Eyeless in the Attic

I discovered tonight -- was heartbroken to realise -- that Zoe the cat who lives in the attic (my cat to begin with, but these days am really just looking after her until she can be reunited with her person, currently overseas) is totally blind: she was navigating entirely by memory and whiskers (I was writing up in the attic, in the house's Tower Room, which I've just turned into an internet-free, phone free, writing den).

I adore Zoe, but am terribly allergic to her.

Normally this is not a problem -- I simply wash my hands after stroking her... but when you realise your cat is blind you go and pick her catnip from the garden and then you put her in your lap while you write and you stroke her and let her rub herself all over you... and now I have to stop writing to have a bath, because my eyes are swollen and red and almost too itchy to see out of. Sigh.

Hey Neil,
I was at Amanda Palmer's (fantastic & glorious) concert in San Francisco last night, and she performed "I Google You". I know you already posted a video of it, but... here's another, & of somewhat better quality. It can be seen on YouTube, if you so desire:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QEQaJXU1mA

yrs.,
Molly



That's more like it. You can see Amanda, and you can hear the song both at the same time...

Meanwhile, the remarkable Peri Lyons (for whom I actually wrote the song) (not because I was Googling her late at night, but because she asked me last December to write a song for her one-woman show) will be doing the aforementioned show in New York (The Metropolitan Room: 34 West 22nd St Betw. 5th & 6th Ave. - New York, NY 10010) later this month -- details at The Metropolitan Room Website, here.

...

The Graveyard Book is reviewed and rounded up at the School Library Journal Blog: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/1970030997.html?nid=3713

I'm going to keep posting links like this. The Graveyard Book is, I think, my favourite of all the things I've done, and I'm proud of it, and it makes me happy when other people like it too.

...

Dear Neil,

I am so incredibly excited about the Vegas event in November since you always seem to bypass Nevada completely, but I was wondering if you're also doing a signing for the festival. If not, I'll have to content myself with ordering signed copies of things instead. It's vitally important for this question to be answered, you see, because if the event is a signing I am going to have to go out and buy a hardcover copy of one of your books so I'm not embarrassed by my [extremely] careworn paperbacks.

Many thanks,
Hannah St. John

I'm sure there will be a signing there, yes. But you don't have to worry: you may be embarrassed by old, well-read paperbacks, but I'll be flattered.

Labels: Cats, early reviews of The Graveyard Book, i google you, peri Lyons