Forthcoming Shorts

Within the last couple of days I sold two short pieces of work to online markets, and I have a short story forthcoming in a print magazine. Thought I'd briefly share a bit of info about it all.

Coming early June 2009 (most likely between June 7th and 14th)
- STORY: [Untitled] in Tweet the Meat. This is a 26 word 140 character story that will appear in the really cool Twitter-length e-Zine of horror. Check out their fun daily tweets from here.

Coming June 21, 2009
- POEM: "Daddy's Girl" -- this short "cute" dark humour poem will be appearing, yes, you guessed it, on father's day in the online e-zine Everyday Weirdness. Every day this e-zine provides a short daily dose of weirdness from the realms of sci-fi, fantasy and horror. Perfect for reading on your hand-held wireless device.

Coming July 2009
- STORY: "Less of a Man" in Necrotic Tissue. This is a short-short zombie tale and my very first attempt to write a zombie story. I went with "touching" rather than disgusting. I've been reading Necrotic Tissue since it first came out as a free online magazine and am delighted to be in their very first print issue.

HNT - Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

I got my very first official buzz cut the other day. Sure, for the past few years, I regularly got a "number 3" cut on my sides, but often left the top of my head (what little remains of the hair there) a bit longer.

This time, however, I told him to "number 3" the whole shebang.

I imagine that at least with that little bit of extra "longer" hair on top, the creeping baldness wasn't so obvious. Because when I got home and bent down so Alexander could rub his hands through my prickly stubble hair, he said two funny things.

First: "There's bare spots on your head, dad."

And then: "Dad. Someone took your hair."

I was pretty sure at that point he was going to go get his magnifying glass and announce that there was a mystery for us to solve: The Case of Who Stole Daddy's Hair. But he left it alone. At least he gave me a cute idea for a kid's book.

In any case, what better way to celebrate half nekkid Thursday this week than the barren landscape of my naked head?

Episode Five Is Up

A couple of months ago I mentioned I'd be struggling to get the next episode of my Prelude to a Scream podcast posted. Two months passed and I'd thought about it a lot, but hadn't done anything.

Until yesterday morning, that is.

Without any fuss and bother, I recorded the episode in a few different chunks. Namely, the main body which is the story I read, then the pre-story babble, the post-story notes and the closing remarks. Then, I added Kevin MacLeod's wonderful "Noir - Mild Tension" track and within another hour, Episode Five was posted.

In this episode, I read the entire story "That Old Silk Hat They Found" -- a dark humour tale which examines a perhaps more realistic look at what might happen if Frosty the snowman actually came to life. The tale originally appeared in Strange Wonderland #1 back in March 1997 and was reprinted in my collection One Hand Screaming.

But now, you can listen to me read the entire story completely free.

Aren't podcasts great?

Now, nobody's counting, but I wonder how long it'll be before Episode Six gets posted.

HNT - LDHS High School Reunion 1992

I recently registered for the Levack District High School (LDHS) reunion taking place this summer. The high school has been closed down, and has been closed for several years. But since the same building is operating as Levack Public School now, the reunion committee has been able to use it for this summer's reunion.

I thought I might post a few pictures from the last LDHS reunion -- it occured in 1992, just four years after high school -- so, not a lot to get caught up on with old high school friends. But it was still fun. This time around, though, many many more years have passed, so there is a lot more catching up to do with old high school friends.

I'm very fortunate to be in relatively close contact with many of my high school buddies, and still able to hang out with some of them on a semi-regular basis. Of course, social media networks like Facebook have allowed me to get back in touch with many more over the past couple of years.

Tom Potts, Michelle Norry Simmons, me, John Ellis

John Ellis, me, Tom Potts, Michelle Norry Simmons

From the gang in the picture above, I know that both Tom Potts and John Ellis will be attending, but haven't heard if Michelle will be going.

In any case, it should be really fun, yes, even though I don't have the really cool dude mullet that I was sporting back in 1992.

Sneak Peek At The New Kindle 3

Here is a hilarious new video from College Humour (whoops, I mean College Humor) that I saw thanks to the good folks at Book Ninja (whoops I mean Bookninja). It's a sneak peek at the forthcoming Kindel 3 . . . (whoops, I meant Kindle 3) . . .

Watch The Kindle 3 on CollegeHumor

HNT - Backwards Reflection

I'm sitting in my hotel room in Montreal right now -- debating between heading downstairs to the fitness room and lifting some weights or perhaps working on a bit of writing.

