I got an email from a reader earlier. The sender was a lovely young woman who had just re-read my first published fic and wanted to tell me how much she enjoyed it—how it made her feel, how it made her smile, how it made her cry, how it made her excited to get home each night and curl up in bed with it, how it helped ease the pain of a difficult patch in her life, and how much she misses it now that it’s over. It was a beautiful letter, and my reaction to it must have been visible enough to make my saner half take notice from across the room. He shot me a questioning look, and I turned the laptop around and gestured to the screen.
I followed his eyes as they scanned each line, saw his lips tip up in a smile that grew broader as he read, then braced myself for the good natured snark I’ve come to expect when my little literary hobby comes up in conversation.
“Wow.” He said. “That was kind of amazing. How does it feel to be someone’s favorite author?”
“Don’t be a dick,” I said, slapping him on the shoulder.
“I’m serious,” he replied, gesturing to the screen. "That’s what she said—right there: You’re my favorite author.”
“I think she means favorite fic author. Not real author.”
“Is there a difference?” He asked.
“Yes,” I said, rolling my eyes. ”Of course there is.”
“Why?”
“Because, as someone in this room who isn’t ME is fond of pointing out, self published gay mystery romance novels aren’t exactly eligible for the pulitzer.” I said, turning the computer back around.
“So what?” he shrugged, “Something you wrote inspired a stranger to sit down write what it meant to them and send it to you. A lot of total strangers, as a matter of fact. You write, people read it and react. That makes you an author.”
“Huh.” I said, very eloquently, then got up and went into the kitchen to start dinner.
Hours later, sitting down to reply to the letter in question I find myself writing this post instead. Because here’s the thing: That wonderfully crazy man who lives in my house is right. (But please don’t tell him I said that)
From the moment I realized that letters made up words and words made up sentences and sentences made up worlds that were mine to explore any time I wanted to I’ve been a reader. I have fallen in love with perfect phrases and epic stories and countless characters pressed between the pages of the thousands of books I’ve read in my life so far—and sitting down to string together those same 26 letters into tens of thousands of words of stories I felt needed telling? That makes me an author.
I have adored the work of countless authors in numerous genres, and the world of fan fic is no exception. I have admired and cherished and savored the words of talented writers whose work is no less legitimate for the fact that their names include random keyboard characters and their words don’t live on bound paper on a shelf.
It’s not JUST fan fic. It’s literature. It’s published. It’s read. It’s loved.
It matters.
Thanks to all of my favorite authors for every word on every page on every screen that I’ve ever loved.
“Ballet embraces the soft, ethereal and majestic side to women, and yet we often don’t see the media portray black women in this light. My project aims to reveal that women of color possess these qualities. We too are capable of portraying the princess, fairy and swan.”
—Aesha Ash
Aesha Ash’s prestigious career has included world class roles. Yet she’s now on to a different mission, with three big goals. She wishes to see ballet become more diverse. She hopes to inspire youth from rough areas to pursue their dreams. And she wants to show the world that tough environments can’t hold back talented people, especially those with ambition.
Aesha performed professionally for 13 years. She attended the legendary School of American Ballet; joined the New York City Ballet at age 18; and has danced solo and principal roles for companies like the Béjart Ballet in Lausanne, Switzerland, and the Alonzo King Lines Ballet in San Francisco. Now she’s focused on The Swan Dreams Project, in which she uses imagery to tackle stereotypes placed on black women. Aesha commissions photographers to snap her as a ballerina in her hometown of rugged Rochester, New York, and in Richmond, California, and then donates proceeds from photo sales to organizations helping advance inner city youth. She also donates images to organizations for their fundraisers and to people seeking more positive imagery for their children or groups.
The dancer points out that black women have always existed in ballet, yet few become principals, the highest tier of dancers. When Misty Copeland became the first black female principal with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre last summer, Aesha found the milestone a moment to celebrate, yet sad and troubling that in 2016, we’re still celebrating a first. She hopes The Swan Dreams project will give more dancers — and youths in general — the chance to be celebrated for their own talents.
Rochester has one of America’s highest crime rates. But Aesha hits the streets to prove that her hometown is more than violence and gangs. That’s where her Swan Dreams Project comes in. “My community saw that out of our environment came a ballerina, not just negativity — a little black girl from inner city Rochester actually went on to become a professional ballet dancer in a top-tiered company,” Aesha said in a one-on-one interview for this report. “Youth followed me on the street saying, ‘This is what we need. This lifts us up.’”
