You Say "Witch" Like It's A Bad Thing?

Stephen King tried to warn us....

I find it ironic that many folks on both sides of the aisle now think that Tea Party candidate Christine O'Donnell is crazy because "she's a witch". I think O'Donnell is foolish for many reasons including the fact that she doesn't know what a witch really is, let alone what one is for. (1)

From what I've seen of her, she does not have enough intelligence, courage, compassion, honesty, learning, critical thinking skills or personal wisdom to be one.

Sia

Further Reading:

How It's Done by Hecate

(I agree with H. The young woman was lying)

Training as a Green Witch

The Christians and the Pagans

Endnotes:

(1) Pratchett and the Pagans

"Certainly witchcraft for Tiffany has very little to do with magic as people generally understand it. It has an awful lot to do with taking responsibility for yourself and taking responsibility also for the less able people and, up to a certain point, guarding your society. This is based on how witchcraft really was, I suspect. The witch was the village herbalist, the midwife, the person who knew things. She would sit up with the dying, lay out the corpses, deliver the newborn. Witches tended to be needed when human beings were meeting the dangerous edges of their lives, the places where there is no map. They don't mess around with tinkly spells; they get their hands dirty."

Terry Pratchett's next book, I Shall Wear Midnight, features his young witch-in-training, Tiffany Aching, and hits US bookstores on Sept. 28th.

Hat Tip: To the reason.com blog for the poster art. Their notes on Ms. O'Donnell are worth reading.

Update 9/22

Starhawk has responded in the Washington Post and she speaks not just for Wiccans but for many Pagans when she says this:

...had O'Donnell really 'dabbled' in Witchcraft, she might have learned that ....Witches do not worship Satan--we consider the Devil to be a purely Christian construct. We see nature as sacred, and human beings as part of nature. Our spirituality does not require belief in things we can't see--but rather an attitude of respect, awe and wonder at the everyday miracles we can see, the great and common mysteries of birth, growth, death and regeneration in the fall of a leaf or the phases of the moon, in the cycles of our lives and the turning of the seasons.

O'Donnell might have learned that Witches see all of life as interconnected, that we are taught to respect other people, to treat one another with compassion, generosity and honor, to protect the earth and to live in balance with nature. We can only imagine how her life, her crusades and her politics might have been shaped by an early encounter with the Goddess, for whom the body is a temple, sexuality is a path of deep and sacred communion...

North American Discworld Con 2011 - NADWCon Updates

NADWCon 2011

At the end of NADWCon 2009, during a wonderful lunch with some exhausted and very happy people, Terry Pratchett asked certain members of the core staff to offer their expertise to the next group wishing to host the North American Discworld Convention. To quote Mrs Palm, "When the guy in the black hat asks, you say 'Yes'", which is how a number of us who worked on the first NADWCon have again signed up for various roles. For example, 5 of the original NADWCon organizers will be on the newly formed Steering Committee. Yours Truly will again play her part with friends and colleagues from the Seamstress Guild. For those interested, here is the latest news on NADWCon 2011. As we speak, the Steering Committee is currently looking for bids from cities hoping to host the next convention.

Greetings, all Discworld fans and convention-goers As most of you are probably already aware, the first ever North American Discworld Convention took place in Tempe, Arizona from September 4 - 7, 2009, and was deemed a big success by guests and attendees alike Once again, I and the entire 2009 committee would like to thank all of our amazing guests, participants, committee, staff, volunteers, and attendees for helping to make the con the wonderful experience that it was. Thank you! I have linked many photos, videos, and accounts of the convention on the convention website, so if you haven’t yet seen that, please feel free to head over there and take a look: http://www.nadwcon.org.

The 2009 committee was delighted to hear that everyone had such a great time, and honored to learn that, due to the convention’s success, many are clamoring for another one! Our Guest of Honor, Sir Terry Pratchett himself, has said that he is definitely willing to appear again as Guest of Honor (health and circumstances permitting) should there be another NADWCon.

