At the Printer’s Inc. in…

At the Printer's Inc. in Palo Alto again today; theoeretically working, but in fact:

• finishing the latest Elizabeth Moon sf novel (good, but didn't really end!)
• talking to David for a few hours on the cell phone (how convenient!)
• continuing to read Chitra Divakaruni's Sister of My Heart (good, but painful!)
• running into David Steinberg (!)

I didn't even recognize David (who writes fabulous sexuality articles and occasionally fiction); we were both waiting for the restroom, and I just noticed that this man was carrying a copy of Ginu Kamani's Junglee Girl, which is wonderful but not that well-known. So I said "Good book!" and he agreed, and we exchanged a few words, and I introduced myself and he said, "I know you!" and I thought he meant that he had read my work on the net, but then he said "I'm David Steinberg" and we were both horribly embarrassed for a moment that we hadn't recognized each other. In our defense, we've only met once before, and there were a lot of people at that dinner. :-)

So we ended up sitting together in the cafe for an hour or so, catching up on what's happening in the sex industry (and our lives). And I mentioned at the beginning of the conversation that I had meant to ask him whether he knew any photographers who took photos of people who weren't thin, young, straight and white ('cause we're really lacking such photos for CS). And it turned out that he has very recently started doing that himself (and knows quite a few other artists who do, who he'll try to put us in touch with).

Then I thought of a few people I knew who might be willing to model for him (and said that I was tempted, but I just didn't think I could justify doing that to my parents right now (he pointed out that he sells the photos to a magazine in Norway, but that is no comfort -- I know darn well that there's at least a decent chance that somehow they'll hear about it anyway)). Before he left, he went out to the car and picked up a set that he'd just picked up from the developers -- and they were wonderful. A great sequence of a couple in their 60's or so, I think. Laughing and so obviously enjoying themselves. They looked great! He's going to send xeroxes to Annabele (my gallery editor), so if she likes them too, you may soon see them (or other work of his) at CS. Serendipity!!!

I'm in an odd mood today; happy, but distracted. Having trouble focusing on any work. What I'd really like to do is get a camera and some film and take Jed out to a barren beach somewhere and take photos of him. I'd love to get more involved in photography -- I think I'd like to do the sort of work David S. is doing. But a) I really know nothing about it, b) I really have enough projects to work on, and c) I really can't afford it. :-) A decent camera with some lenses would probably cost around $1000, according to David (meep), so I think it'll need to wait for now. I just got paid for AE, so I am going to be buying some equipment soon, but I think it's got to be a printer/scanner/fax, not a fancy camera. Especially since I'm planning to sink a little of that AE money into the new project...

Yes, I know I haven't told you about it yet. I was going to, but it turns out that this week we're choosing the working name. We should know it by Sunday, and I think I'd rather have something to call it before I tell you all about it. I'll give you a hint, though -- it's a literary project. :-) Any guesses?

Okay -- I really ought to do a little work. I promised a Viscera review to CS months ago, so I'm just going to buckle down and do it. So there. Talk to you later...

P.S. -- Happy Birthday, Shmuel!