Published bimonthly.
Contents copyright 1998 The Nutmeg Point District Mail and assigned
to individual contributors. All rights reserved.
TEMPORARY CULTURE
P.O. Box 43072
Upper Montclair, NJ 07043-0072
Electronym: wessells@aol.com
Use the electronic address for requests to be added to or dropped from the mailing list.
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SPECIAL PERSEVERANCE REWARDED ISSUE
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NEWS! NEWS! NEWS!
TOR BOOKS TO PUBLISH THE AVRAM DAVIDSON TREASURY
Grania Davis reports that TOR BOOKS will publish this long awaited omnibus volume of Avram's stories in December 1998. The Avram Davidson Treasury, edited by Grania Davis and Robert Silverberg, collects stories spanning Avram's entire career, and includes memoirs of Avram and story introductions by friends, correspondents and others -- almost a Who's Who of contemporary science fiction. The compendium had originally been sold to White Wolf in early 1996, but was released when that firm scaled back its activities. See Vol.I No.1, archived at The Avram Davidson Website for a preliminary list of contents. Further details of the book will be published in the District Mail as they become known.
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MORE NEWS! NEWS! NEWS!
TACHYON TO PUBLISH BOSS IN THE WALL NOVELLA
Tachyon Publications of San Francisco will issue The Boss in the Wall, A Treatise on the House Devil, by Avram Davidson and Grania Davis, in late spring 1998. This dark fantasy novella will include introductions by Peter Beagle and Michael Swanwick. Jacob Weisman, Tachyon's publisher, reports that he has in hand the final edited manuscript. The book will be issued in both trade paperback and signed hardcover. The paperback will have a print run of 1000 copies, and is priced at $12.00. The limited hardcover, signed by Davis, Beagle, and Swanwick, will be issued in two states: 100 numbered copies, priced at $50.00; and a boxed, lettered state, 26 copies, priced at $100.00.
Mailing address is: Tachyon Publications 1459 18th Street #139 San Francisco, CA 94107
Electronym: tachyonsf@aol.com
Postage and handling is $2.00 per book for the first two books (with postage free thereafter). For first class postage add an additional one dollar per book.
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NOMINATIONS FOR THE GOLDEN NUTMEG AWARD
The Golden Nutmeg Award is presented annually by The Nutmeg Point District Mail for an outstanding work of fiction or nonfiction published in the preceding year that combines good writing, eclectic scholarship, and wit. All nominations for the 1998 Golden Nutmeg Award must be received by the editor of the District Mail by Friday 27 February 1998. Nominations by publishers or authors must include a copy of the book to be considered. This may be sent to the address above.
The 1997 winner was Robert W. Carrubba's translation of Exotic Pleasures, Fascicle III, Curious Scientific and Medical Observations by Englebert Kaempfer, published by Southern Illinois University Press (See Vol.I No.5 for announcement and review).
A number of interesting books have already been nominated. The award will be announced in the next issue of the District Mail.
Gregory Feeley notes that "a gilt nutmeg (the term appears in Love's Labors Lost) was a common Elizabethan Christmas gift. Found that in Folk-Lore in Shakespeare, an old but useful reference work reprinted by Dover."
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VERBATIM REALITY (?)
>From: eszterhazy@eszterhazy.com (Joseph von Eszterhazy)
>Reply-to: eszterhazy@eszterhazy.com
>To: wessells@aol.com
>
>Dear Mr Wessels,
>
>I found Mr Davidson "Dr Eszterhazy" effort totally without
>redeeming value, social or otherwise. The admiration and
>accolades to this no talent 'writer' appalls me.
>
>The real Dr. Joseph von Eszterhazy
This electronym traces back to the home page for Eszterhazy Communications and Webmagic USA, which lists a telephone with a Northern Virginia area code. I sent the doctor (who calls himself the "Wizard of Webmagic" on his home page) the following note:
>Dear Dr. von Eszterhazy,
>
>Thank you for your letter of 24 January 1998. As one who has
>devoted a fair amount of energy to compiling information on
>Avram Davidson, and as one who has been pleasantly diverted by
>his wit and erudition, I confess that I am puzzled by your
>response to his 19th-century fantasies of Englebert Eszterhazy,
>which were among the first of his writings I encountered.
>
>I would be curious to learn more precisely you didn't enjoy his
>work. Or to learn what authors or books you do find of
>interest.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Henry Wessells
>P.O. Box 43072
>Upper Montclair, New Jersey
>07043-0072
>
>Electronym: wessells@aol.com
(To be continued)
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The queries and conjectures about ROGER BACON AND VERGIL MAGUS in Vol.I No.4 have so far chiefly yielded negatives. There have however been some interesting items of correspondence.
Virginia Kidd, Blish's first wife to whom Doctor Mirabilis was dedicated, wrote, "I am sorry to say that I cannot be of much assistance to you here." She did however provide some interesting material on Avram's dealings with his agents. Kidd was one in a succession that included Robert Mills, John Silbersack, and several others; Avram's failure to write the second volume in any of the three three-book proposals that Kidd sold appears to have been the point upon which the agent-client relationship foundered.
Adrienne Martine-Barnes sent a note with recollections of how the Dodd, Mead edition of Doctor Mirabilis came to be published.
She wrote: I thought you might find a sidebar about the publication of Doctor Mirabilis of interest. Since I was instrumental in getting the American edition published, and about the only other people who were involved were Judy Blish and Tom Lipscomb, it is a pretty unknown tale. In 1968 or 69, the copyright on the book was about to go away -- it had only been published in England by Faber & Faber at that time. Jim wanted to protect that, and so I helped him arrange with Dave van Arnam to type the whole book on mimeograph stencils, which was then turned into a limited edition of one hundred, and sent out to folks in the James Branch Cabell Society. Hmm...might have been as early as late '67. This protected the copyright. [Ed. note: A recent catalogue from L.W. Currey reports 250 copies printed in 1968 by Null-Q Press.]
In early late sixty eight I started to work at Dodd, Mead, and Tom Lipscomb became an editor there soon afterwards. One day he mentioned a story by Blish, about Richard Strauss, A WORK OF ART, if I recall the title correctly, that he was very fond of and was in the habit of xeroxing and giving to friends. I said that I had known Jim for years, that he had been my neighbor on Riverside Drive, and did Tom know about Dr. M. To make a long story short, he did not, got totally excited, and the next thing anyone knew, had entered into contract negotiations to publish an American edition. Jim was tickled pink, of course.
I have wracked my brain for any mention of Avram in Jim's maundering discourses, but thus far have not come up with anything. I must be getting old or something.
Sincerely, Adrienne Martine-Barnes
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Next issue, March 1998, will include Gregory Feeley's Annotations and Digressions concerning "Vergil and the Dukos" as well as the Golden Nutmeg Award winners (with eccentric reviews), news, and more. There have been numerous occasions (as with this issue) when your editor has only just barely been able to keep to the bimonthly schedule; all contributions and comments are welcomed and appreciated.
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