The committee has been approached by representatives of several cities interested in hosting the next North American Discworld Convention, and thus, after consulting with Sir Terry Pratchett, a North American Discworld Convention Steering Committee (to be known hereafter as The Guild of Chelonavigators) has been formed from among several folks intimately involved in the successful organization and presentation of NADWCon 2009. The purpose of this oversight committee is to:

1) determine the next convention location and organizing group;
2) offer guidance and information to the next convention committee as it prepares for NADWCon 2011;
3) maintain a consistent archive of information and data related to past NADWCons; and
4) manage any con-related funds or properties during transition periods between cons. The members of The Guild are as follows:

Voting Officers:

- Emily S. Whitten, Esq. (Chair)
- Denise Connell
- Margaret Grady
- Patrick Harkin Sr.
- Jean Tillson

Chelonavigational Consultant:

- Anna M. Caggiano

Regarding the decision as to where NADWCon 2011 will be held, it has been decided to ask for bid proposals from any fan organization interested in hosting the next con. These will be carefully considered by The Guild before a decision is made and a group chosen, after which The Guild and the 2009 committee will pass the torch of our responsibility and experience as the organizers of this unique Discworldian event to the chosen group, but will remain available for consultation as a source of information, guidance, and resources.

If you love the idea of having an NADWCon in your city, and are considering proposing your local group and city as the best host for the next NADWCon, please first carefully consider both the goals and responsibilities of this convention, some of the main ones being:

- To provide a well planned, smooth and well organized, exciting and uniquely fun Discworld experience for new and old Discworld fans of all ages, as well as for our guests;
- To make the convention easily accessible and reasonably affordable for fans to attend;
- To meet or exceed the level of programming and fun experiences provided by the first NADWCon, including such staples as a charity auction, gala banquet, and Discworld Maskerade;
- To retain the Discworld flavor and culture of a Pratchett-centric convention;
- To keep proper records and responsible accountings of the planning and management of the NADWCon, and to preserve these for future archiving with The Guild of Chelonavigators.

Please also be aware that planning a convention of this magnitude requires the dedication, determination, and cooperation of a number of experienced organizers with excellent planning, teamwork, organizational and communication skills. Planning and running a convention can be an amazing experience, but please remember that it requires a lot of time and hard work, as well as a willingness to put the good of the convention first. Any group that bids for the next NADWCon should have a number of willing and experienced volunteers local to the convention location to form the backbone of their potential convention committee.

And now, for those who are interested, onward to the bid proposal process!

Bid Proposal Process

Please include all information requested below on your bid submission, which should be emailed to nadwconbids2011@nadwcon.org. Please be as detailed as possible when appropriate, and feel free to include any additional information that might help in the decision as to why your city and organization would be the best host for NADWCon2011.

Bid submissions should consist of:


1) Name and contact information (address, email, and phone) of submitting person or organization;

2) Location (i.e. city) and range of proposed possible dates for the 2011 con;

3) Possible hotel(s) to host the con, with as much detail as possible regarding what arrangements could be agreed upon with the hotel; a Letter of Intent from the proposed hotel is recommended. Please also include information on methods, costs, and ease of travel to and from the hotel(s) proposed;

4) Names and contact information for proposed key committee members, with summaries of their past experiences in fandom and convention organizing.

a. Please list potential committee members for as many of these committee positions as possible, and any others which you expect to fill:

i. Chair; Vice Chair; Treasurer; Hotel Liaison; Guest Liaison; Programming Director; Volunteer Coordinator; Convention Operations; Logistics Coordinator; Technology Coordinator; Security Coordinator; Dealers Room Coordinator; Information and Publicity Coordinator (including maintenance of website, email listserv, and news updates); Registration Coordinator; Maskerade Director; Banquet Director; Charity Auction Director; Program Book Director; Art Show Director; Ambience Director; Hospitality Coordinator.

b. Please include one or more references who can speak to the individual’s relevant experience and qualifications; a personal statement from the individual is also welcome.

5) Estimated convention budget with breakdown of expected expenses, along with information on any start-up funds that may be available to the committee;

6) Any other information you feel would be pertinent or helpful.


The deadline for bid proposals is midnight, March 15, 2010. Once the deadline has closed, proposals will be carefully reviewed by The Guild, and a decision will be made and announced to bid applicants by approximately April 15, 2010.

Once a decision has been made, a representative of The Guild will contact the prevailing 2011 organization in order to facilitate the sharing of useful information and resources. AFTER such contact, The Guild will publicly announce the winning bid, and the 2011 committee may then move forward in planning the 2011 NADWCon.

Please let me know via the email address provided above if you have any questions on the bid proposal process. Good luck, and I hope to hear from you soon!

Sincerely,

Emily S. Whitten

Vice Chair and Webmaster, NADWCon2009
Chair, The Guild of Chelonavigators

Additional Note:

NADWCon2009 had approximately 1,000 attendees.

- NADWCon is an event specifically focused on the works of Terry Pratchett (primarily the Discworld series, but any of his other writings as well).

