Fairy Music

In The Good Fairies of New York, the young fairies Heather and Morag both play the violin, and they both pride themselves on their versions of Tullochgorum. This was a famous Scottish tune, back when traditional tunes were famous. It's a strathspey, a sort of slow reel. It was first recorded in a Scottish manuscript in 1734, and is presumably older than that.

The tune is important throughout The Good Fairies. Last time I did a reading, someone asked me what it sounded like. I considered humming it but restrained myself, fearing I'd sound ridiculous. Which I would have, undoubtedly. So that I may never be tempted to hum this tune to anyone, here it is on Youtube, played by Natalie MacMaster. Tullochgorum is the first tune here, it's followed by a few other reels.



After my tale of the injuries suffered during last week's life or death struggle with a spider in the kitchen, sympathy poured in from the general public. Most of it for the spider, I must admit. There was widespread anxiety about the spider's health. Apparently these creatures have friends and supporters everywhere. Hah. When giant mutant spiders are marauding through your home, spreading destruction, don't say I didn't warn you.

Household Accidents

Spotting a spider high up on the kitchen wall, I climbed onto a kitchen unit, clutching a rolled up magazine. (You may wish to tell yourself I was intending to shuffle it to safety) And then, as I approached the creature, it suddenly scuttled towards me in a very aggressive manner, causing me lose my footing and fall off the kitchen unit. I hit the ground, careered backwards till I slammed my head against an open cabinet door, then plummeted to the floor. Leaving me dazed and confused, and the final score standing at Spider 1, Millar 0.

Later, rather morosely drinking a cup of tea and watching cartoons, I reflected that I seem to have a lot of household accidents. I'm forever stubbing my toe on things, or breaking stuff. I have a Homer Simpson-like ability to burn my fingers by sticking my hand under the hot tap to see how hot the water is. Invariably, the water is boiling. Is it just me, I wonder, or does everyone stumble around their house from one disaster to another?

Fazi has made an Italian Myspace page for their edition of Lonely Werewolf Girl. And yesterday I completed a brief interview for an Italian teen magazine, so that's a good start to the release in Italy.

Arsenal take on Manchester United in the cup on Saturday. Feelings are already running high in the Millar household. Experts predict that abuse directed towards the TV may rise to dangerous and critical levels during this game.

Ragazze Lupo

Lonely Werewolf Girl comes out in Italy at the end of March, published by Fazi, under the title of Ragazze Lupo. Here it is on the publisher's website. So that will be the first foreign translation of Lonely Werewolf Girl and I'm very pleased about it. The Good Fairies of New York was quite successful in Italy so I'm optimistic about the prospects for this.

American and Greek editions are on the way. Annoyingly, the German publisher of The Good Fairies of New York doesn't want to publish Lonely Werewolf Girl. This seems strange, as their German edition of The Good Fairies has remained in print for many years. Anyway, my agents are actively looking for a new German publisher.

As recently threatened, I am now clad in a new Suzy Quatro T-shirt, and am wearing it at this moment. It's a really fine garment. I would put a picture here, if I actually had a working camera, which I don't at the moment. I may be the only person in the Western hemisphere without a camera. Must rectify this soon.

And now I must return to the couch, for a fortifying sleep, as I'll need my strength later for watching football. There are matches on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, and this is quite a tough schedule, as I do a lot of shouting and shaking my fist at the TV.