Category Archives: writing

Outline or Straight-Out Lying?

Posted on May 8, 2023 by JE

Whenever I’m writing anything substantial, there comes a moment where I look at the outline and am reminded of this old Sidney Harris cartoon. If it’s a fantasy novel, frequently what’s required is an actual miracle. Those are the easy … Continue reading →

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Auto Incorrect

Posted on April 29, 2023 by JE

“As a pallette cleanser—” “Palate.” “As a pallet cleanser—” “Palate.” “As a plate cleanser—” “Palate. Like, in your mouth.” “I DO NOT HAVE A PALLET IN MY MOUTH!” “‘Forget / we ever met.’”

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Is this SALAMI Intelligent?

Posted on April 12, 2023 by JE

This is not exactly new, but it’s always fun to watch Cory Doctorow sticking a pin in the AI-hype bubble. I especially enjoyed the proposal of an Italian ex-M.P. to rename AI as “Systematic Approaches to Learning Algorithms and Machine … Continue reading →

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What Counts and What Doesn’t

Posted on April 11, 2023 by JE

In certi momenti, non sono le parole scritte che contano. Una voce, una carezza, un gesto di tenerezza, saranno sempre più forti e risolutivi di un miliardo di parole scritte dal più grande poeta di tutti i secoli. Noi viviamo … Continue reading →

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A Ganelon By Any Other Name…

Posted on April 11, 2023 by JE

Typo of the day (which I discovered in an old slideshow from earlier this year): Gabolen. I’d intended to write Ganelon (the sinister traitor-knight in Charlemagne’s court). But Gabolen sounds like a pretty convincing name; maybe he/she/it will appear in … Continue reading →

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Winter Is Over

Posted on April 8, 2023 by JE

The Spring Equinox notwithstanding, I know that winter has ended when the westering sun doesn’t reach through the southern window of my bookroom to punch me in the eye as I’m writing on my computer. That happens sometime around the … Continue reading →

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A god by any other name…

Posted on March 24, 2023 by JE

Two things were interesting to me in that piece about Sandon Branderson that everyone is talking about (and that I don’t propose to link to because, eh, it’s not great and also Wired has gotten plenty of hits from it … Continue reading →

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Accidental Theology (or Zoology)

Posted on March 10, 2023 by JE

Typo of the day: amle (for an intended male). Amle looks like a real word, but I’m not sure what it’d mean. In OI ama is “to vex, annoy” so maybe Amlé would be like Purgatory for Norse Gimlé (“High … Continue reading →

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Old Moon 1 & 2

Posted on March 9, 2023 by JE

These monochrome beauties came in the mail today.

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Them Dry Bones

Posted on March 9, 2023 by JE

I misread an Old Norse word bœnhús (“begging from house to house”) as beinhús (“bonehouse”), and now I can’t get that wrong word out of my head. Maybe, in an upcoming story, Morlock will be trapped in a bonehouse. It … Continue reading →

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