The Wheel and Axle

So over lunch yesterday, Jessica made me, Evan, Roni, and Deo write down our projects for 2018 to motivate us towards actual completion.

#1 and #2 are both me, but #3 is her suggestion, and now I am honorbound as an Elven Prince to actually do it. Well, try anyway. Ha!

(Do or do not, there is no try.)

Meanwhile, over same said lunch, we:

Gorged ourselves on delicious Negrense fusion cuisine (Sarsa’s menu is chocful of amazingly delicious food, including fusion Beef Rendang, Sisig Inasal, and Sinigang Fried Chicken Wings – you need to try this place out) 

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So Jessica Zafra’s The Stories So Far has been nominated for a National Book Award. Having gotten this fresh off print a few years back when it was published under The Library of Babel (of which I am the, ahem, Minister of Propaganda), I can guarantee it’s deserving of the nomination. Here’s hoping it wins!

If you haven’t read it, well, what are you waiting for? She still has signed hard copies available! Don’t miss it and the essay collection Geeks Vs. Jocks: each only at a great price of Php199.00 only. Email her at saffron.safin@gmail.com to order these awesome volumes from the legendary dominatrix behind the Twisted series.

Yesterday, I and fellow Library Undergrounders Deo and Roni (now also christened “Bibliophibians” by Jessica Z.) went to the 2017 Philippine Readers and Writers Festival in Raffles, Makati. Originally, my plan for the weekend had been to go to the 2017 Asia Pop Comicon; however, given that my interest in that event plummeted due to a tepid guest list that I wasn’t really eager to see, it was an easy choice to switch to the literature festival instead.

Jessica had invited us to attend the Q&A session she was hosting for award-winning author Mark Z. Danielewski, who wrote such best-sellers as House of Leaves, Only Revolutions, The Fifty Year Sword, and the (planned) 27-book series The Familiar, four of which have been released and the fifth coming out this October.

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Sometimes, I can’t believe it’s been over three years since that first writing workshop by Jessica Zafra. I was lucky to be part of that first batch, and not only did I learn a lot (and finish the first draft of my first novel), but I made lots of new friends that I still keep in touch with. We still occasionally hang out for coffee, conversations about books and more, or just catch up. Some of us formed and still run The Library Underground; although the site is dead (personally, I think a revival is in order), the social media accounts are still alive.

If you think all that’s great and want to see what it’s like to learn from a master slash the dominatrix of the universe, well, you’re in luck! Jessica has run several successful workshops after our batch, and she has another one this July!

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From: Jessica Rules The Universe

I went to my mentor’s bookshelf sale last Saturday and left with more stuff than I planned.

My primary purpose was to acquire the cool-looking ornate crucifix she had posted because, well, Buffy. I have no idea where it’s from, but there’s just something Old World about it, something so very classic Europe, maybe even Eastern Orthodox, that I can’t help but want it. I love that culture. Of course, it could’ve been from Paete for all I knew, I am ignorant of these things, but it didn’t matter. It’s gorgeous, and I had to have it.

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The dominatrix of the universe has a bookshelf sale this Saturday.

If you want to own a piece of her, okay, so maybe not exactly her, drop by and give it a go!

I may even try to get that ornate crucifix. I so need to summon my inner Buffy. It’s been a while.