Joe Haldeman Hospitalized

For those who know Joe and Gay and who may not be (or, like me, have been 'way too busy to be) on Sff.net, this news, dated Monday:

Joe and I are in Cincinnati. He had bad abdominal pains and had to have some
pretty extensive surgery. He's in the ICU now, doing well, but not yet out
of the woods. I have a strong support system here--lots of great friends--who
are looking after us. I even have a borrowed apartment. Please keep us in
your thoughts and I'll keep you updated. Gay

Source: http://webnews.sff.net/read?cmd=read&group=sff.people.joe-haldeman&artnum=13905

Even more fun with knees

So, back from the knee doctor, who tells me that the fact that my knee is starting to hurt again this soon after the codeine shot means that I win. . .gel shots.

Providing the insurance company agrees, that is.

Moving on the assumption that the insurance company will agree -- and no way I can afford these shots if they don't -- the plan is to have me come in once a week for three weeks in November.

I seem to remember from our previous conversation about failing joints that several people on the f'list have gone the gel-injection route. Anybody want to give me an overview of what I can expect? I find it interesting that the doctor admits that nobody knows why it works, or what happens to the lubricant when it. . .dissipates. However, it does seem to retard the wearing away of cartilage, with no other apparent side effects. They think.

Herm.

In other news, still trying to decide if going to see the 9 at the buck-a-head showing tonight starting at 8:50 is a smart move. For sure I wouldn't get to sleep before midnight. On the other hand, I know where they keep the caffeine. Decisions, decisions.

Books Read in 2009

Rosemary and Rue, Seanan McGuire
The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Laurie R. King
Larklight, Philip Reeve (decorated throughout by David Wyatt)
Sabriel, Garth Nix
New Amsterdam, Elizabeth Bear
The Mirror Prince, Violette Malan
Narbonic Six, Shaenon K. Garrity
Conspirator, C.J. Cherryh
Thirteenth Child, Patricia C. Wrede
Nine Years Among the Indians, Herman Lehmann, J. Marvin Hunter, and Dale F. Giese
The True Meaning of Smekday, Adam Rex
Edison's Eve:  A Magical History of the Quest for Mechanical Life, Gaby Wood
Undone, Rachel Caine
From Dead to Worse, Charlaine Harris
Shambling Towards Hiroshima, James Morrow
Codespell, Kelly McCullough
Cybermancy, Kelly McCullough
Carousel Tides, Sharon Lee (manuscript)
Fine Prey, Scott Westerfield  (re-read)
Web Mage, Kelly McCullough
Uhura's Song, Janet Kagan

Collaboration 101: How We Do It, Last Riff

I'd meant to finish this set earlier. Unfortunately, book deliveries and more angst than usual at the day-job kind of distracted me.

Now, one of the things that people ask Steve and me about collaborating is how we resolve artistic differences; there are, after all, two of us and we must sometimes disagree. It is true that we do sometimes have different ideas about a story's direction or various technical details. Usually, these differences can be resolved by sitting down and talking, sometimes role-playing, until we're both on the same page again. Often, that page is not exactly what Steve had envisioned and not exactly what I had envisioned, but a blending of the two notions, all working (so we devoutly hope and believe) to strengthen the story.

And this is meet and just.

Sometimes, though, there arises. . .something that cannot be talked, role-played, or compromised away. Something that one of us feels So Very Strongly About that there is no compromise.

This is why each book has a traffic cop.

I suppose it must be the case with most long-time collaborators that some books are more the child of one partner's heart and intellect. Certainly, it's the case with Steve and me, and the traffic cop thus is the person who brought the idea for the story to the partnership. The traffic cop holds the third vote in any disagreement regarding that project; it is a tie-breaker vote, in case we cannot find agreement, and it is binding.

You may say that this is a broad and awesome power -- and you would be right.

That agreed, Steve has used his awesome tie-breaker powers exactly once, in a total of seventeen collaborative novels. I have also used my vote, enforcing my will and my vision on the story -- once.

The details of each case may be of interest, but as they contain spoilers, I'll continue ( behind the cut )