More on oil in the Bush

I should add that the energy handout money that was distributed with the PFD last fall was disproportionately beneficial to those living in the cities, where costs are less, and with regard to supplies, not very helpful if you can't get things in and out very well. When you're not on the road system, and the rivers are frozen, you've got air and overland as your choices. Not cheap, not easy. And airlifts are dependent on the weather.

Yes! Dave's Quick Crumpets!

Dave Down Under, also known as Dingo Dave to himself, has posted a recipe for crumpets. I've had crumpets, and they are YUMMY. I did not have them in Merry Olde England, though. I had some in -- get this -- that West Coast metropolis and American harbor town of commerce with the Far East, Seattle. In a wonderful little tea and crumpet shop down by the waterfront. Seattle, for those of you whose tastebuds have not gotten off the East Coast, is a really really great town for eating.

One of these days I'll get to Australia. Maybe by boat. I don't relish a 26-hour plane ride, or however long it is. All I know is Australia's got lots of poisonous whatsits, heat, drought, an active Green Party (especially in Tasmania, where the very first Green Party ever is still going strong), some old family friends, AND on top of that it's a day ahead of itself. Or us. Or part of us, if the Aleutians were sensibly back on sun time.

Anyway, I want to go there.

Wahoo! Publishers-R-Us!

I am now the possessor of more books than you can shake a stick at.

Jean Lester's book, Jorgy, is the newest pile of boxes in various author garages and toolsheds (o long-suffering spouse). Jamie Smith's books, Nuggets and It's Gonna Be A Long Winter, are small, so they don't take a lot of room. Neil Davis is stashing most of Mired in the Health Care Morass in his basement.

So now all I gotta do is sell 'em!

Moved, sort of

Well, after much lifting and hauling and shoving and tossing and grunting and straining, the gadzillion piles of papers and books have been thrown into boxes and transported to what used to be our new (unfinished)bedroom/studio/junk collection spot. Monique Musick, Raz, and Mayor Hannah, along with Wayward Truck Collector Scott Allen and Noble Spousal Unit Hans, and myself, did some seriously heavy lifting and got everything into the New Office and Shipping Room in our house. Whew. I managed to create a nifty little office with desk and computer (no Internet access, though--I'm writing this from the local cybersaloon) and a shipping table and storage for books, papers, and packing materials. There's actually still leftover room for a studio/sitting area.

It's still full of boxes and piles of art papers and curious cats all over the place (they REALLY like it that I'm hanging out in the house all day), but I'm sorting and chucking leftover crap and filing and whatnot, so the space is getting more manageable. I was actually able to work today, filling orders and entering data and (gack) paying bills. The Ponzi scheme I've been running (otherwise known as yer normal publishing biz) is catching up with me. Thank god some of my debtors are paying up. I sent off the rest of the money owed on Nuggets, plus the check for the March Republic. It's just amazing how fast the money flies out. But I do have a few cool books coming in to show for my effort.

Today Jorgy and Jean Lester and I had lunch and went over our contract, and a whole passel of folks stopped by our table to say hi. It was great. One of them, a Mr. Hupprich, was carrying around a copy of Like A Tree to the Soil, and he was able to identify the kids in the Potato Club photo from 1937 (he was one of them). I was delighted to be able to point to the book and say, "I did that, I designed it." And took it from manuscript to book. Made me feel pleased and proud, like I'd done something that meant something to people, that was worthwhile.

I just LOVE things like that.

A Publisher's Work is Never Done

…at least, not until she goes out of business.

The Jorgy book is now at DateLine, being printed up into galleys for sending out to those reviewers who don't want to mess around with books. It's going to be 280 pages, including an index, glossary, and about ten appendices. There's still a bit more info needed for one appendix, specifics on types of planes, but I should have that this weekend. The goal is to get it out to the printer on Monday. Har har.

This is the last of the four books planned for this year. I will be SO glad when they're all done and paid for.

The Republic is now the item on the slate: I've got to get this puppy done by Monday night.