...

Image: Head Librarian, Discworld

Unseen Academicals

Unseen Academicals is now available in bookstores. I predict that you will love two new characters: Glenda the pie maker and Pepe who is...many things.

Here's to all those who climb out of the crab bucket....

Sia

The wizards at Ankh-Morpork's Unseen University are renowned for many things—wisdom, magic, and their love of teatime—but athletics is most assuredly not on the list. And so when Lord Ventinari, the city's benevolent tyrant, strongly suggests to Archchancellor Mustrum Ridcully that the university revive an erstwhile tradition and once again put forth a football team composed of faculty, students, and staff, the wizards of UU find themselves in a quandary. To begin with, they have to figure out just what it is that makes this sport—soccer with a bit of rugby thrown in—so popular with Ankh-Morporkians of all ages and social strata. Then they have to learn how to play it. Oh, and on top of that, they must win a football match without using magic.

Meanwhile, Trev (a handsome street urchin and a right good kicker) falls hard for kitchen maid Juliet (beautiful, dim, and perhaps the greatest fashion model there ever was), and Juliet's best pal, UU night cook Glenda (homely, sensible, and a baker of jolly good pies) befriends the mysterious Mr. Nutt (about whom no one knows very much, including Mr. Nutt, which is worrisome . . .). As the big match approaches, these four lives are entangled and changed forever. Because the thing about football—the most important thing about football­—is that it is never just about football.

You can get the lastet Terry Pratchett new from the man himself by going here.

NADWCon Photos Are Up (North American Discworld Convention)

For those of you who are interested, there is now a link to North American Discworld Convention photos up on the NADWCon website. Look under "con photos, videos and links".

There is some talk of doing this all again in 2011 in a different city. If a well organized, decently funded group steps forward, it could happen. Many of the senior NADWCon volunteer staff have said that they would advise and help any new convention group as much as they can. Terry Pratchett has said that he'll be there "if I am spared" and we hope that he is.

As of this writing, he is working on the new Tiffany Aching novel to be called I Shall Wear Midnight. (1) After that he intends to start work on his autobiography and, possibly, another adult Discworld novel.

While in Arizona he visited the city of Tombstone and seemed much taken with the story of the OK Corral and Wiatt Earp. He also went to the Kitt Peak National Observatory, where he was given a tour by the Observatory's Director.

Sia

Photo: This way to the egress. Photo by Hereatwitsend. Discworld sign by Margaret Grady, Decorating Chair, Logistics Manager and Banquet Director, NADWCon.

Link:

Terry Pratchett News - Paul Kidby's website

Endnotes:

(1) ...which he discussed late at one night in the hotel bar with a small group of Witches and Pagans, myself among them. I am not allowed to say any more except that I look forward to this next Tiffany book with great anticipation.

He also met Pagan author and former Canadian police detective Kerr Cuhulain and his wife at that same convention. I understand that Kerr has since sent him several of his books.

Terry Pratchett and Nanny Ogg - NADWCon Seamstress Guild Stealth Costume Awards

Someone else captured another part of the Seamstress Guild Party Stealth Costume Awards and put it up on Youtube. What you can't hear Mrs. Palm saying as she works to pin the ribbon on Young Greebo is "I don't normally have so much trouble getting it in". Nanny Ogg replies, "I get to take it off".

With those two women on either side of him, you can see why Terry needed the Bursar's frog pills.

The gal who came as Cherry Littlebottom in the outrageous red dwarf costume won for Best NonHuman. Her award gave Terry a chance to tell us all some of the plot from his new book Unseen Academicals. (1)

It was a lovely, funny and enchanted evening. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Towards the end of the convention, at the banquet on Sunday night, Terry announced that this was "The best Discworld convention ever". Wow.

My regards to all who worked so hard (quite literally for years) to make the first North American Discworld Covention a wonderful event. 2) It was a honor to be your colleague and to share in your wonderful company at the con.

NADWCon Maskerade videos can be found here.

Sia

P.S. Two Flower won for Best Prop. His luggage was on a motor and moved about the room all evening. The lovely young people who won the Best Couple Award as Moist and Spike were at the convention on their honeymoon.

Endnotes:

(1) His next book, which he is writing now, is a Tiffany Aching book and is titled I Shall Wear Midnight.

(2) Talk now turns to the second, which would take place two years from now. (...oh, gods...can I get some sleep, first? I just want to live on my happy cloud for a while).

Seamstress Guild Party: Discworld Costume Contest Awards: NADWCon 2009

Well, that was quite a party...

