Dirty Laundry: Prattlings

Look Who’s On The Cover of Sports Illustrated

At least, the Canadian edition.

Posted by Don Calame on 2.12.10 at 09:47 am in Prattlings. (0) Comments

Here Come The Olympics

Or is it, “Here Comes The Olympics?” This kind of thing always confuses me. Is the Olympics a singular event or ARE the Olympics considered plural because they represent a number of sports. The Olympics SOUNDS plural but I have a sneaking suspicion it’s supposed to be referred to as singular. I will have to ask my editor about this. She is much more “studied up” on these matters. For instance, I was under the impression that you were still supposed to put two spaces between a period and the next new sentence. But apparently that has changed. And not that recently, either. Something to do with typewriters and monospaced typefaces. You’d think as a writer I should know all these things.

Well, I’m here to tell you, I don’t. I’ve learned quite a few new “tricks of the trade” working with an editor on my books, including the use of the em dash, of which I am now a huge fan. But the good thing about writing in the first person (and particularly from the point of view of a teenage boy) is that I can get away with a lot of slang and improper usage because, well, “that’s how he thinks, that’s how I hear him speak, etc. etc.”

Anyway, onto the subject of this blog. We here in beautiful British Columbia are about to be the focus of the sporting world for the next little while and I’m truly excited about it. I know that there are people who are upset about how much money is being spent, and how many services are being cut, and how the roads are being blocked off, and construction is a nightmare, and the Olympics historically does (do???) not bring money into the host cities, and blah blah blah blah blah. I understand all this and I do feel a twinge of guilt about being so incredibly excited about it. And really, not because I care one bit about any of the other sports beyond hockey (sorry all you Skeleton fans). It’s a completely selfish reason but having the chance to see the world’s greatest hockey players match up against each other is a huge thrill for me.

Since I will be attending some of the hockey games, I have it in my head that I want to do a “Live At the Olympics” blog, complete with photos and everything. I am going to bring my computer and my camera and I will try to give you my impressions of the events, the city, and everything that’s going on. We’ll see how that works. If I can manage to steal (borrow???) some internet while I’m in Vancouver (as the apartment I’m staying in for the six days is not equipped with wireless) I might be able to keep you all up to date.

And so, until then, I’ll leave you with this:

 

 

Posted by Don Calame on 2.10.10 at 11:08 am in Prattlings. (0) Comments

Things to Be Excited about in 2010

I figured I’d wait until the glut of “Hey, it’s 2010!” blogs and news reports had come and gone before I threw my hat into the ring. That, and I just sort of realized it was a new year the other day. I could blame it on my busy writing schedule, or the fact that Sidney Crosby is scoring more goals this year than ever before, or that I’ve been lost in the mountain that is Stephen King’s new book “Under the Dome,” or that I’ve been watching waaaaaay too many episodes of The Dog Whisperer (and thinking, maybe I should be some kind of “whisperer.” Cats maybe, or fish. Yeah, I could teach all those unruly fish to behave and not rush at the door whenever the FedEx guy arrives).

I could blame it on all those things. And I think I will. Why not? Those are good enough excuses. And they’re all true. Mostly. Except for the part about wanting to be a fish whisperer.

So, I’d like to welcome you all to 2010. A year that promises to be incredibly exciting (at least for me). And here’s my top 10 reasons why I’m so excited:

1) I got the newly remastered Beatles CDs and they sound incredible. I will be listening to them extensively this coming year.

2) The Olympics are coming to Vancouver. And I’m going to see three hockey games, which is on my list of things to do before I die. So, hopefully, Ill survive at least through the end of February.

3) My new book “Beat the Band” is coming out in the fall. (You should be excited about this one, too, because it’s pretty damn funny!) And actually, I’d like to survive to see that come out, too. So, fingers crossed!

4) It’s the start of a new decade which means all the cool “Best of last decade” lists will be coming out—or, are already out—and so, I can see all the best things I’ve missed out on.

5) Sidney Crosby will be playing on the Canadian Olympic team (this deserved it’s own slot on the list, IMHO)

6) I will be starting work on a third book at some point this year.

7) I will finish the mountain that is Stephen King’s “Under the Dome” (okay, I’ve already finished it - yesterday - and it was pretty damn fun. It seems long (well, it IS long) but it reads fast. Don’t be intimidated!!! (And don’t be intimidated by all those exclamation marks!!!!)

8) Summer’s coming (eventually)

9) Canada will win the Olympic Gold Medal in Hockey (Men and Women). That is my prediction and I’m sticking to it. I’ll be happy if the U.S. wins, also (I am a dual citizen, you know) but hockey means so much more to Canada than everywhere else, and so, I think it would only be appropriate for Canada to win. The U.S. can get silver. They will feel good about that. But in Canada, a silver medal in hockey is just the first loser.

10) Apple’s mythical iTablet will be released (at least, those are the rumors) and since I’ve become an Apple addict I will probably have to get one (or ask for one for my birthday), even though I have no idea what I’ll use it for.

11) Brand new cover for the Swim the Fly paperback.

12) Audiobook of Swim the Fly being released.

And there you go. My top… twelve list for things I’m excited about in 2010.

 

Posted by Don Calame on 1.20.10 at 12:00 pm in Prattlings. (1) Comments

Beat the Band

My amazing (and very demanding!!!) editor, Kaylan Adair asked me (in the midst of my very intense rewriting schedule) to put together a little video that she could show at the Candlewick sales conference as she presented my new book Beat the Band (Fall 2010).  Basically, I was to give a little background as to where the inspiration for the book came from.  And so, since I made the video and she’s already shown it, I figured, I might as well share it with everyone else. 

Posted by Don Calame on 12.2.09 at 03:48 pm in Prattlings. (3) Comments