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p.s. Hey. This weekend the right and honorable author and d.l. James has devised a pictorial brain twister for you bookworms and others out there. And, if you're sufficiently seduced and game and all of that, James would like to offer you a challenge with a reward. And here I quote him ... 'The DC'er who guesses the most items correctly (author, title), will win a free personalized copy of Valencia'.''Valencia', if you haven't guessed, is James (Nulick's) latest and new and quite superb novel, so not bad incentive at all if you'd like to dig in. Basically, have fun, give your memories and connected brain cells some exercise, and, whether you choose to enter his contest or not, please write something to James in the comments area to reward his generosity and hard scanning/thinking work please. Thanks! And thanks a ton and a half, James! ** Jamie McMorrow, An opening sentence like a conveyer belt carrying an endless array of croissants, eclairs, pastries, and pain au chocolats to you, Jamie! Thanks about the post! It was cool, right? I was kind of into it or into making it or whatever. And thanks for your patience about the post issues, but I think we'll have everything right as rain today. Friday was ... can you guess (?) ... a ton of working. Quite diligent and progressive, at least. Got somewhere. Have a long ways to go, so this weekend is already bought and assigned. Oh, well. I think we'll have a fairly good idea of when we can actually start working in a hands-on way on the film after we have a big meeting with our producer in a few weeks 'cos then we'll have it budgeted and stuff. Latest for the actual shooting would be early next year, but Zac and I are jonesing to get started, so if there's a way to bump the start date up, we'll finagle that. Was the music day solid? Or I guess I mean was the solidity creatively out-putting to your satisfaction? Do you have your weekend planned? Have a terrific one! You love ABBA! Love, Dennis. ** Raymond, Hey! Excellence to see you! I'm glad you got your internet up to speed. Yeah, this blog is not very friendly to the internet-speed-impaired. I'm good, just mindbogglingly busy with work at the very moment. It's very nice to have you back! That piece of yours based on the April escorts post looks fantastic! I'll give myself a work break today and scour it. Thank you for doing that, and, of course, this place and I are honored to have given your work materials. Everyone, d.l. Raymond has composed a really, really interesting looking piece of found writing based on materials from this past April's escorts post, and you can join me in reading it and benefitting greatly by doing nothing more difficult than merely clicking these blue words. Oh, now that's when Mogwai was Mogwai. Sharp! Wow, what an amazing thing you wrote about Patti Smith. That was great! Thank you for putting it here. ** _Black_Acrylic, Hi, Ben. I read a little about the Scottish portion of the elections. I guess a qualified good? Monday, 5 pm, gotcha. I'll light my imaginary votive candle at the strike of that hour. ** Dóra Grőber, Hi! Oh, cool, I love when the posts are surprises. My favorite amp things? Hm, ... There's something about the simplicity of the first Ceal Floyer piece that seems kind of eerie. I did like the one in the forest/ walkway, yeah. I think Lisa Kirk's ones are beautiful. I am a human work machine right now and will be until Monday at least. It's interesting. It's like I have to try to be as non-complicated a human as I can, or rather I can't daydream right now, I have to only solve problems and act robotic. It's interesting, but only so interesting. Cool, cool, as soon as I can find a little space to let my real self leak out for a work break, I will give myself the gift of gazing upon your new blog. I can't wait! Lithuania! One of the performers in our film was Lithuanian, and he was raving about Vilnius, and now I really want to go there. Was the reunion with your friend fun? Do you get to travel much, or have you? Do you have favorite places you've traveled to? ** David Ehrenstein, Hi, David! Thanks for the link to the Penman piece. I like his writing, and that piece looks good and smart enough that I feel like, if I read it, the tiny interest I had in reading 'M Train' will be completely gone, which is a good thing. For some reason. ** Bernard Welt, He's a good FB page maker, that's for sure. Thanks about the Donald post. Yeah, I'll try to put it up on pub day (the 15th) or just before because I might be taking off for San Francisco around then. Oh, yes, everyone here who is physically capable of getting to the Donald event should. Hold on. Everyone, here's Bernard Welt, and he is absolutely right that you who are reading this within and/or around NYC should so totally go the event for uncountably many reasons. Bernard: 'DC blogsters, if you are in New York, you should show up to celebrate Dennis' friend Donald Britton's collected poems, now published 22 years (can't believe that) after his death, and including "Italy," the collection Dennis published with Little Caesar. The Facebook invitation to the book party is here. Tibor de Nagy Gallery 724 5th Ave NY Friday May 20 6:00-8:00 pm. If you are there, please look out for me (you can ask Philip Clark, who'll introduce some readings from the book), and say hello.' Who is reading at the event? So wish I could be there, ugh. ** Alistair McCartney, Hi, Alistair! Thank you about the amps and their makers, man. Good question about what Banks Violette is doing these days. I feel like I haven't heard his name very much in a while. Dude, that's such great news about your agent loving your book! What a relief, eh? That's fantastic! Onwards and upwards, and, yeah, why not try everywhere, giant and less giant? I'm excited! Let me know what happens if you feel like it and have a chance. Cool! Work on my end is super heavy, load-wise, but I think it's going well. 'Fable' is one of my all-time favorite novels. I love Pinget's work pretty much across the board, but I think that one is especially amazing. Love from me to you! ** Steevee, Hi. Tell me about it. The Beyonce album hype. There's this weird phenomenon that has always been there but seems especially ratcheted up right now where people project so much stuff wildly onto things that are basically just solid, well crafted, smart, canny. It's like people are constantly hunting for some new thing that's good and popularly known enough that they can use it to create a mass whirlwind of mutually targeted pontification that will make the thing they're talking about important due only to the fact that it's generally known and under discussion. Or something. I feel like there was a time when people did that but critics didn't just use their reviews to mirror the projection with articulate verbiage. It's very strange, and very interesting, but a little spooky. And it's not just with music or art in general, I mean ... the more fanatical fans of Trump and Sanders seem like they're on acid or something. Very weird. And, yeah, all or some of that stuff will switch over to the new Radiohead on Sunday, sure as shooting. ** Misanthrope, Hi. Well, I did in fact play my recorder through an amp at times, but I'm sorry to say that didn't help. Oh, I see, about the footage. Yeah, I can see that the mannerisms and so on that currently define me were still pretty coltish and a little hyper, awkward back then or something. Oops. About your little accident. Been there, man, not recently, but yeah. See, if Noah Matous, or whatever his name is, was your slave, he would have very happily cleaned that all up for you with his tongue and then used his mouth as a blowdryer until no trace of your crazy pee mistake remained. Time for tight jeans, George. ** Armando, Hey! Man, the fun you're having is making me really miss my beloved LA. You so did the place up and maxed it out, that's awesome! Nice city, yep, that's for sure, And you went to Disneyland! You are a man of fine and consummate taste! George did have a Disneyland fetish in general and a daydreamy fascination with that ride in particular, yes. Fantastic, big A! So glad you had a great time. Safe trip home! Love, me. ** Okay. Now go have as much fun and whatever else you can with James's spectacularly neat post, okay? Great! See you on Monday.