Like many folks here, I am greatly enjoying Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. It’s a terrific fantasy series: I can’t tell you how well it adapts Susanna Clarke’s novel as I haven’t read it yet (so many books, so many of them to write!) but the author seems pleased. The next episode appears to focus…
Category: academia
Crime Fiction in Gdansk: Day Two
Day Two kicked off a bit later for which I blame the two Pauls, of course. I missed the keynote! And it was on college mystery novels, so I hope to read it in the proceedings in the future. Ditto for Fiona Peters’ presentation on Barbara Vine; and I need to get to work on…
Upcoming Appearances
I knew this semester was going to be busy, but it’s got even more so as time has gone along! Here are the places I’ll be appearing and the things I’ll be doing for new releases in the coming weeks. Sorry for the cut and paste — in a rush! Running from now until May….
So It Goes: Vonnegut Tribute Pre-Order
Roll up, roll up — it’s very nearly here! So It Goes: A Tribute to Kurt Vonnegut is available for pre-order now. What’s it all about? Kurt Vonnegut was a man who pushed his imagination off a cliff and followed it for the whole drop; a man who was able to write the most cynical…
There’s Got to be a Word for It
Here’s a thing: from one of those ongoing discussions, most recently on Facebook, but other places too. There’s a phenomenon that crops up all the time, yet has eluded naming so far. As I mentioned when sharing Peg’s post (right) about director Brenda Chapman on Facebook, the usefulness of the term “gaslighting” has been amply…
History Witch: Anglo-Saxon Death
I think the impulse that defines an academic nature is that one responds to difficult moments by turning to the past to see how others have coped with similar times. So still reeling from unexpected grief, I turn to history as I contemplate the ways we deal with the inevitability of parting from those we…
Out Now: Rook Chant
Few things make a writer happier than a gorgeous book cover and this one’s a beaut, thanks to the ever talented Queen of Everything, S. L. Johnson. You may recognise the image from a photo I took: how rare for a writer to have a hand in the book cover! Rook Chant brings together a…
Tuesday’s Overlooked A/V: A Gun for George
A Gun for George offers the new Walter Mitty for a 21st century. Terry Finch is a frustrated pulp fiction author and eternal loner looking for brutal revenge on the mean streets of East Kent. This short film offers a fascinating (and funny!) look at a few tropes that are instantly recognisable to any film…
Converting Galway
Thanks to Michael, there’s a photo of me giving my talk at the Moore Institute yesterday. There was quite a good turnout! I suspect it was the sandwiches. The audience seemed to be receptive and laughed in the right places, always a good sign.I will put the talk on line when I get a moment….
Krampus and Digital Monks
Did the Krampus visit you last night or did Saint Nicholas fill your shoes with gifts? Happy Independence Day, Finland (let’s have a little Värttinä for that). My talk is today at the Moore Institute. It’s an update of my keynote address from April; I wanted to hit a lot of the same issues, but…