Deep Dish in PDF

I'm pleased to announce that, after months of procrastinating followed by hours of editing and revision, Deep Dish is now available for download in PDF format. It contains the prologue originally known as the "Jack Charles smuttake" from Over the Top, the story and epilogue, outtake and some illustrations.

To view and/or download, please visit this link. :) Enjoy!

The "Was That 'My Kid'?" post

Do you know how seldom I actually cry at something on the internet? Television, more often; and when I was listening to my HP audiobook yesterday I got teary (it was the end of Half-Blood Prince and, well, you know).

But this blog made me cry. You must read it. That's all I can say.

Harry Potter: A Late Bloomer's Point of View

I've recently started on the Harry Potter books for the first time. I resisted for a decade and a half only because I was told too many times that I "had" to read them - best way to get me to not watch a movie or read a book is to tell me I have to. Anyway, I was never terribly interested in it and didn't think I'd enjoy it.

At the beginning of the summer, my good friend Lisa was bemoaning the fact that, with all the things she and I have in common, she wished HP was one of them. She also promised me that a whole new world of derivative slash fic awaited me if I would just give it a shot.

It obviously meant a lot to her, so after some hemming and hawing, I told her that because she mentioned it so nicely, I would give it a shot. I promised nothing more than that I would read the first book.

With life being as busy as it is, and still trying to keep a regular writing schedule, I decided the audiobook would be a good compromise. I have a 25-minute drive to work; I could listen to it in the car and get through it that way.

As I made my way through the first book, I was quite pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The narrator, Stephen Fry, is at least 50% responsible for that - the way he reads, how he inhabits the characters and their accents. I couldn't imagine anyone else narrating it. I also like the characters a lot, the friendship Ron and Harry have with each other and with Hermione. Fred and George are a riot. I adore Hagrid and I love that he was the first person Harry met from the magical world - he was an awesome person to introduce Harry to that world. It's also been really nice learning the meaning of all these words I've heard for years and years - like Gryffindor, quidditch and Dumbledore.

So, having enjoyed it much more than I expected, I've gotten through Books 1 and 2, and right now I'm early in the going on Prisoner of Azkaban. It's all good.

But - and I realize I could be taking my life into my hands here - I'm having trouble with picturing Alan Rickman as Professor Snape. From the instant he was introduced in the first book, I've pictured Jason Isaacs as Snape. Maybe Stephen Fry has something to do with that, but I close my eyes and picture him talking, and there's no one else it can be. Alan Rickman is great...he's just not my Snape.

But now I find out that Jason Isaacs plays Lucius Malfoy! ::horror:: I'd have to go back and find it, but I was certain Lucius was blond and pale just like Draco.

And that's why I can never, ever watch the Harry Potter movies. They will simply have to exist on audiobook for me. :)

Planning ahead: NaNoWriMo

I entered the writing world in February, 2009, and for the last two years I've watched as my fellow amateur writers participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). In point of fact, it's an international event, but that's neither here nor there.

Any rate, NaNoWriMo participants sign up and pledge to write 50,000 words between November 1 and November 30th. I've never participated as I've had other obligations in that month and didn't want to set myself up for failure.

This year I've decided to plan ahead and join the challenge. I've already told my husband I'm going to sign up, and I shall plan my obligations accordingly - that is to say, I'm not going anywhere or doing anything that month. LOL

If you plan to participate as well, please add me as a writing buddy on the NaNo website. My profile is here. :)

A day in the life of immigration equality

Dear Chicago

We've never met. I've seen pictures, of course, and I've talked to people who know you intimately. Despite that we've never met, I think I've gotten to know you well enough to admit that I'm a little in love with you.

It's this feeling that makes me wish I could be with you today when you celebrate the brave and vibrant gay community who live and work in you. How I would love to be there, to show my support and be part of that atmosphere.

I can't be with you today; but in September, you and I have a date. I'll be with you soon...in the meantime, please give my love to the thousands who will be celebrating there today. Keep them safe and let them know they are loved and supported.

xoxo Katie Starfish

Just Marriage

"I know many people are concerned about the destruction of the sanctity of marriage, as well, and they view this as a threat. But let me as you something, ladies and gentlemen, what are we really protecting when you look at the divorce rate in our society?

