There's a curious down-time that happens at the close of a book. I'm home again, working on something, and in the week I have been home I have written an essay for something, thought about things, walked on the beach and left a stone....with gold leaf. The tide was out and I left it fairly high up the beach, but sedom discover what happens to the stones. Sometimes people get in touch to say they have found them. Now and again I wait and watch to see if anyone discovers them. Usually I walk away.
The text for The Unwinding is still with the editor. Today I had a conversation with Alison who is the designer for the book, sent her the unedited text so that she could get an idea of its flavour and length, and we talked about what I have in mind. Now I have to leave it in her hands and she has vision, and this book making thing is a partnership, and she understands how my head works and how to make text sing as words and as image. And she will put together ideas for me to see. And Alison is in Australia and I am in Wales, so conversations happen at both ends of the day around the world.
I am not 'between books'. I am working on a couple of things, and have something else waiting in the wings, and the experience of working with Unbound has been very positive, so there are other ideas lurking for possible things there. Hoping to bring news soon of unusual things connected to The Unwinding, a book launch at Number Seven, like none we have ever done before. And meanwhile I sit by the fire in my house filled with curious creatures and a soundtrack of flames and a wind outside and cats purring. I do love the peace of no radio, music, etc. And I have no tv and haven't had one for years, which is partly how things get done and books get read and thoughts manage to survive from one end of the thinking to the other, as they are not drowned out by the noise and nonsense of tv.
Today some new strange things moved into the house. At some point they may be in a new book. I am told they are card holders and I thought they might be good for business cards, when I do events. But maybe they will find other places to play.
My house is full of things that make their way into paintings, like the horse on wheels that is in The Quiet Music of Gently Falling Snow. Unlike The Unwinding Quiet Music is a big book, but I am hoping to work with Graffeg to make a smaller version. I found the horse on wheels when I was visiting The Silk Top Hat Gallery in Ludlow. Somehow it made its way home with me. Books keep piling up in front of it, no matter how much I try to tidy them away.
It's a curious time, this waiting to see, waiting to hear, about the design, about the edit. But this period now is so much about waiting.
I have a couple of weeks at home now, then on 29th November I will be doing a Letters to the Earth event in Hay and then a talk at Hay Winter Festival. It's lovely the Winterfest. Meanwhile I have books to write, paintings to paint, and many, many books to read. While I wait.