The winners of the Seamstress Guild Party Stealth Costume Contest were wonderful and talented folks. Here is a Youtube video showing Terry giving out some of the awards (one to a Feegle and one to the Death of Rats AKA the Grim Squeaker). Terry himself gets an award from the guild.

Thank you all for a great evening,

Sia

Gone to the Discworld: The North American Discworld Convention

GONE TO DISCWORLD

For the Seamstress Guild this has been a year's worth of planning and organizing behind the scenes. For others on the Con Committee it has been four years of hard effort and cat herding. Now it all comes to fruition. I'm off to the first North American Discworld Convention.

Geek Fun:

NADWCon Twitter Group: Many people will be tweeting about the convention in real time. Should make for an interesting read.

Flickr: You can see photos as they appear on the group flickr page.

Facebook: There is also a Facebook page. (1)

Who's Who's

I will be meeting a number of old friends there, including Xcentricities Corsets who were so often in the dealer's room at our Witches' Balls and the good people of Avalon Arts Photography (also old friends from the ball). (2)

I will finally meet Rowan in person, she who organizes the Fairyworlds Festival in Arizona along with several Pagan events, and who is the con's Volunteer Coordinator. (Brave woman)

There are three women in particular, who, if you meet them, should be offered a huge "Thank You", a hug and a good stiff drink, chocolate and/or help. They are Anna (Guest Liaison and Con Muse), Emily (Vice Chair, and Web Mistress) and Margie (Decorating Chair). Emily and Anna also did the lion's share of work when it came to Programming.

Honors and praise also go to Jeff (Con Banker who has done so much else, as well) and Randall (Maskarade Director, Official Con Punster) and Jon (Con Artist) along with Artemesia and her daughter who made some of our convention art especially for Terry.

A full list of Who's Who at the Con, along with bios, is up on the Committee Page at the site. If you are going to the con, please give these folks your support.


Seamstress Guild Party: If you enjoy the party put on by the guild (of which I am a proud member) you can thank "Mrs Palm", the Party's Director and Organizer, who has also done hundreds of hours of quiet work for NADWCon behind the scenes to support other nadwcon staff and their events.

I would also like to give a shout out to the women and men of the Seamstress Guild who are not only organizing and working the party but volunteering all over the convention. (Look for those purple (women's) and blue (men's) ribbons with the unique rosettes, you can't miss 'em). I am proud to be a member of such a lovely, talented, hardworking group of people.

Thanks, also, to my good friend Chaos, (who is back in L.A. making sure her home doesn't burn). Chaos, I would not have made it through this year without you.

Finally, to Terry Pratchett: Thanks for all the books.

Sia Vogel

P.S. Don't go looking for Sia once you're there. I'm going incognito and using a con name which you won't recognize. If we meet, t'was meant to be.

Endnotes:

(1) There is also a NADWCon2009 Live Journal page which has announcements by the Vice Chair, and an general Discworld group at LJ.

(2) If you live in the Phoenix area of Arizona, the Dealer Room will be open to the public. Have fun.

Seamstress Guild Party in Honor of Terry Pratchett

This just in from the Seamstress Guild:

Not A Needle Among 'Em

The Seamstress Guild is a loose affiliation of women and men who come together for a variety of reasons. Our official purpose (whenever the Watch is making inquiries) is to prepare for the Seamstress Guild Party in honor of Mr. Terry Pratchett which is to be the highlight of the North American Discworld Convention's first night.

On the glorious night in question, the Grand Ballroom will be transformed into the Seamstress Guild Hall. Ladies of the Guild and gentleman from the Men's Auxiliary will be hosting a grand reception that involves food, music, and a Discworld scavenger hunt, as well as the chance to meet the very flower of Discworld Society, such as it is, and be photographed for The Truth's Society Page. Prizes for best costumes worn that evening will be awarded by our Esteemed Patron, Mr Terry Pratchett.

Mr Pratchett has also arranged for a special gift for our attendees, which will remain a secret until the night in question....

NIL VOLVPTI, SINE LVCRE

- Seamstress Guild motto

This is to be the second party of it's kind organized by the Seamstress Guild, the first taking place at the San Jose WorldCon in 2002, where Mr. Pratchett, was the Guest of Honor. The entertainment went well into the wee hours. Our Patron had such a good time with our Guild members and guests that he has asked us to do it again (it being the party, of course - Mr Pratchett has thus far refused all other offers) and so began our preparations. We are now ready to host this next event and would be most pleased if you could join us, and him, on the night in question.

