21:08 SUNDAY 28 DECEMBER 2008

An insane and wonderful month, during which we were forced to move out of our bedroom by creeping black mold, had dinner in fabulous restaurants with approximately 457 relatives, unwrapped thousands of beautiful gifts, sang carols at the Opera House, where Bee hopped through a shower of golden sparkles on stage to Six White Boomers (click on song title), and I coughed so violently from an attractive amalgam of asthma and bronchitis that I vomited on the balcony and then wept. Bee, now a venerable THREE and more beautiful than ever, exulted in the glowing grandparental attention. For Christmas, she received a delicate 18 carat gold moon and stars pendant, three gold-trimmed hand-blown glass angels, Fred Bare dresses and pale pink Seed chemises, a pale pink spangled fairy outfit and a china tea set, fairy books and musical instruments, big girl novels for her library, a talking telephone and the glamorous wooden fairyland in which she has arranged all her new little fairies and Disney princesses. Otherwise? Two new bookcases are needed, our financial planner has now limited us to a five dollar expenditure per day, and my beloved husband and I are as fat as partridges. Extremely LARGE partridges. And this really made me laugh ...

14:00 TUESDAY 16 DECEMBER 2008

A stunning new cover has just been designed for the latest translation of The Eclipse, and other book negotiations are nearing conclusion. Otherwise? Hitting the zoo with Bee, Jake and Shirley, interviewing a very wonderful woman, attending a birthday party, Christmas luncheon with all of my absurdly attractive in-laws, and admiring our lovely, slender, 6'3" tree. That and remembering my girlfriend Arna, who died two Sundays ago: a most beautiful death. She was surrounded by those who loved her, and although she died in hospital, it was beneath silk blankets, the room was fragrant with aromatherapy oils, and her only son had read her poetry all day. Here she is in her television heyday:

21:00 MONDAY 01 DECEMBER 2008

Well, Bee's third birthday celebration was a great success. We hired the Blue Fairy for the occasion, and she presided with great grace over the little children in the Bavarian Castle Room (fairy murals, fairy lights, fairy throne, toadstools, etc.). Bee was awestruck, all shining eyes and tentative dance moves, so beautiful in her white wings and embroidered white dress. Her grandparents bought her the most wonderful gifts; she has been in a daze of happiness ever since.

12:22 WEDNESDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2008

Our anniversary today, and my beloved presented me with an absolutely hilarious hand-drawn card and a lavish reference book on the Jungian interpretation of dreams (I gave him a book about the quantum realm). Otherwise, so beautiful, but Nicole Kidman wouldn't recognize an English accent if she sat on one:

13:47 SUNDAY 16 NOVEMBER 2008

Please sign this petition (click on words) - it only takes a second.

16:00 SATURDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2008

I feel as if I'm going mad. Down with yet another cold - I think this brings it to four of so (broken) months of illness this year - and I am completing a critique in bed. Alexander has escorted Bee to yet another birthday party (as I'm busy with viruses, I am unfit for the company of little children). It is an absolute misery outside - all grim and cool and rainy. Otherwise? This, from the very wonderful William Leith: "The relationship between writers and their readers has changed considerably over the past few years. You write a book because what you have to say is, at the very least, long-winded, and possibly even nuanced or subtle. It takes you months or years. Most of that time you spend alone, cracking up at your desk or lying on the sofa feeling sick, with occasional moments of muted triumph." (As I'm too tired to crack up at my desk, I prefer the sofa.)

Cha Cha Slide USMC Style
 

00:52 THURSDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2008

Just returned from the most wonderful vacation. More tomorrow. In the meantime, me with Bee:

21:15 FRIDAY 31 OCTOBER 2008

The happiest of Hallowe'ens to all my US chums! Otherwise? My interview with Toby Young is in the Christmas issue of Rolling Stone, and my essay on David Mamet is in this month's Men's Style, both on the stands - now.

20:34 WEDNESDAY 29 OCTOBER 2008

Another enormous week. Three major interviews on as many consecutive days, Bee and I lunched with author and fashionista Maggie Alderson, the brilliant astrologer Jessica Adams, and the very funny Kathy Lette, and the cover of the most recent translation of The Eclipse has been finalized. There have also been further contractual negotiations regarding the new book, Richard is over the moon about his fiancee, Stephen is adjusting to life with a daughter, my mother-in-law has been lovely, and today was my beloved husband's birthday: the happiest of returns, my handsome, handsome love.

"One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize tonight,
But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light;
Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day,
Then look for me by moonlight,
Watch for me by moonlight,
I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way."

