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In Paperback
Now! Thursday July 28th/Friday 29th: Tracy on BBC-5's Up All Night 9:30 pm Eastern USA/2:30 am GMT with Dr. Petra and Dotun Read an excerpt |
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| Wednesday, March 31, 2004 Prostitutes Rights in Madrid Way cool picture of a blowsy, impassioned protestor on page A4 of today's NY Times. Catch a glimpse of her by clicking Enlarge This Picture http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/31/international/europe/31LETT.html Quote of the Day "The time has come for extreme respect for the sexual opinions of every individual, a time for a secular vision." -- Zapatero, the new PM of Spain (see above) Which reminds me of a famously sexy statesman who in 1968 announced that "The state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation." Hm, yes it really is possible for such people to get elected to rather senior positions in some countries. Amazing to contemplate, as we head toward November, USA. Here Comes The Sun Much to my continuing dismay. Here it comes: the harmful attention of our dysfunctional friend, the Sun. Alex Richmond gets into it here. Apparently there's a connection between UV rays and... papilloma. I kid you not. So next time you pick up a fresh supply of condoms, don't forget the K-Y -- and the sunblock. Time to get seasonal umbrellas and, if you're a hat person, a new straw hat. Thank goodness for the new sun-proof windows! All useful in the fight against pappiloma, apparently. Read it here: http://www.trentonian.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=11211449&BRD=1697&PAG=461&dept_id=44551&rfi=6 Sunday, March 28, 2004 Agony Ink Ann Widdecombe's debut advice column is extremely promising. I'm loving her advice to the carnivore whose wife turned vegan -- "no need to turn the stove into a battleground" -- and the much spicier situation presented by a grown-up gal who recently discovered that she has a half-sister: "Are you sure you are not merely ...resentful at suddenly having to share Dad after all these years? I would be." http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,1179973,00.html Stop The Presses? What's all the fuss about tabloids and broadsheets, anyway? I've never been able to relate, though I know it's supposed to matter. According to this gossipy media piece, The Guardian's editor has "ruled out" the new tabloid look for now, and anyway, the nice word for tabloid is a "compact." What, then, is The Guardian Weekly which has the physique of a tabloid? Easy to read and carry around throughout the day... Or Le Monde Diplomatique which is shaped like a tabloid but composed of something like airmail paper? (LMD also features highbrow illustrations, front page, and slightly intimidating centerfolds -- maps that make you go Hmmm.) Is it more acceptable for a weekly or monthly to be a sort of "comploid" then? The whole thing's quite vexing... http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/29/business/media/29tabloid.html?8hpib=&pagewanted=all&position= Updates Somebody asked me to update my Links page, so I have. You're right: I haven't been reading one novel for five solid months. Though it's been known to happen. New things should appear around here soonish. Friday, March 19, 2004 Bloggers Anonymous What an insane week. I have received a surprising number of inquiries from otherwise sensible people who work in the same strange field (loosely defined) as I do. (The writing game.) I suppose you've heard about Belle de Jour, the anonymous blogging call girl who won the Guardian prize last winter. More links to come but this should get you started on the road to Belle http://www.guardian.co.uk/weblog/ -- and let me just get this off my chest! No, of course I'm not she and she's not me! I'm too shy to discuss my, er, sexuality in so much detail. I'm also MUCH too vanilla to try half the stuff she is rumored to be up for. And I don't understand any of her music references! I was queried this week by members of the journo-tribe who wondered if I might be the brains/body behind the Blogue du Jour. Nope! For one thing, Belle has a book deal and so do I -- and my contract stipulates that I can't be writing two books at once. So that's that. And Belle is repped by Patrick Walsh while I am repped by the excellent team at Brockman Inc. What I'm trying to say is, I'm loyal to agent and editor and wouldn't dream of being someone I am not. Nothing more to add on the subject but -- What is this world coming to.... ? Monday, March 15, 2004 Quote of the Day: Family Values "There's a sand family, and there's a taupe family. How do people not get that?" - Kelly Hoppen on the fabric (swatches?) of society http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/15/business/15hoppen.html Actually... I've been away for too long and it shows. People write and ask: Have you abanadoned ship? What's new with the website? Worse, yet: "Are you okay?" Actually if you take a look, you will notice subtle but real changes here and there -- which means I am still around. Actually. But I have to remain unblogged for the next while because I'm deep into the problems of Nancy Chan, who is grappling with the next phase of her adult life. I am being vague on purpose for those readers who have not finished the first book -- no revelations as yet! But Nancy's got her work cut out for her. Watch the rest of the site for updates (occasional) and maybe... if I can get it together... I'll post links and notes about my favorite columnists, other bloggers and so forth. Here, for starters, is a personal favorite. Barbara Ellen is a breath of fresh air and her comments totally hit home. I have been feeling this way since I was ten! Why, I used to wonder, don't They understand that this thing They are so appalled by is childhood? Just the other day, I had a disagreement with a friend who told me that "we are depriving our children of their childhood." As usual, it was hard to get across to someone old enough to be my dad that no, childhood is not disappearing, it is changing. Has always been changing. Is never exactly the same as before. And so on. Plus -- I like this person, so I didn't want to be too confrontational! Anyway, Barbara Ellen is not reluctant to confront The Dad Police. Here she goes: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,11913,1167421,00.html I welcome your emails on this topic. If they are for publication, address them to: DearTQ@tracyquan.net If not, send to a dearless: TQ@tracyquan.net |