Please see the first link listed below this announcement for information on the convention.

The second link will take you to the Seamstress Guild discussion board, where the men and women of the guild are gathered to plan both the party and their costumes.

Respectfully Yours,

Mrs Palm
Party Maven, NADWCon

For more in the Guild's Background in the Discworld novels, go here:

Please note: Tickets for the convention are limited to 900. At present, we have sold over 750. Those who wait too long to buy their tickets for this event will be disappointed.

Event Location: Mission Palms Hotel - Grand Ballroom in Tempe
Event TIME Details: 7 PM - 9:30 PM


Website: North American Discworld Convention http://www.nadwcon.org/
Website II: Seamstress Guild Yahoo Group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/seamstressguild/

Related Articles:

North American Discworld Convention News

Update 6:23 PM - from the NADWCon page at Live Journal

Terry Pratchett's latest book, Unseen Academicals, is now available for pre-order.

Update 7/16/08

Video of Terry Pratchett receiving an honorary degrees from Bradford University

Happy Birthday, Terry Pratchett

Happy Birthday, Terry

See you in September.

He writes:

Folks,

Probably the strangest, but certainly one of the most rewarding activities over the past month would be the smelting of iron ore to make my own sword, with the help of Jake Keen, formally of the Iron Age Centre in Cranborne. This involved collecting the iron ore (yes, there more of it about that you would think) from a nearby field, building a kiln using clay dug out during Rob’s building work, cleaning, roasting and selecting the best of the ore and two days of actual smelting which resulted in two blooms (large balls of mostly iron mixed with some slag, created in the heart of the furnace).

The next step is to hammer the slag out of the blooms to get wrought iron and then we’re off to see the blacksmith. The whole thing was a strangely fascinating process and the smelting itself, controlling of the kiln and occasional venting of the surplus slag seemed a mix between industrial magic and genecology. The ultimate aim is a completed sword, which every Knight should never be without.

You can read the rest and see some new photos here.

Fans who wish to honor Terry on his birthday might wish to donate to The Alzheimer's Research Trust or the Orangutan Foundation International (Terry is a trustee and spokesperson for the UK branch).

Sia

Art: Portrait of the Author, Himself by Paul Kidby

Links:

Terry Pratchett at Wikipedia

Terry Pratchett Wins L.A. Times Book Award for Nation

This just in: Terry Pratchett has won the L.A. Times Book Award. He accepted the award, by video, with one of his six cats by his side.

Leading for humor was Terry Pratchett, who accepted his prize for young adult novel by video. The tape showed Pratchett leaning back in a chair, books to one side and a stiff, somewhat cranky cat on the other. Pratchett occasionally directed his remarks to the cat, which perched on Pratchett's desk, eventually turning to face the camera as if the award were its own. The audience's laughter prompted master of ceremonies David L. Ulin to quip, "I wish I had a cat.

You can read the full story here.

More Terry news can be found at his blog.

Terry is also on Twitter: @terryandrob

Note to North American Fans: Would you like to meet Terry?
Then why not join us at the North American Discworld Convention.

Sia

Hat tip to Anna MC (a NADWCon staff member) for the information. Thanks, Anna!

Recommended Reading:

Nation by Terry Pratchett

The Unadulterated Cat by Terry Pratchett

Anything, anything at all, by Terry Pratchett. If the man writes a grocery list, you should probably read it.

Discworld Images used here are by Paul Kidby - you can buy mousepads, jewelry, stickers, t-shirts, pins and other Discworld collectibles at his website: Pjsmprints.com

Related Articles:

Terry Pratchett: The State of the Nation
Interview and video

Terry Pratchett talks about writing for children
Interview done after winning award for Maurice and His Educated Rodents

Video Notes: Color of Magic DVD has just been released in the U.S.

Terry Pratchett says " We Need To Talk About Dementia"

Hear! Hear!

What he said on the day he received his knighthood...

Sia

Update 2/22

He also said this: "You can't ask a fantasy writer not to want a knighthood. You know, for two pins I'd get myself a horse and a sword."

Photo: Terry Pratchett and Queen Elizabeth II

Image: The Librarian, Discworld

Related Articles:

North American Discworld Convention

The Real BBC Book List: An English Teacher Comments

Links:

North American Discworld Convention website

The Seamstress Guild
The Seamstress Guild is a loose affiliation of women and men who come together for a variety of reasons. Our official purpose (whenever the Watch is making inquiries) is to prepare for the Seamstress Guild Party in honor of Mr. Terry Pratchett which will take place at the very first North American Discworld Convention in 2009. Mr. Pratchett will be in attendance.

