I have safely arrived in Troy, MI for Penguicon and will shortly turn in but I just had to tell you about this one thing.

My plane was flown by Captain Kirk.

Is there a better transportation to an SF convention? I think not.

I’m flying out to Penguicon today and will be having a whole slew of fun-filled adventures while I’m there.  I’m taking a red-eye so I won’t actually arrive until EARLY Friday morning.  Here’s my schedule while I’m there.

Friday

Author Reading – 6pm

Three authors for the price of one! Cherie Priest, Mary Robinette Kowal, and The Ferrett

Saturday

Puppetry 101 – 10am

The history of puppetry, the different types, and the basic elements of manipulation

Aliens: Form and Function – 12pm

How do aliens in written and media SF influence the kinds of story that one tells about them? How do the demands of the story influence the aliens’ natures?

The Timeshredder, Mary Robinette Kowal, Michael Z. Williamson (m)

The Intersection of Puppetry and Science Fiction – 2pm

Much like science fiction and fantasy, puppetry is often seen as a childhood interest. Mary Robinette Kowal, professional puppeteer and Campbell award-winning author, talks about the what the speculative fiction community can learn from the world of puppetry.

Don’t Be Evil: The Google Books Settlement – 5pm

It’s well-known that Google’s slogan once was “Don’t be evil.” Did Google crossed the line with the Google Book Settlement? How does it impact authors and readers?

Jim C. Hines, Tobias S. Buckell (m), Steve Piziks, Mary Robinette Kowal

Mass Autograph session – 6pm

All our authors at the Con are pen-ready to sign your books!

Mary Turzillo, Cherie Priest, Karl Schroeder, Tobias S. Buckell, Doselle Young, Patrick Rothfuss, Michael Z. Williamson, Sarah Monette, Mary Robinette Kowal

Sunday

Adapting a Novel to a Podcast – 9am

With our constantly-on-the-go culture, why not make your work even more available (and safe!) for our commuter-based society! Two veterans of aural performance help you get started.

Mary Robinette Kowal, Daniel J. Hogan

Short Story Markets – 10am

Finding markets for your short stories in a rapidly-changing world.

Mary Robinette Kowal, Mary A. Turzillo, Michael Z. Williamson (m)

When Rob and I moved into the apartment, we had a lot of boxes. I kept wishing that there was something I could do with them and, at some point, stumbled across this cardboard DIY cat scratching pad. Unlike most of the ones you see out there, this actually looked pretty stylish plus it was a way to use cardboard.

So I cut boxes into 4″ strips and rolled them tightly, joining them with masking tape until I had I nice disc of cardboard. This took way more boxes than I expected and the disc is still a little small for Marlowe to nap on.

Then I ignored it for six months even though the masking tape was hideous.

After six months, I had some procrastination I needed to do, so I cut some Japanese rice paper into the same 4″ strips and used double-sided sticky tape to attach it to the disc.

Now we have the most beautiful cat scratching pad in the world.

Harriet gives it her stamp of approval.

Well, this is amusing me so you might enjoy playing along too. In my post about my Profane Bio, Wiredwizard suggested that perhaps my name anagrammed into dirty words.

And a procrastination tool emerged.

My favorites of my name anagrams:
Ably Work Marionette
Warn My Literate Book
Tor Abnormality Week
Lo! Winemaker Brat Toy
Monkey Laborer At Wit

How about you?

Well this is bizarre. I was updating my bio on a website and got the warning that, “The text entered may not contain profanity.”

Mary Robinette Kowal was the 2008 recipient of the Campbell Award for Best New Writer and a Hugo nominee for her story “Evil Robot Monkey.” Her short fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons, Asimov’s, and several Year’s Best anthologies. A professional puppeteer and voice actor, she lives in Portland with her husband Rob and nine manual typewriters. Her debut novel, Shades of Milk and Honey (Tor 2010) is the fantasy novel that Jane Austen might have written. Visit her website www.maryrobinettekowal.com for more information about her fiction and puppetry.

Can you spot the profanity?

I’ve put the answer in the comments.

