In Praise of the Love Letter….

February 9, 2016 peaadmin

Despite being a devoted reader of romances, I’ve always had issues with Valentine’s Day. It’s nothing to do with being, or not-being, in a relationship, and far more to do with how generic a holiday it seems to have become. More than anything, I miss love letters (those of you who were subjected to my Holiday Card Rant probably aren’t surprised by this). Real, honest-to-goodness love letters, not produced in assistance with Hallmark or 1-800-Flowers, but crafted with ink and paper and passion. The kinds that can change the entire course of a narrative, and make a relationship into the stuff of legends. So, in honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought it might be edifying to take a look at some real-life masters of the love-letter and see how it’s meant to be done…

For sheer frenzies of passion, you can’t do much better than John Keats (1795-1821). Impoverished, chronically ill, and Romantic–both in terms of his art and his temperament–Keats’ brief career was perhaps one of the most influential of his era. Much has been made lately of his intense relationship with Fanny Brawne, a neighbor he met sometime in the autumn of 1818, and his letters to her leave no doubt of the depth of his feelings:

Sweetest Fanny,

You fear, sometimes, I do not love you so much as you wish? My dear Girl I love you ever and ever and without reserve. The more I have known the more have I lov’d…Can I help it? You are always new. The last of your kisses was ever the sweetest; the last smile the brightest; the last movement the gracefullest…My Mind has been the most discontented and restless one that ever was put into a body too small for it. I never felt my Mind repose upon anything with complete and undistracted enjoyment—upon no person but you.

It was a source of constant pain and fear for Keats that his bleak financial prospects made the likelihood of an eventual marriage to Fanny nearly impossible. Worse, his health was so poor that he harbored no illusions about the likelihood of growing old with her. His doctors suggested he move to Italy with his friend, Joseph Severn, in the hopes the worst symptoms of his tuberculosis could be alleviated. Just before his departure, Keats wrote to his love,

My dearest Girl,

I wish you could invent some means to make me at all happy without you…I feel it almost impossible to go to Italy—the fact is I cannot leave you, and shall never taste one minute’s content until it pleases chance to let me live with you for good…I wish I was either in your arms full of faith or that a Thunder bolt would strike me.

In the end, the trip was a disaster, and Keats died in Rome on February 23, 1821. Fanny remained in mourning for him for six years, and would be devoted for the rest of her long life to protecting Keats’ memory, which included preserving every letter he wrote to her. Though he died fearing he left nothing behind worth remembering, thanks to Fanny his letters have been preserved for the rest of us.
***

Now we turn to my favorite letter-writer, and all-around fascinating Romantic, Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837). A Freemason, secret member of the Decemberists and a man who fell in love as easily and often as most people catch colds, Pushkin was a master of language and a phenomenal letter-writer; he frequently admitted to being a much more amiable person on paper than in person.

Much of the charm of Pushkin’s letters comes from their honesty—frequently far more honesty than was socially acceptable, but I doubt many of his correspondences minded. Take this letter for example, written to one of his favorite paramours, Anna Petrovna Kern:

I had the weakness to ask you for permission to write you, and you the thoughtlessness or the coquetry to permit me to do it. A correspondence leads to nothing, I know; but I do not have the strength to resist the desire to have a word from your pretty hand…Farewell, divine one. I am frantic and I am at your feet…
[And added to the letter at the bottom:]

I take up my pen again, because I am dying of boredom, and I can’t get you off my mind. I hope you will read this letter in secret…Write me all that comes into your head, I entreat you. If you fear my indiscretion, if you do not wish to compromise yourself, disguise your handwriting, sign with a fictitious name—my heart will be able to recognize you. If your words should be as sweet as your glances, alas! I shall try to believe them or to be deceived; it’s all the same.

Puskin is also responsible for writing one of the most famous love letter/poems in Russian literature–to a young serving maid who worked in a house he was visiting. The poem was written in 1828, and published in 1830, and has since become the standard poem for all who have loved–and lost.

