Litsa Dremousis's Blog: "Altitude Sickness"

All salient people of all races vehemently condemn the Dallas snipers. This isn't Black Lives Matter: it's more hate. Love to the officers' families.

Alton Sterling and Philando Castile were murdered. Absolutely no one wants more bloodshed. The snipers' atrocities led to still more horror for still more families.
Again, this isn't Black Lives Matter, which works to LESSEN bloodshed and horror for American families.

It hasn't even been three weeks since the Orlando massacre. So many people of all races, sexualities, and occupations are awash in grief.

When police declare an entire city in an open-carry state an active crime scene, no one can legitimately claim guns make us safer.

Last night, I was about to tweet Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On". Then I remembered he was murdered by a gun, too. Then I went to tweet "Give Peace a Chance" and, of course, John Lennon was murdered by a gun, too.

At 1:30am last night, I looked out my window and saw up and down my street that most everyone's lights were still on. America once again hasn't slept.

In the name of absolutely all those we've lost, we must do better.

And much respect to Dallas' Chief of Police, who seems to be handling the loss of his own w/ incredible comportment and grace.

‪#‎BlackLivesMatter‬ ‪#‎Enough‬ ‪#‎NotOneMore‬ ‪#‎GunSense‬

Once again, blood and tears gush.

LGBTQ community, your allies stand with you and will never abandon you.

Sickened by the carnage. Sickened reading fanatical "Christians" support a fanatical "Muslim" in the largest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

This isn't faith: It's hate.

And fuck the NRA.

We reinstate the Assaults Weapons Ban and implement background checks in all 50 states or we accept this is who we are.

We're better than this. We won't allow poison to contaminate our well.

Peace, all.

It's no secret life can be a dick. In these times, it's useful to return to beloved books for wisdom, comfort, and/or distraction.

Carrie Fisher is ubiquitous again--thank god, b/c all of us benefit greatly--and I'm super-pro-Princess/General Leia.

BUT, too often the general populace forgets Fisher is an acclaimed writer and a bad-ass eccentric in all the best ways.

When on the cusp of gargling Drano, I often re-read Fisher's first book "Postcards from the Edge" or watch the film adaptation, for which Fisher wrote the even better screenplay. Mike Nichols demonstrates why he was one of the best directors in film history and, nearly a quarter century after its release, I still maintain naysayers are wrong and Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine are wholly believable as mother and daughter. Plus, Gene Hackman rules so fucking hard, as he is wont to do.

I enjoyed Fisher's "Surrender the Pink" and "The Best Awful" (though, really, "The Best Awful" likely would have been edited more vigorously if she weren't a marquee author) and I bypassed "Delusions of Grandma", though I love the title.

"Wishful Drinking" holds a special place in my heart, though, b/c it's delightfully bonkers. Fisher details her singular place in Hollywood history and her family's well-documented lunacy and copious talent. My friend Jade gave me an autographed first edition a few years ago and I treasure it more than a white dude in his twenties treasures his still-in-the-box Chewbacca figurine.

After a long hiatus, I'll be writing here again b/c it feels fun again.

A few things:

1) On Goodreads, I tend to review and star books generously. If an author accomplishes what s/he set out to do, well, that's the whole point. It doesn't have to be meet my personal tastes. Also, I usually star and review books as I read them, but sometimes I don't. I.e. not that this is keeping you up at night, but the book I've most recently mentioned is not necessarily the one I've most recently read. Whew! *All the important problems are solved now.*

2) Fourteen months after its release, "Altitude Sickness" is still garnering wonderful reviews and I'm deeply grateful. A print edition will be out in 2016--I won't go into detail just yet but there are some amazing independent publishers in this world--and I have an essay in the upcoming anthology on writers and depression, "Done Darkness". I'm working on my essay collection and on my novel "Low Blood Sugar".

3) My webmaster is redesigning my site, so please disregard some of the formatting, but here's a compendium of reviews, print interviews, podcast interviews, and radio interviews surrounding "Altitude Sickness". We'll soon be adding several videos from readings I gave this past year. But "Altitude Sickness" has been so well-received and, like I said, I'm deeply grateful:

http://litsadremousis.com/altitude-si...

