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January 31, 2018:

THE MUSE AND I ARE HAPPY

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, my part of proofing, revising, deleting, adding, and smoothing is done. I’ve done much more of it for this book than any book since my first memoir. Muse Margaret was, as always, very helpful but especially so for this book. She was able to keep steering me clear of its pitfalls. We had two long conversations yesterday as she had guests for dinner, but it’s all done now, thank goodness. She felt one little thing was still missing and I didn’t agree at first, but the way to add it and what it should be came to me in the shower and I wrote it and she absolutely loved it and as I added it I knew she was right about it – just a little extra magic sauce. At one point when I was getting near the end of the book a week ago, she thought one section just went on too long, so I cut out a page-and-a-half and that made it work. But reading it all together from start to finish, I had that same exact problem in part two (where she’d had it) and in close proximity to the one we’d already fixed. It was just too much stuff that wasn’t needed, reiteration of stuff we already knew. So, I began hacking away at it, and cut another page-and-a-half, maybe even two pages. But the additional material I added was also two pages, so I ended up with the exact same page count of 296 manuscript pages. I got all the fixes entered in by the end of the evening and now it’s going to my three proofers – two via e-mail, one via hard copy.

Otherwise yesterday was not an entirely merde free day and it is sooooo draining to deal with. So, keep sending those strongest most excellent vibes and xylophones for the last of the miraculous miracles we need ASAP around these here parts. It would be so lovely to go into February tomorrow breathing easier with some of this horrid weight off my shoulders. And yes, this IS the final day of January and yes tomorrow IS the first day of February, and it is my fervent hope and prayer that February will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful.

I got seven hours of sleep, got up, answered e-mails, then went and had a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich and a side Caesar salad and continued proofing. I got everything but the final twenty-five pages done. Then I went to the mail place and picked up a package, then came home. Once here, I finished the final twenty-five pages and wrote the new material so I’d have it to read to Muse Margaret. We spoke for the first time at five and I read her the new stuff and she was very happy with it and had just a couple of nitpicks. We got about halfway through before she had to go cook dinner for some guests. But that finished earlier than expected, so we had our second conversation and got the rest of it done, then I spent the remainder of the evening entering all of that. I also had some snacks and sat on my couch like so much fish.

Last night, I finished watching The Hanging Tree, starring Gary Cooper. I can’t say it’s one of my favorite oaters, but I did enjoy it – it’s very well done and Cooper is always great and the supporting cast is terrific. The transfer is being much lauded – I found it a little not all that, but it’s fine.

Today, I’m having lunch with David Wechter, otherwise I’ll hopefully pick up packages, pray for a miraculous miracle, and then relax a bit, which I really need to do.

Tomorrow I’m lunching with Rob Stevens to talk about the Robby Awards, which we’re doing at LACC this year. Friday is open at the moment so I’ll finish casting the Kritzerland show (only two more people to go) and then I can assign songs. Saturday I’m doing a musical theater workshop at the Group Rep, which will give me a chance to work with some of the folks who’ll probably be in the show Doug Haverty and I are writing. Otherwise, I think the weekend is pretty open.

Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora or the Twist, for today is the birthday of our very own dear reader Michael Shayne.  So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own dear reader Michael Shayne.  On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN DEAR READER MICHAEL SHAYNE!!!

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have lunch, hopefully pick up packages, pray for a miraculous miracle, and then relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have finished all my proofing and getting the book to where Muse Margaret and I are completely happy with it, which we are.

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