I loved you once: perhaps that love has yet
To die down thoroughly within my soul;
But let it not dismay you any longer;
I have no wish to cause you any sorrow.
I loved you wordlessly, without a hope,
By shyness tortured, or by jealousy.
I loved you with such tenderness and candor
And pray God grants you to be loved that way again.

Part of the magic of this poem is that it is nearly impossible to translate without breaking up the meter–it not only has a heart, but a soul, too. Like any good Romantic, Pushkin was killed in a duel with his brother-in-law, Georges-Charles d’Anthès, who was most likely involved in an affair with Pushkin’s less-than-devoted wife (rumors are that she was also carrying on with Tsar Alexander I). Speaking of which, if you want to learn how to write a note that will incite a duel, check out Pushkin. But perhaps that is a pst for another holiday….?

Stay tuned for more love letters to come!

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Happy Birthday, Jules Verne!

February 8, 2016 peaadmin

In his introduction to the reprint of ‘Salem’s Lot, Stephen King explains that he was, and remains a “writer of the moment”, which means that his characters, and the themes in his books, often reflects the ages in which they were written, even though their themes may be timeless. In a recent report from UNESCO, Stephen King was the 9th most-translated author worldwide. The man who occupies the #2 spot on that list is a writer much like King…his writing reflects his world, yet imagines a world altogether new. That man is today’s celebrant: Jules Gabriel Verne, born this day in 1828.

Verne was always an adventurer, and ever the dreamer. Family legend has it that when he was eleven, Jules got himself hired as a cabin boy on a ship bound for the West Indies, so that he could procure a coral necklace for his cousin, Caroline. His father made it to the docks in time to catch his son, and made him promise that, thereafter, he would travel “only in his imagination”.

Verne always loved storytelling, but, as the oldest son of the family, it was expected that we would take a position in the family law firm, rather than try to make a living through his writing. And Jules was truly dedicated to his work, writing furiously only after finishing his studies. But in 1849, he met with Alexander Dumas, and together, the two young men wrote and produced a play called Les Pailles rompues (The Broken Straws), which debuted at the Théâtre Historique in Paris, on June 12, 1850. As his literary successes continued on the stage and in popular magazines, Jules quickly realized that he would only make an indifferent lawyer, at best. Though he would later get a job in a brokerage in order to win favor with his fiancee’s family, Verne’s lifelong passion would be for writing.

One of Jules’ favorite places to work was the Bibliothèque nationale de France (yay libraries!), where he kept up-to-date on the latest scientific and geographical discoveries that were being produced by French cartographers and explorers. This research got him thinking of writing a new kind of novel–a Roman de la Science (novel of science)–that would allow him to incorporate the wealth of facts he was collecting, while still allowing to put his prodigious imagination to good use.

Those novels came to life following Verne’s meeting with Pierre-Jules Hetzel, who was intending to publish a family magazine that would combine scientific information with fun adventure stories. Verne’s “novels of science” were a perfect addition, and Hetzel presented Verne with a contract stating that he would pay a yearly flat fee, and, in return, Verne would produce three novels a year for his magazine. Verne was delighted to find a steady outlet for his writings, and his first novel of science, now known as Five Weeks in a Balloon was published in January, 1863.

Though his work was enormously popular during his life, Verne’s work has always been the focus of a debate that still rages today…can science fiction be considered “literature”, or must it always be relegated to “genre fiction”? For years, Verne’s work was discounted, but a number of scholarly works published in France around the 1960’s and 1970’s brought his work back into the forefront of French literature.

adc97105-8b42-45e9-aca1-09fb4f7cd253-2060x1236 — A still from the 1902 A Trip To The Moon, one of the first films ever, inspired by Verne’s writing

In English, though, Verne hasn’t made the same kind of triumphant return. This is largely due to the fact that traditional translations of his work have been, generally speaking, pretty lousy. During Verne’s lifetime, British and American publisher decided to market his work to young audiences, and thus scaled down a lot of his ideas, and edited out a good deal of the words, as well. As Michael Crichton pointed out in an introduction to Verne’s work, in the publication of Journey to the Center of the Earth, “Griffith & Farran…blithely altered the text, giving Verne’s characters new names, and adding whole pages of their own invention, thus effectively obliterating the meaning and tone of Verne’s original.”

