Tribes is out in Hungary!

I'm so excited! My plan for world domination is slowly coming to fruition. My novel TRIBES has been released in Hungary by Animus Kiado.


Here's the cover:



As you can see Tribes becomes Törzsek in Hungarian. We're already learning things, aren't we? And here's the write up:

"Arthur Slade: Törzsek
A tizenhét éves Percy egy különös hóbort rabja lesz. Megfigyeli és lejegyzi diáktársai szokásait, amit azt halottnak mondott apja afrikai törzsekkel tette. De lehet-e az ember pusztán külső személő egy közösségben? Érdemes-e kockáztatni az első szerelem élményét is?

160 oldal
Keménytáblás
ISBN 963 9563 92 7
1790 Ft"

Now does that sound like an exciting book or what? Eh? Eh? And it's only 1790 Ft! Quick, everyone rush to Budapest and buy a copy. I'll meet you there next to the bus stop by that old building with the neato architecture.

Wish I could be there to see my little book off on its way. Maybe it'll send me a t-shirt.

Art

Readings, Gifts, Readings

One thing I do a lot of is readings in schools. I won't go into my best and worst experiences (I've had plenty of both, though mostly good experiences...the bad ones stick out like sore thumbs), but one thing that often happens is the author is given a gift after the reading. I really appreciate this extra bit of gratitude (I appreciate the cheque, too, don't get me wrong). The most popular three gifts are a school pin, a pen (with the school's name on it) or a mug (with the school's name on it). Having the name of the school is helpful, especially a year later when I stumble across the pen and go, "Oh, yeah, I was there...when was that?" Some of the other gifts I've received are two small, nicely framed paintings (both having something to do with the area I was in), a clay ball-like paperweight with butterflies on it (this was made by a student who was inspired by DUST), a beautiful wooden planter with three clay pots (I still haven't managed to make anything grow in it, though), and an umbrella.

The umbrella was kind of a funny thing to give a kid from Saskatchewan. You rarely see umbrella's here, partly because it rarely seems to rain. But it's big and I tell ya, on the day it finally did rain, I went running around with my big umbrella feeling on top of the world (and dry).

Art

Oilers and Writing

Well the Edmonton Oilers (my team) just knocked the San Jose Sharks out of the NHL playoffs (they're hockey teams for those who don't know). It almost feels like the good ol' days when Gretzky and Messier would dominate the ice. The Oilers just didn't give up. When Ryan Smith had several of his teeth knocked out by the puck he got back on the ice as soon as he could and set up the winning goal.

And that's a lot like writing. Whenever we get our literary teeth knocked out by a rejection letter, a mental block, a bad review, or some other setback we just have to pick ourselves (and our teeth) back up, smile, and keep on playing the game. Because that's how you win.

Uh, gee, that's kind of a gross comparison now that I think of it. But thanks Ryan Smith for the inspiration.

Art