Then I remembered it's Thursday - time to post an HNT pic.

Whoops - don't have a camera with me - but I do have my Palm Treo -- a quick scan of the pictures already on my Palm reveal the following image -- a picture Alexander snapped of me about a month ago when we were in Niagara Falls, NY. Francine was trying some new pants on Alexander in the dressing room, and to amuse my son, I pulled out the Palm and started snapping pictures.

Alexander, in turn, wanted to take a picture of his own and snapped this one of me.

Just a couple of four-year old minds keeping them selves amused while shopping for clothes.

Okay, it's about 6 AM now -- time to get my workout clothes and head downstairs. Or should I just flip over to WORD and work on that story I've been itching to finish?

Decisions, decisions . . .

HNT - Birthday Flashback

I turned 40 last Wednesday. Francine had a small surprise party for me on Saturday night. It was Spider-Man themed. Spider-Man napkins, a cool Spider-Man birthday cake -- the perfect theme for this 40 year old who has grown old but hasn't really grown up.

Among the really cool folks who came to the party were friends I've had almost my entire life. Taki Stewart, Greg Roberts and Steve Gaydos. Steve and Julia came all the way from Ottawa to surprise me, which was really cool.

Taki and Greg reminded me of the time I had turned 21 and we were all in Levack and hoping to get bombed drinking in my parent's basement. We had all the beer and booze we could ever desire and were prepared to drink like . . . well, like 21 year olds celebrating. The only catch was that my Mom and Baba kept bringing down tray after tray of snacks and food -- a supply of goodies even more endless than the drinks at our disposal. We ended up getting so stuffed and filled with food, that it either absorbed all the alcohol or we were too stuffed to drink more.

Needless to say, though, we did have a great time. Nineteen years ago. I dug out an old photo album and scanned the pictures from that afternoon in for this week's Half Nekkid Thursday.

Man did I ever have big hair back then . . . but I'm delighted to say that not only am I still good friends with everyone in the picture, but I also still have my "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad Dog" t-shirt (from a comedy troupe called Skit Row that a friend of a friend was in way back when). It's a little worse for wear, but Francine has let me keep it. Woohoo!

Pete Mihajic, Greg Roberts, Taki Stewart, me, John Ellis

Me,Taki Stewart, John Ellis, Greg Roberts

Preventative Maintenance

Yesterday, after I was, in my fatherly tone, nagging Alexander and telling him not to pick his nose, he went into a logical explanation about why he was doing it.

"I have to remove the boogers," he said "Because they keep going bigger."

"They keep growing bigger?"

"Yes," he exclaimed. "If I don't remove them, they'll get bigger and bigger and hurt my nose."

"I see," I said. "So what you're doing, then, isn't picking your nose, it's really just preventative maintenance."

"Yup!" And a big grin spread on his face as he repeated the words. "Preventative maintenance!"

You've gotta love the logic of a four year old. How wonderfully creative.

To Boldly Go Wait In Line For Hours

I'm quite excited that tonight I'm going to be seeing the new Star Trek movie with a friend.

I remember watching episodes of the old television series with Jim Turcott in his basement in Onaping back in the early 80's -- he was a Trek fan and his passion for the show was infectious -- he converted many of us into Star Trek fans over the years. A group of friends of Jim are gathering this evening in Sudbury to see the movie and celebrate Jim's memories. While I won't be with them, I wish that I were, and I'll certainly be thinking of Jim and wondering what he would think about this movie . . .

I've heard that for die-hard Trekkies, it's great -- and also for non-fans it's great. Gotta love something like that.

Of course, there's this hilarious spoof of the "reviews" of the movie from The Onion . . . (don't worry, there are no spoilers in it . . . just fun laughs)


Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'

HNT - Trapped In A Bryan Czerneda Production

Last Saturday I spent a few hours helping a few friends from work who were participating in a the Hamilton 24 hour Film Festival. On 8 PM on Friday night they were given three things that had to be incorporated into a short movie -- and by 8 PM Saturday night, they had to deliver the movie into the competition.

I swung by the set to help them film a short scene in which they needed a middle-aged guy.

Twas a fun few hours. The good news is that they handed the movie in with about 3 minutes to spare. I've got my fingers crossed and hope the movie does well.