Back in 1998 I spent several weeks as puppeteer on Elmo in Grouchland filmed in Wilmington, N.C.  After the film wrapped and I was back in Portland, I got this package in the mail. An Elmo in Grouchland Cast and Crew camping chair.

It was the perfect thing for going to the beach, except I never took it there.  In fact, I think it’s been out of its bag twice.  It’s comfy but I just don’t ever have a need for it.

Why am I mentioning this? Because we’re selling the Elmo chair on eBay.

Go on, you know you want it.

While going through ye old portfolio shots, I found this one of me in college. Based on the puppet I’m holding, my guess is that I’m 20 or 21 here. So, two years before The Horror of  the Glamour Shot. and 20 years before the new author photos.

I’d gone into the studio to have pictures of the puppet made and the photographer offered to take one of me, too. I think this is what I looked like most days.

That puppet was actually kinda cool. It was a commission from this woman who wanted a puppet to tell her grandchildren stories with. One of the design parameters was that she wanted the kids to be able to sleep with it like a stuffed animal, so the body had to be pretty sturdy. I used the tail and the shirt to mask the entry point and built the body out of two inch foam so it had some oomph. The rod was a paintbrush, because the grandmother was an artist, which could slip out of the hand for bed time.

I got incredibly lucky with the hat and the tiny blue Hawaiian shirt. I actually still quite like this puppet although other puppets that I built during college are in the puppeteers equivalent of the writer’s trunk.

Those photos will go back into the storage locker and only come out when I’m trying to encourage young puppeteers by showing them the crap I made early one.

What amazes me is that I got jobs with them in my old portfolio. Someday, someday I might show them to you, but not today.

My brother, bless his heart, wanted to give his girlfriend an Elvis garden gnome as a gag gift on her birthday and discovered that no one makes them. This was actually a little surprising. So he turned to me.

To begin, I found an existing gnome in a position that would work for my needs. This one is called “The conductor.”  I really wanted one playing a guitar but the only one in that pose was also plaster, which wouldn’t work. I needed a resin gnome. Continue reading Building an Elvis Garden Gnome

I was working on updating my portfolio today and chatting with someone who didn’t know that I built things. Puppeteer, yes. But the fact that, in my case, the word puppeteer also includes designing and building, in addition to performing, was new information.

So, I thought I’d share my portfolio with you.

I’m having a dress made. Not just any dress, I am having a gown that would be correct for the 1810s, which is when Shades of Milk and Honey is set, so that at the launch party in August I can be appropriately attired.

To that end, I took myself to my modiste’s on Tuesday to discuss our plans for my ensemble.  After looking at several options, we have settled upon a simple cream sprigged muslin gown with a spencer jacket.  The gown will be flexible enough that it can be worn with several different looks should the need arise.

Meanwhile, I have ordered the undergarments necessary to create the line that is desirable under the gown.  While one would not normally discuss such things in mixed company, I feel that it is of sufficient interest that I shall eschew the normal proprieties.

To begin, there will be a chemise which is worn next to the skin. Mine will be like this, but sleeveless. I have selected a white lawn fabric and the seamstress will embroider my initials upon one corner. I feel so very indulgent.

After the chemise comes the short stays. Now we did consider going with the modern equivalent, which is a demi-cup underwire bra with very short straps, but one of the reasons I want to do this is that in Glamour in Glass there are several scenes in which a ladies maid is helping her mistress dress and undress.  While I can, in fact, read about this and have a perfectly fine understanding for writing the scenes I know from past experience that actually experiencing something will point out details that I wouldn’t have considered on my own. Which means that I’m having short stays made.

The short stays is considered a transitional garment in that it is midway between a corset and a bra. The one on the left is a short stay from the Kyoto Institute’s collection. One of the things about the Regency look is that the bosom is pushed up very high as you can see in the corset on the right.  It makes all the difference in the line of the dress.

After the short stays comes a bodiced petticoat. Now I’m showing you the back of this garment because the construction of the bodice is interesting. What we know of as “princess seams” did not exist in the Regency. You can see how the seams on the bodice are straighter and run higher on the back than a princess seam would. To give the freedom of movement that a modern dress has, the armseye comes around much farther to the back.

