Seven Ways to Dance Around a Pole

[dotinthesky]

Anybody who is somebody knows that my stripper song is Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name". When I hear that rockin' intro, and the words shot through the heart, but you're to blame... I start looking for the nearest table top to climb on and start pulling my boxers down. Today, though, I went to a music store on my lunch break and I found the Best of Prince on the listening station. Maybe "When Doves Cry" is more suited for a proper strip-tease. It's got that bumpin' and thumpin' sexy roll, but also some melancholic sentiments behind it.

The men in strip clubs have very melancholic eyes. I know because I was once dragged into one (Crystal Palace, in Montreal) by the brother of a friend - who had no idea then that I was more interested in the Chippendales. I still have flashbacks of the pimps taking the stick-thin, boob-implanted, nymphets-cum-graduate-students, on to the stage.

Back in the Catholic Office, conversation centred around a TV show last night about abortion. There were some frantic phone calls to Bishops and Canons to get their views on this topic. Meanwhile, because I've stapled and shelved and forwarded all I could in the first two hours of work, I'm sitting at my desk and reading a biography on Marie Antoinette (when I'm not fighting off the feeling of hitting the desk with my forehead).

Did you know that Marie Antoinette met Mozart when she was 7 years old? That she was born on the same day (2nd of November) as an earthquake that hit Portugal and killed 30.000 people? (Incidentally, that date is also the Day of the Dead in the Christian calendar - and that particular earthquake even featured in Voltaire's novel "Candide"). Life in Versailles was alien, powdery, smelly, gossipy, and shallow. I might read biographies for a while, preferably with some good historical value.

And some rat-looking guy followed me around during lunch hour. He really creeped me out and I was scared he would follow me back to my office (which he did) and try to get in (which he thankfully did not try.)

I'm still no nearer to Heaven.

Comments

[medusa.livejournal.com]

Which book are you reading? Is it the Antonia Fraser one?

How did you like my Versailles Porn anyway? Is that what has inspired you? ;)

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Your book has totally inspired me.... I'm reading the Antonia Fraser one and loving it. It's very suspensful and, of course, just bizarre to learn about their lives. Did you base your characters on that family that caused the big scandal around "the minuet"? I forget their names now, but they were trying very hard to push forward one of their daughters (Anne), to the displeasure of the princesses (Louis XV grand-daughters I think...)

[medusa.livejournal.com]

I am glad that I have made you want to read more about eighteenth century France! That is a good thing and very encouraging! I have been looking into publishers this week so we shall see what happens! ;)

I didn't base my main characters on anyone in particular although they all have basis in real life people such as Aimee de Coigny, madame de la Tour du Pin and so on. There are plenty of people that really existed in there though - Rose de Beauharnais, lucrece's friend at the convent, was of course to become the Empress Josephine!

I have hundreds of books on that period, dozens on Marie Antoinette alone, so when I move back to London you can help yourself if you want! ;)

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Empress Josephine! wasn't she the one described as a shrunken witch by a visiting English noble??? lol I'm still getting around so many characters' names that I'm sure I'm mixing tons of stuff up.

I love 18th century France, and history in general. My degree was in History, but it was mostly an overview - we didn't spend any detailed time anywhere.

I remember you mentioning having a new version of your novel... when you have finished it, let me have a look. I think you should definetly send it out there - send it to agents as well, they can (perhaps) broker good deals for you and know which publishers would be interested in it.