The Epigram Enigma
And talking fonts
WRITING:
Last night1, I had the pleasure of attending the launch event for my friend Richard Gadz’s The Eater of Flies, along with Chloe Turner’s Blue Hawk and William Parker’s The Last Doorbell, in a Deixis Press triple-header. It’s always a pleasure to see my Deixis chums, even if I always seem to have a rotten headache the next day2. It’s also important we support our fellow writers, and big them up. We are a community and rarely flourish on our own.
On the subject of other people’s books, big shout out to my other publisher, Propolis and their recent publication of S.T. Haymon’s Opposite The Cross Keys and The Quivering Tree, the crime' writer’s memoirs of growing up in Norfolk. I’m only a few pages in, so more thoughts to come, but even those few pages are absolutely soaked in atmosphere and wit. Simply gorgeous.
My own publishing journeys continues. This week Angel and I have been talking fonts, which resulted in my greatly disappointing my friend and Only Connect teammate Caz by my acceptance of the first font offered. In my defence, it was a good and appropriate font, but I’m not a font-nerd, so it was always destined to be a brief conversation3.
Rather more ongoing is the saga of the epigram. You may be aware that the title Parallels is taken from an Eels song4. The song also contains a line that, though the song’s subject matter is quite different, nicely echoes Jeff and Jezz’s situation in the book. After I suggested we stick it at the front of the book as an epigram, Angel has been utterly unable to make contact with either the band or their record company to see if this would be acceptable. Furthermore, there’s just enough flexibility in the definition of fair dealing5 to make us keen to have a definitive statement from them on the matter. We’re thinking, having made all reasonable effort to contact them, we’ll go ahead and use it - easier to ask forgiveness than permission etc. But come on, E. Be cool. Read your emails. Or E-mails, if you prefer.
And Ray Adams VI continues. After a month of no activity, I have squeezed some writing into my week off, in between crying at how well our two new blind cats have settled in and come to trust us. I’m going to finish this damned thing if it kills me.
I have enjoyed:
LOLA - Regular followers will know that I just love a low-budget independent sci-fi movie. This 2022 Irish offering certainly fits the bill. Emma Appleton and Stefanie Martini star as two reclusive sisters who develop technology that allows them to receive broadcasts from the future. When WWII breaks out, they use it to anticipate enemy attacks, altering the future and… well, shenanigans. Not only is the concept a lot of fun, but the filming (shot during lockdown) is done in a really striking visual way. It’s found footage, which means the usual amount of shaky-cam and “why would they be filming this?”, but ultimately uses the format to good effect. A real gem.
They’re watching the moon landing, see, but they’re in the 1930s. Mad. Tomorrow - Robert Duvall stars in this 1972 adaptation of a William Faulkner story. Duvall plays Fentry, a farmer whose rural isolation is disturbed by the discovery of a pregnant woman on his land. He takes her in and, over time, they grow close. However, when then time comes for Sarah to have her baby, things take a turn for the worse. The pace is glacial6, but the atmosphere is perfect. Looking for all the world as if it was shot in its 1930s setting, it also features a charming performance from Olga Bellin as the unfortunate Sarah Eubanks.
Robert Duvall looking in consternation at the watermark on this photo Stay With Me - Hanne Ørstavik’s latest novel is a frank look at fear, violence and love, and is an astonishing piece of work. I talk more about it here.
Hanne Ørstavik Death On The Nile - Revisited this on account of the recent passing of screen icon Maggie Smith. If you don’t think this is one of the greatest movies ever made, I will fight you.
Surely, one of the great ensemble casts.
Greyskin (Deixis Press) and Playtime’s Over (Propolis) are both available direct from their respective publishers, as well as from all the usual places, online and off. You can also support my work by buying Ray Adams’ self-published books, or by simply buying me a coffee.
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Finally, I review books on my website, most of which are available through my affiliate book shop on uk.bookshop.org - it’s a great alternative to certain online monopolies, and supports independent bookshops. Affiliates also get a % of books sold through them, so go have a look.
By which I mean, for me, tomorrow night. But I may well be hungover Saturday morning…
See point 1. above
Though we did toy with the idea of replicating the dual-viewpoint with separate fonts for the two protagonists, ultimately we thought it might be a bit much.
Can a one-word title be taken from anything, really? It’s just a word.
No, me neither.
It’s really obvious that the source material is a short story.