Will this particular detail show to anyone but me? No. I could have gone with a different garment that would serve the same function but I find the changes, not just in fashion but in sewing technology, to be utterly fascinating.

You will, I’m afraid, have to wait to see pictures of the dress in progress. We are meeting again on Tuesday to look at fabrics.

As a resource note:

• The chemise and petticoat are coming from here.
• The short stays from here

This might seem like a silly thing to be pleased about, but I’m now a LibraryThing author, which just means that I have an author page and get a shiny yellow badge next to my personal account.

So, to celebrate, I’m giving away an ARC of Shades of Milk and Honey on LibraryThing. Basically, you sign in, click the request button and at the end of the month LibraryThing draws a name and I mail it to the person who requested it.

Sure, you could wait until the novel comes out in August, but this is a chance to win an Uncorrected Proof. That’s right, you can enter for a chance to see my mistakes! Um… wait, that doesn’t…

Novel! Free!

So, you may have noticed that I have a thing about typewriters… Years ago I passed up a typewriter described as Ox-blood red and have regretted it ever since. When I made the Kowal Portable, I based it on the Ox-blood red machine.

This is not the exact model typewriter that I passed on, but it has the same paint job.  It is a thing of beauty  and will be arriving at our house next week.  This is a Duotone Royal from, probably, the 1930s.

One of the very cool things about it is that it has sans serif type. I think all of our other machines are serifed.

Am I a geek? Yes, I am.

Do I mind? No, I do not.

The paper rollers are a little flattened but we have a good repairman who can probably swap them out. As I was telling a friend, the silly thing is that I don’t actually compose fiction on these although I keep meaning to give it a try.  I just love the way they are beautiful and utilitarian at the same time.

Rob and I went down to our storage locker to drop off some things and also so I could look for some juvenila to read at Wiscon. While there I opened a box of old photos and found the Glamour Shots that I had taken when I was 23.

So for your amusement, compare and contrast.

Me at 23

Me at 41

In answer to questions I am anticipating… Yes, that’s my original hair color. No, I don’t perm my hair now. I just spent most of my life thinking it was straight but unmanageable.

Also, thank God for getting me past the stage where I thought mall bangs looked good.

Thanks to the help of loads of people, and after much consideration we got the selection narrowed down to two author photos. I finally decided that I’ll use both. How so?  Simple, in Shades of Milk and Honey itself, people already know that I’m a writer so I decided to use one of the puppetry photos as a way to help me stand out in a sea of other authors.

And the winner of the survey drawing is…  Harold Gross! I’ll be sending him a signed copy of Shades of Milk and Honey the moment I have a finished book in my hands.

The other photo, which we’ll use as the press photo when sending out packets to bookstores, newspapers and the like is one of the ones with typewriters.

This was actually marginally more popular than the puppetry one, and it does a great job of saying “I’m a writer! I write historic stuff!” It’s just, I figured, if you have the novel in your hand that should be obvious.

By the way, the typewriter is an Oliver and no, I do not actually compose on typewriters. I use a computer because I can’t go fast enough on a manual.

Since I decided to use two photos, I’m going to give away a second book.  I’m sending the second one to Patty Bigelow!

Thank you all for your help!

On, since I know people were curious, 221 folks participated plus some other people that I consulted on the side.  Here’s how the results broke down. My favorite? Brown jacket looking up a camera…

I’m staggered to learn that my novelette, First Flight, has made the Locus Awards short list. This is completely amazing to me and I’m so thrilled to be on there.

• “By Moonlight”, Peter S. Beagle (We Never Talk About My Brother)
• “It Takes Two”, Nicola Griffith (Eclipse Three)
• “First Flight“, Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor.com 8/25/09)
• “Eros, Philia, Agape”, Rachel Swirsky (Tor.com 3/3/09)
• “The Island”, Peter Watts (The New Space Opera 2)

You can read the full list of 2010 Locus Awards Finalists, here.

I’ll be heading up to Seattle for the ceremony on Saturday, June 26, 2010 in Seattle WA, during the Science Fiction Hall of Fame Awards Weekend, and hope to see some of you there.

Wow.