Well, dear readers, it was a day and evening of fixes. I had more fixes than Frank Sinatra in The Man With The Golden Arm. Every time I hit a five or six page run without any fixes I celebrated by doing the dance of the seven veils, even though I only had three veils. But I got through the entire manuscript, all 530 pages of it. Most of the corrections I did were adding commas, removing commas, italicizing and that kind of things. But proofer number one also caught some real doozy typos so it was great to fix those. Also, two paragraphs were confusing to proofer one and I rewrote those to make them completely understandable – and that’s why I like these extra eyes. I understood what I meant, but apparently I’d worded it confusingly unless you happened to be in my head or have produced a cast album. I’ll go back and read those changes tomorrow to make sure I’m completely happy with them, and then, of course, I’ll run each by muse Margaret. I got really tired of the commas after a while. I don’t mind a comma here and a comma there, but the comma rules are way too strict for me and I rebel, oh, yes, I rebel, because, for example, just because it’s absolutely correct to have six or seven commas in one sentence doesn’t mean that I want them there to impede the reader’s flow and rhythm. I write in a certain rhythm and am fine with commas until it completely subverts and disrupts the rhythm and then out they go. And the rules are ever changing anyway – some use them rigidly and some are looser – I’m in the latter category and I may have even done too many for my liking and I’ll be going through everything again today, just to make sure. The best news is that proofer number one loved the book. That was the most important thing. He did think I might want to add one line to the introduction just saying that this book is different than There’s Mel in that that book is a lot more personal in terms of my personal life – but I don’t know that I need to or want to spell that out. This book is what it is – the fact is, that in this phase of my life that I’m writing about, I had no personal life. I worked ALL the time and had no time for anything else at all. That said, it’s all personal – there’s just not a family life to write about and all that kind of stuff.
I also got proofer number two’s fixes for the first half of the book and entered a few of those only. First off, there weren’t many at all. Second off, a few of them I wanted to wait on until I got proofer number three’s fixes. Then I’ll enter both at that time, since I think they’ll cover some of the same territory. And, for example, if proofers two and three don’t call out all those comma things, I really will go back and remove the ones that bother me. Other than proofing, I had a long telephonic call with the East Coast singer, and it does look like I may have to go back East to work in about a week or two. I really don’t want to, and we were hoping I could maybe just come in to New York a couple of days before the show, but her musical director doesn’t get back in town until the day before the show, so that won’t really work. So, it looks like I may be on my way to Washington, DC, probably for three days, although I may make it two days so that I’m really only gone three days (with the first travel day). However, if I do this, my travel needs will have to be just what I want them to be. That’s going to be the deal. So, that means either business class or extra legroom and the special line for security. I’ll try to fly United, since I enjoyed my flight on United very much.
I also found time to eat a waffle and some eggs and toast, as well as pick up one tiny little package. I also took a break for an hour and sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a short motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled La Jetee, a film by Chris Marker. It’s one of my favorites and one I never tire of. It’s around twenty-five minutes long and is absolutely brilliant. It’s entirely made up of still photographs to tell its compelling story (very Twilight Zone). Well, there’s one astonishing shot in the middle of the film that isn’t a photograph. This film was remade as a full-length feature film called 12 Monkeys, a hideously bad Terry Gilliam thing that stretches out the twenty-five minutes to two and a half hours. Avoid that like the plague and get the original. The transfer, courtesy of Criterion, is fine. There’s also a feature-length film called Sans Soleil with it, also by Marker – that I’ve just begun to watch. The likes of me gives this my highest recommendation.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I’ve had so many fixes I need some beauty sleep.
Today, I shall hopefully jog, I shall look over all the fixes I did yesterday, just to make sure I’m happy with them, I shall hopefully pick up some packages and an important envelope, and then a few humans and I shall be going to the Beach of Long to see God of Carnage, starring Alet Taylor. We’re leaving fairly early, as traffic will be horrendous. Then we’ll have a leisurely dinner, then show, then we’ll go out with Alet afterwards.
Tomorrow is the first preview day of the big antiquarian book fair and I shall be there with bells on and also pants and a shirt. This is the one we love – there will be hundreds of dealers from all over the world. This is the first time this particular fair will be held in Pasadena. It used to be at a hotel near the airport, then the last few years it’s been in Century City. I’ll get there right around three and hang out until rush hour traffic is done.
The weekend will be spent at the book fair and at The Hollywood Show and on Sunday I’ll sup with the family Hollis. We’re trying to always have one dinner a week because they really have become like family.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, look over fixes and perhaps remove a few commas, hopefully pick up packages and an important envelope, sup, and see a play starring Alet Taylor. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite short films? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after my day of fixes.