In nova fert animus. Ovid, Metamorphoses.
Musings, Ravings, and Rantings
Duds of 2011
What is a dud?
Like most words in English, dud has several meanings. Informally and plurally, duds means clothes. When was the last time that usage was in vogue? Nope, not that meaning.
In its noun form, a dud is a thing that fails to work properly--or in the case of ammunition, at all. In its adjectival form, it follows the same meaning. A dud book or movie is a book or movie that fails to work…
The Best of 2011
I’ve taken stock of 2011. I didn’t get as much writing done as I wanted. I have to make more time to write and, more important, believe that a) I have something to say and b) an interesting way to say it.
I also didn’t get published. I want to do that in 2012, but that is somewhat dependent upon others. Mind, if I don’t produce then there’ll be nothing to publish. If I submit stuff, then the…
What I've Learned from Yoga
I have now done two 21-day challenges at my yoga studio. I tried to go for a whole 30 days in both cases, but didn’t quite make that. I did make at least the 21 days the first time and 24 straight the next time. I do yoga most days.
I learned one big lesson in the first challenge round. I don’t challenge myself enough. I have tried to pick that, not let things go slack. That was hard, and I…
Top TV Themes
It’s hardly light or fun today in the Mid-Atlantic, rather rainy and chilly. Added to that, the holidays are right upon us. Who else wants to dive back under the bedcovers, pull them over the head, and hide out until January? In honor of that sentiment, let’s have some fun with TV themes, some of which are pretty damned good music.
The idea for this blog on music themes has been kicking around in…
Bouchercon II--Interviews
First, the weather update--yes, it snowed today in Frederick CO, MD. Historic, probably; rare, certainly; unprecedented, no. Could I have done without it? Absolutely. I’m ready for snow in December, not the day after the World Series finished.
The horrible Cardinals, to use Sara Paretsky’s words, won. I’m bummed. So, probably, is she. Cubs fans are like Red Sox fans: I have two teams; Boston…
Favorite Sessions of Bouchercon--Spirit of St. Louis
This year, Bouchercon ran from September 15 through September 18. It had a very different buzz from last year’s conference in San Francisco. By the Bay was merry. This year’s had a frenzied, frenetic, and slightly forced feel. Or maybe it simply felt that way because I was operating from behind the 8-ball because I arrived on Thursday morning and went straight into the conference.
Lesson: Arrive…
Other Things I Won't Do
One of the things authors were discussing at this years Bouchercon, held ten days ago in St. Louis, was the horrific violence against women we're seeing in crime novels. Crime novels, particularly contemporary ones, have become more violent in general. As I've commented earlier, I think that is to be lamented--for lots of reasons.
That doesn't mean these authors, who are mostly women, are wrong.…
Things I Don't Like and Won't Do
Dear Gentle Reader, there are literary things in which I will not indulge or with which I will not waste your time. I won’t do these things because I, myself, don’t like them. I don’t read, and by extension write, gratuitous violence or sex or excessively grim or bleak settings. I’m not going to use difficult or clichéd narrative techniques.
1. Excessive violence and/or sex
Gratuitous violence (or…
Villains
There are probably as many types of villains as there are types of heroes, but, to me, villains have to abide by certain fixed rules.
1. Villains must be smart, ruthless, cunning, and respectful of the hero (or at least his/her/its ability to capture said villain; ditto for the hero).
2. Villains don’t necessarily have to be explicitly evil. The smart, amoral villain might be the best of all.
3.…
Heroes
What makes for a great hero?
Alexandra Sokoloff in her SCREENWRITING TRICKS FOR AUTHORS has her readers/workshop participants make lists of great heroes, villains, endings, etcetera from films or books. Mostly, these lists show the participants what they like/want in a hero/villain/ending.
These heroes, in no particular order, comprise my list: Odysseus, Aeneas, Hector (y’all know I like epic…
Moments of Transition
Yes, I’ve taken the title for this blog from JMS’s Babylon 5. Delenn and G’Kar spoke about moments of transition, both personal and political, both profound and powerful. Above all, they are scary moments, particularly for the people who have to live through them. How’s it going to come out? Will we survive?
We’re living through a protracted period of transition. Is it an end or a beginning? In…
Six Novels
John Floyd over on CRIMINAL BRIEF (a website for the mystery short story) told readers about six novels that have stayed with him or became permanent favorites. They weren’t perfect or even the best among the complete works of that author. They hit home--wherever home was or is.
Here are six that have stuck with me over the years.
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD--Who doesn’t want to be Atticus Finch? Who…
What Else You Got?
James M. Cain asked that question--What else you got?-- repeatedly in his conversations with Henry Sapienza and John McAleer. It comes across as curious, demanding, and engaged--even in his 80s. These conversations were interviews for a potential biography that never came to fruition. The notes and transcripts disappeared until Professor McAleer had his son pull the files on P. G. Wodehouse.
…
Malice Domestic 23
Malice Domestic--Malice for short--is the annual fan convention that celebrates the traditional mystery. Hard-boiled, noir, and gritty crime novels need not apply. On the other hand, a wider range of mystery fiction than I expected did appear. Woo-woos, cat mysteries, comedic romps, historicals (some with quite dark edges), puzzles, espionage, PIs (a distinct minority), police procedurals, and,…
PARIS REVIEW INTERVIEWS--Vol. 1
I came to THE PARIS REVIEW INTERVIEWS by way of a course from The Teaching Company called “The Art of Reading”. It was a good course, I liked the instructor, and he was enthusiastic about the interviews. So I got volume 4 on Kindle, and began reading. I was hooked.
In THE PARIS REVIEW, the interview is its own art form. It’s got as much drama and richness as any short story, play, or essay. …
What Is a Book?
What is a book? Simple enough question. It’s a text between two covers, right? That text can be a story (A KISS BEFORE DYING) or it can be philosophy (NATURAL HISTORY OF RELIGION). It can be anything and everything in between--so long as it’s got pages between two covers.
Well, the answer gets considerably more complex than that. Who made the book? The author? the publisher? the compositor? the…
Lord Peter Wimsey
I’ve been watching again the BBC adaptations of Dorothy L. Sayer’s Lord Peter Wimsey novels. The ones from the 70s with Ian Carmichael. What brought this on? Netflix had them, and my husband had never seen them. Voilà, I got them, and we watched.
I saw the adaptations before I read the books. I had to be in my early teens when I first saw these shows with Ian Carmichael. I doubt they were in…
The Big Three
Back in November, I reported on the Bouchercon session with Declan Hughes and John Connolly. They talked about the ten crime novels you have to read before you die. Well, here’s my take on the first three they mentioned. I like Hammett, I can’t stand Chandler, and I adore Macdonald.
Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Ross Macdonald contributed to the development of crime fiction. They gave…
Adaptation
I used to ask my students in English 102 (Written English: Forms of Literature) the following question--From the original material, to what must an adaptation be faithful? Several of my colleagues said, "Thank God you're not asking me that question."
It's a tough one.
The answer isn't bound up with casting or changes in content. Humphrey Bogart hardly looked like Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade,…
My Place in Detective Fiction
How does a historical mystery grow?
It grows the same way any piece of history grows--organically from the sources. A piece of nonfiction, however creatively imagined and written, should never exceed its sources. If the sources don’t support your theory, you have chuck the theory and go with what the sources support and suggest.
An historian can never prove anything. Historians are like lawyers:…
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