September 16

Okay, after five-plus years of posting the journal on time, surely I’m entitled to be late just the once? But thanks for your concern, Fred and others. (Oh yes, before I forget, Happy birthday, Pat Stanton.)

There have been a couple of reasons for my tardiness. For openers I’ve been concentrating hard on the completion of a new work, probably the biggest I’ve ever attempted. But happily I am there, and I like what I’ve created. It’ll be a while before it’s published, almost a year and a half, and I’m going to be impatient to see the finished version long before then, but that’s the way it goes. Is it a Skinner? Is it a Primavera? Is it Oz, back from the dead? None of the above. So what is it? Sorry, but you’ll just have to wait and see.

While that’s been taking shape, the site’s been moving house. As I told visitors a couple of months ago, my founding webmaster Graham Brown has moved on to a new phase in his life, with my sincerest thanks for all the help he’s given me, and the work he’s done. The process of change has been a little bit more complex than simply whistling up Pickford, so there have been periods of inaccessibility while Keith, GB’s worthy successor has been moving me across to my new host. In the process, I’m afraid I’ve lost a few feedback messages. My apologies to those who haven’t received a reply, but it’s been in a good cause in that I can now receive your thoughts and observations more directly and quickly. So keep them coming, okay? Actually there are more changes in prospect. We’re looking at transforming what’s been a monthly journal into a more frequent communication, one which will let me respond more quickly and but effectively. How? Remains to be seen, but I won’t be Twittering. Tried that, and while it’s good for the ego to wake up and find two dozen ladies offering you their sexual favours, it gets in the way of one’s day.

Finally, during my sabbatical a lot of work has gone into the purchase link on this site. I’ve been conscious for a while that there are people in the world who value an author’s signature on a book, and I’ve been looking for a means to give potential buyers this option. If you’ve got here, you’ll have been to the home page, and you’ll know that we’ve got there. From now on, the purchase link on the index or the banner on the home page will take you to a site called Campbell Read Books and nowhere else. What is this new store? It’s a venture set up by my son Allan and the business title is taken from his middle names. He’s starting by offering nine books, post-free in the UK, discounted P&P elsewhere, including the most recent hardbacks and airport editions, and the range will expand in the near future. Yes, you can still buy them all at Amazon or Waterstone, or even should you choose, dog-eared on eBay, but every book sold by Campbell Read Books with my name on the cover will have my signature on the title page. Dedications? That would be more difficult. CRB guarantees dispatch within five days, But I’ll see what can be done around Christmas.

*****

From my limited mailbox

Moe Munyon. Sorry about your uncle, Moe, but quite a turnout at his send-off. Just finished a book that’s set in your lovely city, or thereabouts; The Gentlemen’s Hour.

Dennis Manning. Try Campbell Read Books; it may be able to oblige.

Marjorie Marson. I am also proof of the same phenomenon.

Pamela Barrett. I’m not quite sure what you mean. This is a first for me. Maybe Australian punctuation is different from British. (Is that so, Fred?) Close quotes, end of that person’s direct speech; that’s how it works. I read an (no names) author who insisted on name checking he characters four or five times on every page, and ruined the flow of the dialogue.

Sue Rawlings. Yes, they do, and yes, I could use alternatives, but you’d blinking hate some of them, almost as blinking much as I would.

Margaret Buston. This is how I see it; language evolves. Just ask the ever-eloquent James Kelman. It’s all about effective communication. The character to whom you refer wasn’t a native English speaker, so she’s likely to be imperfect, is she not?

Peta Isbell. I see a long and successful career as a copy editor beckoning to you. Stevie was George’s mate; he thinks of him a lot. Fictional characters are human too; they make mistakes like the rest of us. (But well spotted!)

Steve Bobker. Nice one. All I can say is ‘No, it isn’t’, and ‘No, he doesn’t’. Jet black, but I’ll check him out for grey next month in Toronto.

Sorry again to the lost dozens!

Till the next time

QJ