Dudes! We did it! The holiday season is nearly over! Mine turned out to be surprisingly fun. I hope yours was enjoyable, too. And if it sucked, remember we've all been there and you're not alone. People care.

To the best possible year-end wrap-up for all of us!

I haven't posted here lately b/c my fiance´underwent brain surgery. His prognosis was great and now, post-surgery, I am profoundly grateful his prognosis remains stellar.

Still, they opened his fucking skull, so it's a giant deal and he'll be recovering for weeks. I feel for my guy so much. I'm taking care of him, but am so deeply grateful to our loved ones for all their assistance. One of my best friends, the writer and editor Jade Walker, actually flew across the country to help us. She's been here a week and a half and leaves Friday. One of the most remarkable acts of love and friendship I've known. That the world has known, really.

My friend Christy has sent amazing books for my fiance´ and will be helping w/ errands in the upcoming weeks. My brother drove us to the neuro follow-up today and then to the pharmacy and helped me grocery shop. My friend Alex is running an errand for us tonight. Fiance's friend has put in countless hours dogsitting. In upcoming days, more loved ones are dropping by w/ food, et al.

We are just so fucking grateful. Deeply, massively, beyond measure, beyond all-that-is-known-and-all-that-will-be-known-grateful.

I've taken a few weeks off from "Altitude Sickness" publicity and promotion for obvious reasons, but I'm also grateful to report there are upcoming interviews or features on or in Radio New Zealand, City Arts Magazine, and Seattle Magazine. Several more events are in the works, but I won't be announcing the dates 'til their locked.

And I'm grateful my segment for The Seattle Channel's "The Art Zone with Nancy Guppy" turned out so well. I've been a huge fan of Nancy's for years, so being on her show was a giant kick. In upcoming weeks, it will be running on both The Seattle Channel and on KCTS 9, Seattle's PBS affiliate. I've linked to it below.

Much more so than anything, I'm so glad my guy will be well.

As grateful as I am for everything surrounding "Altitude Sickness", nothing compares to the gratitude I feel regarding his health. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Nothing could compare.

My Seattle Channel segment below. Love and happy holidays to all:

http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos?...

..."Altitude Sickness"; my publisher, the Instant Future division of Future Tense Books; my amazing editor Matthew Simmons; and yours truly.

Excerpt:

"The book is a howl of pain, a bellow of grief, and a funny-sad Irish funeral for a lover and friend, combining deep wisdom about mortality with an almost naive sensibility."

The entire piece by The Stranger's Paul Constant:

http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/arch...

I won't name him or her, but I'm thinking about this person's loved ones. Platitudes can't resurrect someone. For the rest of their lives, they'll live w/out their loved one, whose death was wholly preventable.

Same story; different day.

Matthew Simmons recently interviewed me for the lit journal Hobart about how you build around the new giant hole in your life. Also, how you write about it:

http://www.hobartpulp.com/web_feature...

...being an attorney. I dropped out of law school to be a writer. I still have no regrets.

Doubling back to the solipsism, this is a blog about "Altitude Sickness" so, obviously, I'll be writing mostly about my book. Though I usually write about a vast range of subjects. (See my bio.)

Here's a review of "Altitude Sickness" by one of my favorite writers, who happens to be one of my closest friends, Jade Walker.

Jade is the Overnight Editor at Huffington Post and has held that position at the New York Time and at the Associated Press.

She was also on her honeymoon when Neal's body was found, and she still managed to get her flowers here before anyone's.

So, she has a particularly unique view on "Altitude Sickness"and its surrounding events:

http://www.jadewalker.com/?p=1335

The Portland Mercury's Megan Burbank gives "Altitude Sickness" a rave review:

http://www.portlandmercury.com/portla...

I know better than to rise and fall with reviews, but "Altitude Sickness" is off to a fantastic start and I'm grateful.