Last Year (Santa Fe)

January 1, 2016 at 5:43 pm

My Lost Post also contained some reports on the other projects I’m involved with here in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Biggest one is Meow Wolf’s ongoing transformation of the Silva Lanes, a derelict bowling alley, into a fantastic interactive art exhibit called the House of Eternal Return. I bought the bowling alley last January, and construction has been ongoing ever since. Of course, we’re behind schedule. Originally hoped to open in September. Then November. Then January.

Now it’s March, but March is looking solid. And really, boys and girls, if you pass through New Mexico any time this century, you will really want to stop and visit the House of Eternal Return. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Besides, we have a giant robot and a giant spider in the parking lot.

Rather than recap, let me just link to all my previous blog posts about Meow Wolf. That should catch everyone up well enough.

http://grrm.livejournal.com/400257.html

http://grrm.livejournal.com/405122.html

http://grrm.livejournal.com/407659.html

http://grrm.livejournal.com/447230.html

http://grrm.livejournal.com/449525.html

http://grrm.livejournal.com/457716.html

http://grrm.livejournal.com/461320.html

Besides Silva Lanes, my other ongoing project is Dragonstone Studios, the former Desert Academy prep school that we’ve been converting to artist studios and offices. Work is still ongoing there (and way behind schedule, like everything else I am connected with, it seems), and there’s less to say since this is not intended for the public… but the building has been filling up nicely with artists, a real creative community seems to be developing, and I’m stoked.

There’s also some cool stuff going on down in Candy Kitchen, New Mexico at the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary. But more on that in the future, when the work is done.

And there’s something else… but no, can’t talk about that one yet…

I love Santa Fe, and it pleases me no end that I am able to given something back to the community that has nurtured me since 1979.

Tags: everyday life, meow wolf, santa fe

Last Year (the Cliff’s Notes version)

January 1, 2016 at 2:49 pm

My giant Review of the Year Post got eaten by Live Journal.

That was very vexing. I had spent the entire morning and part of the afternoon working on that post. It was very long. Lots of graphics too, book covers and party photographs, all sorts of stuff I had to find on my hard drive and load. And in an instant it was gone.

I don’t have the time to energy to recreate it. I probably could not even if I tried. Nothing is as onerous as trying to rewrite something you’ve already written and lost.

So all I can give you, on this fine 2016 afternoon, is a sort of Cliff’s Notes version.

And to make sure I don’t lose a lot of stuff again, I will break this up into a number of shorter posts rather than one epic one.

So… where was I? Oh, the lost post. Well, the title was simply “2015.” It was meant to be a review of my entire year, personal and professional. And yes, I talked about WINDS, but I talked about a lot of things as well. That was the sort of year it was.

My opening statement was a crib from Dickens: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Which pretty well sums up 2015 for me. Lots and lots and lots of amazing stuff happened, and I felt that I wanted to stress that… most writers could only dream about the kind of year I had… but it was a year full of frustration and disappointments as well, a year of lows as well as highs…

So let me get into that.

In smaller posts.

Tags: computer woes, everyday life

Xmas Day

December 25, 2015 at 5:45 pm

Hi, kids, hiya hiya.

Xmas is here. The three spooks have come and gone.

Merry merry to all men and women of good will.

Been quite a year, but I can reflect on that closer to New Year’s.

Turducken awaits.

Tags: everyday life

Getting Hectic Here

June 16, 2015 at 11:01 am

Things are getting hectic here. I am doing what I hope is the final round of editing on HIGH STAKES, the new Wild Cards mosaic novel, in hopes of delivering that one to the good folks (and they are) at Tor before I take off for Europe.

On Thursday, we’re off to Germany. I have a big event in Hamburg, and Sibel Kekilli has promised to show me her city… seeing as how I showed her Santa Fe a few months ago, it’s only fair. From there I’ll be flying to Sweden for a few days in Stockholm, then taking a ferry to the Aland Islands for my long-planned appearance as GOG at Archipelacon.

I will try to post a few more details about the trip before we fly off.

(Meanwhile, of course, I still have Puppies nipping at my ankles. Even the sad ones seem to have gone rabid of late. tsk)

Tags: conventions, everyday life, travels, wild cards

One Nice Night

April 12, 2015 at 1:38 pm

I felt strongly that I had to speak up about Puppygate, and I have. I am glad I did. But do not think for a moment that I’ve enjoyed it. Though I have done my best to keep the discussion civil, there’s still a whiff of venom in the air. (You should see some of the comments I’ve deleted). It gives one a headache.

With all that being said, it’s nice sometimes to restore one’s faith in humanity, and I did some of that last night at my theatre. Magician Francis Menotti was performing at the Cocteau, and I went down to catch his act. Francis was wonderfully entertaining, and the crowd was great too. Old people, young people, kids, black people and white people and brown people, men and women, all ooohing and aaahing at the magic and laughing at the jokes, enjoying adult beverages (well, not the children) like our famous Burning Tumblewheel and our new White Walkers. They all came out smiling, and lots of them stopped afterwards in the bar to chat with me and Francis. One young couple were making their first visit to Santa Fe; they had just gotten engaged, and the two of them were bright-eyed and excited and glowing. Made me feel good just to meet them.

That’s what worldcons used to be like. Should be like. Could be like again.

Last night restored my faith in people, a little. It’s not fandom that’s toxic. It’s the internet.

