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If you were a member of the aristocratic or gentry classes in the 19th century, it was almost a given you’d have two (or more) mothers: the woman who gave birth to you, and the one (or ones) who actually … Continue reading
Yearly Archives: 2020
Scenario: A detective is in a car crash and passes out twice in the flaming wreck, which he escapes at great peril. Five minutes later he just gets up and flags down a passing cop. “Hey,” the detective says as … Continue reading
In my own particular mental map of the modern novel’s river, the watershed is Jane Austen. Her books were romantic, but she was not writing romance as it later came to be understood. Romance in the early sense could be … Continue reading
Due to current events, a lot of people have been talking about leaving the United States. Just pulling up sticks and going somewhere else. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. It’s the classic fantasy … Continue reading
Whatever planet was ruling my techno house has passed out of it, and I am no longer obsessing with indefinable, unanswerable cybersphere questions. Querying the digital heavens is a lot like talking to whom confused Christians call God, (in her … Continue reading
Join Thor and me for the last leg of your virtual Thailand vacation as we arrive at Phangnga Bay to see the famous karst sea stacks. NOTE: “And now for something completely different.” Thor and I made our first trip … Continue reading
(This post is part of my Patreon-supported New Worlds series.) Not all holidays involve parades, and not all parades happen because of a holiday. But there’s enough overlap for this to seem like a suitable place to take a look … Continue reading
Robin Hood’s Merry Men: Robin Hood To wind up this romp through Sherwood Forest, I’m giving you a sketch of Robin Hood himself, the heart and soul of legend, ballads, poetry, folklore, and modern media. Robert Locksley, displaced Earl of … Continue reading
Oh, my friends. Time for a recap of this year that has lasted a decade. I sincerely hope we are heading towards a dawn because the darkness has been wearying in teh extreme. I don’t know about all y’all but … Continue reading
BVC Cooks: UK vs US Plum Pudding—but it has no plums. For special holidays my mother used to make her English grandmother’s recipe for plum pudding. Who knows how old this dish was, or even this formula for it. But … Continue reading