The Return of Hank

You know spring is here.

Eye candy Jonathan Rhys Meyers has returned as King Henry VIII (or “Henry 8″ as he’s deemed in this poster), along with his entourage of Doomed Queens in the final season of THE TUDORS. I’m eager to find out how vacuously they’ll portray Catherine Howard (which I’m sure will horrify author Alisa Libby), how stately Catherine Parr will be, and whether the ghost of Anne Boleyn will make the obligatory appearance. I suspect that only Joss Stone’s Anne of Cleves will come out a winner.

THE TUDORS is hardly the stuff of high culture, but it’s a ton of fun. Maybe I’ll even play a drinking game: for every mention of divorce, reformation, or execution, take a shot of your favorite beverage!

The good news is that we don’t have to wait until April 11th to watch the premiere, thanks to the good people at Showtime. Player not working in your choice of browser? You can also view the episode on YouTube here.

Enjoy! And welcome back, Hank!

• Filed under be-mused, queens, stuff I like, the world around me | 4 Responses

Publishing Monday: Links all around — and a book new video!

It probably won’t surprise any regular visitors to this blog that I’m passionate about publishing in all it’s forms. So here’s a quick round up of recent news and links that I found worthy or interesting. Enjoy!

1. First off, I must admit that I’m excited about the iPad. I’ve had so much fun programming apps for the iPhone that I look forward to seeing what I can for the iPad. I’m also pleased that my iPhone apps will run on the iPad, though I may eventually want to update them to take advantage of the larger screen.

Now that it seems that there’s a device that can showcase full-color e-books, one of my first intentions is to create a digital version of THE BOOK OF GODDESSES. I’ve ordered one and look forward to having it in my eager hands on April 3rd. I think that there’s all sorts of Brave New World possibilities for book designers here, though I must admit to a Luddite fondness for the pleasures of the printed page. In the meantime, here’s some information about creating e-books for the iPad in InDesign — much easier than creating iPhone apps for sure. And here’s an inspiring article about the book design opportunities offered by the iPad.

2. I’m still in decompression mode after the whirlwind of activity involved in Mary Sharratt’s reading and signing here last Monday. It was wonderful to have her — Mary gave a compelling presentation that everyone loved and I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner with her and her husband afterward. We had a lot of fun talking about museums, art, writing, travel, and publishing. But since it was our first time livestreaming, we (friend/gallery publicist Diane Saarinen and I) had quite the learning curve!

Fortunately, all went well, despite a few technical glitches, and next time will be much easier. Best of all, Mary’s reading can be viewed online here.

3. Live in NYC or close by? This Saturday is our Spring offering of my Publishing 101 workshop at the gallery. It’s chock-full of as much inside publishing skinny goodness I can cram into two hours. There are a still a few spaces left. More info here. Or register here.

4. Here’s a Huffington Post article from an editor/author on how social networking and blogging have transformed publishing — in some ways, for the better. (Surprise, surprise!)

Like many other authors, I have a love-not love relationship with social media, such as Twitter, Facebook and blogging. First off, you need to be consistent with one’s efforts. When I’m on a book deadline or in the midst of serious muse time, I have a difficult time multi-tasking beyond the essentials (food and sleep, anyone?). On the other hand, the connections I’ve made online are ones I treasure and make what I do worthwhile and delightful. Some have even transformed into “real world” friendships and beyond.

5. Finally on a related note, when author Catherine Delors (MISTRESS OF THE REVOLUTION) asked me to design a book video for her new novel FOR THE KING (Dutton, July 2010), I enthusiastically complied. Below is the result of our collaboration, during which we had a lot of fun and listened to a lot of Berlioz . I “met” Catherine online during my DOOMED QUEENS blog tour when she graciously hosted me on her beautiful (and newly relaunched) blog, Versailles and More.

• Filed under events, friends and colleagues, iPhone apps, publications, publishing, publishing 101, studio and gallery | 5 Responses

Tonight at my studio: Authors at the Gallery

Big news here: We’re starting a new event series entitled Authors at the Gallery! Each month, we’ll be offering a book reading, Q&A and signing with a prominent author. Our first event is tonight, Monday, 3/15 at 7pm. We’re featuring acclaimed author Mary Sharratt, who has traveled all the way from England for this exclusive New York appearance.

If you live in the New York City area, my studio-gallery is very easy to get to — half an hour on the express train from Manhattan. We’re located at 1501 Newkirk Avenue in Brooklyn; the studio is located around the corner from the Newkirk Avenue Q and B station. More directions.

Can’t make it? This exclusive New York engagement for acclaimed author Mary Sharratt will now be streamed as a live webcast to be accessible to a global audience! Join us virtually here on Monday, March 15 at 7 p.m. EST. We’ll also be archiving it. (This is our first time doing this, so cross fingers for no technical glitches!)

About this event:

Monday, March 15, 7 pm
DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL
Book Event and Author Q&A
Free admission. Refreshments provided.

EXCLUSIVE: Meet acclaimed author Mary Sharratt as she presents and signs her new novel in advance of its April 7 publication date. Set in Lancashire, England, during the infamous witch trials of 1612, Daughters of the Witching Hill (Houghton Mifflin) reveals the true story of Bess Southerns, aka Old Demdike, cunning woman, healer and the most notorious of the Pendle Witches, and of Alizon Device, her granddaughter, struggling to come to terms with her family’s troubling legacy. Though the name of the Pendle Witches lives on, few know the hard-hitting details of the witch-hunt which tore apart a community. Set in an era of religious intolerance, political strife, suspicion and social inequality, this haunting story of strong women and family love and betrayal is more relevant than ever.

