Ever heard of Norman Borlaug?
So, what kind of week has everyone had? It’s been nice to be home and actually get some work done. I could get used to this.
Lot’s of Dollhouse stuff which I’ll put at the end. Includes some Season 2 spoilers compiled by the Webmaster at the Buffy/Angel website.
First though, ever heard of Norman Borlaug? He died this month at 95 and I’ll bet most of us would not recognize the name. But he was a true hero. From the NYT:
Norman E. Borlaug, the plant scientist who did more than anyone else in the 20th century to teach the world to feed itself and whose work was credited with saving hundreds of millions of lives, died Saturday night. He was 95 and lived in Dallas…
…his work had a far-reaching impact on the lives of millions of people in developing countries. His breeding of high-yielding crop varieties helped to avert mass famines that were widely predicted in the 1960s, altering the course of history.
Largely because of his work, countries that had been food deficient, like Mexico and India, became self-sufficient in producing cereal grains.
“More than any other single person of this age, he has helped provide bread for a hungry world,” the Nobel committee said in presenting him with the Peace Prize (in 1970.) “We have made this choice in the hope that providing bread will also give the world peace.”Full article
here. Worthy of a moment of our time.
Borlaug accepting the Congressional Gold Medal in July 2007.
And a few more articles that caught my eye but have nothing to do with writing or mysteries or vampires. You can skip on down if you wish now.
1.
Helicopter used in daring heist… commando style robbers used explosives to gain access to millions in a Swedish cash depot while the police were sidelined by a fake bomb planted outside their own helicopter hangar….
Can we say bestseller?????
2.
Kentucky census worker hanged…the body of a field worker and teacher was found near a cemetery with “fed” scrawled on his chest….
Jesus. Remind me to stay away from rural Kentucky.
3.
New under the sun: water on the moon
Can I be among the first colonists?
4.
Don’t let the bedbugs bite… Denver Public Library has banned one of its most avid users for spreading the tiny insects in volumes of obscure literature that he borrows each week.
Not much I can add to that.
Now on to the stuff you expect to see here.
From Shelf Awareness 9/17/09
Notes: Lost Symbol Sells a Million Copies First Day Out
Sales of The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown on Tuesday exceeded one million copies in the U.S., Canada and the U.K., according to the publisher. In a statement, Sonny Mehta, chairman and editor in chief of the Knopf Doubleday Group, said, "We are seeing historic, record-breaking sales across all types of our accounts in North America."
The company has already gone back to press for another 600,000 copies on top of the initial print run of five million copies.Five MILLION copies. Heavy Sigh.
The National Book awards has announced 2009 finalists:
The Stories of John CheeverInvisible Man, by Ralph EllisonThe Collected Stories of William FaulknerThe Complete Stories of Flannery O'ConnorGravity's Rainbow, by Thomas PynchonThe Collected Stories of Eudora WeltyYou can vote for your choice
here and your email address will be entered for a drawing to win two tickets to the 60th National Book Awards on November 18, 2009 and two nights in the Marriott Hotel Downtown, compliments of Marriott!
Here’s a sobering article about what’s going on in the publishing business—i.e. how it’s effecting editorial employees in particular. Interesting and sobering.
From TV Guide.com:
Sarah Michelle Geller and her husband, actor Freddie Prinze Jr. have become parents, TVGuide.com has confirmed.
The couple "welcomed their daughter Charlotte Grace Prinze on Saturday, Sept. 19. The family is over the moon," a rep for the actress said…
This is the first child for the couple, who have been married since 2002.Congrats! Charlotte Grace...I think I expected something different...
Here’s a
link to lots of DragonCon pictures taken by Kerri Saur, one of Charlaine Harris' Charlatons. I know some of you were looking for Steam Punk and there aren’t many here. I didn't get any good ones either so maybe if someone is reading this and has some to share, they'll send them along to jeanne@jeannestin.com and I'll publish them. BTW, how many of you caught Charlaine's cameo on the True Blood finale? Cool, huh?
Here are the Dollhouse episode spoilers I promised. Compiled by the Webmaster at Buffy/Angel.com and posted Sept. 16. Covers episodes 1 - 7
Sept. 25 : Episode 1 of Season 2 "Vows" Fox summary (in quotes) : "Picking up a few months after the Season 1 finale, Echo (Eliza Dushku) is the new bride of a charismatic businessman (guest star Jamie Bamber), who is tied to an old FBI case that Paul (Tahmoh Penikett) was unable to close. Meanwhile, Dr. Saunders (Amy Acker) struggles with her discovery that she is a Doll and targets Topher (Fran Kranz). Written and directed by Joss Whedon."
