Public expression becomes private interpretation

"The story the reader reads is probably never quite the story the writer felt they were writing, because the reader will bring all sorts of judgements and experiences which the writer can’t anticipate."
Margaret Mahy

From an article entitled "Margaret Mahy's Marvellous Mind" at Idealog.

Create your own modern art

How cool is this?

(from Miss Snark)

A little progress… maybe

So I’ve been researching and submitting to agents in the UK, and most recently the US. After refining my query letter and narrowly selecting the most likely agent fits, I have finally garnered some interest from the US. I have requests for 2 partials and a full. The full has been requested on an exclusive basis. My warning antenna automatically shoots up, thanks to Miss Snark, so in my letter to this agency I might let them know about the partials – after all they can’t force an exclusive. The fact that they’d ask for it, after I sent the first 3 chapters by email, is quite promising though.

I mustn’t get my hopes up of course. This is just the beginning of the journey. But after a sea of “this isn’t right for us”, actually having some interest in my novel feels quite gratifying. It’s amazing how even the smallest glimmer of hope can make you happy sometimes!

Now I just have to navigate the confusing international postal system. International reply coupons and all that. The joys of residing in a small Pacific nation.

Update 15 December: My full manuscript was rejected, which is a blessing in a way, because I received my first comments on it from a publishing professional. The criticisms involve major revisions, but the encouragements were kind. I am feeling a little burnt out by the whole process at the moment, so I have decided to take at least 6 months off from querying and re-writing. My hopes and dreams need a rest.

Austen tidbits

An interesting article on the origin of Halloween and whether JA would have celebrated it

A tricky quiz on movie adaptations vs the books

Tentative Tiger Matchmaking

A careful courtship at Auckland Zoo started yesterday, but the two Sumatran tigers at the centre of it were sleepily unaware of all the fuss - and each other.

New male Oz is being introduced to his intended, six-year-old Molek, who arrived from Hamilton Zoo on Tuesday.

It is the zoo's first attempt at tiger breeding.

"Putting them together will be a fraught day," said zoo veterinarian John Potter. "Tigers are not always friendly to each other."

Molek made her first foray into the open after keeping an eager crowd waiting for more than two hours.

She poked her nose out of her den, took a slow and slinky walk around and went back inside.

If Oz noticed from next-door, he gave no sign. The 22-month-old male, who arrived from Tel Aviv Zoo last month, snoozed at the farthest end of his enclosure.

Over the next few weeks Molek will be settled in and might manage to attract Oz's attention with a growl or two. A tiger's roar can be heard up to two kilometres away.

But he is the one who will have to make all the moves, as zoo staff get him used to a crate on wheels which will then be rolled into her den area for a few hours at a time.

The next step is to let Oz out of the crate while a a wire mesh separates the pair.

That is when staff will get their best chance to assess the chances of romance.

"We'll be looking for any signs of aggressive behaviour," said zoo curator Brooke Noonan, "but it's an exciting time, slowly getting them together."

If all goes well, Molek will roll around and rub her face against the wire when Oz comes to visit. The best time to give the two an opportunity to mate is at the beginning of her cycle.

"When she's ovulating obviously she'll be more receptive to him," Ms Noonan said.

When the two are put together, staff will have fire extinguishers at the ready.

"You just need anything that makes a noise," she said. 'We won't actually use them on the tigers."

Rare breed

* Sumatran tigers are critically endangered - fewer than 400 are thought to be left in the wild

* Through its tiger programme, Auckland Zoo is financially supporting the Kerinci Seblat National Park tiger conservation project in south-east Asia

~NZ Herald

Jacques Loussier Trio at the Auckland Town Hall

We jumped at the opportunity to hear this jazz legend live, as it was his ‘farewell tour’. For those who don’t know, Loussier takes classical music from the likes of Bach, Vivaldi and Ravel, and gives them a jazz arrangement.

