Thursday, March 31, 2005

Nanny-nanny-boo-boo moments

1. I got to go see a free preview of Sin City at the Senator Theatre the other night, and you didn't.

It was hideously beautiful. Without the comic book stylization the violence probably would have bothered me. I was not a fan of Kill Bill Vol. 1, though I liked Vol. 2, since it at least made a half-hearted effort at characterization. I found the violence in Vol. 1 relentless and ultimately tedious.

With Sin City, I felt like I was watching a live comic book, as opposed to watching a movie about a comic book character, a la Spiderman, Batman, or--urp!--Daredevil. Yes, the visuals, dialogue, and acting were highly stylized and unnatural--that's what made it a profound moviegoing experience for me and Chris. Our friends hated it. You might hate it, too, but it's worth the risk.


2. Radical Love, or, my state is better than your country.

Last week the Maryland Senate passed a bill to give medical decision-making rights to all unmarried couples who sign onto a domestic registry. The House of Delegates passed a similar bill overwhelmingly last year, so it's as good as passed at this point.

The Maryland Catholic Conference (who should be condemned just for having the worst blinking text offense in website history--seriously, go look at it, but epileptics be warned) lobbied against the bill, saying it was "really about promoting the radical homosexual agenda."

This would be the first time someone would have the explicit right to visit his or her partner in the hospital, as there are no legal documents available to spell out that right.

Dan Furmansky of Equality Maryland said, "I guess if wanting to be in the hospital room with your loved one at a time of illness is part of the radical homosexual agenda, then we're guilty as charged."

I love my State. It's the only reason I haven't become Canadian yet. Deposing Governer Ehrlich gives me something to look forward to besides wars and deficits and the gradual dismemberment of the U.S. Constitution.

Next Release

Shade

Jeri's teen debut — May 4, 2010, from Simon Pulse, for ages 14 and up

First in a worldwide generation of ghost-seers, Aura's relationship with the dead changes when her boyfriend dies and comes back to haunt her.

More about SHADE

Pre-order at Mysterious Galaxy, Amazon.com, or Barnes & Noble.

Latest Release

Bad to the Bone

Bad to the Bone (sequel to Wicked Game) — now available in mass market paperback!

“Smith-Ready pours plenty of fun into her charming, fang-in-cheek urban fantasy” — Publisher's Weekly, starred review

Order at Mysterious Galaxy, Amazon.com, or Barnes and Noble.

Book 3, BRING ON THE NIGHT, will be released August 2010, and Book 4 will follow in August 2011.

Sorta new!

Wicked Game

“A colorful premise and engaging characters” — Library Journal

Wicked Game is now available in mass market paperback

Order at Mysterious Galaxy, Amazon.com, or Barnes and Noble.

About the author

Jeri Smith-Ready

Jeri Smith-Ready is a Maryland author of adult and teen urban fantasy.

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Photo © 2006 Szemere Photography

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    • First draft of SHIFT (sequel to SHADE)
    • "Crystalised" by the XX