Masques - the contributors

Now it's time to get seriously excited (but you can be bubbly about it if you prefer). I've put the list alphabetically by first name (this is NOT the order in the book), because I felt like it. Even having read the stories a zillion times I'm not yet sick of them, so they must be good. 

We didn't do it intentionally (Scott and I chose the stories by how good they were, how they addressed the theme and how they balanced each other in the volume) but there's a really nice combination of new writers and more experienced and they come from a vast range of places. 

I promised someone I would tell them which States are represented - that can come later.  Right now, it's time for me to be very content that this list is here and that these nice writers have written such lovely stories. 

I also ought to get some sleep.  How about you jubilate while I have happy dreams?

Amelia Walker 'Gentlemen Prefer Pengs'
Andrew J. McKiernan The Dumbshow
Anne Mok The Gift of the Butterfly Queen
Ariella Adler Coppernic's Sky
Astrid Cooper Still Life
Cat Sheely Hobnails in heaven
Cat Sparks Seventeen
Chris Jones The Whispering Walls
Donna Maree Hanson Night of Masks and Spears
Doug Fry Tom Linken
Felicity Bloomfield Ours to tease
Graham Storrs Murathera's Orgy
Jacob Edwards An Insidious Soliloquy
Jason Fischer The Patchwork Palace
Joanne Anderton Death Masque
Justin Thomas Jetsam and flotsam
Kylie Bullivant The Winter Ball
Laura E. Goodin The Dancing Mice and the Giants of Flanders
Marcus Olsson The Hidden
Matthew Sini The Dirge of Dr Donatello Dieci
Megan Tones Overworld
Mik Bennett The Broken Cross
Monica Carroll Marked from birth
Nicole R. Murphy Blonde Curls
Phillip Berrie The Changeling Detective
R.J. Astruc Four Parties
Richard Harland The Widow's Face
Ross C. Hamilton Outside the frame
Simon Petrie The Fall Guy
Valerie Y.L. Toh Innuendo

ETA:  There was an error in the list I put up at first.  I was being so very careful, too!  It has now been corrected and I am full of abject apologies to the writer in question.

(no subject)

For the last few days I've had a peculiar sort of hunger. I have a lot of very wonderful books around right now and I've been opening them and reading a bit and saying to myself "That's not it." I've been watching DVDs and reading blogs and articles and thinking with a slight dissatisfaction "That's not it." Even works of genius have elicited a shoulder shrug, because they didn't fill this mysterious void.

On the bus today I opened "Inkheart" and within the first page I knew that this was the book I needed right now.

With my inner void filled, I felt goodness towards humanity welling up inside. I stopped off at the Woden Christian Bookshop (where else does a good Jewish girl go to celebrate warmth towards humanity?) and bought three small objects. I walked home very, very slowly (voids filled and feeling good towards humanity doesn't stop the physical aches) and by the time I reached home I knew exactly what they were for.

Friends outside Canberra can't miss out on Chanukah. That would not be good. I have eight presents, therefore (not eight for each of you - one for each of the first eight people who express enthusiasm), one for each day of Chanukah. I'll email them or post them as soon as I can (post won't be till after Christmas) but you'll know which day of Chanukah you're celebrating.

The presents are:

Day 1: my little pdf cookbook
Day 2: my not-very-reverent version of the Chanukah story
Day 3: a St Jude medal (for someone who has had an especially tough year)
Day 4: a copy of my food history conference paper (only yasminke has this - it's not published or netted or anything) - this is the high intellect present or the little pdf cookbook (your choice)
Day 5: a version of a Medieval Life game (format yourself, print out yourself - keeps students entertained for hours - NOT for public dissemination) or maybe the little pdf cookbook (your choice)
Day 6: a St Catherine medal (especially suited for martyrs or possessors of hot wheels)
Day 7: my little pdf cookbook (I like my little pdf cookbook - besides, it really suits those who like presents but not the season)
Day 8: a St Bridget medal (very suitable for pagans - she was probably an Irish goddesss before she was ever a Christian saint)

If you want a present, if you live outside Canberra, be the first to name a day or pick a number (1-8) and it's yours. If none of these fills your particular void ... maybe next year.