It all started with Aubrey Beardsley, (1872 – 1898, England) in early studies when I thought I wanted to be an artist. Pen and ink drawings were my oeuvre, so to speak. So, I endeavored to copy him—below (his, not … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: September 2017
by Brenda W. Clough Ah, the medieval villages of France! We are staying in Severac-le-Chateau, in the central Averyon district on the central massif. It is almost unbelievably picturesque — the only American equivalent may be found (I regret to … Continue reading
Some days I need a little silly. During my time as a sixth grade teacher at a private school, Howard Pyle’s Robin Hood was one of our texts. Its faux-medieval Victorian prose was actually a fairly easy way to accustom … Continue reading
(This post is part of my Patreon-supported New Worlds series.) You start out a child, you wind up an elder; in between, there are rites of passage. These are the ceremonies that mark a transition from one social status to … Continue reading
by Brenda W. Clough The tradition in Rome was to bury the dead outside the city. Christians developed the notion of burial in ‘sacred ground,’ which is to say in or around a church. This rapidly became impossible in cities, … Continue reading
Forest bathing is supposed to be about the health benefits of walking in forests. The “bathing” is the soaking up of the sights and smells all around you. But if you do your forest bathing on a foggy day … Continue reading
by Brenda W. Clough We had not realized the Roman site at Vaison-la-Romaine was so enormous, so we went back. Most of the old Roman town is under contemporary construction, but a tobacco millionaire at the beginning of the 20th … Continue reading
by Brenda W. Clough Roman towns were often named after local dieties, who in turn were in charge of the water. Nimes was originally Nemausus, named after the Gauls’ Nemausus who presided over the artesian spring. And today we went … Continue reading
It’s late summer and the garden keeps giving. This afternoon I picked a basketful of cucumbers: Russian Brown, English Telegraph, and lemon cukes. The Russian Browns are nice in that, like the lemons, they don’t get bitter. When they’re ripe, … Continue reading
Eldest daughter of an eccentric art collector, Arianne Richards has become the caretaker of the family’s empty coffers and her irrepressible siblings. Discovering a hidden painting, she is determined to sell it to obtain the funds to send her ill mother into the country. But why does her aristocratic cousin’s suitor, the handsome and wealthy Lord Galen Locke, show so much interest in her humble person? And why does he so badly want the mysterious painting?
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