working on book edits

I've been completely immersed in edits for THE LUNATICS' BALL for almost two weeks and it's been exciting, despite some surprises, or maybe because of some surprises, since Kristen's suggestions have me thinking hard about the book and  where and how it should end. Kirsten pushed up the deadline to April 19; I'm hoping to get the manuscript to her this week for a short round of questions and answers and edits before then.  I think I'll make the deadline, which will mean a March 27, 2027 pub date.

Jon Crispin asked to see the Madeline essay in the  course of supplying his great photograph of her trunk and asked for a. phone call where we talked for a long time about his project and my project. He really likes the essay, which is nice! The guys who did the psychedelic collage art for the documentary about the 1978 punk show at Napa State Asylum also asked to see my essay about that, and they like it (and had one minor correction, which was useful) and it was great corresponding with them. I'll only have a handful of full page illustrations: the 1865 lunatics' ball at Blackwell's, Toulouse-Lautrec's Jane Avril, Jon's photograph, Mike and Jason's Napa art. And maybe ten or so half-page illustrations. I am amazed at how much work the illustrations have involved, locating them, procuring high-res copies, getting permissions. Glad it's almost done.

Unfortunately this is the busiest season of the year at CRAFT, when we decide on the short list of subs to send to the contest judge (Roxane Gay this year, who attracted a record-breaking number of submissions), along with the long list and honorable mentions. Cole, our new editor-in-chief, has us trying out a new way of handling the contest that so far seems to be much more efficient and much less of a burden for the associate editors.

Took time off this weekend to see an old friend visiting from back East on Friday, for the No Kings demonstration on Saturday (the largest demonstration the US has ever seen), and for the Irish-American Crossroads Festival Literary Salon on Sunday. It was intellectually energizing and I'm glad I went. A real salon, in the grand living room of a 100-year-old San Francisco mansion, with discussion of many topics between readings. Quite lovely.