| Hi! I'm Shira. I write stuff. Here's info on some of it. Stuff you can read now!* "Wool and Silk and Wood" in Electric Velocipede #15/16, November 2008 * "Unruly Harvest" in Polu Texni, December 2008 * "The Angel of Fremont Street" in ChiZine, January 2009 * "About a Girl" is a poem and a perfume; check it out at Violette Market! * "When Her Eyes Open" in Lone Star Stories, February 2009; it was reprinted in the 2009 Eaton Science Fiction Conference's speculative poetry sampler. * "Twelve" in Cabinet des Fees, March 2009 * "Fortune" in Ravens in the Library: Magic in the Bard's Name, the ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) s00j benefit anthology * "Tea with Nanahuatl" in Everyday Weirdness* "Valentines" in Interfictions 2, November 2009 Upcoming in Dead-Tree or Pixel Format* "Flying Lessons", a webcomic with Charity Larrison, July 2009 * "Nine Things About Oracles" in Electric Velocipede #20 (February 2010) * "And to My Wife" in Electric Velocipede #20 (February 2010) * "The Portal to Heaven" in an upcoming issue of Electric Velocipede (2010) Also! ShayaraIs an urban fantasy illuminated manuscript (as it's not 100% illustrated, I don't know that you can call it a webcomic). It is in process, and will resume posting when I have a decent backlog. Stay tuned! Look for a bunch of goodies scattered around the site as the story progresses. (Add Shayara as an LJ interest, read Shayara posts, and join ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) shayara!) Wind Tunnel DreamsIs a loosely interconnected community-funded story system. Every so often, I do a week or a month of daily flash fiction or a five-day short story, often inspired by sponsors' prompts. This is my day job. Please throw in a few dollars if you like the stories! I love getting prompts, and I love getting fanart. WTD is currently locked. 2007-2008 sponsors get a free .PDF of all of the Wind Tunnel Dreams. You can order it in handy trade paperback form now! And Many MorePlaces You Haunt is the Vegas fiction, and Walking on Water is the Vegas autobiography. Seizure Lass is the medical memoir. Questions about anything else? Ask! Conventions* Cons I've done panels at this year: Arisia, Wiscon, and Readercon. * Cons I just hung out at: Vericon and Boskone Special Projects* There will be a story-by-subscription in 2009. Details forthcoming. * Blogathon 2009: Like last year, but saner! * Shayara jewelry with upstart_crow and azhure! * Shayara soundtrack with s00j and lrstrobel! If you want to contribute art to any project, or have an idea for a collaboration, e-mail me at shadesong AT gmail.com! Where Else am I?You can find me at Facebook. You can be my fan there, too. I'm also on Twitter and Ravelry. Not on MySpace. :) - Mood:accomplished
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|  So I'm in this anthology. And you should buy it. This is the second anthology produced by the Interstitial Arts Foundation. From the IAF's website: What is interstitial art? It is art made in the interstices between genres and categories. It is art that flourishes in the borderlands between different disciplines, mediums, and cultures. It is art that crosses borders, made by artists who refuse to be constrained by category labels.My story is called "Valentines". I wrote it in one sitting in kythryne's studio, surrounded by fragments of beauty and story. It's a little bit many-worlds quantum physics, a little bit neurology, a little bit magical realism, a little bit urban fantasy. Could be all of that. Could be just one. You'll see. Very few of my stories start from just one place. This one's no exception. I scribbled down the first line in a restaurant (no surprise there). I got a big chunk of inspiration from a biography of Charles Fort (see if you can spot the reference!). And a lot of it, of course, came from the status of my own memory, ragged and tattered and determined. I hope you like it. :) BookThe book comes out on November 3. Order it today!Reading/ConcertThere will be a reading/concert at the Lily Pad in Cambridge on Friday, November 13! Readings by me, Theodora Goss, yuki_onna, F. Brett Cox, and Matthew Cheney, with improvised background music by Brian Francis Slattery and Michael McLaughlin. I am going to try to do something entirely awesome, if the Lily Pad will allow it; you won't want to miss it. RSVP here if you're on Facebook. If not, just show up. :) AuctionsSome amazing artists and craftspeople have made some amazing things based on the stories in Interfictions 2, and those things will be auctioned all month. I am so fortunate - some wildly talented people have made some stunning pieces based on "Valentines". I'll update this post with links whenever one goes up!  "Write Everything Down", a necklace by Susan Saltzman (ends November 8).  "Shatterglass Datakey", a pendant by Kendra Tornheim (ends November 13).  "Visual Fiction™ or The Metamorphosis of Vision" art by Ilene Winn-Lederer (ends November 14).  "Everybody Knows" by emilytheslayer (ends November 15).  [redacted] (series of 4) by Kristin Ross (ends November 21). Your Questions Answered...If you buy the book or win an auction, that is. The last line of the story is a question. Buy the book or win an auction? I will tell you the answer. :) ReviewsCharles Tan at SF Signal: "Through repetition and atmosphere, the author builds each scene, layering it with multiple facets. Even the numbering has purpose. It's an enjoyable slice of life, and the length feels just right for a flash fiction piece." Sarah C. Culver at Venus Zine: "Shira Lipkin’s “Valentines” is not fiction or biography, but a series of loops building a powerful picture of an epileptic’s inner life...The interstitial writer’s honest pursuit of a story and disregard of form catches us off guard. These stories are disconcerting and real." | |
