2 upcoming shows for Bostonians I recommend

Great klezmer violinist (& nice person) Alica Svigals at Johnny D's (with opener Matt Glaser - a whole show in himself!) at Johnny D's this Thursday: ( (details) )

and
Boston Performing Artists for Peace Present: A Benefit Concert for Civilian Victims of the Israeli-Lebanese Conflict
8 P.M. August 7,
at Emmanuel Church, Newbury St., Boston
All proceeds to be forwarded to nonpartisan humanitarian relief / FREE ADMISSION, donations requested ( (performance details) )

Delia Hits the Bigtime

Yes, my spies really are everywhere. Hal Davis, Rewrite Editor for the Dayton Daily News, forwarded this from Wordsmith.org:

Subject: A.Word.A.Day--chaffer
This week's theme: verbs.

chaffer (CHAF-uhr) verb tr., intr.
   1. To haggle; to bargain.
   2. To bandy words; to chatter.
noun
   Bargaining or haggling.

[From Middle English chaffare, eventually from Old English ceap
(trade, purchase), precursor of English cheap + faru (journey).]

Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=chaffer
-Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org)

  "I chaffered with the king of those people, who was a wise and far-sighted
   woman, and brought her to understand that it would be much to her
   advantage to accept from me half the arms and ammunition I had brought
   with me."
   Delia Sherman; The Parwat Ruby; Fantasy & Science Fiction (Cornwall,
   Connecticut); June 1999. [It was reprinted in that year's YEAR'S BEST FANTASY & HORROR, as I recall - ek]