I re-read what I had written in my first piece about minimalism on Saturday morning and decided to purge myself of around 100 books before the day was out. I know it will get harder as I get towards a sensible amount - but 100 were gathered and redistributed to a good home. I don't seem to have made much of a dent but it's a start.
They have gone somewhere other people can also read them and I guess some of them will become favourites, some will be passed further down the line and some will no doubt sit around doing not very much just like they did here but who knows what may happen when you let Paulo Coelho, Carlos Castaneda and Nick Kent out into the world together...
On the writing front, earlier this week I figured I should be submitting my work to literary magazines instead of - or as well as - stockpiling them here for publishing my own collections, I took to scouting around online for likely suspects and found this poster for the 2016 Raymond Carver Short Story Contest:
You can hit the poster image for more details on the comp. I post it here mostly because I love Raymond Carver and I need no other reason than that but it did lead me to think that maybe I should contribute a little more to the writing community by posting other such things here. It's tough out there. File under pending.
Meantime, on Thursday this week - April 7 if you're lost in space - the man I consider to be the greatest thriller writer on the face of this planet right now (and for some years), unleashes A Time Of Torment:
Which means I need to carve out a huge chunk of space to chew it up. I know it's not necessary to chew up a book like somebody might take it off you at any given moment but Mr Connolly is my exception to the rule.
Rather coincidentally, I find myself acting as a taxi driver for small person and friend on that very evening. It's Five Second Of Summer at the O2 - but you all knew that already right?
This is the first time I haven't bought myself a ticket to accompany her to such a thing - actually reads: "Do you have to come with us?" - so I figured I would find a corner somewhere that sells coffee and do some work, but now I have a much better idea. I'll share my corner and my coffee with Charlie Parker and hope that 5SOS over-run.
(Thank you J.C. - your timing this year is very much appreciated. If One Direction get back together next year, I'll mail you tour dates and maybe we could figure something similar out.)
Footnote:
If you're unfamiliar with Charlie Parker - and yep, I say this every year - go back and start at the beginning with Every Dead Thing. This is known as Time Not Wasted. If you're already with me on this, you can read the first chapter of A Time Of Torment right here.
Footnote 2:
Charlie Parker does not feature as part of The Purge. Some things need to stay where they are for obvious reasons.