It has always been fun making movies. When I was younger, I used to horse around with a camera (a giant VHS camera) and make short goofy films. Always fun times. Having worked with Bryan on a couple short films now has resurrected those pleasures I had from when I was in my late teens and early twenties and endeavoring to make creative short films (Admittedly, my short films were usually spoofs of Conan epics or Star Trek-type adventures -- only one or two of them was anywhere close to being serious in nature/content)

This short film we shot last Saturday was the second Bryan Czerneda production I've appeared in. And for anyone wondering, yes, Bryan is related to my friend science fiction writer Julie E. Czerneda. Apparently the spirit of creative genius flows quite powerfully through the Czerneda clan.

For Bryan's "thesis" film for his final year at McMaster, he created a short film called "Trapped" -- in it, I played a middle-aged teacher of the main character who was, as the title suggests, trapped in a world spinng out of control, confusedly walking through doorways in a desperate attempt for proper self-discovery.

It was a well done film and I'm quite pleased to be in it.

Perhaps, given this trend, I'll be the token middle-aged character guy making a cameo in all of Bryan's films.

My HNT post for this week is a still shot from Trapped by Bryan Czerneda.

We shot the "teacher" scene in my den. Bryan liked my collection of skulls so much that he incorporated Yorick, the skull I often take with me to book signings, into the film. It fit in nicely with the eccentric random book-quoting and babbling professor role I was playing. (Okay, I'll admit - not much acting was involved to pull that off)

Bryan tells me the film will eventually be posted online -- when that happens I'll post a link to it.

Cool News To Hear On My Birthday

Okay, so I heard it a few hours BEFORE my birthday, but who's really checking the facts of anything I post here? Isn't that the beauty of this internet thingy (which I hear, might be really big one day if we all were to just give the internet a chance and stop thinking of it as some sort of passing fad)

In any case, I heard some great news from Tom English, editor of the beautiful anthology BOUND FOR EVIL: Curious Tales of Books Gone Bad.

It has been nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award.

This book, a gorgeous 800 page hardcover bound in imitation leather and stamped in golf leaf, contains 66 stories and is the first ever gathering of the very best stories of diabolical books from 61 different authors.

BOUND FOR EVIL contains a revised reprint of my story "Browsers" (which originally appeared in Challenging Destiny #5 back in January 1999 and was reprinted in my story collection One Hand Screaming in 2004) -- the version of this story was slightly modified to better suit the anthology by Tom English. I modified the story such that the books, rather than the bookstore were the entity behind the strange occurrence at an anonymous bookshop which no real book lover can ever escape from. And, of course, BOUND FOR EVIL is the only place this specific version of the story has ever appeared.

Apart from a couple stories I wrote about snowmen, "Browsers" is the story I have received the most positive feedback from. Here are a few review blurbs that mention it:


"Anyone who reads much short fiction in the small press fantasy and science fiction magazines knows that the style and form of the old Twilight Zone is still very much alive among writers. "Browsers", by Mark Leslie, is a good example. A low-key horror story, it used the time honored method of introducing a character in an ordinary situation, in this case a customer in a used bookstore, and slowly trapping that character in a form of hell. Readers who have enjoyed the experience of losing themselves among the stacks of books in an old musty store will identify with, and appreciate, this story."
- Greg L. Johnson, Tangent Online

"Originality is decidedly rare in horror. Invention is even more rare in horror fiction, thus a sigh of relief at Leslie's 'Browsers'"
- Mick Halpin, Critical Mick


The Shirley Jackson Awards will be presented on July 12, 2009 at ReaderCon 20 in Burlington, MA. BOUND FOE EVIL editor Tom English will be there, as will other authors from the anthology, like Simon Strantzas.

When I Get Older, Losing My Hair

So today is the big 4-0.

Strange.

I don't feel older. Okay, sure, my stomach has been giving me some strange problems for the past several days. Not sure if it's a stomach virus or something more indicative of my age. And yes, I don't have as much hair as I used to (though it was goofy looking, sometimes I miss that big hair and mullet I had in my 20's). And, okay, my body creaks a little when I move a certain way and I'm not nearly as flexible as I used to be. And while I've a bald spot and receding hairline up top, other hair has sprung up in strange places that hair doesn't belong -- old man fashion.

But in many ways, I don't feel a day older than 17.

Strange.