So perhaps today is as good a day as any to rediscover Jules Verne is all his true, wise, and insightful glory. Recently, several publishing houses have begun to reassess Jules Verne and his work, giving Anglophones a new taste of his work. Here are a few that have been widely hailed as rather good translations that will allow you to access all the weird and wild wonder of his work:

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea: Oxford World’s Classics are an excellent way to get to know some of the planet’s greatest works of literature, and these new translations by William Butcher actually go back to the original manuscript in order to get at the heart of Verne’s work, rather than relying on previous tradition. Here, Captain Nero and his submarine the Nautilus appear as wild and colorful as they first did in 1870.

From the Earth to the Moon: Walter James Miller translated and annotated this 1865 novel set in Maryland just after the American Civil War, when the Baltimore Gun Club decides to build a massive gun, pointing to the sky, in order to shoot the club’s president and a French poet to the moon. This work was an enormous influence on H.G. Wells, and now, you can discover it, as well, with excellent annotations, to boot! Miller also translated and annotated 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, as well.

Paris in the Twentieth Century: This novel was discovered by Verne’s great-grandson in 1989. It had originally been turned down by Hetzel as being too pessimistic, as well and, comparatively, unimaginative. Today, however, it is recognized by Verne scholars as a massively important work, and by science fiction aficionados as a marvel–none of Verne’s other works went so far as to prophesy the future of an entire civilization so comprehensively, or to include so many ideas about how science would change human society.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering, here’s a fun piece from National Geographic discussing eight inventions that Jules Verne accurately predicted in his writings. Enjoy!

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Saturdays @ the South: How is a hold list like a bunch of bananas?

February 6, 2016 peaadmin

I love bananas, preferably when they’re slightly green and the peel still has a bit of snap to it. Inevitably when I see rows upon rows of lovely green bananas at the supermarket just waiting for me to bring them home to ripen, I can’t resist. I take them home always hoping they they’ll ripen in a spectrum, each at a different pace so that I’ll have a banana ripened to my version of perfection each day. It never works out that way. The bananas, not attuned to my culinary preferences ripen all at the same time and I end up either eating them more quickly than I’d like or waiting until the last one or two over-ripen and make banana bread.

So why the talk about bananas on a library blog? This week, as I looked at a small bunch of bananas I bought yet again ripening all at the same rate, I realized this type of “feast or famine” happens a lot at the library as well. Whether it’s because several authors you enjoy put out books at about the same time, you just discovered a genre you really enjoy and you want to read a bunch of books in that style, or you just heard of a series that’s been out for a while and you want to read as many of them as you can (this happens with TV shows, too), sometimes your hold list gets a little unmanageable. The next thing you know, what was once only trickling in a book (or DVD, or CD) or two at a time, becomes a deluge with your name taking up half the hold shelf. Don’t get me wrong, we love all of our patrons who use library services to any extent, and many of them accomplish the admirable feat of tackling all their holds very quickly. But for those of us who can’t get to more than a few holds at a time or get a bit anxious having our checked-out items reaching the double-digits, allow me to introduce you to the suspended hold.

pause icon — Suspended holds = a virtual pause button

This feature that Evergreen offers has been such a fantastic option for me that I thought I would talk about it here, since it seems to be relatively little-known even amongst the library’s most avid users. A suspended hold allows you to keep an item on your hold list, but it won’t come in for you until you are ready for it. The best part is if you’re in line for an item that has a long hold queue, suspending a hold will keep your place in the queue. So if you’re #78 for the new James Patterson novel and you suspend the hold, you’ll still be working your way up to the top of the queue. If you reach spot #1 in the queue before you’re ready for it; that’s OK! Your hold is still suspended, but you’ll stay at the top of the queue until you activate the hold again.

