Blue Moon

There's a blue moon tonight, something that's fairly rare, happening once every 2 1/2 years. That it occurs on New Year's Eve is even rarer, happening only once in 19 years. But wait! It gets better... there's also a partial lunar eclipse happening tonight, something that is particularly rare: in the next 1000 years, Blue Moons on New Year's Eve will be eclipsed only 11 times... once every 91 years. Cool, huh.

Love those full moons.

Great read:

I started Ron Currie, Jr.'s novel, Everything Matters!, back in October, reading on the plane from Milwaukee to Tampa and back again. I found the premise (a boy is born with the ability to "know" things, everyday things about happenings with family, friends and strangers alike, as well as the important, life-altering stuff like the exact date the world will end) intriguing in a mysterious, esoteric sort of way.

I got halfway through the book during those October flights and then life and the holidays got in the way. It sat on my nightstand until this week when I picked it up again (on another flight from Milwaukee to Tampa). It took only a page and I was back in it, back in the lives of these people. It's told from several POVs, including an omniscient "group" intelligence, which is the source of his knowings. I thoroughly enjoyed the read and was, in fact, a little sad to let go when it ended. It was a very unique setup and the authority with which it was told was remarkable: I bought it.

Add this to your list.

Does QUIRKY have its place?

I just received yet *another* rejection for a short-short piece that's, well, quirky. And while I understand that rejection is part of the game, I'm beginning to wonder if this particular piece is doomed. I won't tell you how many times it's been rejected because a) saying it out loud makes it more about the number, somehow, and b) I've got other "normal" stories with many more rejections that've found homes. But I like this story. It's off beat, humorous in an odd sort of way, maybe even a little weird. But it's harmless. And, it's short, <600 words, so it doesn't require a big investment of time... just a willingness to investigate. Surely there are folks out there who appreciate quirky?