Congratulations

One of my favourite authors is getting married to one of my favourite artists. It's like a fairytale in so many ways.

Is he dying?

I hear rumours that the great nobel savage, the impressive, the strong and mighty and seemingly unstoppable Zakk Wylde is dying, and it breaks my heart. His kids are so young, and his wife - oh she's such a sweetheart and they seem so happy together!

I hope it's just rumours!

Vampire

Twilight may be giving us the Vampire Nouvelle, but I'm an old fashioned girl when it comes to vampires. Rice stands a better chance



And so does Stoker



Do we want to go this way? We may possibly do.

On love

Just a few tables away from where I'm sitting. He's so much in love, he smiles at her, at everyone around, at the potted flowers, he’s just so full of smiles. I can see the stars flying around him, I can literally see them flying from his twinkling eyes to her.

There are no stars around her, and the smiles seem forced. When he leans forwards she leans backwards, when he leans backwards she relaxes. It’s like they are choreographed, but not together.

His stars brighten the entire restaurant, but when he gets up to leave the kiss lands on her cheek. He’s still smiling, strokes her hair and goes away, no dances away. He waves from the entrance and is gone. With him all the stars left.

She picks up her phone, dials a number. Her voice sounds tired and a little flat.

I fear this story ends with one heart broken. Perhaps even two.

Emilie Autumn

I learnt to walk in the backstages of theatres and opera houses, amongst the beautiful chaos of costume changes, circus performers, sweaty ballerinas, dripping make-up, and far too much glitter. Then, I went mad and was locked up. What did you think that would sound like?

Emilie Autumn says about her music. The child-prodigy classical violinist grew into a very special artist. She played with Cortney Love on her debut solo album and toured with her for a few years, worked a while with Smashing Pumpkin's Billy Corgan before releasing her own solo album, Ohpeliac, in 2006.

To me Emilie Autumn is the kind of person who is so pretty, so adorably cute, so strong and so vulnerable it breaks my heart, the kind of artist I cannot not love! Her music is funny, rich and elaborate, her way of performing it so light in touch it dances all around the room. Her lyrics are beautiful, poetic and slightly bizarre, she follows the gothic tradition in her choice of themes and sings about death and madness as phenomena rather than as threats.

Give her a listen, I don't think you'll regret it.

The romantic point of view vs the classical

Many many years ago I read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance for the very first time. It was the first time I saw put into words the cultural crash that I was encountering every single day, and couldn't understand.

I have read and reread the book a few times since then, to remind myself that even if people have a totally different way of seeing the world it is still possible to get along. It's even possible to have a good time together, enjoy things together and love each other.