A little belated birthday-gift for the lovely sheepskeleton ~ I hope you like it, dearie ^^
Marius thought it was a good idea to crop his hair and Armand is wondering if he’ll survive falling in love again.
awwww thank you, darling!!! this is wonderful! and you improved so much! *__*
And yet my sorrow did not overwhelm me, did not actually visit me, did not make of me the wracked and desperate creature I might have expected to become. Perhaps it was not possible to sustain the torment I’d experienced when I saw Claudia’s burnt remains. Perhaps it was not possible to know that and exist over any period of time.
Louis de Pointe du Lac, Interview with the Vampire (via monstersinthecosmos)
“Mon cher, Lestat.” Claudia sighed with a sweet smile. “I may have left the nest but my home is with you.” Biting her lower lips she shook her head only to continue smiling. “I think of you too often and I miss you more than you think. You may be a Brat Prince now but you were mine before you were many of theirs….”
BRYAN FULLER WILL BE PRODUCING THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES TV SERIES!!!!!!! ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
Christopher posted this on the Facebook page of the Vampire Chronicles:
“Christopher here, with an exciting announcement about our show. Sometime in the 1980’s, a young teenager from Washington State, who dreamed of working in Hollywood one day, decided it was his destiny to write a film adaptation of a novel called INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE. So that teenager did what any resourceful, gifted and determined young person would do in such an instance; he got a copy of the San Francisco phone book and checked to see if the novel’s author had a listed phone number.
It turns out she did. To his astonishment, the author, my mother Anne Rice, answered the phone herself when he called, and when this young man declared his intentions to adapt her book for the big screen, she gave him the number of the producer in Hollywood who owned the rights. Naturally, the producer’s response was something along the lines of, “You’re too young, kid. Go hone your talent. Maybe someday.”
Today I’m thrilled to inform you that the young man of which I speak is Bryan Fuller, who grew up to be one of television’s most innovative creative forces, responsible for such an amazing array of shows as HANNIBAL, DEAD LIKE ME and PUSHING DAISIES. Even better, the opportunity he asked for all those years ago has finally arrived.
It’s our great pleasure to officially announce that Bryan has become a member of the creative family working to bring the story of the vampire Lestat to television. For a year now, my mother and I have had the joy of working with creative partners at Paramount Television and Anonymous Content who share our vision for a prestigious, long-form, high quality and high production value television series focusing on the journey of the immortal Lestat as he travels the lengths of the vampire world detailed in The Vampire Chronicles. Almost instantly after we sold the rights last April, we knew we were working with some of the finest producers television had to offer. And those producers knew that Bryan would be a perfect addition to our creative team.
For months now, we’ve been developing written material that focuses Lestat’s story for television while also delivering on the promises Mom made to her fans last year when she first announced her intentions for the show. We’re confident this material will garner more exciting announcements in the months ahead. But for now, please help us welcome this brilliant and wildly talented force to Team Vampire Chronicles.
If you’d like to hear Bryan tell the story of his fateful, teenage phone call to his favorite author, I’ve included a clip from his interview with The Dinner Party Show in the comments below. Bryan and I will be together tonight, along with our friend and fellow writer, Eric Shaw Quinn, at the Hollywood premiere of THE ALIENIST, another eagerly anticipated adaptation of a popular novel, and a show that we’re sure will demonstrate to all why Paramount and Anonymous are the perfect home for Lestat and all of his fledglings, fellow vampires and rivals.”
Sometime in the 1980’s, a young teenager from Washington State, who dreamed of working in Hollywood one day, decided it was his destiny to write a film adaptation of a novel called INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE.
… To his astonishment, the author, my mother Anne Rice, answered the phone herself when he called, and when this young man declared his intentions to adapt her book for the big screen,
she gave him the number of the producer in Hollywood who owned the rights. Naturally, the producer’s response was something along the lines of, “You’re too young, kid. Go hone your talent. Maybe someday.” Today I’m thrilled to inform you that…the opportunity he asked for all those years ago has finally arrived.
Yes, I love his big cozy sweater + unkempt look aesthetic, too. Louis is a professional couch potato ;D
I love how soulful and wise and beautiful and plain human Louis is.
Yes definitely! He takes immense pleasure in simple things. Still uses oil lamps because the flame is so much friendlier than an electric lamp 😉
It’s stupid, but if I got to meet him I think we’d get along. I’d love to bring him old books of poetry and candles, surprise him with a fountain pen and parchment, and spend warm New Orleans nights at the Rue Royale flat with him. I just really really love Louis so much ugh jeez
What you suggested is absolutely NOT STUPID, I do think you’d get along well with him, it sounds like a perfect evening with a close friend ❤ More power to you, anon!
I-want-my-IWTV 