I recall my father's 40th birthday and sitting around with the family celebrating it. It seemed like such a landmark and it seemed so darn far away. My father seemed mature, responsible, the fully confident head of our household and, okay, I'll be honest -- OLD. Looking at him that day, I remember thinking how far away the age of 21 seemed to me, nevermind 40. And, lo and behold, 40 snuck up on me and here it is. And yet while I know I must be responsible and if not mature, then at least capable of acting mature when the situation calls for it, I still don't feel "old."

I suppose that's a good thing.

I was going to start listing a bunch of landmark things that I'd hoped to accomplish by this age, but I never really established a list of things I'd wanted to accomplish by the time I was 40.

One thing I've always wanted to do was write. And I've at least had some moderate success in that area. It's nice to know that I've stuck with something for so long that I've been truly passionate about for most of my life -- that feels really good.

From the time I was a young teenager, I remember sitting in the basement on a hot summer day while outside the window a group of friends were running around, laughing and splashing in the pool -- and there I was, sitting at my mom's old Underwood typewriter and pounding out a terrible novel inspired by some Dungeons & Dragons adventures I'd had. There was fun and games to be had outside, but there was a story and characters tearing around inside my head that were begging to be released onto the page. That hasn't changed -- characters, situations and ideas continue to plague me. What also plagues me is being able to find the time to get them all down onto a page. (Although it's a virtual page these days rather than a physical one)

Back back to physical pages, and typewriters, I remember trying desperately to find a photocopier (those were rare back then) so I could copy a story I had typed up and send it to a publisher for publication consideration. (Because otherwise I'd have to re-type it every time I wanted to send that story out) -- technology has certainly made that process easier.

Of course, technology has also taken many things away from my writing time. Rather than sitting in the basement pounding out a story or novel, I spend time goofing around online, a minute here, a minute there -- the next thing you know, an hour has passed and I haven't gotten any real writing done.

Like now, for instance. Here I sit, having gotten up early with the intent to write, but instead I've farted around on Facebook, checked my email, then babbled on a meaningless blog post.

Time I could have spent writing.

Gee, I wonder if, along with my hair, I've also lost that sense of discipline that allowed me to stick to a writing project?

Power Fools

How do I explain to my four year old that the toy power tools made for his age group are not going to have the same power as the ones made for his father?

On Sunday, Alexander and I were in the back yard, doing some spring-type work to get the deck, pool and shed ready for the summer. Having received some really cool Home Depot brand power tools for Christmas from his Uncle Mike (a chainsaw and grass trimmer), Alexander was delighted at the chance to bring them outside for this first time this season.

He wasn't out there using them for more than a few minutes before he came up on the deck, crying.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"My chainsaw and trimmer don't work?"

That was strange. I had heard them running while he was cavorting on the lawn with them. "Are you, sure, Alexander? I thought I heard them running."

"No!" he said. "They don't work. The chainsaw doesn't cut through trees. The trimmer doesn't cut grass."

How does one explain to his four year old that his toy power tools, particularly the ones with cutting/blade type action, are not going to work the same as his father's tools? I mean, sure, perhaps 30 or 40 years ago, safety standards being what they were, kids were often handed circular saws, air powered nail guns and other fun paraphernalia that are too dangerous for most adults to handle -- but safety standards have certainly changed, and our society isn't going to hand a four year old a chain saw that actually can cut through tree trunks.

You see, Alexander has always helped out, participated in chores and work around the house -- he's the hardest working four year old I've ever known. In fact, he works harder than many adults I know. He's always been that way, since the first days he could walk. (We actually have a video of him somewhere near the age of 1, carefully emptying the cutlery holder in the dish washer and walking the spoons and forks over to the drawer that he couldn't even see into, with a delighted smile on his face because he was helping Mommy and Daddy)

So, seeing himself as a useful little helper around the house, it's hard to take the wind out of his sails by telling him they don't make actual working power tools for his age group. I still haven't figured out a nice way to break this to him.

So instead, I said: "Okay, son. First thing next Saturday morning, we'll take those defective tools back to the store and get new ones that work."

I at least bought myself another week.

More fool me.

They Played The Moose Card

My 40th birthday is coming up this week. And this past Friday I received a letter in the mail from the good folks at Moosehead. (Canada's oldest and largest independent brewery)

Inside was a birthday card that read:

"If you think this is just another birthday card . . .

. . . . . . you don't know JACK."

And inside was a $10 gift card to Jack Astor's Bar & Grill with the Moosehead logo imprinted onto it.

