My First Review!

Well, after Milo told us about his fantastic review, found right here at blogspot, I decided to find out if July's issue of Kaleidotrope had received any kind of review yet. So I googled it. Ah, the wonders of Google. It seems that SFRevu writes up reviews of several SF&F magazines, and Kaleidotrope happens to be one of them. Sam Tomaino had this to say about my novelette "Fire Eater":

Cort Ellyn's "Fire Eater" gives us Mother Mirrah who wants justice for a draeling, a creature that is partly human, who she is convinced was unjustly imprisoned 140 years ago. She talks with him and has great sympathy for him. I won't reveal how this one turns out, but I will say that is was a very well-written story.

Cool, huh? I had read a review of Kaleidotrope before and the critic that day had nothing good to say. Seriously he must've been in a bad mood or something. So I had cause to be nervous. But all's well that ends well, right?

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Writing High

Last week was hellacious, in a fun way. At least it ended that way. So I missed another week of posting, but no apologies this time. Life was hectic. In short, I was stuck in a house with eleven family members, half of whom were under the age of ten. Aaaah! Chaos. During the day the kids played with Tinker Bell dolls and watched really cheesy movies like Lady and the Tramp 2 and Alvin and the Chipmunks 2. Whatever happened to the originals that lacked the overdose of cheese? Well, at least in the case of the first above-mentioned movie there was no cheese, just spaghetti and creepy Siamese cats. In the evenings, we made smores around the firepit. Nice.

While I was happy to be with my chaotic family for a few days, the get together fell right in the middle of a writing high. I was pumping through the rewrites on the novel and experiencing that rare and amazing joy, so Monday and Tuesday, while I was preparing for this get-together, I was roaring and ranting and just ugly to be around b/c I was having to cut that high short. "High short"? How about "cut short that emotional high." Yeah, that's better. The inner editor is on key today, folks. Sorry about that. Point is, got home Friday night, so Saturday I dove (dived) back in and got through another chapter. I have only three chapters left until I finish this first half. Then it's on to the nasty second half that hasn't been touched in half a decade or more. I'm scared to see what's lurking in those cobwebby pages. I'll probably die of gag disease.

By the way, it's Monday! So here's some art for your brain:

Telling a Story Stitch by Stitch

Bayeux Tapestry, detail

1073-83

Page from the Belleville Breviary
John Pucelle, 1323-26

When the written word merited this kind of attention.














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Art and Apologies

Oh, dear. I neglected to post last week b/c I was laid up on the couch with a cold. 'Tis the season, says I. Nasty germs. But I'm over the worst, so here's some art for brainfood:


THE BIRTH OF VENUS
Sandro Botticelli, 1485-6
detail













A modern take on Botticelli's Venus,
unknown artist

Art of the Week - Roots

Okay, I decided to go ahead and post my art for the week even though I already posted today.

Going back to the beginning this week, admiring the cave art in Lascaux.

GREAT HALL OF THE BULLS, Lascaux, France,
c. 15,000-10,000 B.C.

I greatly enjoyed taking my art history courses out of order. Totally missing Art History I and II, I started with the third class in the series, which included the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, then the fourth class which, of course, dealt with modern art, like Picasso's cubist works. Then, the next semester I got to take Art History I, which started out with these marvelous and stunning roots of human art. I swear, Picasso must've traveled back in time ... or maybe his ancestors came from Lascaux. Or maybe the ancient world was populated with gifted people. The similarities are too close to be missed:

LA TAUROMAQUIA

Picasso, 1957

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TAG!

Justin from "The Key of the Twilight" just tagged me, so now the spotlight has fallen and I get to answer some questions.

Here goes:
1. If you could have any superpower, what would you have? Why?
Well, there's a story behind that, I guess. My husband and I have cut our satellite package waaaay back so we can afford to do more meaningful things with that money, which means that my television options are down to shopping channels and preaching channels and a handful of sugary-sweet 50s shows channels and rude cartoon channels. Which means I choose the cartoons whenever I have a moment I need to vege out. Which means that I've become enthralled with the Avatar: The Last Airbender series. *blush* Seriously, I'm surprised by how well done it is. So with that preamble in mind, I have to go with MANIPULATION OF THE ELEMENTS. That would be so cool. Of course, with my temper, I'd probably burn down my house. "Cool" is not a very good reason, I guess, so let me say, "Wow, wouldn't my garden grow if I could pull up water from the creek and coax the plants with earth- and water-bending. And wouldn't it be great to be able to summon a wave of air that allowed me to fly to my sister's house? And, gee, the benders just look so neato doing their martial stuff. Wish I could do that.

2. Who is your style icon?
I assume this is for Wordpress people, b/c I don't have a style icon. If I do have one I just didn't know it was called that. Moving on...

3. What is your favorite quote?
Hmmm... There are so many that have had impact on me. Well, right now I have this quote in the signature of every email I send:
"When a book leaves your hands, it belongs to God. He may use it to save a few souls or to try a few others, but I think that for the writer to worry is to take over God’s business."
--Flannery O'Connor

4. What is the best compliment you’ve ever received?
From the editor of Silver Blade ezine who ran my novella in their serials last year: "You are an excellent writer." Gives me hope when something I've written is far from excellent. :D

5. What playlist/CD is in your CD player/iPod right now?
Well, which is it? I use both. On the ipod, I have "writing music" lists, depending on mood of the scene I'm writing. In the CD player I think I've got the soundtrack to Tristan and Isolde, the movie not the opera. Heartbreaking violin and piano music. Gorgeous.

6. Are you a night owl or a morning person?
Night owl, definitely. Do NOT talk to me for an hour after I wake up. It's risky. You never know if I'll be coherent or bite your head off or kiss you or all three at once. But I'll be active until midnight easily, often beyond.

7. Do you prefer dogs or cats?
CATS! I have three and while one is a complete bitch, at least she knows who's top lioness. I have to use a forklift to get my dog away from me when she's demanding attention. It doesn't help that she's a Great Pyrenees who sheds and drools when I'm eating in front of her. Oh, yes, the cats and I get along great. I understand their moodiness. They're self-cleaning, lapsized, their spit stays in their mouths, and they reduce the local population of yard-eating gophers.

8. What is the meaning behind your blog name?
Wordweaver? It's my aim as a writer to not just write words but weave them into a tapestry for the mind and senses. Now, how well I achieve this goal depends on the reader, I think. Can't please 'em all.

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Changed It Again???

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Well, sorta. Just one little letter makes a difference. At least to me. So the penname was "Cort," now it's "Court." The former started looking strange to me. Inelegant, like "wart" or "fart" or "stork" or "dork." Which means I now have to change so many other things, like advertising and blog banners, website details, manuscript headers. All because of u.

Damn u

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Art and Autumn Fever

It's time for Art of the Week. I chose this week's offering because I'm so ready for Fall that it hurts. We're having an unseasonably warm, dry September, so I'm getting a little impatient for my favorite season to arrive. Here you go:




AUTUMN
by Alphonse Mucha,
my favorite Art Nouveau artist
















AUTUMN
by Russian Impressionist painter, Piotr Nilus,
1893

This one captures the chill in the air. Nearly all the leaves are gone. Autumn on the cusp of winter. November, maybe.



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