- The Highwayman, by Alfred Noyes

12:08 TUESDAY 21 OCTOBER 2008

An extraordinary week, something like four crammed into one. Importantly, a lovely friend is dying; she has a week or so to live. This has created a space in which all those who love her can tell her what she has meant to them, and vice versa. My level of emotional congestion was unexpected; I found it (uncharactistically) difficult to articulate my feelings. In the end, we spoke our love. She has always been a wonderful and wonderfully dramatic woman, all tonal shifts and shadowplay. Also so very beautiful (big eyes, blonde hair). After speaking to her, my lower back folded. An intense pain.

14:27 MONDAY 13 OCTOBER 2008

Dear little Bee and I are feeling mariginally better. I am facing a tsunami of commitments - thousands of them, from the trivial to the sublime - and I am trying to decide where to begin. The bad news: Feodora clambered into a pillowslip and fell, face first, onto the floor from the top bunk. Her beautiful nose was broken, and she was operated upon the other day. The good news: the new book is coming along just beautifully, and I am inordinately excited about it. And my darling husband is working on another major story, and embarking on a new series of bootcamp exercises before dinner.

NEW HOME PAGE

http://antonellagambottoburke.com

NEW DIARY ADDRESS

http://antonellagambottoburke.com/DiaryCurrent.htm

11:30 WEDNESDAY 08 OCTOBER 2008

Bee and I are again leveled by a viral infection and I have lost my voice for the fourth time in two months. More fevers, more bedrest, more lemon and honey. (Alexander remains as strong as that proverbial horse.) Will be returning to contractual issues and manuscript as soon as I can stand without the aid of a chair rail. Otherwise? Alexander and I are devastated - DEVASTATED - that we have come to the end of the superlative third season of Supernatural. Not to mention the fact that it was CUT SHORT by the writers' strike. (Should we sue, I wonder?) Poor Dean, poor Sam.  

11:19 THURSDAY 02 OCTOBER 2008

Puerile, but also really funny.

20:44 TUESDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 2008

Tying up contractual details for a new book, finishing a feature interview, holding my little coughing girl during the night, and completely in love with my extraordinary husband. Otherwise? Stephen now has a daughter, Charlotte Grace. Mazel tov.

14:20 MONDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2008

Mad and blowy day dealing with mad and blowy bureaucratic types.

12:25 THURSDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2008

Ric's birthday today, mine - and lovely Rita's - tomorrow. I turn 43 or 34 or 3/4 or something. And all I want to do is sleep.

10:57 TUESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2008

Poor Bee has had a mild recurrence of her headcold, but still found the strength to dance around the house this morning in her pink-and-green fairy headdress and sparkly wings. I bought her a number of Montessori preschool activity books, and also books detailing mathematical and musical games, so she is enjoying herself uproariously. Otherwise? I'm still firing on two cylinders after the immune system assault that was August, and negotiating a contract.

21:59 TUESDAY 9 SEPTEMBER 2008

Interviewed another writer last night, a wonderfully funny man. Otherwise? Feeling steadier on my legs and even contemplating a little yoga. Bee had a playdate with Lucy today (very civilized), and Alexander is ecstatic about some very excellent career news. (I have a little of my own, but later, later ...)

12:12 SUNDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 2008

Father's Day has been all about Goldfrapp, the Tom Tom Club, pancakes, and The X-Files, series five. With the deepest love and thanks to my beautiful husband Alexander, the finest dadda in all the world:

12:43 SUNDAY 31 AUGUST 2008

Little Bee's favorite YouTube video:

11:37 FRIDAY 29 AUGUST 2008

Q: How do you make an apple puff?

A: Chase it around the garden.

22:45 TUESDAY 26 AUGUST 2008

Ended up in ER on Saturday after the Dreaded Lurgi began looking a little too much like pneumonia. Three weeks of illness with three losses of voice, hacking, sneezing, sniffling, wheezing and all the vim and vigor of a week-old corpse. The doctor said yah boo sucks to pneumonia, and instead informed me that I have contracted a wonderful virus that shapeshifts into something much worse every week or so. Our Darling Bee is almost completely better and My Beloved Husband is as fit as that proverbial fiddle, but I am still shuffling about the house in my pajamas. Otherwise? The very best of news to be revealed in the next week or so. And The Eclipse is FINALLY available to be downloaded as an audiobook:

22:00 TUESDAY 20 AUGUST 2008

Alexander has perfected his Daniel Plainview impression.

12:51 SATURDAY 16 AUGUST 2008

The most beautiful moon last night, seen through those tall, dark trees. Otherwise? Bee and I are slowly resuming some semblance of human being - despite a full course of nuclear antibiotics, I am still vaguely tubercular - and my darling Alexander is, as ever, in rude good health. In short: weak, but very happy.