TerryPratchettBooks.com

Discworld Monthly Newsletter

L-Space
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Discworld

Discworld Emporium
T-shirts, stamps, etc.

Discworld Artwork by Paul Kidby

(new) Discworld Miniatures

Arise, Sir Terry

What a lovely way to end the year....My husband came in to say "Terry got knighted" at about the same time I received an email on the same news from my pal Hecate.

Terry writes:

This means that fans, while not calling me Sir, must now refrain from throwing things. Regrettably, no sword is included in the box.

The BBC states that:

Sir Terry , 60, best known for his hugely popular Discworld series of comic fantasy novels, has sold more than 55 million books worldwide.

He said: "There are times when phrases such as 'totally astonished' just don't do the job.

"I am of course delighted and honoured and, needless to say, flabbergasted."

Last year Sir Terry was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease and has since campaigned to raise awareness of the condition.

Neil Hunt, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society, said: "I would like to congratulate Terry on this fantastic and well-deserved achievement."

"Terry is not only a successful author and well-loved public figure; he is also playing a key role in fighting the misunderstanding and stigma surrounding dementia."

In other Pratchett news, tickets to the North American Discworld Convention continue to sell well despite the bad economy.

Wishing you a Happy New Year. According to Terry, on the Discworld, this coming year will be the Year of the Pensive Hare. (1)



Sia

Photo (and title for this post) snaked from the talanted folks at PJSM Prints - this is the best spot I've found for the latest news.

Endnotes:

I spent some time tracking this down today. Knowing Terry, it comes from several sources, including this Buddhist parable, this sculpture and this music CD.

A children's book of these stories can be found here.

Cartoon: From User Friendly

Terry Pratchett: The State of the Nation

Terry Pratchett recently warned us about an upcoming Alzheimer's tsunami. This month he wrote to update his fans on his state of health and mind:

I have written 47 novels in the past 25 years, but now I have to check the spelling of even quite simple words - they just blank on me at random.

I would not dare to write this without the once despised checker, and you would have your work cut out to read it, believe me. On the other hand - and this is very typical of PCA - when the kind lady who periodically checks me out asked me to name as many animals as I can, I started with the rock hyrax, the nearest living relative to the elephant, and thylacine - the probably extinct Tasmanian marsupial wolf.

That’s the gift or the curse of our little variant. We have problems handling the physical world but can come pretty close to talking our way out of it so you don’t notice. We might have our shirts done up wrong, but might be able to convince you it’s a new style.

I felt that all I had was a voice, and I should make it heard. It never occurred to me not to use it. I went on the net and told, well, everyone. I wish I could say it was an act of bravery. It wasn’t and I find that suggestion very nearly obscene.

How brave is it to say you have a disease that does not hint of a dissolute youth, riotous living or even terrible eating habits? Anyone can contract dementia; and every day and with a growing momentum, anybody does.

... You can’t battle it, you can’t be a plucky ‘survivor’. It just steals you from yourself.

And I’m 60; that’s supposed to be the new 40. The baby boomers are getting older, and will stay older for longer.

And they will run right into the dementia firing range. How will a society cope?

Especially a society that can’t so readily rely on those stable family relationships that traditionally provided the backbone of care?

What is needed is will and determination. The first step is to talk openly about dementia because it’s a fact, well enshrined in folklore, that if we are to kill the demon then first we have to say its name.

Once we have recognised the demon, without secrecy or shame, we can find its weaknesses.

Regrettably one of the best swords for killing demons like this is made of gold - lots of gold.

These days we call it funding. I believe the D-day battle on Alzheimer’s will be engaged shortly and a lot of things I’ve heard from experts, not always formally, strengthen that belief.

It’s a physical disease, not some mystic curse; therefore it will fall to a physical cure. There’s time to kill the demon before it grows.

To see the full report, Dementia: Out Of The Shadows go to www.alzheimers.org.uk Alzheimer’s Society dementia helpline: 0845 300 0336. Alzheimer’s Research Trust www.alzheimers-research.org.uk

Photo: Terry Pratchett

Youtube Video: Terry Pratchett Interview 2008: On writing a children's book that starts with a disaster...

Sia

Related Articles:

Sweet Fantasy: 25 Years of Terry Pratchett's Discworld

North American Discworld Convention

Links:

Video: Terry Pratchett Talks About His New Book, Nation

Nation by Terry Pratchett

My copy just arrived.