The concert was divine. There were amazing solos from his double bass player and drummer. You never knew what might pop up next – from a few lines of La Cucaracha on the piano during ‘Spring’, to a run from Rhapsody in Blue on the bass during the Bach encore. Loussier had such a light touch, but there was enormous power from the band at times as they deftly took on pieces written for huge orchestras.

Loussier is also quite a character. It was amazing how much personality he was able to portray, just by introducing the pieces. The whole thing was magic – you must see them if you get the chance.

Movie review: The Devil Wears Prada at Village Gold Class

The best thing about this movie experience was that it was a gold class freebie put on by one of my company’s suppliers. I had never been to the Gold Class cinema before, and I’m not sure if the free wines and gourmet nibbles in the lounge beforehand are included with a regular ticket price. The nibbles were fantastic, and with the free popcorn provided in the theatre, I would not require any dinner. And the seats! I was one of the last ones inside the theatre so I got stuck in the front row, but being able to recline in a cushy lazy boy, feet up, meant I was never uncomfortable.

On to the movie itself. It was fairly predictable if you knew the premise – innocent girl gets job at high class fashion magazine. Her boss is the most horrible person ever, she has to work too hard, and she hates it. Then she decides to put more effort in, becomes a fashionista, and loses her integrity along the way. Then she realises she has alienated those she loves, and chucks in the towel at the magazine. She’s learned a lot, but is back to being her sweet self. Sigh. Meryl Streep was fabulous of course, being hilarious one moment and heartbreaking the next. Anne Hathaway was sweet and beautiful, but I’m not sure if her character really had enough depth. After a while it looked like she was just being used to showcase designer outfits. A couple of other characters at the magazine were interesting, but everyone else were just props. The message of the movie is to be true to yourself, that fashion is more than just clothing, don’t let work get in the way of your real life… etc. Quite an enjoyable way to spend 109 minutes, but I wouldn’t have paid for it myself.

Interview with Anne Hathaway
Herald Review

In love with my hair straightener

So I had my hair straightened a few weeks ago, before it could be styled for bridesmaid duties. And it seems straighteners have come a long way in the last few years, because the last time I had it done it lasted less than a day. This time around, my hair stayed straight right until I washed it again. Overwhelmed with feelings of loss when my regular curly/thick/frizzy hair returned, I began dreaming of owning my own straightener. Last weekend we shopped around (and I mean around – we visited about 8 shops) and made the purchase. That afternoon I attempted to start straightening, but my uncoordinated soon prevailed and hubby stepped in to brandish the wand. And ah.... Straight, thinner hair. Still a bit frizzy, I grant you, but nothing to speak of once a bit of product is liberally applied. My ‘Wet 2 Straight’ is my new best friend.

I don’t think people with naturally straight hair can truly appreciate the difference. Being able to run my fingers through my hair (let alone a brush!) is a blessing I would never ordinarily have. Being able to wear my hair out, having just run a brush through it. Usually I would have to wet my hair, apply lashings of product, and then watch helplessly as it would multiply its own volume as it dried. The process of doing anything to my hair would take at least half an hour, and I’m just not that dedicated any more. I would usually just tie it back or up, having given up on attaining ‘crowing glory’. Now, that’s all changed! I haven’t had time to really experiment with styling it yet, but wearing it closer to my face without feeling like I’m suffocating is a real achievement. Hurrah for the hair straightener!!

Al-Gebra Teacher was arrested!!

This is an email doing the rounds. Made me giggle quite a bit.

NEW YORK - A public school teacher was arrested today at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he attempted to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a set square, a slide rule, and a calculator. At a morning press conference, Attorney General ohn Ashcroft said he believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-gebra movement. He did not identify the man, who has been charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.

"Al-gebra is a problem for us," Ashcroft said. "They desire solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in a search of absolute value. They use secret code names like 'x' and 'y' and refer to themselves as 'unknowns,' but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, 'There are 3 sides to every triangle.' "

When asked to comment on the arrest, President Bush said, "If God had wanted us to have better Weapons of Math Instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes." White House aides told reporters they could not recall a more intelligent or profound statement by the president.