Three hundred sixty nine. That’s the current number, as of when I got caught up with the present, a moment or two ago. I mentioned, last post, that I’m gathering up my verses in preparation for another book. This 369 verses represents the quick-and-dirty sort–anything that I just hated didn’t make the cut; muse of the week limericks did not make the cut, stuff that was clearly crap, that anyone in their right mind would have binned and been done with, but which I posted because that’s what I do, did not make the cut.
In other words, the easy bit is done.
The last volume (still available, up there in the “cuttlestuff” tab) held some 244 verses (342 pages); I expect that the next volume will be slimmer. Which means I expect to be cutting the current crop by at least a third. Which will be difficult, but maybe in the opposite direction than you might think: It is exceedingly easy for me to say “oh, that one is horrible”. If I held to the standards of my staunchest inner critic, I could easily cut the verses down to a nice round number… the roundest of numbers, in fact. It is in defiance of that inner critic that I publish the “clearly crap”… but that critic did have a point. The nature of this blog requires that my inner critic be kept in irons most of the time, exercised only rarely and briefly. This editing will be difficult, in determining which ones to keep, not which to cull.
And so the tug-of-war begins. At present, I have no idea what the final book will look like. What categories? With or without commentary? Art? (I have an idea for the cover, though, which is a big step.) Or even a title. And I especially don’t have a target date. I keep intending to have something ready for Cephalopodmas season, but that hasn’t happened in years. But… who knows?
Wish me luck?
From Piet Hein
If the diving board was
six inches shorter
Think how much sooner you’d
be in the water.
You have my sympathies. I am only a poetry consumer; I could never be a writer, much less an editor.
Cazfans
How about keeping 365 of them and make it a Cuttleverse calendar? :D
I like the calendar idea. You could always write a few verses specially if you cut more than 4. We’ll wait.
I third the calendar idea, and please include a bonus one to be read only when Feb. 29 occurs. 369 is a very fine number. It’s also the number of different ways you can join 8 squares in every possible combination (“octominoes”). There are many more ways to join 26 letters into words and combine them every which way to capture an infinity of thoughts.
My winter solstice gifting wish:
The newest book from Cuttlefish.
When you publish, dear Cuttlefish, I will definitely buy your book. If it happens to be a calendar, though, I would seriously buy multiples for Cephalopodmas gifts. I hope you’ll consider it!
Good Luck!