Friday, June 29, 2007

The Well of Lost Plots

Jasper Fforde is one of my favorite novelists.  Some years back, I stumbled across one of his books, and picked it up for the title.  It was called Lost in a Good Book.  See, a name like that is just cheating... I couldn't possibly not read a book with that title!

I've recently been loaning the Thursday Next series (Lost in a Good Book is the second book in that series) to a friend.  That made me realize that I am lagging badly behind in reading my beloved Fforde.  I started reading The Well of Lost Plots this week too, and am going to finish it rather quickly (work permitting).  I'll start on Something Rotten as soon as I finish.

If you've not read Fforde before, I suppose I have to describe him first and foremost as an outstanding writer of the postmodern novel.  He has this  fantastic humor, and it grows out of that view of the world that we call postmodernism.  The Thursday Next series is firmly situated right in the center of that whole worldview... well, as firmly as a thing can be situated in postmodern thought... and it would be the center of it, if there were such a thing as the center... but you get my point.

Pick up this series.  It's fantastically funny.  It begins with The Eyre Affair.


There's a new one coming out this month!!!

See the other series, the Nusery Crimes:

Posted by poetically challenged at 16:26:43 | Permanent Link | Comments (2) |

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Some Good Reasons to Visit Endsleigh

There are lots of good reasons to choose Endleigh if you plan to invest in a commercial mortgage.  First of all, they are an independent agent, so you can be sure that they will be working for your best interest and not the interests of some other party.  In addition, they are not paid a commission for the sound advice they offer, but are paid a salaried rate.  This means that they won't be charging you more than you need to pay them to do the job.

When you take a loan with Endsleigh, you'll have all the usual options of fixed or variable rates, and you can count on the staff at Endsleigh to offer you some good, solid advice.

At Endsleigh, agents are available to advise you on your investment in commercial property each day from 9 am to 9 pm.  If you are looking to purchase or re-finance a property that you will (or do) occupy, then call Endsleigh for good advice about how to best manage your commercial mortgage.
Posted by poetically challenged at 11:20:18 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Writing from Down Under: Writing Edge Magazine

The current issue of Writing Edge Magazine is of special interest to me.  In it, you will find the winner of their poetry contest... which just happens to be my own poem entitled "Real Life."

The previous issue was likewise of interest to me, as it contained three of my poems.

Do stop in and have a look, and if you are so inclined... pick up a copy too.
Posted by poetically challenged at 17:42:16 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Going Pro

One of my favorite bloggers has started hosting his blog on his own website. That looks like a big move to me, and I am excited about the work he's going to be posting.

If you've never met Pinhole before, you are really missing out. Get over to his site and take a look. You'll be glad you did, I think!

Posted by poetically challenged at 02:48:23 | Permanent Link | Comments (2) |

Monday, June 18, 2007

Three Penny Review

I just got my copy of the most recent issue of The Three Penny Review. I haven't started reading it yet (just because I am behind on my reading), but it looks like it will be a good one, as always.

What I like about The Three Penny Review is the mix of articles and poetry. It carries information on all sorts of cultural events -- new releases of books, theatre, music, movies... you name it. It is filled with very thoughtful articles, and often has very good poetry too. If you've not seen a copy, you should have a look. It provids a couple of hours of good reading with each issue, and spawns a lot of good thought for weeks to come.

Give it a go, if you are the sort who likes reading that makes you think.

Posted by poetically challenged at 02:09:58 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Good News

I just got some good news! Two of my poems have been accepted for publication in Aoife's Kiss, a magazine which focuses on sci-fi poetry. Both are a part of a collection I have been working on, largely dealing with sci-fi related themes. I am pleased that they have been accepted.

Actually, I sent 5 poems, each quite different from the others, in order to test the market and see if I had anything that might fit. It's nice to know that something does. And, the editor sent me some helpful feedback on one of the rejected poems. I always appreciate helpful commentary on my work, so I was very pleased.

The poems will be appearing in September, one in print and one online. There are several publications put out from Sam's Dot Publishing, who produces Aoife's Kiss. If you think you have something that might fit there, do drop it to them. I think, at the very least, you will get some helpful feedback.

Posted by poetically challenged at 16:39:39 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |