A Fairwell to (Puppet) Arms
and more musings from the Office of Demonology
Is this how Geppetto felt?
Welcome back to the OOD (Office of Demonology for the layperson). The arms are complete. This is the conclusion of the first part of the puppet build. Next, I move on to the body. Here is a photo of the arms.
What I learned: When making something, if you make two at the same time, the second one will be improved because you learn from the mistakes of the first one. This is true in all art. I get frustrated when I hear people say they can’t do something when they only tried once and gave up. Art is a journey. Puppet-making is an art.
Judas Black is on Hold
I know I have been promising the Judas Black story, but I put it on hold while I work on a short story for submission. The deadline is December 10th. I am going into this understanding that my short story will be rejected statistically. But I love deadlines and challenges. It gets me in the seat and writing. I won’t reveal this until I get a notice of rejection or get accepted. More to come on this…
New YouTube Story Review
While in Barnes & Noble, I picked up the November/December 2023 issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Why not review short stories instead of whole book reviews? It takes time to read a book, and I want to create little YouTube videos each week. So, between the books, I would review short stories. This first short story is from Doug Allyn. It is titled Iron Maiden (sadly, it is not about the band or the torture device). In the story, Lake Michigan diver Michelle “Mitch” Mitchell is approached by a man seeking the wreckage of a ship named the Iron Maiden. With the hope of finding treasure, Mitch agrees to take the man to the area. When she dives, she finds more than she bargained for. Look for the review in the coming days. Click the button to go to my channel to subscribe so you don’t miss anything.
Thrift Store Find
My entire life, I have always wanted to be able to build model kits well. Every attempt I made was far from perfect. From gluing to painting, I didn’t have the dexterity to work on these small parts. Having a child with autism and realizing that I am also autistic, but nobody diagnosed these things when I was a kid, I can understand why I struggle with such things. As a kid, I would always spill my drinks. I consider myself clumsy with my hands. I have to go slow when making things with my hands, and I recognize the same things in my son. So when I saw this model kit at the Thrift store, I immediately picked it up. I am determined to take my time with it. Research best practices in gluing and painting. And when it is complete, it will sit proudly in the Office of Demonoogy. I don’t know if I will put all the flower and love decals on or go in another direction. Wish me luck.
George the Cat Collector Card #2
Collect ‘em all!
Till next week, stay gold.
James Ippoliti