Here's an example of an overloaded person unable to write on his blog and/or to answer the phone:
Weird Tales, what the hell are you doing?!
Something interesting happened in the literary world during the last few days. Weird Tales, the famous magazine, got itself into trouble. Deservedly. The editors initially decided to defend (with a post on weirdtalesmagazine.com) and then announcing to publish on the paper magazine the first chapter of a book titled "Revealing Eden" by self-published author Victoria Foyt.
I won't get much into the discussion other than saying that it was a BIG, HUGE fucking mistake. Everyone, and I mean everyone, agrees that the work is just a piece of racist literature. Big time racist. Usually I am pretty lukewarm toward those accusations, but reading the plot in the various reviews I cannot agree more on the xenophobic level of that tale supposedly written for young adults. I haven't read the whole book, but I read the first chapter (yes, it's freely available on Amazon and other websites) and it's awful. I mean, in comparison Twilight is Dante's Inferno. Of course a revolution started and Weird Tales decided not to publish the excerpt anymore and also removed the original post on WT's website.
I believe that the editors have the right to publish whatever they want. They can publish the Mein Kampt, it's within their rights. But they can't expect me or anyone else to agree or to forgive them easily. The thing that bothers me the most is that the editors told the world they received an impossible amount of original stories and that is why the submissions were possible only for a bunch of minutes. And then they decide to publish something that is already on the internet, it's not original, it's not pulp and, worse of all, it plainly sucks. The chapter I read is so bad I can't even find it controversial. It's just stupid and badly written.
I want to believe it was a huge mistake - it caused Ann VanderMeer to quit! - but mine is more an act of faith (toward the brand Weird Tales) rather than a logical conclusion. The apology and the decision to stop the press is very wise.
If you want to get some literature from this case, here some links:
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Update on the routines...
I was able to keep my writing routine for a while, but lately (past 20 days or so) I started having some conflicts on my schedule. It's not that I do not have a single free moment, but at night I am so tired I go to sleep pretty early (10PM). In the past few weeks I have been waking up at 5AM because I have boxing training at 6AM. Yes, you read it well. I decided to join Title Boxing, a health club focused on boxing. I preferred it over joining a regular gym. I figured out, after the most rightful suggestion by my wife, that I would soon be bored by swimming or cycling, especially since I am a bit demotivated by the plantar fascitiis (read here). There is nothing better than one hour of hitting the punching bag! Oh my, I never imagined it was so hard. At Title Boxing the lessons are one hour long and they are well structured. The first fifteen minutes are dedicated to cardio (running etc) so that the hearth rate goes up. The following thirty minutes is bag work. And by bag work I don't mean simply hitting the bag with the hands (or feet if it's a kickboxing class), but hitting at an almost impossible pace. The training is extreme and so far the teacher, a pro-fighter you may have seen on ESPN, is very good and focused. I have never sweated so much as in those classes. The last fifteen minutes or so are dedicated to strength exercise, mainly with medicine balls.
So far I have been very consistent, waking up at 5AM even on vacation days; I hope to go on. I lost about six pounds last week and since I am getting a lot of proteins I think I am building some muscles. I guess we'll see in a few months. In addition, I am sure this training will help me more in my Tang Soo Do (korean martial art), making me more enduring and a bit stronger.
What am I reading?
As for the writing routine, I plan to go back on track. I have to organize myself a little better... Right now I don't have much time even to read. By the way, I am reading "The stand" by Stephen King - (expanded edition). At this pace I will finish it in a couple of geological eras, but so far the book is surprisingly good (I am at page 180 or so).
