Author Archives: Mandolin

A Haiku For Wednesday, August 14th

The willow droops black
against a lavender sky,
a still precipice.
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Serpent of Smarm

Sometimes I draw a head and then I don’t want to draw a body so the neck becomes something else. A snake is often that something. 
 
This guy would totally try to sell you on an apple.
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A Haiku For Friday, August 9th

A startle of wet
briskly awakens my skin.
I am thinking flesh.
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Silly Interview with Brooke Bolander, who will teach you the guiding principle “What Would David Bowie Wear”

    Rachel Swirsky: Frankly, your fashion is amazing. I would be happy to listen to you talk about it in whatever way you want. If you’d like some prompting – what’s the basis of your aesthetic? How do you … Continue reading Continue reading

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Rachel Swirsky 2019-07-24 11:27:33

Mozart is a character I drew for a role-playing game I was sketching out called Cats and Dogs Living Together.  Mozart was raised as a potential show dog, but only competed once before retiring. At six pounds, the handsome eight-year-old … Continue reading Continue reading

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Silly Interview with Aliette de Bodard, Expert on Lovecraftian House Plants

Rachel Swirsky: What is the best part of living in Paris? Aliette de Bodard: The bread. Or possibly the éclairs. I have a weakness for coffee éclairs, and they’re just not the same abroad (I’ve tried!). RS: What is the … Continue reading Continue reading

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Patreon Content for May & June 2019!

Patreon content went up this week! There’s a poem for all patrons: ” Silver Tree Day” which I wrote about the street where my grandparents lived. For $2 patrons, there’s an excerpt from an unfinished story about first business in … Continue reading Continue reading

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Silly Interview with S. L. Huang, Spectacular Specimen of Superhumanity

Rachel Swirsky: When you were at MIT, did you take any writing classes? What was it like studying writing in that environment?  SL Huang: I did not!  Which is kind of strange given that MIT has a ridiculously good creative writing … Continue reading Continue reading

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Silly Interview with Monica Valentinelli, Who Aspires to Terrify You with Marshmallows

(Editor’s Note: This interview has been in the vault. For Monica’s most updated work, visit her at  www.booksofm.com.) Rachel Swirsky: You can write any tie-in on any subject you want. All the normal rules are out the window. If you’re … Continue reading Continue reading

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Silly Interview with John Chu, who will tell you about the great injustices of American Musical Theater

(Illustration by Christopher Silas Neal for “The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere“) Rachel Swirsky: I am completely fascinated by the translation work you and Ken and others are doing to bring Chinese SF to the US audience. (Also, … Continue reading Continue reading

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