The Art of the Name: Charles Dickens

One of everyone's favorite novelists, whether recognized or not (how many times have you intoned "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times"?) created a vast array of characters peopling his universe. The linked article suggests that names are not quite so creative these days--I would suggest the Discworld novels of Terry Pratchitt as worthy successors to the tradition.

Charles Dickens and the Linguistic Art of the Minor Character

Mary Stewart was the author I grew up with

Just saw the NYT story announcing the death of Mary Stewart on May 9th.  My sister and I grew up reading her novels, repeatedly.  I still own some of them.  Nine Coaches Waiting was one of my favorites, and Madam, Will You Talk?.   I may have to plan some rereading.

NYT story

Mark Twain, Superstar

Another feature on my favorite.  
mark twain, lecturer

Rudyard Kipling Poetry

It seems there's a new collection of various verses from Rudyard Kipling that are going to be included in a new Cambridge edition being released this week.  Now, one must wonder, given the prolific nature of Kipling's work--was there a reason these pieces were not published previously?

One group is described as being humorous verses that seem to have been composed on the fly to entertain his fellow passengers on a sea voyage. It is easy to imagine that the author never intended those to be among his "greatest works", but amusing they might be.

Sometimes the fact that we can find work that was not published prior may be subverting the author's own intentions concerning how his body of work was to be remembered.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/feb/25/rudyard-kipling-poems-discovered

Still Peter Rabbit, and his friends

There is an interesting sounding exhibit these days, through Jan. 27 at the Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Avenue, at 36th Street; themorgan.org. of Beatrix Potter's letters to young friends.  The premise is based on illustrated letters of that era, and includes some by others to demonstrate that there was a tradition of sketches along with the message. As well there is consideration given to some of the spinoffs of the Potter empire, including a board game. NYT story here

This brings to mind the fact that the tale of Little Black Sambo was written as letters to the children back in England from their mother while she lived in India. And I believe that the Peter Pan stories were in some part begun as tales to entertain  young friends. Small efforts that spun off to take on a life of their own once out of their creators' collective hands.

Peter Rabbit Rides Again!

NPR this morning aired an interview with Emma Thompson on her new book The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit   , authrorized by whomever is controlling the Beatrix Potter interests these days.  Peter takes a trip to the Scottish countryside.  NPR story online   

Serialization

It seems the newest trend in E-books is serialization.  

NYT Article

Now where have we seen this before???

Hummm.... let's see

Dickens and Trollope published in serial form in magazines, to boost circulation. 
Some things just never really change, but to some people they seem shiny and brand new.

Larry McMurty has stock reduction auction

Larry McMurty has decided that his store, Booked Up, doesn't need the level of inventory that he has been running with. Primarily as a reduction in the legacy he is leaving his family, the plan is to reduce the business to one store in Archer City, TX. In the recent New York Times article  HERE  the usual tropes of online selling and the demise of the physical book are visited. 

The bright spot is that some of the buyers at the auction are aspiring new used book store proprietors.

She's not Jane Austen

Since we're long time Jane Austen fans, my sister gave me Death Comes to Pemberly as a Christmas gift. P.D. James is certainly not Jane Austen, in any way that I can see. This turned into one of those books that I just kept reading to see how she was going to resolve things, not because I thought it was a great read. And I can't say that her resolution was particularly satisfying.

The Amazon Ploy

Let's see. How can we get other people to do the heavy lifting, and then swoop in and take the sale? Let's give people money for doing their research in someone's store, and then buying from us online! What could be the problem?

Amazon strikes again! While the bricks and mortar stores in your town support the local economy and invest in the local community, Amazon just wants your money--thank you very much. Let us hope that you never need to buy something, right now, right here, in your hands immediately, after all the stores on your Main Street have been driven out of business.

Richard Russo discusses Amazon's latest move in the New York Times, read his column here

Nashville Tennessee gets a bookstore

NYT today has a story about Ann Patchett partnering to open an independent bookstore in Nashville. The store is named Parnassus, purportedly in honor of the Greek site. It appears that Ms Pratchett and her partner Ms Hayes are either woefully oblivious to the Parnassus bookstore of Christopher Morley's novels, or coyly not making that reference obvious.

Story here

Hooray for Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak has written a new book, but he doesn't care what you think and he may never write another. Who knows? What he does want to do at this stage of his life is read. Interview with him in the Globe and Mail

"Oh, screw the world. Why should the dumb world know what I think?"

Beecher-Stowe Descendant finally reads THE BOOK

NYT has a commentary by a descendant of Harriet Beecher Stowe in their Disunion section that is following the developments of the Civil War. link here

Very Cool Mark Twain Project

A new CD to benefit the Mark Twain boyhood home in Hannibal is being released next week.

http://www.prescriptionbluegrassblog.com/2011/09/new-cd-gives-life-to-mark-twains-words.html As picked up from the prescription bluegrass blog.

Stories by Twain with musical additions. I think Sam would have been proud.

Terry Pratchett and Death

Death is a character in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, and he's also a reality that Terry finds the need to contemplate. Pratchett has early onset Alzheimer's. He has continued to work, "writing" his books by means of a computer voice to text program. But he realizes that his time of coherency is limited. Assisted death has become a cause that he advocates, traveling to Switzerland to be a part of a recent documentary on the process. This morning on NPR there was an interview with him aired, which will be available as an audio file on the site. HERE

As a reader who thoroughly enjoys the Discworld books, I anticipate the upcoming release of Snuff, but I regret the winding down of a creative spirit.

Faulkner Treasure Trove

William Faulkner was the writer in residence at the University of Virginia's Charlottesville campus for two terms beginning in 1957. UVa has 28 hours of tape of his readings, addresses and Q&A sessions available on line, plus transcriptions of the sessions to help where the audio is difficult. Story here

Austen Manuscript bought by Bodleian

A considerable portion of The Watsons in manuscript has been acquired at auction by the Bodleian Library. Jane Austen's last work, unfinished and unpublished in her lifetime shows many characteristics of her style. Beyond the subject matter of a family of women left in straitened circumstances by the death of the clergyman head of the family, such statements as:

"Female economy will do a great deal, my lord, but it cannot turn a small income into a large one." are noted as typical of Jane's wit. Story in The Guardian.

Classic Pooh

Disney has decided to revert to "classic" Pooh. Well, Duuuuh!

Some things are just not meant to be slick and shiny, and Pooh and his friends fall squarely into that category. My family has had a long, long relationship with the gang from the 100 Aker Wood. My mother used Pooh as part of the curriculum in her elementary classroom long before he became a Disney standard. Each of the siblings in the family has a character. One brother is Tigger, one is Piglet, my sister is Kanga, and I'm Eeyore.

Mark Twain Gets a Stamp

It's about time. The 27th stamp in the Literary Series from the United States Postal Service honors the great American author Mark Twain on a "forever" stamp. Why it took 26 issues to get around to him I'll never understand.

Uncle Tom

There are many books in the canon of American Literature that most people are pretty sure that they know, even though they may never have read the book. Between children's versions, movies and other (read Cliff Notes) means; they have been exposed and have a fully formed opinion. A recent article in NYT points out that the common perception of Uncle Tom as a bungling, old stooped servent is not the character that Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote about.

Because of the connections that various member of the Beecher-Stowe clan had in this area of Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana, associations with "Uncle Tom's Cabin, or Life Among the Lowly" are regularly cited for many locations. At least two different communities in two states claim the original of the crossing the river on the ice story, and in that era before dams and locks the Ohio River did freeze some winters. There was even a Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin published by the author because she had so many queries about her story.