Ah, spring break. I love thee. Truly. Don’t ever leave me.

And speaking of thee and thou, I will admit that one extremely pedantic pet peeve I have is when people misuse archaic pronouns and possessives (yes, I am a hopeless nerd). I mean, if people misuse them deliberately, fine, but otherwise: no. Here’s a quick breakdown of proper usage:

Basically, “thou” is like the French “tu.” “Thou” is the “you” you use for someone who you know well, someone who is younger than you, or someone you want to powerplay (like Taxi Driver’s “you talkin’ to me?” Read: “Art thou talking to me? I bite my thumb at thee!”). One interesting thing about the Quakers is that they felt that “you” was too high and mighty to use, and that everyone should be equal and brotherly, etc, and so in the 17th century they began using “thou”—unless more than one person was being addressed. There must be ONE someone, or you have to use “you.” “Thee” is when this person becomes an object—“I love thee,” “I kiss thee,” “I bite my thumb at thee!”

“Mine” is only used when a word beginning with a vowel follows. “Mine eyes?” Yes! “Mine mouth?” No! “Mine heart?” Sure, I’ll allow it, because that “h” doesn’t need to be pronounced, and probably wouldn’t have been in, say, Shakespearean English.

Now I’ll admit my blogs have been blah lately. All announcements, no meat. And I’m about to get announcey—sorry—but first to say that I’m going to be blogging a LOT soon (or, um, relatively a lot)—just for another site. I’ll be doing a blog tour for Tor.com starting sometime at the end of this week. When I post there, I’ll post the link here. My first blog for Tor? Something on steampunk, and Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve, which I love.

Another announcement: Readergirlz recommends Cabinet of Wonders for a steampunky March read. Thanks, Readergirlz!

And lastly, I’ll be doing a YA Sci-Fi reading with the fabulous Barry Lyga and equally fabulous Robin Wasserman next Tuesday, starting at 7:00 pm in Soho. Full details are below. This is an evening event at an art gallery. All ages are welcome! Do come if you can.

The official announcement:

The New York Review of Science Fiction Readings
presents

Barry Lyga
Marie Rutkoski
Robin Wasserman
Carol Cooper —Guest Curator

Tuesday, April 6th—Doors open 6:30 PM
SoHo Gallery for Digital Art
138 Sullivan Street (directions and links below)
$5 suggested donation

For all the years we have offered readings, several of which have been themed, this is only the second time we’ll be specifically targeting the writers as YA novelists.  Carol Cooper has booked a trio of the most interesting writers we’ve ever featured.

—Barry Lyga graduated from Yale with a degree in English, then worked in the comic book industry for ten years. He wrote comics for part of that time, but also was responsible for spearheading and developing “Free Comic Book Day”, the comics’ only industry-wide promotion. During those years, he was a spokesperson for the industry in general, quoted in countless newspaper and magazine articles. In 2006 he launched his career as a YA author with ” The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl” and has gone on to publish a diverse range of teen-oriented novels, including the sequel to his debut, titled “Goth Girl Rising”.

Marie Rutkoski earned a degree in English from the University of Iowa followed by a six-month stay in Prague, and then went on to get her  PhD from Harvard in 2006.  She then spent that summer furiously writing her first YA novel The Cabinet of Wonders a gloriously steam-punky science fantasy about a girl named Petra Kronos and the dangerous secret behind her father’s astronomical clock.

Robin Wasserman is responsible for the SF-nal YA series spearheaded by “Skinned,”  a book about the difficult “post-human” life of a teen accident victim who is given  an artificial body to save her life. Robin was raised in suburban Philadelphia and got a degree in the History of Science.  Before she became a published novelist she used to edit children’s books about which she says: “This is why I now know more about DragonBall Z, Pokémon, Scooby-Doo, and BIONICLE than anyone over the age of ten should know.”
—Carol Cooper went to Wesleyan University and while there also attended the Clarion Writer’s Workshop for Fantasy and Science Fiction. She wrote a novel for her Master’s thesis, then spent the next two decades reviewing music, books and film for the Village Voice and many other national and international publications. She also worked as a talent scout for three different labels in the ‘80s and ‘90s: as East Coast Director of Black Music A&R for A&M Records,  as National Director of Black Music A&R at CBS/Sony, and as VP of A&R for the English Language division of Soho Sounds/RMM.
—The New York Review of Science Fiction Reading Series is celebrating its 20th season of providing performances from some of the best writers in science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, etc. The series usually takes place the first Tuesday of every month, but maintains flexibility in time and place, so be sure to stay in touch through the mailing list and the Web.

Admission is by a $5 donation. If circumstances make this a hardship, let us know and we will accommodate you.

Jim Freund is Producer and Executive Curator of The New York Review of Science Fiction Readings. He has been involved in producing radio programs of and about literary sf/f since 1967. His long-running live radio program, “Hour of the Wolf,” broadcasts and streams every Saturday morning from 5:00 to 7:00. Past shows are available “’on-demand” for about 6 months after broadcast. (Check http://hourwolf.com for details.)

The SoHo Gallery for Digital Art (www.sohodigart.com)  is dedicated to re-establishing SoHo as an international center for the development of new artistic forms, concepts and ideas.  A screens-instead-of-canvases approach allows a wide selection of art from around the world which would otherwise never make it to the City.  The SGDA is availible for private gatherings and events of all kinds.  For bookings call (800) 420-5590 or visit http://sohogallerynyc.com .—-
WHEN:
Tuesday, 4/6/10
Doors open at 6:30—event begins at 7

WHERE:
The SoHo Gallery for Digital Art
138 Sullivan Street (between Houston & Prince St.)

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=138+Sullivan+St.+New+York+NY+10012

HOW:
By Subway
6, C, E to Spring St.; A, B D or F to West 4th; 1 train to Houston St; or R, W to Prince St.

There are many convenient bus lines that come within a couple of blocks of the gallery.  Use the link above for an interactive transit map.

LINKS:
http://hourwolf.com/nyrsf
http://nyrsf.com

—Coming up:
5/4: Paul Witcover presents
6/1: Gala!

—The New York Review of Science Fiction magazine is celebrating its 21st year!
Subscribe or submit articles to the magazine!
New York Review of Science Fiction
PO. Box 78, Pleasantville, NY, 10570
NYRSF Magazine: http://nyrsf.com