See ya,

Sia

Finding himself alone on a desert island when everything and everyone he knows and loved has been washed away in a huge storm, Mau is the last surviving member of his nation. He's also completely alone - or so he thinks until he finds the ghost girl. She has no toes, wears strange lacy trousers like the grandfather bird and gives him a stick which can make fire. Daphne, sole survivor of the wreck of the Sweet Judy, almost immediately regrets trying to shoot the native boy. Thank goodness the powder was wet and the gun only produced a spark. She's certain her father, distant cousin of the Royal family, will come and rescue her but it seems, for now, all she has for company is the boy and the foul-mouthed ship's parrot. As it happens, they are not alone for long.Other survivors start to arrive to take refuge on the island they all call the Nation and then raiders accompanied by murderous mutineers from the Sweet Judy. Together, Mau and Daphne discover some remarkable things - including how to milk a pig and why spitting in beer is a good thing - and start to forge a new Nation. As can be expected from Terry Pratchett, the master story-teller, this new children's novel is both witty and wise, encompassing themes of death and nationhood, while being extremely funny. Mau's ancestors have something to teach us all. Mau just wishes they would shut up about it and let him get on with saving everyone's lives!

Review of Nation - Warning, there are some spoilers in this one

Release date: September 30th

Links:

North American Discworld Convention

The Seamstress Guild
The Seamstress Guild is a loose affiliation of women and men who come together for a variety of reasons. Our official purpose (whenever the Watch is making inquiries) is to prepare for the Seamstress Guild Party in honor of Mr. Terry Pratchett which will take place at the very first North American Discworld Convention in 2009. Mr. Pratchett will be in attendance.

TerryPratchettBooks.com

Discworld Monthly Newsletter

L-Space
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Discworld


Discworld Emporium
T-shirts, stamps, etc.

Discworld Artwork by Paul Kidby

Australian interview with Terry Pratchett

Clarecraft Discworld Figurines

Art: That cover is for the British edition. U.S. covers tend to be by different artists.

Death of Rats Reading from a UK Convention site.

Why Gandalf Never Married: Women, Magic and Sex in Fantasy Literature

Terry News

I call a call from a friend today who attended the Discworld Convention in the UK. By all accounts, Terry is doing wonderfully well on his medication. My young friend went to bed at 3 am. Terry was still up and having a great time with old friends and fans. Then he got up early the next morning and did it all again. Lest you think this is simply a matter of "Carpe diem", let me tell you that this is his usual MO at conventions. Terry Pratchett is a charming ball of energy, as anyone who has ever met him can tell you. It's good to hear that he is doing so well.

North American Discworld Convention

Meanwhile, plans move forward for the North American Discworld Convention in 2009. The party held by the the Discworld Con organizers on Friday at WorldCon to highlight this event was by all accounts a great success. I'm told that the Discworld decorations were very well done and that the food was great, rat-onna-stick being the one exception....Stay tuned for more news.

Nation

As most of you know, Terry's new book hits the bookstands in September. I don't know about you, but my blogging - and most of my social life - will cease until I've finished it. That's assuming I can get it out of my partner's hands. Take a tip from me, either buy two copies (and donate one later) or flip a coin. It's the only way to maintain peace in households with multiple Pratchett fans. There is nothing more irritating than listening to someone else laughing while they read the latest Pratchett novel if you haven't yet read it. (1)

Why Gandalf Never Married

One of the senior members of the Seamstresses Guild sent an old essay of his to me today. It's an article I'd never seen before, and I wanted to share it.

Why Gandalf Never Married by Terry Pratchett (1985)

Excerpt:

I had a deprived childhood, you see. I had lots of other kids to play with and my parents bought me outdoor toys and refused to ill-treat me, so it never occurred to me to seek solitary consolation with a good book.

Then Tolkien changed all that. I went mad for fantasy. Comics, boring Norse sagas, even more boring Victorian fantasy ... I'd better explain to younger listeners that in those days fantasy was not available in every toyshop and bookstall, it was really a bit like sex: you didn't know where to get the really dirty books, so all you could do was paw hopefully through Amateur Photography magazines looking for artistic nudes.

When I couldn't get it -- heroic fantasy, I mean, not sex -- I hung around the children's section in the public libraries, trying to lure books about dragons and elves to come home with me. I even bought and read all the Narnia books in one go, which was bit like a surfeit of Communion wafers. I didn't care any more.

