This may be the last post until after the tour, I'm afraid. We leave for NY early on Saturday, and that means tomorrow will be busy. There aren't only preps for the trip, there is the matter of getting things ready here for us to be away for a month. And there is this huge stack of bookplates that I have to finish signing for Time Warner (UK). At least they didn't do what they did the first time I agreed to sign bookplates. They sent me a carton with about 10,000 of the things, rough
If I seem to be posting a lot, it's because the tour is coming up. I want to get in some of these things before I go away and the blog goes on hiatus. We'll be flying to New York on Saturday to take care of some business before the tour begins, on Tuesday. I'm a little worried about the first signing, I'll admit. I know I can pull a good evening crowd in NYC; I've done it before. But 12:30 on a Tuesday? That's the slot where they put politicians, movies stars and celebrities. Yes, I'm a little c
My, this could get addictive. I hope you guys realize that I'll be going silent this weekend, for the duration of the tour. But I'll try to get in another post or two before then. No promises, however.
First off, apologies to everyone if I misspell your screen name. It seems that may turn out to be a bad habit I can't break. Spellcheck is no help at all, of course.
For Deadsy, the last book I completed was Walter Mosley's Cinnamon Kiss. I just started Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys. And I'm a
Well, here I am again. I've compiled a long list of questions from various places, and I'll try to answer as many as I can before the tour begins. I won't be taking them in any specific order.
First off, for JBumG, my apologies for misspelling your name.
For DomA, I can't be sure that the logical patterns you see in the election of Amyrlins are the same that I used in making the list, but there are logical patterns to them. If Harriet adds to the Encyclopedia who was a strong Amy
First off, to all of you have said thank you, in so many ways, for writing these books, you're welcome. And also thank you. You have given me what every writer wants, a readership that is truly involved and interested. Thank you, very much.
Some of you have expressed worry over my lurking and a fear that I might take offense at some of the posts. I don't. Not even at the trolls. Please feel free to keep on saying whatever you have been saying. I am not the thought police.
For
It seems to me that you've put up a lot of comments given the few days that has been possible. I think I'll address a few of them.
I see that someone -- anonymous -- uses the audio book pronunciations for a guide. In the very beginning, the actors doing the reading got in touch with me about pronunciations, but they stopped halfway through reading The Eye of the World, and I haven't heard from them since. So I wouldn't go too much by what they use.
kcf asks whether I can get Tor to inclu
I just finished with a post to this blog, but I thought I'd make this separate, especially since I told Jason to go ahead and let you post comments to the blog. Not that I'll be answering your comments necessarily, but we may enter into a dialogue upon occasion.
No, I'm not going to reveal what the "gasp" moment is. I certainly won't be putting any spoilers here. But I have read the reviews, both spoiler and non-spoiler. For those who have read the book and believe you have identified the "g
For Marigan at Wotmania, and anyone else who might be wondering, not only do I not have cancer at present, I have never had cancer. Never. That was one of those rumors that float around without a shred of truth to them, thank God. I understand that I have been dead or near dead several times according to the rumors. I was run down by a bus once, so I recall hearing. Not true.
For the poster at Dragonmount who thinks I'm "whipped," boy do you have the wrong end of the stick. The smelly end, i
I noticed in browsing the other day that someone wondered whether my cold was part of my "cancer." I want to quash that one before it turns into a rumor. I do not have cancer. I did have a cold that had me sick as a dog for three days, but not cancer. I've been undergoing a thorough checkup since finishing Knife of Dreams, with every sort of test you can imagine, and believe me, if there was any suspicion of such a thing, I would know.
This should be confirmation that I do lurk upo
Well, guys, it turns out that the possible good news was only a chimera after all. The chemo did not work. I am still producing amyloids. Oh, well. I knew going in that I had only a 60% chance of a good result. I guess sometimes even my luck doesn't stretch far enough. The silver lining in that is that the disease is stable. There has been no further damage to my heart from three months ago. There is that.
On the good news front, I snagged the last of 38 slots in a study to see wheth
Dear Jason, something to post, to celebrate the season -- and Jim's WONDERFUL news. Love to you all, Harriet
A Genuine Wham-O
Lists for cards, lists for cookies,
lists for books and scarves and games
and candles. Maybe
a bell would fit in there.
Maybe I'll give it up and be a witch.
My ersatz Frisbees –
cards and scarves –
are packed with love,
but never seem to hit the mark,
the tender lips, the gleaming fangs
of those I throw them to.
I'll borrow a young terrier bitch
I'm back a little sooner than usual this time, because I realized that I left off something very important when I was advising some guys dealing with illness. Maybe the most important thing of all. Laugh. Make her laugh. Make him laugh. Make yourself laugh. Keeping your spirits up has a really great effect, believe me. There are lots of situations where it's hard to find something to laugh at, but in most situations where you can grumble, you can find a laugh in there if you look at it a
Well, I've been offline for a while, but I thought you had the news pretty well from Wilson, plus I needed to rest up, frankly, having had a stretch of in the hospital, then out of the hospital, in and then out, in again, and this time out on a Saturday so I could get on a plane on Sunday, have my tests done at the Mayo on Monday, talk with the doctors on Tuesday, then drive to Minneapolis to speak at Mike Ford's Memorial service. Frankly, I got home in some ways stronger than when I left, but
Dear all: Most sincere thanks from Robert Jordan (via Harriet) go out to
Michael J. Fredericks, Jean Verney-Carron, Evan Harmon, Lisa Kirwood,Ryan Salsamendi, Emma de Laat (hello, Emma!),David Freeman, Helena Taylor and Janet Taylor
for gifts to the Mao Hematologic Malignancies Program -- amyloidosis research. Thank you one and all.