(A quick note on privacy. We at the library keep the account information for each of our patrons strictly confidential and would never reveal your holds, checked-out items or any of your personal information to anyone, at any time. We would never take a patron’s information to use in any part of the library’s endeavors without the patrons explicit knowledge and consent. The following screen shots are from my account. Because I feel strongly that this service would be useful to many of our patrons, I have given the the library permission to use these screen shots that reveal a some of my items on hold.)

Now that we have the privacy issue covered, let’s talk about how suspending your holds can hep you manage your hold list. When you look up an item decide you want to put it on hold it defaults to being an active hold. This means one of two things: 1) that whichever library has the item available will check the item in and send it to your preferred pickup location right away or 2) that you are now in the queue for the book which other people have also requested. If you’d prefer the item not to come in right away, you can suspend the hold. Here’s how:

From the library’s main page, log into your account

After logging in, you’ll be taken to your account management screen. Select “Items currently on hold.” As you can see, I have a fair number of holds on my account and I wouldn’t be able to get to them all if they all came in at once.

I’ve already suspended a number of my holds. The “Active” column on the far right of the screen (not pictured here) will tell you whether a hold is active or suspended. If you’d like to suspend an active hold, check the box next to the item you’d like to suspend and from the “Actions for selected holds” drop-down, select “Suspend” and click “Go.”

The page will refresh and the item you checked off will now be suspended. As I mentioned, if you are waiting in a long queue, your place will be held until you’re ready for the item.

When you’re ready for the hold, you go through the same process you did to suspend it. Check the item(s) you want to activate, select “Activate hold” from the “Actions for selected holds” drop-down and click “Go.” The item will now go through the regular hold process and be delivered to your preferred library location.

I hope this information is helpful to any of you who find yourselves coveting a book or movie but feel they already have too much on hold or don’t have the time to read/watch it right away. In my humble opinion, there is no such thing as “too many holds” because that means your to-read, or to-watch, or to-listen shelf will always be ready when you are. This weekend, dear patrons, I encourage you to go on a bit of a holds-spree and request all those items that have been on your list for a while. Now that you know how to suspend and activate them, you’ll always have something ready when you are and you’ll be able to keep that blanket fort well-stocked!

*Points to all who got the “How is a raven like a writing desk?” parallel from Alice in Wonderland.

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Five Book Friday!

February 5, 2016 peaadmin

I had an enormous amount of fun putting together a list of things to make you smile in our last Five Book Friday. So I’m doing it again, because it’s snowy and February-ish, and…why not?

1) Heart and Brain Dealing With Snow:

6241942_heart-vs-brain-funny-webcomic-shows-constant_t879bc511 — http://theawkwardyeti.com/comic/snow/

2) The Calming Manatee. Go to calmingmanatee.com for some more words of wisdom:

3) This ridiculously beautiful poem by Nabokov…about the refrigerator making noise in the middle of the night, which contains the following lines:

a German has proved that the snowflakes we see
are the germ cells of stars and the sea life to be…

4) A quote from one of my favorite human beings, Nikola Tesla:

Of all things I liked books best.

5) New Books! Here are five new books that have scampered onto our shelves this week. Enjoy!

Travelers Rest: A genre-bending haunted house story, Keith Lee Morris’ third novel is part family saga, part science-fiction, and part horror, all set in the confines of one very weird Idaho town. While taking their troubled Uncle Robbie home from yet another stint in rehab, the Addison family find themselves caught in a freak blizzard, and are forced to stop in the derelict town of Good Night, Idaho, and its forlorn hotel, Travelers Rest. But inside the hotel, it seems that the laws of physics hold no sway, and the town itself is full of secrets. Will the Addisons be able to find their way home, and together, or will they become one of the ghastly souvenirs of Good Night? Publisher’s Weekly gave this one a starred review, saying “Expertly refurbishing an old structure, this haunted-hotel novel generates some genuine chills . . . Morris handles the spooky materials deftly, but his writing is what makes the story really scary: quiet and languorous, sweeping steadily and inexorably along like a curtain of drifting snow identified too late as an avalanche.”

