I am in New York City vacationing at the moment. So I won’t be around here, and won’t be quick to respond via email, for the next week (and for several days thereafter, as I’m going to be going from NYC to Cleveland to teach at the Imagination Writing Workship at Cleveland State University till the 20th). More later. Till then, read this awesome review at Bookslut about Salon Fantastique. This is what the reviewer had to say about my story:
After your emotions are more than a bit spent by France, readers may then come across Christopher Barzak’s thoroughly modern tale of a girl, a tree, and a pledge that leads her and her brother deep into the woods. “The Guardian of the Egg” made me most obviously think immediately of Daisy Head Maisy but that isn’t a bad thing, as it is a total flip on what Dr. Seuss did with his “girl with a plant in her head” story; in fact it’s really quite interesting to juxtapose the two. Barzak must know that he is playing with a bit of a classic here and yet he remains serious with his story of environmental courage and dedication. It might be all about a girl with a flower in her head (at least at first) but in the end you won’t be laughing at Hester. Rather, you will thinking more about how Barzak could have found such a compelling character from a premise that seems to insist on silliness above all else.
Stay cool. I’m trying, but it’s ridiculously hot here in the city.
Christopher Barzak 
New York. Book stores, art museums, muggers, more book stores. Christopher, I’m wildly jealous. But why did you choose to go in high summer? Isn’t the place supposed to be unendurable heat and humidity wise in June-July?
A friend who lives here was going out of town for a while, and I never pass up free space to stay in NYC if offered! Otherwise, yeah, the heat is pretty unbearable this time of year.
JYUNINN TOIRO. 10-ninn 10-iro.
So many men, so many minds.
The world is made up of all sorts of people.
Dakara,
Mazu, watashi mo sono honn wo yonnde minakucha.
The reviewer ga tadashii ka tadashiku naika,
tashikamete minakucha.
Dakara,
Amazon ni tanonnda.
Chris,
anatatte shoubai jyouzu desho?
Christopher:
What’s the oddest “museum” in New York? I mean a lifetime collection of something somebody’s devoted long years to putting together? I envision New York as this place of such diversity, so many museums and art galleries, big and small, public and private. What’s the most purely eccentric and mad thing you’ve seen so far? The single strangest person or sight or smell?
Well, Cliff, the apartment I’m sitting for my friend is full of doll’s heads in a wide variety of forms and depictions. Some are really gothic and weird simply because they’ve been placed amongst greenery and potted plants as well as on shelves with books, etc. At first it felt odd being surrounded by doll’s heads. Then it started to feel really really cool after a bit. 🙂