12:09 SUNDAY 10 AUGUST 2008

Incredibly ill. Coughing all night long, and darling Beebo is also a croaky little frog. Alexander, on the other hand, is hale and hearty and roaring through various features.

12:20 WEDNESDAY 06 AUGUST 2008

Catatonic after a turbulent night with our dear, sick, little baby. 

22:40 WEDNESDAY 30 JULY 2008

The Literary Collaboration is now underway. This is an electric experience, as my colleague is a friend of many years and the project looks to be enormous fun. Alexander, too, is examining a scintillating new project from various angles, and Bee grows ever more beautiful. At this point in time, I think she looks almost exactly like John William Waterhouse's The Lady of Shalott. She really is radiantly lovely.

20:38 WEDNESDAY 22 JULY 2008

Alexander bought himself the most beautiful pair of Prada spectacles today - his eyes were tested, and he suffers from astigmatism and the mildest myopia; once he returned home, he lost himself in research for a major feature. Otherwise? Bee is splendor itself, and I am feeling a little ropey after broken sleep (wriggly little baby beside me).

13:10 TUESDAY 21 JULY 2008

Alexander and I are madly yearning to escape north, but cannot as we have far too many commitments. Instead, we discuss the number of goats we would keep on our imaginary farm, and the swing we would build from rope and polished board for Bee.

12:49 SUNDAY 20 JULY 2008

"Remind me," Alexander said, gazing into our overflowing refrigerator, "why it is better to be thin." Otherwise? Wading through the dark waters of a manuscript, in awe of our lovely baby, and standing on my head.

22:22 THURSDAY 17 JULY 2008

Ruve insists that her husband does not look anything like Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki), one of the two leads of Supernatural, but she is lying.

21:21 TUESDAY 15 JULY 2008

This evening, Bee described the outfit she will wear at Rowena's wedding. "I will wear a silky cashmere jumper," she said, "and a hat, and my lace-up slippers, and a flower, and a shoe around my neck."

11:05 FRIDAY 11 JULY 2008

Over the moon about a particular project - in the process of negotiating contracts, so nothing can be said as yet - and Alexander is thrilled with the ENORMOUS and very glamorous new monitor I bought him as a surprise. Otherwise? We visited the wonderful Lin yesterday. Her new book on Norman Lindsay has just been published, and she is gearing up for the Olympics. My essay on turning 40 has been uploaded here (please click on these words), a new review has been uploaded here, and another here.

14:29 TUESDAY 08 JULY 2008

"You are a beast!" Bethesda cried to Alexander this afternoon. "You will eat my slippers!"

11:59 SUNDAY 06 JULY 2008

The stove needs replacing. My laptop was fixed for the third time this week. The laundry light leaked water. A column had to be rewritten three times. It has been raining. And Bee is potty-training. In short: mayhem.

20:32 WEDNESDAY 02 JULY 2008

A developmental psychologist informed us that Bee is in the 99.7th percentile verbally, and in the 95th percentile cognitively. Which makes sense, as we are regularly startled by her feats of memory, doggerel, and general adorableness. Otherwise? Alexander and I are beginning to emerge from the swamp of taxation demands, and I am learning to make salmon sushi - salmon sushi that resembles a major car crash in Tokyo, sure, but still salmon sushi.

13:47 SATURDAY 28 JUNE 2008

I have a pile of brand spanking new Marilyn Manson CDs and am more than happy to send them - without charge - to the first people who request a copy. Drop me a line with your name and address, and I shall mail one to you. Otherwise? Filed a column and an essay, am preparing for an interview, and will be returning to book commitments tomorrow. My darling Alexander is sorting through pitches, and little Bee is absolutely enamored of her beautiful new burnt orange snowboots.

11:43 TUESDAY 24 JUNE 2008

A beautiful winter's day. Poor Alexander cut his finger this morning on a lead crystal glass, Bee is ecstatic over her new matryoshka dolls, and Laura's devoted parents have flown out from London to be there for the birth of her second child, who may just be named Eden or Odin. Otherwise? Finalizing tax documents, finishing an essay, and addressing literary matters.

12:42 SUNDAY 22 JUNE 2008

Accompanied our darling girl to Luna Park yesterday, where we rode the white swan on the merry-go-round and then visited Coney Island for the first time. This was a mistake. The canned laughter scared her, the robot Alexander consulted for his fortune roared rather than spoke (poor little Bee huddled, terrified, in my arms), and she panicked as she watched me careening down the mountainous slides.