Eventually the authorities caught up with me and kept me in a dark room with small doses of science fiction until I broke the habit and now I can walk past a book with a dragon on the cover and my hands hardly sweat at all.

But a part of my mind remained plugged into what I might call the consensus fantasy universe. It does exist, and you all know it. It has been formed by folklore and Victorian romantics and Walt Disney, and E R Eddison and Jack Vance and Ursula Le Guin and Fritz Leiber -- hasn't it? In fact those writers and a handful of others have very closely defined it. There are now, to the delight of parasitical writers like me, what I might almost call "public domain" plot items. There are dragons, and magic users, and far horizons, and quests, and items of power, and weird cities. There's the kind of scenery that we would have had on Earth if only God had had the money.

.....While I was plundering the fantasy world for the next cliche to pulls a few laughs from, I found one which was so deeply ingrained that you hardly notice it is there at all. In fact it struck me so vividly that I actually began to look at it seriously.

That's the generally very clear division between magic done by women and magic done by men.

Let's talk about wizards and witches. There is a tendency to talk of them in one breath, as though they were simply different sexual labels for the same job. It isn't true. In the fantasy world there is no such thing as a male witch. Warlocks, I hear you cry, but it's true. Oh, I'll accept you can postulate them for a particular story, but I'm talking here about the general tendency. There certainly isn't such a thing as a female wizard.

Sorceress? Just a better class of witch. Enchantress? Just a witch with good legs. The fantasy world. in fact, is overdue for a visit from the Equal Opportunities people because, in the fantasy world, magic done by women is usually of poor quality, third-rate, negative stuff, while the wizards are usually cerebral, clever, powerful, and wise.

Strangely enough, that's also the case in this world. You don't have to believe in magic to notice that.

Wizards get to do a better class of magic, while witches give you warts.

To see where he eventually took this theory, read Equal Rites and Wyrd Sisters.

Enjoy.

Sia

Photo: Professor Terry As The Duck Man courtesy of the good people from Noreascon Four. Click on the link to read a lovely note from Terry re that Convention.

Endnotes:

(1) On the other hand, I've made good friends over the years by hearing someone quietly giggling to themselves in a coffee shop, restaurant or airport, seeing that they have a Pratchett book in their hand, and walking over to say "Which one?"

Good News for Alzheimer's Patients & Pratchett Fans

The BBC reports that:

UK scientists have developed a drug which may halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

Trials of the drug, known as rember, in 321 patients showed an 81% difference in rate of mental decline compared with those not taking the treatment.

More human trials are needed, but it's good news for all concerned.

The Telegraph notes that:

The treatment can bring the “worst affected parts of the brain back to life” and scientists say it is twice as effective as any medication currently available.

They even suggested the drug works so well it might be given to patients in the future to prevent the onset of the illness.

The results of the human trials were hailed a “major new development” in the fight against the disease, which threatens to overwhelm the NHS within decades.

Alzheimer’s currently affects more than 400,000 people in Britain and the number of sufferers is expected to rise rapidly as the population ages.

.....the drugs are expected to cost the same as current treatments for the illness such as Aricept, which are £2.50 a day.

However, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) the Government’s drugs watchdog, ruled that Aricept, which has been shown to improve the memory and day-to-day life of those in the late stages of the disease, was too expensive for widespread use in Britain.

Terry Pratchett, the best selling author who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, disclosed earlier this year that he was being forced to pay for the drug himself.

The latest breakthrough will lead for increased calls for Nice to reconsider its policy on dementia drugs.

As of this writing:

An estimated 10 million American baby boomers will develop Alzheimer's disease in their lifetime, placing enormous strains on the U.S. health-care system and the already overburdened network of caregivers, a new report predicts.

Currently, at least 5.2 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's, including 200,000 to 250,000 people under age 65. By 2010, projections say there will be 500,000 new cases of the mind-wasting disease each year, and nearly one million new cases annually by 2050, the report estimates.

With that in mind, why has the U.S .government cut funding?

...the U.S. government has cut spending on Alzheimer's research, McConnell added. "Right now the government is spending about $640 million a year on Alzheimer's research," he said. "It seems like a lot, but we are spending over $5 billion a year on cancer, and more than $3 billion on heart disease each year. If we can just get that $640 million up to $1 billion a year, that would make a big difference.

Read more about the recent U.S. report at Live Science.

Caregivers Need Help Too:

Are you caring for someone with alzheimers or do you know someone who is? Then this information on caregiver support might prove useful.

Go well, stay well,

Sia

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