Turn on the television. We have a wedding channel on cable TV devoted to the behavior of people on their way to the altar. They spend billions of dollars, behave in the most appalling way, all in an effort to be princess for a day. You don’t have cable television? Put on network TV. We’re giving away husbands on a game show. You can watch “The Batchelor,” where 30 desperate women will compete to marry a 40-year-old man who has never been able to maintain a decent relationship in his life. We have “The Bacholorette,” in reverse. And my favorite show, which thank God only ran one season because it was truly distasteful, was “The Littlest Groom,” where 30 desperate women competed to marry a dwarf.

That’s what we’ve done to marriage in America, where young women are socialized from the time they’re five years old to think of being nothing but a bride. They plan every day what they’ll wear, how they’ll look, the invitations, the whole bit. They don’t spend five minutes thinking about what it means to be a wife. People stand up there before God and man — even in Senator Diaz’s church — they swear to love, honor, and obey; they don’t mean a word of it.

So if there’s anything wrong, any threat to the sanctity of marriage in America, it comes from those of us who have the privilege and the right, and we have abused it for decades."

--NY Senator Diane Savino

Deep Dish

Chapters 20, 21, 22, 23.

They happened this weekend. I wasn't going to mention it. Except...I'm kinda bumming hard about it and I'm going to shamelessly beg for some virtual hugs - group hugs, even. Let's get tipsy and wail together.

If your true love was halfway around the world

...and you'd been separated for 33 years, what would you give to be reunited with them?

I am the Water, You are the Sea

THE STORY
In 1977, a young Peace Corps volunteer named Alex stared out the dusty back window of a silver BMW. As the car pulled away, his lover, Ali, stood in the middle of the street, waving goodbye. The car picked up speed, turned a corner, and Ali disappeared from sight. Alex turned around, blinked, and stared at his hands. The hands which had just moments before embraced the love of his life as they said goodbye. When would their hands touch again? Would they ever? Through tears, he stared out the window, watching the city of Tehran speed by. The Iranian revolution was drawing near, and he had no choice but to leave. To leave the only man who had ever truly loved him. His heart was breaking.

Directed by Malachi Leopold, I Am the Water, You Are the Sea tells the true story of two lovers: Alex, an American Peace Corps volunteer; and Ali, an Iranian Muslim. The two have been separated for more than 33 years. In 1967, while Alex was working with the Peace Corps in Iran, the two met, fell in love, and kept their relationship secret for 10 years. With political unrest escalating, and the Iranian revolution fast approaching, Alex was forced to leave Iran – and Ali – in 1977. The two haven’t seen each other since.

But now, for the first time in 33 years, they are going to be reunited. I Am the Water, You Are the Sea will document their reunion, in addition to telling the incredible true story of their forbidden love in Iran in the 60’s and 70’s.

We invite you to help us tell their incredible story, and inspire people around the world to believe that there is nothing that can keep us apart – not distance, not time, religion, politics, war, fear – nothing that can stand in the way of being who we truly are. Nothing that can stand in the way of loving who, what, when, where and how we want.

This is a special appeal to my readers to help provide financial support for the making of this movie. I have already made my own financial pledge toward the goal of $25,000. The goal must be reached by July 1, 2011, in order for the project to be funded. This story has touched me on so many levels and I already feel invested in witnessing the future happiness of Alex and Ali. I invite you to follow the links to pledge your monetary support for Malachi to tell their story.

Any takers?

I have a video on YouTube. Well, I have several, but this is about a particular video, one that has 300K views. It's not a long video, but it's a good one. I think it's the first I ever posted. It's a short clip of Queer as Folk, and it depicts the first time viewers see Justin top Brian.

The video has 280 likes, 14 dislikes, and 160 comments. Most comments are along the lines of, "I LOVED IT WHEN THIS HAPPENED," or "OMG, why did they stop it there??" Today I got a comment - and yes, it was directed to me personally - that, despite being nearly incoherent, managed to convey that the person is entirely homophobic and thinks I support the LGVT community because I'm afraid to speak out against them.

I read the comment today when I was at work (it was emailed to me) and spent part of the afternoon thinking about my response. I intended to reply when I got home this evening. Then when I was driving home, I saw a rainbow. Really. And I decided, fuck it. Nothing I could say would persuade him, and I don't need persuading (I had this conversation with myself long ago, and I couldn't agree with myself more).

However, I invite my readers to have at him/her/it. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK-xaS1xlF8 and the user who posted the comment in question is Getoverhere.