I'm already a huge Moosehead fan, but this wonderful little touch solidifies my loyalty to their brand even more. I just finished reading Andy Nulman's book POW! Right Between The Eyes! Profiting from the Power of Surprise (my review of that great book is still forthcoming on this blog, BTW) and I think that this card from Moosehead qualifies as one of those small things that mean so much Andy talks about, as well as the fact that I wasn't expecting a birthday card from a beer company.

I'm not sure who foot the bill for the actual gift card, but it's a pretty brilliant marketing investment. Chances are that I'm not going to go into Jack Astor's and spend a mere $10. Sure, I could do that. But it's more likely that I'll spend more than that. And when I ask for what's on tap, you can be sure I'll be hoping they have Moosehead Lager (that's standard operating procedure for me anyways, but the gift card certainly inspires that behaviour in me).

But even more so, you can be sure that I'll be telling my friends about this experience, offering both companies more word of mouth marketing. That, and perhaps, just perhaps, I'll even blog about it, potentially meaning a few more pairs of eyes will read about how impressed I am with the good folks at Moosehead.

HNT - Nekkid Fores

Last week was the tenth anniversary of Chapters.ca.

A gathering was held last Friday night at The Charlotte Room in Toronto, one of the regular watering holes many employees who worked at the Peter Street location in Toronto (which, for a brief period of time during the dot.com boom, expanded into the adjacent building on Charlotte street) Getting to this bar was a quick escape down the stairwell -- after our Charlotte street office area closed down, we had to walk ALL the way around the block to get to the bar.

And let me tell you, during the dot.com bust, where this huge, fast-growing online company suddenly hit the brick wall that most dot.com companies faced and then we dealt with the merger of the online, retail and warehouse divisions of the company, then a takeover from Indigo, the endless waves of layoffs (the first of which saw my team go from 65 people down to 21 in one frightful afternoon), we certainly escaped to that bar on a regular basis at the end of the day.

But last Friday was an incredibly fun night (Thanks, Sean) And I got a chance to see many people that I haven't seen in ages -- a great evening chatting with a truly wonderful and dynamic group of people I used to work with. Not everyone I'd hoped to see or chat with was there, so it would be really cool if there was some sort of annual gathering (Hint, hint, Sean Chard, the wonderful organizer of the event, and one of the original team members who was there at the beginning and is still there holding the fort down and managing several different teams)

In any case, Leonard, one of the most brilliant people I have ever had the pleasure of working with, and the genius behind the main database infrastructure that is still a critical part of the data feeding www.chapters.indigo.ca, snapped a whack of pictures of people at the event, and posted them on Flickr.

Here's a fun shot of me talking with Chris Woodill and Michael Bowles, where Leonard caught just the fore-parts of my body -- namely, my forehead, hand and forearm.

Perfect for this week's Half-Nekkid Thursday post wouldn't you say?

It's Been Ten Long Years

Wow - yesterday Chapters.ca (which was originally chaptersglobe.com, when Chaptes and The Globe & Mail launched a "book lovers" website, and then became chapters.ca and then eventually became chapters.indigo.ca) turned 10.

I wasn't there in the chapters online office at the VERY beginning, but I was there near the dawn of time for Chapters' web presence. In late 1999, I moved from a management position at the Ancaster Chapters and into the role of something called "Database Quality Manager."

Interestingly enough, I applied for a posting for "writer" with the website. It seemed right up my alley -- continuing to work for the bookseller company I was with but in a role that took advantage of my writing skill and experience. It seemed like a dream come true to me.

But when the HR contact called me, they wanted to interview me not for a writer position, but for a newly created role of "Database Quality Manager" (Interestingly, though I'd been published and had editing experience, apparently, according to the hiring manager, I wasn't skilled enough for the writer job, which I later found out, was not much more than re-keying the blurbs from the back of the books into the descriptions on the website -- what a huge waste of a group of very talented people)

In any case, I balked at the concept of being a "database" anything. I was a book nerd. I knew virtually nothing about computers except the very basics. She assured me that learning sql and various database terminology, etc, was secondary to having someone with a good degree of book knowledge and experience. What they really needed was someone who could look at a list of data feeds, and from experience, know that the way the title or author info, etc was wrong. To a hardcore IT person, it was just data -- but to someone with book knowledge, errors and typos, etc really stuck out.

