Yes, it all begins at noon: East Line Books, Old Village Plaza, 1714 Route 9, Clifton Park, NY 12065 (Just north of Rt. 146 on Rt. 9 across from Snyder’s Restaurant, between Clifton Park Pizza and Captain’s Treasures). I will be playing my kantele off and on — and if that’s not enough of a…
Category: Unikirja
Signing: Eastline Books May 30
Just a reminder for local people that I will be signing copies of Unikirja at Eastline Books in Clifton Park, NY on Saturday May 30th, beginning at noon. I will bring one of my kanteles to play and if there’s any interest, maybe read a little. Author Lyn Miller-Lachmann will also be there signing her…
A Taste of Unikirja: Palakainen
Here’s another taste from Unikirja, “Palakainen”. This one’s quite a bit different from the comic tale “Vipunen” because it’s based on a murder ballad from The Kanteletar. When I began to compose this story, I found it developed a peculiar rhythm to capture the feel of a ballad narrative, including the repetitions of phrases peculiar…
A Taste of Unikirja: Vipunen
In order to give people a little sample of my collection, Unikirja, today I want to offer one of the stories that previously appeared in print. “Vipunen” is based — oh, so loosely — on Runo 17 of the Kalevala. That runo has been interpreted in various ways, including musically by Estonian composer Veljo Tormis….
The Kalevala and Kanteletar
One of the difficulties involved in introducing my story collection Unikirja has to do with most people’s unfamiliarity with The Kalevala and The Kanteletar, the twin tomes of Finnish myth and folklore. The stories and songs that make up these collections are very old, but were gathered together in the nineteenth century as a surging…
Playing Kantele
A rather utilitarian video of my playing, Little My, one of my five string kanteles. The instrument shows up many times in my short story collection, Unikirja.
My Kantele
What is the kantele? The short answer is the national instrument of Finland, a lap harp traditionally with five strings. Of course, that has changed much over the centuries: 5, 10 and 15-string kanteles are common (and often electric!) and there are even grand concert kanteles. Above is a picture of my very first kantele,…
Signing: Eastline Books
Just a quick note to let you know that I will be doing a signing for Unikirja May 30th at Eastline Books in Clifton Park, NY. The fabulous Robyn Ringler hosts many events at her independent book store and it’s a great place to browse — in fact, she’ll be having a big sale that…
Branding Myself: Finnish
I’m trying to think about several angles for the “branding” idea, which I must admit still makes me a tad uncomfortable. I revile the forces of capitalist consumption in its may destructive forms, so I rebel at the idea of turning myself or my book into a product. However, I am well aware of the…