Tags: everyday life, fandom, jean cocteau

Bowling for Art

January 11, 2015 at 4:16 pm

The local newspapers have all broken the story, so I might as well acknowledge it here as well.

Yeah, I bought a bowling alley.

Except… well… not really. I bought the former Silva Lanes property on Rufina Circle, a block off Cerrillos Road in south Santa Fe. But there hasn't been any bowling there since 2009, when Silva Lanes went bankrupt. And, indeed, all the lanes and interior furnishings were ripped out several years ago by a previous "buyer" who then failed to follow through with the purchase. So essentially I bought a huge empty derelict building (some 33,000 square feet) and a big parking lot.

201004022_04

I also have acquired a very tall bowling-pin-shaped sign, for what it's worth (not much).

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Sad to say (for bowling fans), I am not planning to bring bowling back to Santa Fe. (Some other folks are doing that, supposedly, with brand new lanes in the Railyard District a few blocks from the Cocteau). Nor will I be using the space for a karaoke bar. The previous owner tried that too.

The building, instead, will be used for art… not a traditional gallery, now, but a very exciting and innovative interactive art space. The exhibits will be designed and installed by Meow Wolf, a collective of forty-odd (some very odd) artists here in Santa Fe who have been doing some amazing things over the past decade, but have never had a permanent home before.

Meow Wolf will be announcing their plans in the next month. Till then, here are some stories:

http://www.sfreporter.com/santafe/article-9749-meow-wolf-to-take-over-old-silva-lanes.html

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/business/martin-meow-wolf-join-to-make-silva-lanes-an-art/article_a2c265d9-73c9-5059-be92-260fadeb064e.html

http://www.abqjournal.com/522152/news/old-bowling-alley-on-its-way-to-an-artistic-transformation.html

And check out the Meow Wolf home page, for a better idea of the kind of stuff they do.

http://meowwolf.com/

I think this should be very exciting, and real boost to local tourism, the arts scene, something kids of all ages will enjoy. But that's really up to Meow Wolf. My phone has been ringing off the hook with calls from people wanting comments about this, but I'm not the guy to talk to. Bottom line, I am just the landlord. The dream, the vision, and the hard work all belong to Meow Wolf.

But it should be cool.

And yes, we're going to keep the big bowling pin. I insisted.

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Tags: artwork, everyday life, meow wolf, santa fe

Happy Holidays

December 25, 2014 at 10:58 am

Merry Xmas to all. Hope Santa was good to you.

(Maybe some of you found THE WORLD OF ICE & FIRE under the tree. Or THE ICE DRAGON).

Those of you near one of the 300 independent theatres showing THE INTERVIEW today, do go and take in a show, and help us make a statement.

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Tags: everyday life, good causes, movies

Gobble Gobble Gobble

November 27, 2014 at 12:20 pm

Turkey Day is here again. (Where did that year go?)

Happy Thanksgiving to all my fans, friends, and family.

A day for fond memories. Including this one:

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Tags: everyday life, humor

Pat Floats Away

November 6, 2014 at 11:18 pm

Alas, alack, we've lost Pat.

My faithful minion Patricia Rogers, who has manned the phones here for lo these several years and done all manner of other things to keep the chaos at bay, took her leave of the office on November 1.

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Thankfully, Pat departed for Albuquerque rather than the stratosphere. She has gone to work for James S.A. Corey, made up in equal parts of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. Yes, sad to say, she has turned to the Dark Side. But the Dark Side is considerably closer to her house than the Citadel of Wisdom here in Santa Fe; it will save her three hours of commuting every day, so we can't blame her.

But we will miss her.

Lenore Gallegos has taken over most of Pat's duties. Raya remains as well, and from time to time Jo pops in, so I am adequately minioned for the moment. (In other words, DON'T SEND JOB APPLICATIONS, I am not hiring). So long as I keep that skylight closed, they should remain safely stuck to the ceiling, and work will proceed as usual.

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Tags: everyday life, santa fe, the writing life

Happy Halloween

October 31, 2014 at 11:22 am

My life just keeps getting more and more surreal.

I thought it was pretty odd last year, when the GAME OF THRONES – inspired Halloween costumes offered for sale on the internet included not only Jon Snow, Dany, Melisandre, and other characters from the show, but also one based on me. Whoever heard of dressing up as a writer for trick or treating? I've never seen a Stephen King costume, a Scott Fitzgerald costume, a Herman Melville costume. But there it was, a George R.R. Martin. "It can't get any weirder than this," I thought.

Hoo boy, was I wrong about that.

This year, believe it or not, PLAYBOY has unveiled a "Sexy George R.R. Martin" costume.

I can't say that I've ever had a thing for bearded women, but I have to confess, Sexy George R.R. Martin is… er… sexy. But there is something deeply disturbing about being turned on by yourself. Stranger than incest. Or even twincest.

There's a video too. Check it out, along with some of the other strange 'sexy' costumes PLAYBOY has come up with, at

http://www.playboy.com/articles/halloween-costumes-2014

I am frightened to think what next Halloween may bring…

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Tags: everyday life, weirdness

Not a Blog

Last Year (Santa Fe)

Last Year (the Cliff’s Notes version)

Xmas Day

Getting Hectic Here

One Nice Night

Bowling for Art

Happy Holidays

Gobble Gobble Gobble

Pat Floats Away

Happy Halloween

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