Jane and the Waterloo Map: Fans of Stephanie Barron’s Jane Austen mysteries will be delighted to hear that her thirteenth tale is ready for circulation today–and it is high time that new readers discover this clever series. Written in the form of the great Miss Austen’s diaries, this adventure sees Jane finishing the proofs for Emma, while staying at the home of her beloved brother, Henry. While touring Buckingham Palace, Jane stumbles upon a dying man whose last words are “Waterloo Map”–and the stage is set for an investigation that delighted the readers at Library Journal, who noted “Barron deftly imitates Austen’s voice, wit, and occasional melancholy while spinning a well-researched plot that will please historical mystery readers and Janeites everywhere. Jane Austen died two years after the events of Waterloo; one hopes that Barron conjures a few more adventures for her beloved protagonist before historical fact suspends her fiction.”

The Firebrand and the First Lady: This book, a ground-breaking work that details the friendship between Eleanor Roosevelt (a woman whose lineage allowed her into the Daughters of the American Revolution) and a writer-activist (whose grandfather was a slave), took Patricia Bell-Smith twenty years to research and write, but its very clear that the results are worth the lifetime of effort. Pauli Murray met the Eleanor Roosevelt in 1933, at the housing camp where Murray was living, but it was the letter she wrote five years later, protesting racial segregation in the American South after she was denied admission to University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (a school that prided itself on its socially-progressive policies) because of her race that brought the two women together. Murray would go on to co-found the National Organization for Women, and become the first African-American Episcopalian Priest, while Eleanor Roosevelt would go on to become the first chair of the UN Council on Human Rights, but this book shines a light on their personal relationship, and how it changed both their lives. Booklist gave the book a starred review, hailing it as a “sharply detailed and profoundly illuminating . . . Bell-Scott’s groundbreaking portrait of these two tireless and innovative champions of human dignity adds an essential and edifying facet to American history.”

The High Mountains of Portugal: It’s been fifteen years since Yann Martel published The Life of Pi, but, all signs point to the fact that this second novel was well worth the wait. The setting this time is Lisbon, in 1904, and our hero is Tomás, who discovers an old journal that may very well help re-write history, if he can track down the artifact described within its pages. While Tomás sets off in one of the first automobiles ever made, the story speeds ahead fifty years to a grieving Canadian diplomat, who has arrived in Portugal following the death of his beloved wife. You’ll have to check out the book itself to understand how the two narratives are linked, and what magic tricks Martel will pull off in the midst of it all, but the Wahington Post has no qualms in ordering everyone to ““Pack your bag…Yann Martel is taking us on another long journey….but the itinerary in this imaginative new book is entirely fresh. . . . Martel’s writing has never been more charming, a rich mixture of sweetness that’s not cloying and tragedy that’s not melodramatic. . . . The High Mountains of Portugal attains an altitude from which we can see something quietly miraculous.”

Coconut Cowboy: Tim Dorsey’s beloved Serge Storm is back in this wild road trip across the Florida panhandle in a search for the American Dream, as he attempted to finish the journey begun by his freewheeling heroes, Captain America and Billy, which was cut short after their murder. Along with his side-kick, the drug-riddled Coleman, trivia-nerd and Florida aficionado Serge are on the road again in a tale full of their hallmark weirdness and oddly touching friendship. The Tampa Bay Times raved about this latest installment, saying “The Serge books are often hilarious, but there’s always something serious underpinning the antics”, while the Providence Journal cheered that this is “one of his funniest and most deftly plotted yet.”

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…It’s only February?

February 4, 2016 peaadmin

I don’t know about you, but it seems that the presidential election has already reached a fever pitch…and there are still nine more months to go….