I continued to balk, (fearful of not being able to keep up in an IT environment) but she continued to assure me that it was my book experience they were after and that any database skill I would need, I could learn on the job.

And learn I did. I was interviewed for and hired into the position, with the supervisors of four teams reporting up to me: Data Entry, Special Orders, Image Processors, and the Writers (ironically, I became the manager of the person who wouldn't even consider me for the position of writer on her team) -- there were about 60 odd people working within my core group.

Through my seven years working within the online group (which later merged into the head office IT group for Chapters and Indigo), I had the opportunity to work with some fantastic creative and intelligent people. I learned a great deal about database terminology and was able to understand concepts I never thought I would, and things that continue to help me in my current role as a bookseller.

Those seven years were absolutely incredible -- various projects and teams I worked on required not unfrequent over-night shifts and it was typical that while I arrived in Toronto at about 7:30 AM, I often wouldn't be back in Hamilton until 11 PM or perhaps after midnight. But that's the joy about doing a job you love -- because, though the hours were long and the work was non-stop, I loved every minute of it.

In my 7 years there I rode through some incredible changes -- frightening multiple rounds of layoffs due to the dot.com "bomb", mergers, takeovers, etc -- dramatic changes in organizational structure, and continuing to assume new roles and responsibilites and learn various systems and tools. One constant in all the years was the high quality of people I was fortunate enough to work with. I was priviledged to work with some of the most talented, intelligent and dedicated people I've ever met. Too many of them to even begin to name.

I left that company in 2006 to move into a new management role in the bookstore at McMaster University. It was a difficult decision to make, but with a young child in the house, getting back home well after my son's bed-time and missing out on seeing much of him was too much to bear.

While the move was good on my personal and family life, it has also been a fantastic one on my professional one as well. I've been fortunate to get to work with yet another group of phenomenal people within the academic bookselling community, and have continued to grown and learn in new areas.

I am grateful that I moved when I did, and completely enjoy each of my days in the job I've held at McMaster since 2006.

But I will always cherish the time spent at "Chapters Online" and within the IT group of head office for Chapters/Indigo -- and I will always treasure the memories and the friends and colleagues I met and worked with while there.

Which is why I'm completely delighted to be attending a 10th anniversary celebration in Toronto tonight at The Charlotte Room (a meeting place we regularly gathered in at the end of a long day) and I can't wait to catch up with some many folks I haven't seen in years.

HNT - Sing Me A Rush Lullaby, Dad

When Alexander was a baby, I used to sing different lullaby's to him -- of course, after a while, tiring of the same old standards, I would start singing him others songs including ballads from my favourite bands, like Rush. (The three songs that work best for lullaby's are Closer to the Heart, Tears and Madrigal -- Madrigal being my favourite)

The song opens with the following words:

When the dragons grow too mighty
To slay with pen or sword
I grow weary of the battle
And this storm I walk toward
When all around is madness
And there's no safe port in view
I long to turn my path homeward
To stop a while with you

- from Madrigal by Rush - A Farewell To Kings, 1977
- lyrics by Neil Peart

The other day when Alexander was having trouble falling asleep and asked me to sing him a "Rush Lullaby", I started singing Madrigal and could hear, ever so quietly, him gently whispering the words I was singing.

And so, with signing lullaby's on my mind, I thought this week's HNT post would be a picture of Alexander and I having a snooze when he was a teeny baby.


(And speaking of Neil Peart, check out the book on my bed-side table: Peart's Traveling Music: The Soundtrack to My Life and Times -- like all his writing, this is a phenomenal read, and it's one of his best books.

They Do It Right After They Roll Up The Sidewalks

We spent this past weekend in Niagara Falls, NY. Francine and Alexander came along with me while I was attending EerieCon 11, a science-fiction, fantasy and horror convention.

On the drive across the border from Canada to the U.S., we took the Rainbow Bridge -- this is the bridge across the gorge that is closest to the falls and offers a spectacular view of the Horseshoe Falls. We told Alexander to look out the window on his right so he could see the falls, remembering how when he was just a little over one year old and we were driving by the falls, he piped up from the back-seat saying he needed his swimsuit.
A couple of days later, on our drive back into Canada, we instructed him to look out the window at the falls again. This time, the falls were on the left, but he was looking out the window on his right-hand side, and could see a steep brick/rock facing.

He exclaimed: "They turned off the falls!"