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| From Mary Lauby of Jane Doe: Hello everyone! As you know, the Legislature voted to partially restore the SANE ( sexual assault nurse examiner - ed.) line item by including $400K in the supplemental budget adopted yesterday. This now goes to the Governor who can either sign or veto the funding. Before 5 pm TODAY, we need you to send an email to the Governor (see how below) and Secretary Bigby (or call them) with the subject line: "PLEASE RESTORE SANE!" In order to keep the momentum moving and to make sure all of our voices are heard, please continue to advocate for full restoration of the cuts. You don't need to speak to anyone, but if you want to the phone numbers are below for the governor's office and Secretary Bigby's office as well. If you call, simply say that you are calling to ask that the Governor will support the funding for SANE in the supplemental budget...same message to Secretary Bigby. You can say more if you want to....tell a story, tell them why it matters to you...if you want to, but it is not necessary. Then, please also take time to thank people who made this happen...see Step 3, below STEP 1: Email or call Governor Deval Patrick. Ask him to support the Legislature's restoration of $400K to the SANE line and to match it with funds of $600K from the Executive Office of Health and Human Services so that the line can be fully restored. By email: click here for a form and use PLEASE RESTORE SANE! as the subject line. By phone: 617.725.4005 STEP 2: Email or call Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services By email: Judyann.Bigby@state.ma.us . Use subject line: PLEASE RESTORE SANE By phone: 617-573-1600 STEP 3: Please send thank you notes to the three people who were instrumental in the funding restoration in the Supp Budget: Representative Peter Koutoujian: (Rep.PeterKoutoujian@Hou.State.MA.US or 617-722-2220) Senate President Therese Murray (Therese.Murray@state.ma.us or 617-722-1500) Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo (Robert.DeLeo@state.ma.us or 617-722-2500) Your advocacy really matters so please keep up the efforts to get SANE funding restored!! We will keep you posted on any updates or new advocacy opportunities. thanks so very much!!!! Mary R. Lauby Executive Director Jane Doe, Inc. -------- Note from 'song: the budget cut for SANE services was huge and devastating. This line item also covers BARCC's medical advocacy program - the people who meet the survivor at the hospital and stay with them through evidence collection and help them navigate the procedure and work through their shock. The story of my evidence collection is here (TRIGGER WARNING). I provide it so you can see why it's so necessary to have a trained and sensitive professional performing the exam, instead of just whoever happens to be on staff in the ER that day. | |
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| Interview rescheduled for Monday; interviewer's kid is sick. Poor kid!
At least this means no slogging to the bus stop in the cold rain.
I am at loose ends! Must figure out my day. | |
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| AdministrationHappy early birthday to weds, who advances a year over the weekend! Hello to new reader dsmoen! MedicalStill with the cautious optimism. I've been napping less, going to bed earlier. Wyrding Studios Jewelry Party!Tomorrow! 1pm! Still plenty of room! Free shiny if you're new to Wyrding Studios or bring someone new! RSVP here or at the Facebook event page for my address. Link Soup* Another XKCD that amuses me. :) * A federal judge has ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for the flood damage from Hurricane Katrina. Shoddy maintenance. * The Bad Sex in Fiction prize shortlist - caution, there's one rape scene in there. The rest are just hilariously awful. * Bobby McFerrin demonstrates the wonder of the pentatonic scale. * Crossed Genres needs your help! * Trailer for The Lightning Thief. * Requested: graphic novel recommendations for teenage boys. * Visualizing sound with fire. * This. :) Daily ScienceThe wonders of graphene. Friday MemeageWearing: Black slacks, black long-sleeved shirt, blue cowlneck sweater. Reading: A whole bunch of celiac cookbooks/guidebooks. I'm between pleasure-reading books at the moment. Writing: Notes for the rape culture book. Knitting: I'm on the home stretch of my second basic triangular shawl, the Silk Garden one. When I finish that, I'll pick up Travelling Woman again. I think I default to only one shawl at a time. PlanningToday: Interview! Afternoon with wildelven, probably reading tonight with mikemarano. Tomorrow: Wyrding Studios party, then Enter the Haggis concert with feste_sylvain, aquila_dominus, and cluegirl. Sunday: Meeting with other Clothesline Project subgroup members. You? EDIT: Interview postponed til Monday; interviewer's kid woke up with a fever. :( | |
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| * I have achieved pants! No, this is actually an achievement. I'm 4'11" and I have an ass. There is no standard size for that. The pants are too long, but they'll be passable with my chunky-heeled Fluevogs. * I always forget how much I actually like driving. Note that I hate city driving! But this is pretty much suburban driving, and that, rural, and highway can be fun. Once you get out of Boston, there are far fewer people actually trying to kill you. * This was apparently "take your infant to Target and block the entire aisle with their doublewide stroller" day. I was not informed. Next time I shall have to borrow a baby. * Bought canisters, a colander set, and a Pyrex cutting board for my "nothing gluten shall touch these ever or I will keel you" zone. Am now debating whether a walk to Glutenous Minimus would perk my somnambulariffic ass up or wear me down. It is probable that I'll require a nap before jumping on the cleaning. | |