For those of you who revel in the election process, who thrive on the political wrangling and debate, we celebrate your good fortune–particularly in these next few days, as the political machine has descended on New Hampshire. The airwaves, newspapers, and, in general, any public space, seemed full of debate and commentary–and commercials. Endless commercials….

….And for those who who are very seriously considering hiding in your Officially Library Approved Blanket Fort until November, then you, likewise, have our full support. Election decisions are difficult enough without the incessant stress that this process can induce in people, and the realization that the whole to-do is only getting started can be more than a little overwhelming…Either way, we at the Library are here to support you with voting assistance, informational resources, or a quiet sanctuary away from it all.

For today’s If/Then post, we are looking to merge the two, by offering you a selection of political films and tv shows to keep you in the election spirit, but ones that are firmly rooted in fiction, to help you escape the realities of this specific race (or at least the commercials!) for a little while. This list has been curated, hopefully, with a blend of optimism and cynicism to suit any mood or taste. So, without further ado…

If you’re looking for some election-themed viewing entertainment, Then check out….

The West Wing: This show had to be at the top of the list. For many, it was the medium through which they learned how the electoral and judicial process worked, and in Martin Sheen’s performance as President Josiah Bartlett, a generation of young voters found their ideal Commander-In-Chief. This show also became legendary for Aaron Sorkin’s linguistically complex, lightning-paced scripts that help characters sound better than any human being had a right to do. All seven seasons of this series makes for ideal binge-watching, but even a season or two are sure to help you escape–and you’ll definitely come away with a wealth of factoids regarding the Presidency that you never knew you needed.

Dave: Part Prince and the Pauper, part political commentary, this utterly quirky and perfectly heart-warming film is an all-around feel-good success. Kevin Kline stars as Dave Kovic, an idealistic young man who makes some spare money by impersonating President Bill Mitchell. But when he is called upon to help the President cover-up a personal rendezvous, he finds his job become much more permanent–Mitchell is incapacitated by a stroke, and Dave is forced to assume his duties…and in the process turns Washington upside-down. There is plenty to be said about the shortcomings of politicians, but Dave’s wide-eyed optimism is enough to calm the most cynical of viewers, and the unexpected romance within this story rounds out a delightful film.

The Thick of It: Fans of British television should not miss this savagely funny series that satirizes politics across the pond. Centered around the fictitious Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship, this show looks at the wild u-turns, bitter feuds, and hysterical side-shows that accompany every government policy and decision. At the helm is current Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi as one of the most foul-mouthed, ill-tempered anti-heroes in television, who somehow still manages to be weirdly sympathetic. Fans of Veep on HBO should also keep a sharp eye out for Chris Addison, the show’s current director, as Ollie, one of the most slimiest young upstarts you’ll ever hope to meet. The cast reunited to make In the Loop, a feature film that shares many similarities with the show, so be sure to check that out, as well.

Veep: Since we’re on the subject, don’t miss this show, that fans and critics seem to agree is one of the smartest comedies out there. Julia Louis-Dreyfus stars as former senator Selina Meyer who becomes the erstwhile second-in-command. Though a British-conceived and produced show (the show’s creator, Armando Iannucci, also created The Thick of It), a number of Washington insiders have commented on the accuracy of the absurdity of it all. It’s also wildly refreshing to have such an ambiguous female lead in this show, and to have the chance to follow her wild ride to power, and there is no one who can pull this all off better than Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

House of Cards: Though based off a British mini-series of the same name, the American version of this show, starring Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright, has become the stuff of legends, and given viewers permission to revel in the dark side of politics. As the conniving Frank Underwood, Spacey’s almost Shakespearean bid for total power is a somewhat-terrifying, but wholly captivating performance that caused my mother to hang up on me whenever I called while it was on. Best of all, all three seasons of this show are available through the NOBLE Network, so you don’t have to miss a minute!

Happy Viewing, beloved patrons!

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“…where I am really from doesn’t have a name.”

