaiman, I was just wondering if there are going to be any signings/talks for Fragile Things in England outside of London? Thanks, L T Ward

Not really. Though I wouldn't be at all surprised if some advanced copies didn't sneak up to Fantasycon. And linking to the Fantasycon blog reminds me that Anansi Boys was just nominated for a British Fantasy Award. It's a terrific list of nominees, and it's an honour to be on a list like this.

British Fantasy Award for Best Novel: The August Derleth Award
Ramsey Campbell, SECRET STORIES
Mark Chadbourn, THE HOUNDS OF AVALON
Hal Duncan, VELLUM: THE BOOK OF ALL HOURS 1
Neil Gaiman, ANANSI BOYS
George R. R. Martin, A FEAST FOR CROWS
Mark Morris, NOWHERE NEAR AN ANGEL