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| AdministrationHappy birthday to magenta_girl and scouseboy! Medicalfeste_sylvain says I have more energy! Unfortunately, I burned through it pretty quickly and was in bed early. !!!!!Hippocampal sclerosis in refractory temporal lobe epilepsy is associated with gluten sensitivity.WHUT. Previous studies have associated coeliac disease (CD) and gluten sensitivity (defined as the presence of anti-gliadin antibodies and positive immunogenetics) with cerebellar degeneration and epilepsy with occipital calcifications. Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a potentially progressive disorder with unknown aetiology; however, autoimmunity has been implicated as one of the possible mechanisms leading to HS.!!! I have hippocampal sclerosis, you see. The lesion that's my seizure focus. They never knew how it got there, because I didn't have a head injury or high fevers in infancy. And it could be because of the celiac. I tested as having a wheat allergy when I was 14, y'know. ...I need to pick up the lab order and get Elayna in for her bloodwork right quick. (Thanks for the link, mnfiddledragon!) ThanksgivingIf you're coming, RSVP! I need to know how big a turkey to get. Dear Author Friendsjimhines is having a book drive for a domestic violence shelter. Donate! Link Soup* Rape culture makes me tired. * This is hilarious, though, and makes me actually want to see 2012. * Another shot at Global Frequency? * I would like a Chumby One. Daily Science* Fish on Europa? PlansAGH so much. Okay. Target for 'song-safe colander, canisters, pants, assorted other necessities. Library. Post office*. Elayna's doctor. Major housecleaning starts today, as I'll be out of the house for chunks of tomorrow and the house must be clean for the Wyrding Studios party on Saturday and stay clean for Thanksgiving, and we are not doing that thing again where we shove everything into my office and then I can't use it til February. Should also blast through the magazine stack and mark recipes to photocopy from gluten-free cookbooks. Busy day. Which is good, as it will keep me from pacing and flailing over ZOMG job interview, which is thankfully first thing tomorrow morning, so I don't have hours tomorrow to agonize and jitter. * The packing tape is AWOL, so no post office. Elayna's library books that are due back today are AWOL as well, despite me telling her several times over the last week that they were due back today. She is going to have to deliver them to the library herself when she gets back from school. After she cleans her place at the dining room table. | |
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| AdministrationHappy birthday to dandelion_diva and m_stiefvater! Hello to new readers mamomo, seajules, and stonetalker! MedicalStill with the cautious optimism. As gluten-free as I can be (kitchen is likely contaminated) for a week now. Job Interview!Friday morning! *boogies down* So yeah, forget the "seeking a ride to Vermont Thursday night" thing, I'm staying put. I am terribly excited. I need pants. I only have jeans. It will be too chilly for a skirt. I need pants. Keep the mojo comin', guys! EDIT: Further notes about the job, purely in a "can you do that?" sense: It's 20 hours a week. Mornings, so I still get afternoons with Elayna and some writing time. It's stuff that's totally in my skillset (actually a perfect merger of two skillsets) and that I enjoy doing. It's only one bus ride away, so it's not a miserable eternal slog in the winter. Four hours a day + 20 minutes of travel each way is totally within my present capabilities. Link Soup* The Lung Flute. No, really, read that. It's medically fascinating. * Speaking of flutes, here's a video for someone doing the vocals on Rock Band on a flute. I predict that Elayna will try this. * Speaking of music, here's Oliver Sacks's brain on music. * No segue for this one - sculptures inspired by quantum physics. Daily ScienceBacteria which glow green in the presence of explosives could provide a cheap and safe way to find hidden landmines, Edinburgh scientists claim. The bugs can be mixed into a colourless solution, which forms green patches when sprayed onto ground where mines are buried. Edinburgh University said the microbes could be dropped by air onto danger areas. Within a few hours, they would indicate where the explosives can be found. PlansI have a BARCC workshop to run at a high school downtown - half about consent, half about respecting boundaries. So I'll be out most of the day. Hopefully I'll be able to mail stuff on the way to the bus stop, and pick up the 7 celiac cookbooks and guidebooks that all arrived at the library yesterday on the way back. Date night with feste_sylvain tonight, which may consist of watching The Prisoner (the real one) and getting takeout from Stone Hearth Pizza or Red Lentil. Also pants, and I need a colander and canisters for GF stuff, so Target should happen tonight or tomorrow. | |
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| Okay, so I just applied for the perfect job. And I'm not going to say anything more about it, because I don't want to jinx it. But it is stunning in its perfection. And - I am asking for good thoughts and for y'all to wish really hard, please and thank you. | |
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