February 3, 2016 peaadmin

As I’ve mentioned before, I lived in London for about two years while getting a degree. During this time, I was lucky enough to rent a room from one of the greatest families in the United Kingdom, who dubbed me their “Rental Daughter”. I went from being an only child to having a Rental Brother and Sister who not only thought I was cool and funny (mostly because of my accent), but who loved reading and telling stories, to boot.

That September, we heard that Roald Dahl‘s family were opening his home, Gipsy House in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, in honor of his birthday, my Rental Family decided to pay a visit–and asked me to come, too. The day was a pure adventure from start to finish, starting with my first ever visit to a British rest stop, and concluding with a walk through the gardens of the writer who helped shaped by childhood imagination.

Roald_Dahl's_gipsy_caravan_-_geograph.org.uk_-_112566 — The “gipsy caravan” that Dahl acquired, and the reason for his house’s name.

One of the best parts of the day was seeing parents and children walking together, reminiscing together about reading Roald Dahl’s books, how scared they were by the Witches, how exciting they were about finding a Golden Ticket, or how much they wanted to meet a real BFG of their very own. My Rental Sister and I talked about how much we both loved Matilda, while sneaking ripe blackberries off the bushes that lined the garden when no one was looking. For each person walking around Gipsy House that day, the world of each of Dahl’s stories was very real, and very present, and that allowed adults and children alike find a magical common ground where they could walk together.
What I remember really clearly was that we spent the entire drive back to London telling stories. Each of my Rental Siblings and I took turns adding to some thoroughly outlandish story about Constantine, the Blue Sorcerer who defeated the Red Lady with a petal found in the flower at the World’s End, and a former Circus Strongman who was covered in tattoos (among other similarly noteworthy characters). Even the Rental Parents got into it, unwilling to let a day of stories and imaginings go too quickly.

Today, a dear friend sent along this editorial, published in The Daily Mail, by Roald Dahl’s daughter, Lucy, describing her childhood with her father in the world that he created. It’s a lovely piece, not only because it confirmed all the wonderful, charming, and ever-surprising stories I had heard about Dahl, but because it reminded me how infectious his sense of wonder, joy, and imagination were, not only to Lucy, but to all of us who were lucky enough to spend some time at Gipsy House. In describing her home, Lucy writes, “I am from a land of magic and witches, giants and Minpins, woods and fields, four-leaf clovers and dandelion wishes – I am from the imagination of my father, Roald Dahl.”

Not only was this childhood one full of wild adventures and magic, but a place where stories were constantly being created, crafted, and told. “The BFG had not yet been written, nor had Matilda or The Witches,” Lucy recalls, “Dad was developing his characters with each bedtime story; watching our reactions, carefully noticing what made us laugh or sit up or even sometimes yawn.” I can’t describe how much happiness it brought to read through these reminiscences and realize that stories really did grow at Gispy House alongside the flowers.

So I thought that I would, in turn, pass this article on to you to enjoy, along with the hope that your day is full of dreams and stories, as well. You can read Lucy’s full article here–enjoy!

100_5571 — I captioned this photo “Taken while talking about Trunchbull”. Not really sure why, but it’s a good memory nevertheless.

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Genre Talk: Be still, my heart….

February 2, 2016 peaadmin

Though I have to admit that the overwhelming wash of pink splashed across every window display in the greater Peabody area is a bit much to handle, February is the ideal month to talk (a bit more) about romance novels, and the genre in general. And since we at the Free For All are firm supporters of reading what makes your heart happy, and trying out new genres–from poetry, to cookbooks, to romance–today seemed like as good a day as any to discuss romance, and help you find a place to start in your exploration of the genre.

Frankly, there has never been a better time to start reading romance. The market for the genre has exploded over the past eight years or so, especially since the advent of the ebooks (because, as we’ve noted before, the covers can be a smidgen much sometimes). According to the Romance Writers of America, some 64.6 million Americans read at least one romance novel in the past year–and 25% of those nice people checked their book out from a library, which makes us happy on a number of levels. In case you needed some further statistical incentive, in 2013, the annual total sales value of romance sales was $1.08 billion, and romance books comprised 13% of all fiction books published. What all these facts combine to show is that, in choosing your romance novel, your options are myriad, and you will be among excellent company.