Name Game

I had a great time at EerieCon 11 this past weekend. Saturday was pretty full for me, from 10 AM until about 6, I was participating in either a reading or sitting on a panel back to back all day. I almost prefer it that way, as it keeps me on my toes -- of course, it doesn't leave much time for chatting, except perhaps a few minutes before and after each panel begins and ends, and in the hallway and elevator on my way to the next scheduled event.

Of course, that's what makes the late night parties fun -- getting a chance to mingle and chat with so many interesting people. The beer, of course, makes that part fun, too.

Picture from EerieCon 10 (April 2008) by Derek Sullivan
Nancy Kress, Mark Leslie, Sephera Giron, Caro Soles

With some of the panels I was on, I definitely found myself in well over my head in terms of being able to keep up or offer as much as the other guests, but often in those cases, I sit back and absorb what the other panelists are offering. For example in the "When Does SF Become Fantasy and Fantasy Become SF" panel, Nancy Kress and Carl Frederick got into an interesting discussion/debate that included paralleling scientists to mysticists. Nancy, with a background and knowledge in genetic engineering, and Carl, a physicist, were able to argue scientific theory at a wonderfully deep and fascinating level. Me, being an English major, could only momentarily comment on the signs and signals aspect of science merely being a "map" and not "the territory" (referring to Alfred Korzybski's comment that an abstraction derived from something is not the thing itself, but merely a representation of it) -- that took me back to the classes in which we discussed Semiotics and language back in university) -- but in any case, I walked away with a short list on subject areas I plan on reading about and books I'm looking forward to digging into.
At the end of the panel, Nancy apologized for monopolizing the panel on the sidetrack and I assured her it was absolutely riveting and I enjoyed it very much despite being unable to add much input into the discussion at that point.

And speaking of language, at another panel, just before it began, one of the folks sitting in the audience asked an interesting question. He asked if I knew the term that described when a person's first name and last name are both "first" or "given" names. He was, of course referring to my psyeudonym (Mark Leslie) -- where the first, or given name and the last, or surname, could each be a first/given name. This is also referred to as having two first names. (Other people with two first names would include: Ron Howard, John Wayne, Larry David, Paul Simon, Kirk Douglas -- you get the picture)

Fascinated by etymology (word and phrase origins), I'm always intrigued by terms used to describe different word combinations. So I spent a bit of time trying to find out if there was a term for such a thing -- I'm postive that there is -- but was unable to find anything yet.

I did find mention of a "Surnameless club" but am sure there must be some sort of actual word for it. (Yes, I realize mine is artificial, that I drop my last name "Lefebvre" when I write, and just use my first and second name of "Mark Leslie" -- but despite the artificial nature of it on my part, it still exists, and I'm eager to learn the term.

So, my research continues -- if anyone out there can point me in the right direction, I'd love to hear from you. After all, I did promise Tom that I'd email him an answer if I ever found out.

EerieCon 11 This Weekend

I'll be attending EerieCon 11 this weekend in Niagara Falls, NY. It's a fun con, celebrating science-fiction, fantasy and horror. I'll be participating as an author guest in a number of different activities.

Saturday

10 AM -Panel: Music To Read By
Can music add something to your reading or would it just distract you? What type of music would you use?

11 AM - Panel: Does Anyone Make a Real Horror Movie Anymore?
Remember when they created terror out of mood, an intricate script and, dare we say, subtlety? Why are so many horror films now just slasher flicks and torture porn? Can you name a recent film that was genuinely unsettling and not grotesquely revolting?

12:30 PM - Reading: Mark Leslie
Me doing a reading from some dark humour poetry and short short stories. I'll have a couple of fun giveaways for the audience.

1:00 PM - Panel: Genre Crossing
Do crossovers provide a bigger audience? Will an SF novel ever win an Edgar or a mystery a Hugo?

3:00 PM - Panel: What's Your Object When on a Panel?
Do you worry about being funny or entertaining? What, if anything, do you do to improve the "entertainment value" of a panel you are on?

4:00 PM - Panel: What's New With You?
Panelists discuss new or seldom used ideas or plots that have been used in print and media in recent years.

Sunday

10:00 AM - Panel: When Does SF Become Fantasty and Fantasy Become SF?
Where does horror fit in? Can you effectively set out to combine them?

2:00 PM - Panel: I Want You, Beloved
If you could bring any one character to life, who would it be and why?