Preparing for onslaught of in-law visits for three weeks. Working feverishly on the MS for its final version, writing “end notes” for poems with obscure references, getting rid of lines that aren’t working, trying to fix missed punctuation, and all that. Found out that I have a rare genetic condition that results in something called “PAI-1 Deficiency,” which is a bit like a mild case of hemophilia. It means blood clots are continually broken down, instead of building up enough to stop any bleeding completely. This results in a bad situation when you go in for say, minor surgery or have minor head trauma. Which means that I get to try some new drugs, like something called “Amicar.” Sounds like Amway for Cars. Fun for me. Anyway, let me sing the praises of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance once again. Very humane treatment, and smart, tenacious doctors. Who give you their e-mail addresses. My little brother has to be tested for this genetic mutation too. He runs a Shaolin Dojo, so he’s much more at risk for, say, sword injury than I am. I stay away from the swords and the kicks to the head in general.
Someone mentioned short poems, so I thought I’d post my latest poem, which was inspired by a USA Today headline:

“Disney Hopes Fairies Will Fly Into Girls’ Hearts”

Imagine: their sweet little hearts glutted
not by blood and plasma but fairies,
flitting about the ventricles, their wings
benign but dangerous as scalpels.

Also got to see Ben Folds and Rufus Wainwright perform this weekend. The highlight was when they sang a duet version of a Wham song, I think it was Careless Whisper. Hilarious, although most of the crowd just seemed perplexed. From the side, Rufus looks like a more slender Kevin Sorbo.
This is the artist that I’m working with for the cover of Becoming the Villainess. Here’s her web site – click on “Illustration” to see examples of her work. Quite the genius, and a lovely person as well. www.michaelaeaves.com My favorite pics are the girl with the skeleton and the fairy-tale looking gnome castle.
And a quiz: what’s your favorite film with a female superhero? Spy girls count as superheroes, as do crime fighters.