But how to know what to chose? As with fantasy–indeed, as with most any fiction genre–the categorizations are not hard and fast, and the stickers on the spines don’t always give you the best indication of what is between the covers. So here is a quick break-down of the bigger categories of romance novel for you, with a few suggestions along the way to get you started in the right direction:

Contemporary: By far, this is the largest genre of romance novels, comprising a little less than half of the romance books published in the United States. Interestingly, according to the Romance Writers of America, “contemporary novels” are books that are set after 1950–a date that shifts every few years as time marches on. Largely, though these books are set in the “present day”, which means some older books can feel a bit dated, not only in terms of the fact that the characters don’t text each other, but in terms of some of the social mores between the characters. There are some very definite subgenres within the contemporary heading, and some very familiar tropes including cowboy hero–sometimes they are ranchers, but the word “y’all” comes up a lot, and spurs are worn unironically, military heroes–if anyone finds a romance novel with a military heroine, I will, quite literally praise your name from the rooftops, and, more recently, motorcycle club badboys. And the billionaires (they used to be millionaires, but inflation affects even romance novel characters). Everyone has their favorite tropes, but I love Lauren Layne’s two contemporary series, or anything by the writing team known as Christina Lauren.

Historical: Though contemporary’s hold the plurality on the market, I think it’s fair to say that these are the kind of stories that people think of when they think of romance novels. It’s funny…every single year, publishers claim that the historic romance genre is “dying”, because it is only about 15% of published romances, but every year, historical romances are featured in mainstream trade magazines as the books to read. Though technically, historical romances are any that are set before 1950, the early 19th century is still by far and away the most popular period for these books, particularly the Regency Period (officially 1811-1820). The glittering ballrooms, fancy dresses, and other fun details aside, historical romance novels succeed for a number of reasons–because gender role were so rigidly defined, it’s much easier to talk about challenging gender stereotypes–in the character’s time, and in our own. Sarah MacLean is a marvel at drawing these parallels, but doing so in a novel that is wildly entertaining and genuinely moving. Similarly, by placing romances in a world without cell phones and cars, authors can also get rid of the distractions that keep us apart (even while they bring us together). Eloisa James is really talented at this–and, as a Shakespearean professor in real life, you are also guaranteed a wonderfully thoughtful story, as well!

Paranormal Romance: Though series like Twilight defined this subgenre for many, in reality, it is an enormously diverse one that features a wealth of science-fiction, fantasy, and supernatural elements. Vampires, yes, certainly; but shape-shifters are also hugely popular within the realm of paranormal romance. Increasingly, there are also magicians, necromancers, and gods and goddesses, too! While some paranormal romances are very firmly focused around the central relationship, like Larissa Ione’s Demonica Series, in many cases, they are much more like urban fantasy novels, with a complex world and a larger story arc, like Thea Harrison’s Elder Races series, or Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress books.

Romantic Suspense: Perhaps not surprisingly, these books are ones that feature suspense, mystery, or thriller elements as a major part of the plot. Very often, the two aspects, the suspense and the romance are intertwined and cannot be separated. In Cynthia Eden‘s LOST novels, for example, the main characters are all part of an elite search-and-rescue team, and fall in love as a result of the cases they take on. Many of the books I’ve read in this genre seem to rely on the damsel-in-distress trope to succeed, but some authors, like Jayne Ann Krentz and HelenKay Dimon are great at creating heroines who are just as strong and capable as the heroes.

Inspirational Romance: These books feature faith as a major component of their plots–traditionally Christian, but any number of believe systems can be the focus of these books. These books can be both historical–very frequently, they feature characters living in Amish, or similar religion-based communities–or contemporary. Readers looking for recommendations need look no further than this blog, as our beloved Melissa is the resident expert here!

Until next time, dear readers–Happy Reading!

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