Millard's Rat

a wonderful coincidence to end the year: I had no idea when I named my lead character Millard that there is an actual rodent named for her. The Millard's Rat, Dacnomys millardi, lives in Asia and is part of the rodent family Muridae. Like most rats, it is not currently endangered, but it is fairly rare to see one. All in all, highly appropriate for my Millard in Rats of Las Vegas.

Happy New Year...from all us rats!

(this rat is a detail from an art piece by Anthony Lister)

heading to Ottawa for the Small Press Fair

later this week, i'm off to the Ottawa Small Press Fair. i'll be reading at the pre-Fair soiree that's (to quote ze man himself) lovingly hosted by rob mclennan, with Michael Dennis, Spencer Gordon, Michelle Desbarats, and Garry Thomas Morse. looking forward to it!

Friday, November 27, 2009; doors 7pm, reading 7:30pm
at The Carleton Tavern (upstairs)
Armstrong at Parkdale, Ottawa

meanwhile, i've been watching rat videos, and i've finally decided that this particular rat is my favourite. it was thought to be extinct millions of years ago. you can practically hear this existentialist Laotian Rock Rat thinking to itself, "If i sit here perfectly still for long enough & pretend you don't exist, voila, you will no longer exist."

a really really BIG rat

while i'm waiting for the first copies of my book RATS OF LAS VEGAS to arrive, i couldn't help noticing this great tidbit of RAT news in the world...

there's a newly-discovered giant rat in Papua New Guinea, living in the crater of a volcano. and the rat is quite friendly, as you can see on the BBC website's video. hopefully it won't meet too many humans who pull its tail (that might influence how friendly it feels towards us.)

and in case you think i'm exaggerating with the word "giant"...the rat is 82 cm long.