Jim is taking it easy today, since we go up to the Mayo tomorrow for a routine workup -- but as a consolation prize, here is a poem of mine:
Bard:
Hi, guys. I was going to put up a regular post here today, but that is going to have to wait a few days. You see, Mike Ford died last night. To you, he was John M. Ford, two-time winner of the World Fantasy Award, including for Winter Solstice Camelot Station, the only poem ever to win the short fiction award. Or maybe you're a Star Trek Fan and remember his Star Trek novels, such as How Much for the Just Planet? (the only flat-out comedy among all the Trek novels, I think) or The Final Refl
I spent the weekend with a man walking a tight rope holding a small parasol in one hand for balance while tipping his hat to the crowd far below with the other. I'm stealing the metaphor from Harriet for that was her description of the circus act RJ is performing trying to keep the medications in balance, do some work and keep you (fans) and we (family) informed.
Over the past two weeks the balance has been difficult to attain. Reining it in slowly, but surely however.
RJ, Harriet,
Hi, guys. I apologize for it being so long since my last post, but I had a few little rough patches to deal with, and they kept getting in the way. You know how it is. Somehow, and you never quite do know how, you find yourself juggling three eggs when the doorbell rings. You want to put the eggs back in the basket so you can answer the door, but sure as anything, that's just when somebody with shoot another egg in on you, or even two, and you're juggling faster than ever. Well, we have all
All:
The dynamic duo has returned from the Mayo with mostly good, but certainly mixed results. Amyloidal deposits are measured as monoclonal free light chain fragments. There are "good and bad" light chains. The good news is that the ratio of good to bad has definitely improved. The mixed news is that both numbers were up. We are ecstatic that the news is positive, but would have liked the offending Lambda light chains to have stayed level or decreased in number. Overall though guys, t
Wilson here:
I know. Not who you wanted to hear from. The Big Guy asked me to update you in his absence.
I just got off the phone with Harriet and RJ, as they were passing through the Atlanta airport en route to the Mayo Clinic. They fly into Minneapolis and will drive the 90 miles to the Mayo this afternoon. Harriet is taking on the driving duties. Love her like a sister, but don't get in her way. She drives by the dictum: lead, follow or get the hell out of the way. Upon arriv
Hi, guys. Jason at Dragonmount set this up for me so I can talk to you directly now and then without having to ask him to make a post for me. I won't be posting often, and certainly not regularly. Just when I have something to say. That's it for now. An announcement to WATCH THIS SPACE. I am trying to fight off a nasty cold while dreading the early morning drive tomorrow to Winston-Salem for SEBA, the Southeastern Booksellers Association convention, so I will sign off now to try to get a little
As usual, let me start by thanking those who recently have donated to the Mayo Clinic Hematologic Malignancies Program -- Amyloidosis Research in my name. The latest are Ms Brandie Minchew and Mr. Liam Hemmings. Thanks a million, guys.
This will be short, just to keep the worriers a little less worried about any untoward events.
A note to those sending me fan mail. A return address really helps if you'd like any sort of answer, though I've been reduced to postcards of late because of
I thought I'd send a few words just to keep any rumors at bay, and any worries over the length of time since my last post.
First off my thanks to Mrs. Sandy Allen and to Dr. Mark H. McKinney of The Citadel Electrical & Engineering Department for their contributions in my name to the Mayo Clinic Hematologic Malignancies Program -- Amyloidosis Research. Your gifts are very much appreciated.
Thanks also, once again, to all of you who have posted your well wishes for me. It means a lot.
First off, guys, I want to thank Lewis Nemes for making a donation to the Mayo Clinic Hematologic Malignancies Program -- Amyloidosis Research. Thanks much!
Now. I got some news last week, and I am holding at about a 97% confidence level that it is about as good as it can get for me. A recent blood test looking for lambda light chains (an indication of amyloid production) showed a normal ratio, and if that is right, it means a complete hematologic response, a total stoppage of amyloid pro
Harriet and RJ have asked me to publish these quick thank you's:
Dear Chris Lim, thank you very much for your gift in my honor to the Hematologic Malignancies Program -- amyloidosis research. It is a great compliment to me and I am very grateful to you. Sincerely, Robert Jordan
Another dear person has sent a gift to Mayo. Please post Jim's thank-you to Mr. John Smedley.
Dear John Knam, Greg Pearson, Michael Kemp, William Walker, Carlos Franco, and Jenna Medaris: Thank you very mu
I don't think I've ever broken a promise to you guys before, but I must this time. I won't be in Seattle or Anchorage as promised. Harriet finally allowed as how she was just too tired to make the trip, and I guess that freed me up to take a long look at myself. I can see where I am right now, and for all the brave talk, the chances of me actually making it to Anchorage were somewhere between small and nill. Especially if I expected to walk away at the end instead of being carried. So we ar