14:00 SATURDAY 21 JUNE 2008

Bee as she handed a banana to Alexander this morning: "Peel it, my most beautiful darling!" Otherwise? Carving into a deeply interesting essay, finalizing taxation documents, and preparing to launch into various book-related matters. And the (endless) rain appears to have abated and sunlight is flooding the study, which is absolutely heavenly.

11:46 WEDNESDAY 18 JUNE 2008

Bee had what could be described as a fractured night with the full moon (3am: "I LOVE YOU, MAMA AND DADDA!" 4am: "MAMA AND DADDA, I LOVE YOU!" 5am: "TIME TO WAKE UP, MAMA AND DADDA!"). As a consequence, Alexander and I are staggering about the house today with our eyes hanging out.

12:11 SATURDAY 14 JUNE 2008

Beyond thrilled. The Eclipse will - finally - soon be available on podcast through Lifestyle Pod Network. Read an extract by clicking on these words. Otherwise? Discussing Rowena's upcoming wedding, Bee paused. "But will her husband wear pants?" she asked.

16:24 FRIDAY 6 JUNE 2008

My essay on turning 40 (coverline: "Why 40 is the New Black") is in the July issue of Vogue, out now.

23:26 THURSDAY 5 JUNE 2008

So ill I can barely stand, but still braved the lashing rain and wind to attend the launch of my dear old schoolmate's first book, God, Actually, at his old law firm. As Bee sang nursery rhymes and Alexander chatted to Thomas Keneally about Stalin, I gazed through the plate glass walls at city lights and gently swayed, close to passing out.

14:20 WEDNESDAY 4 JUNE 2008

Flattened by 'flu, the lot of us. Alexander has been snorting eucalyptus oil, Bethesda has been snuffly, and I've been staggering about, feeling something like Spooner's half-warmed fish. The Language of the Dead, my essay for Some Girls Do, can be found here, and I'm gearing up for next week's extremely exciting announcement. Otherwise? Staring at the rain.

00:03 SATURDAY 31 MAY 2008

Four Australians, with a map in the background.

14:43 FRIDAY 30 MAY 2008

Alexander has written a superlative feature, soon to be published in a general interest magazine. Otherwise? Shattered after completing a 5,500 word essay, preparing to write another 2000 words this weekend (in addition to revisiting Little Bee's beloved merry-go-round and buying four new catfish, as all the others committed suicide), and anticipating a movie on Saturday night with my darling husband (who, like me, is reluctantly practicing portion control in an effort to shift a satanic abundance of avoirdupois).

21:44 TUESDAY 27 MAY 2008

A very excellent meeting this morning regarding my first literary collaboration (more on that soon). Otherwise? We spent Saturday on the merry-go-round at Luna Park; Stephen and Shareen are expecting a girl; Laura is due to give birth any second; Rowena is to marry her great love, Adeh; I am plowing through an involving literary essay; and my Alexander has decided to make this snap - taken tonight, not long after the changing of Bethesda's diaper - the home page (click on image):

00:01 FRIDAY 23 MAY 2008

A Danish fairy story.

11:34 THURSDAY 22 MAY 2008

For the past four nights, Beebo has had trouble falling asleep. We exhausted her with long, wintry walks and hour-long visits to the playground, stories and games, kisses and cuddles, but to no avail: the minute the lights were switched off, she bucked and wailed and began to whack me in the head with an open palm. This morning I remembered that we visited the Natural History Museum on Saturday, where she saw scale reproductions of dinosaurs for the first time, and that a certain bedtime story about a dinosaur named Skunk had been repeatedly requested, and that may Bee fear - or anticipate - his visit. (The degree of earnestness, analysis, and the endless deduction processes involved in parenting can make life feel like a thriller.) Otherwise? A big birthday for Edward on Monday (happy birthday, old friend), another dear chum's book launch coming up, and planning a weekend break (o, yes yes yes).

13:26 FRIDAY 16 MAY 2008

New review uploaded.

20:30 MONDAY 12 MAY 2008

So busy my head is spinning. My interview with Ricki Lake about her birth politics documentary is in this month's issue of My Child, my interview with Allison DuBois, the bestselling author and inspiration for NBC hit, Medium, is in the June issue of Vive, my essay on the mouth is in this month's issue of Men's Style, and an essay I absolutely love will be published in the July issue of Vogue. On Saturday, I interviewed a superlative American writer - the real thing, natch - and I'm potentially collaborating on a book with a high-profile chum, on top of working on my fifth book and ... something very wonderful (more soon). Otherwise? I nearly had a breakdown this morning when my hairdresser interpreted "streaks" as meaning "significant orange patch that sits atop the head like a toupee". He didn't charge me but I was close to wringing my hands in the cab home. (Alex and Bee recognized me, which made me feel a little better.)

DIARY CONTINUED ...