And then there's the Mired Loon Splash: a presentation and book release party to be held for Neil's book on the 18th of March, 5:30 to 7:30 at the Blue Loon. Mike Powers (executive director of the Fairbanks Memorial Hospital), Richard Seifert (hospital foundation board of trustees member, and Neil Davis, author of Mired in the Health Care Morass will be speaking at the event.

After that comes everybody's favorite lasagne feed and book bash: the library lallapalooza number 4: March 30! I have to update the website(s), find out what's up with the library plans, do some press releases, etc.

Then comes the Alaska Press Club conference, April 19-21. A whole caravan of Ester Republicans plan to attend this year. (Watch this be the year we don't get any awards, frets the worrywart publisher.) Then we must drive back posthaste, because--

Jamie's books are scheduled for release on Earth Day, April 22. No April Fool's event, alas, but still a BIG party at Silver Gulch.

Jorgy is scheduled for release on May 1, just before the Alaska Airmen's Conference down in Anchorage. Next up is the May Day Fly-In and Airshow in Valdez, May 9-11. The weekend after that is a tentatively scheduled book signing at Gulliver's, with one after that at Barnes & Noble (no date yet).

So things are going to be pretty hectic for the next two months.

Project Status Report and a few miscellaneous musings

For those of you interested in publishery doings, here's a little status report on the various book etc. projects:

Like a Tree to the Soil: paperback published, book signing accomplished, now working on the hardback!

Haines CD: I received the final list of readings and now need to make the final adjustments to the layout, then send it to Pat Fitzgerald and Susan Todd for checking. I'm looking forward to hearing this--I've never heard John Haines read his work.

Jamie Smith cartoon collections: I'll be sending out the revised RFQ to the printer this week (probably tonight); have to get a signature loan to cover the print cost, etc. I've got one galley each and now just need the sell sheets to send to potential distributors. Jamie came over yesterday and showed me oodles of cool posters he's done. He just gets better and better. Gangly Moose has been the recipient of much of his talent.

Mired in the Health Care Morass: blog in full swing (author on vacation for the nonce), advances received and going out to reviewers, main shipment expected before the end of the month, working on the sell sheet, and expecting the brochures next week. Gulliver's has scheduled a book signing for February 28, although in part that will depend on whether the books get here in time. Might be one week later.

Jorgy: This one's in layout, a slow slog. I'm still working on the graphics, as is Jean Lester, and the design, although pleasing, is a bit complicated, and so it's going slowly--and I hope to god there's no major layout changes, as I'll have to redo substantial portions of the book if so. I'm almost at the point where I have a page count and so can give the printer a final request for quote--and then a price! It's a very interesting history both of Alaska from the 1920s through the end of the century, and a personal tale of aviation in Alaska as experienced by a damn good Native pilot who flew with Northern Air Cargo, Wien, Munz, and a ton of other little airlines and air cargo services. I love books like this: I learn a lot of Alaska history. Jorgensen talks about segregation in Nome, hunting and trapping and mining in Haycock, flying the DEW line, mail runs, tricky airports, the kinds of planes he flew, being in the Alaska Territorial Guard and the Alaska Scouts, lots of interesting stuff. There's a bunch of nifty pictures, too.

Ann Chandonnet's poetry manuscript: I just received this, although Ann and I have been discussing it for a while. I'll be looking it over to make sure it's something that will fit the ERP.

Frank Keim's poetry manuscript: Frank and I are still discussing this, and we'll be meeting soon.

I have a few other manuscripts in the works, too, mostly concerned with local history.

And of course, that mainstay of my publishing career, the Republic (v. 10 n. 2, issue #107, Feb. 2008) is in the works as always. I've got a ton of submissions, mostly from men this month, not very many Esteroids. I still need a movie reviewer.

Did I want to sleep? I didn't want to sleep. I've had plenty of dreams and snoring in my youth, lots o' nap time. I can do this for a while. Sure.