In this episode, we briefly see Sen. Daniel Perrin, who is played by Alexis Denisof. He starts investigating the Rossum Corporation, which is the ultimate puppetmaster behind all the Dollhouses.
Oct. 2 : Episode 2 "Instinct" Fox summary (in quotes) : "When Echo is imprinted as a mother with a newborn baby, she takes too strongly to motherhood as a result of Topher’s modifications. Meanwhile, Adelle pays November a visit, and Perrin ramps up his investigation into the Rossum Corporation. Guest cast : Miracle Laurie as November/Madeline ; Alexis Denisof as Senator Daniel Perrin ; Kristoffer Polaha as Nate Jordan ; Stacey Scowley as Cindy Perrin."
When Echo is imprinted as a new mom, Sierra is imprinted as her friend.
Oct. 9 : Episode 3 "Belle Chose" Fox summary (in quotes) : "Michael Hogan guest stars as a client of the Dollhouse who comes to Adelle (Olivia Williams) for help with a psychotic family member. Topher (Fran Kranz) accidentally crosses Echo and Victor’s (Enver Gjokaj) imprints while there are on different assignments."
Reliable sources indicate that the Echo/Victor mixup results in Echo having a male imprint and Victor being imprinted with a female persona. Hogan plays Bradley Karrens, whose family member is on a killing spree.
Oct. 16 : Pre-empted for baseball
Oct. 23 : Episode 4 "Belonging" : No summary yet. But it is "Sierra-centric" and guest stars Keith Carradine, who recurs this season as Matthew Harding, a nemesis of Dollhouse manager Adelle DeWitt.
Oct. 30 : Episode 5 (Note : This item has been changed. Previously this post said that Glau first appears in Episode 6. That was incorrect). "The Public Eye" :
Summer Glau’s recurring guest role begins with this episode. She plays Bennett, a Dollhouse employee who "shares a past with Echo," according to the Fox press release on Glau.
Nov. 6 : Episode 6 (Note: This item has been changed. Previously this post said that Wise first appears in Episode 7. That was incorrect)."The Left Hand" : Summer Glau appears again, and Ray Wise ("Reaper") guest stars (Michael Ausiello broke this news Tuesday). He plays a Dollhouse bigwig and he could appear again in Season 2.
Nov 13 : (Date not confirmed) : Episode 7 No episode title or info yet. We know Alan Tudyk (Alpha) isn’t in it. But Felicia Day might be.
Another note : Felicia Day, who had a role in the Season 1 episode "Epitaph One," will appear in Season 2. Her post-apocalyptic scenes were supposed to be in the season premiere, but they’ve been shifted to another episode.
An update : There’s a chance we may see Alpha (Alan Tudyk) again, but he won’t be in any of the first seven episodes (he is mentioned from time to time, but not seen in those eps). Also, the Felicia Day-Adair Tishler post-apocalyptic scenes may be included in Episode 7, but that’s not set in stone.
And for your viewing pleasure, a Dollhouse promo video.
I suppose this shouldn’t have surprised me. From Publishers Marketplace:
FILM RIGHTS Stephenie Meyer's adult novel THE HOST, to producers Nick Wechsler, Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz, with Andrew Niccol adapting and directing, by UTA and Writers House.
Castle started last Monday. Michael Connelly and Stephen Cannell had cameos. I wish they were on every week. It adds spice to the mundane and predictable story lines. My question: does every female detective carry a sexy outfit and come-fuck-me pumps in her handbag?
What fall shows have captured your imagination?
Mario mentioned the signing on Sunday. Here's a pic of me, Lady K and Vickie. Thanks, Vickie, for sharing. Note to self:
NEVER get a haircut and a new body perm right before a signing. I could not look dorkier. Reminds me of when I was in elementary school and my mom insisted on cutting my bangs the day before picture day.
One piece of BSP: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance Vol II has just been
released. Imagine my surprise to find out that I wasn't the only one whose stories featured Doc Holliday!!! What are the odds. Evidently Caitlin Kittredge also wrote a Doc Holliday story. Mine is called The Ghost of Leadville.
The RMFW anthology, Broken Links Mended Lives I edited with Susan Smith and Janet Lane is now available. We got this terrific blurb from NYT bestselling author Margaret Coel who wrote:
Beautifully crafted stories by writers in the Rocky Mountain region, and what a talented group they are! The stories will make you laugh and make you cry, but one thing they won’t do is let you forget them. Open Broken Links, Mended Lives at any point and settle in for a delicious treat!—Margaret Coel, author of The Silent Spirit.
And if that’s not enough, our own Mario has a story in it, too. Water Monster. Very cool, but don’t tell him I said that. Check it out
here.