Thursday, July 23, 2009

Good Neighbour

I just received a box of books from my Greek publisher - Κάλιξ: Η γυναίκα λυκάνθρωπος. I'll give one of these away to the first person from Greece who wants one. Leave a message here, and email me your address, and I'll sign the book and send it to you.

I was worried by recent 'good neighbour day' or something like that, in which people were encouraged to meet their neighbours. Maybe even share a meal with them, I think. Am appalled by the thought. If I wanted to meet my neighbours, I wouldn't live in London. I rely on Londoners' mutual suspicion and hostility to prevent me from having to talk to any of these people.

Nervous in case some neighbour might knock on my door, asking me to share a meal, I lie on the couch, listening to the New York Dolls.

A new bad girl
Moved in on my block
I gave her my keys
Said 'Don't bother to knock.'


Risk a quick glance out the window, hoping some bad girls might be moving into my block. No sign of any. I suppose it's not very likely really. Life is rarely like a New York Dolls song. Probably when I get carried off to hospital with swine flu, there won't be a rock'n'roll nurse there either.

16 comments:

  1. I was recently in hospital and yes, it was devoid of rock n roll nurses. :(

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  2. But, Martin, maybe your neighbours are bad girls?

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  3. It's unlikely... and it seems too dangerous to investigate.

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  4. Motley12:15 am

    Aha, I thought I was the only person who dreaded the knock at the door of a strange and intrusive neighbour. Glad to hear you.

    Only really popped in to say I'm enjoying Lonely Werewolf Girl - and to thank you for it.

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  5. Anonymous6:53 pm

    Come on man, write the next Thraxas book. What is going on there?

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  6. I live only in the Midwest, small city and do not know my neighbors. I wonder if I showed up with a casserole and a smile if they would die of shock. Or perhaps slam the door on me. Probably would think I'd poisoned it so I could have their garage space.

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  7. For a few months, we had next door neighbors of the friendly variety. And they would drop by randomly to say hi, or ask a simple question, or bring very sweet Christmas fudge. It was weird. (Much like Mel Brooks' Spanish Inquisition) We never expected them.

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  8. In London we don't have neighbors, just people that we happen to be living next to.

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  9. I think Aleister Crowley hit the mark when he said "The supreme satisfaction is to be able to despise one's neighbor and this fact goes far to account for religious intolerance. It is evidently consoling to reflect that the people next door are headed for hell."

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  10. Anonymous2:46 pm

    Hi Martin,

    I love your books and I am a fan for many years. And I'm from Greece so I'd really like a signed copy in greek although I've already read it in English!

    Katerina

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  11. Hello Katerina, I'll post the book to you.

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  12. Anonymous6:35 pm

    hi, I am from greece, I send you my address but I have a question about the end of your book, does it finish there or is it gonna be a sequel?

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  13. Sorry, the Greek book has already gone, I sent it to the person who posted before you.

    There is a sequel, it will be published in Britain next year. I'm not sure when it will be published in Greece,

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  14. Anonymous1:35 pm

    Excellent news about the sequel of Lonely Werewolf Girl! I'm really looking forward to knowing how everyone is doing. I miss them. I felt lost when I finished it.

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  15. Hey,
    thank you so much for your totally awesome books, i love them! Actually i'm quite thrilled to meet you here in person, hehe, thought you would be kind of unreachable, superstar and stuff.
    Also, please check out my art, i'm sculpting superheroes and everything.
    With best regards from the deep bavarian woods,
    Matthias

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