ABOUT MARY SHARRATT: An American expat who has lived in Pendle for seven years, Mary’s inspiration for the novel arose directly out of the wild, brooding landscape: the story of the Pendle Witches unfolded almost literally in her backyard. Read an excerpt here.

Advance Praise for Daughters of the Witching Hill:

“The 1612 Lancashire, England, witch trials that resulted in nine executions inspires Sharratt’s gorgeously imagined novel that wonders if some of the accusations of witchcraft might be true. Sharratt (The Vanishing Point) focuses on the Southerns family of Pendle Forest. Widowed mother Bess Southerns tries to save her family from bleakest poverty by healing the sick, telling fortunes, and blessing those facing misfortune, conjuring “charmes” that combine forbidden Catholic ritual, medicinal herbs, and guidance provided by her spirit-friend, Tibb…. Sharratt crafts her complex yet credible account by seamlessly blending historical fact, modern psychology, and vivid evocations of the daily life of the poor whose only hope of empowerment lay in the black arts. Set in forests and towers, farms and villages, deep in a dungeon and on the gallows, this novel grows darker as it approaches its inevitable conclusion, but proves uplifting in its portrayal of women who persevere, and mothers and daughters who forgive.”
—Publisher’s Weekly (Starred Review)

“No one casts a spell like Mary Sharratt. I was enchanted by this wonderfully absorbing novel, fascinated by the very real yet magical world of the Pendle witches.”
— Sandra Gulland (Mistress of the Sun)

Here’s the official book video, which is haunting and wonderful. It also features Mary’s horse Bousska, who makes an appearance in DAUGHTERS IN THE WITCHING HILL. Enjoy!

• Filed under art and words, events, friends and colleagues, studio and gallery, the world around me | One Response

Creativity Friday: Inspiring a Novel*

As I work on The Novel these days (which is just about up to 71,000 words, hooray!), I’m finding inspiration in more places than I can keep track of. I know I’ve mentioned my semi-recent trip to Montreal to view the Waterhouse exhibit, which has several paintings that figure prominently within it. While art seems an obvious inspiration to someone such as myself, I’ve also been finding inspiration in music. In particular, Schubert’s last string quintet, D. 956.

Never heard of it? Even for hard core classical music fans, it’s wouldn’t be surprising if you hadn’t. It’s not one of the composer’s heavy hitters, like his oft-performed Trout quintet or Death and the Maiden quartet (which also makes a cameo appearance in the novel). But there’s something so transcendent about this quintet that I decided that it had to play a part during an important scene for my main character, which takes place at a concert.

Aside from the gorgeous music, the history of this quintet is touching. First off, it was one of the last compositions Franz Schubert wrote before he died in 1828 at the age of 31. Maybe I’m reading into it, but while listening to this quintet I get a sense of the composer railing against the limitations of life, especially in the exquisite second movement adagio — there’s a slightly schizophrenic quality in the way the music ricochets between sweet melody and over-the-top all hell breaking loose. Another interesting fact about this quintet: Instead of the usual two violas and one cello, this string quintet features one viola and two cellos, which gives the music a dark verocity. Also, the quintet wasn’t performed in public until 1884 — just three years before when my novel is placed. This made me consider how my fictional characters might respond to hearing it for the first time.

The quintet is such an intense piece of music that it reminds me of a scene from E. M. Foster’s ROOM WITH A VIEW (the book, though it’s also referenced in the Helena Bonham Carter movie). I’m paraphrasing here, but someone comments that playing Beethoven stirs the heroine Lucy Honeychurch up too much — ie: bad Victorian lady.

You can listen to a recording of Schubert’s string quintet, D. 956 here, courtesy of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (another radiant place of inspiration). Warning: the quintet is a good 45 minutes long, but you download it to listen at your convenience.

Here’s an excerpt describing it from The Novel:

The quintet began with several chords which promised tranquility. Alas, this was not to be — the instruments lurched into a passionate declaration of purpose that took my breath away. The double cellos offered a primal roughness. As soon as I’d girded myself for more of the same, the violins emerged from this chaos with a Viennese waltz-like song that suggested pure water burbling along a twisting stream. This theme continued for some time, interrupted periodically by chords that teased with the intensity of the opening, before dissolving back into a sharp fugue…. The fugue now built to such a climax of such intensity and speed that I could hardly stand it….

Next up was a plaintively slow adagio, to contrast against the previous movement. This music spoke of regret, of lost opportunities. Yet there was acceptance within it; as if it affirmed, Yes, life is finite. But it is worthy. This musical theme was reinforced by slow pizzacato plucking against long, low somber tones. It sounded like someone being comforted as they wept.”

I hope this music carries you away, dear reader!

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* This is part of an ongoing occasional series of posts about inspiration for the two books I’m working on right now. The first is a novel set in Victorian England during the Aesthetics Movement. The second book is a follow up to DOOMED QUEENS.

• Filed under The Novel, be-mused, creativity, events, new projects | 3 Responses

Round and about: a very utilitarian round up

For the past ten days, I’ve been sick in a very Victorian invalid sort of way. Meaning that if I had a fainting couch, I’d be lolling about on it (preferably in a velvet day gown while clutching a bottle of laudanum). I’ve even been without a voice for four days. The good news is that, while I don’t have access to nineteenth century opiates, I do have a prescription for antibiotics. I’m definitely on the mend.

So, as a means of playing catch up, here’s a round up of what’s been going on in Art and Words land.

1. Last Friday was the second gathering of the Creative Women’s Networking Salon at the studio-gallery. It was a resounding success — so much so that the Salon will now become a regularly scheduled monthly event, like our Tarot Salon. I’m thinking first or second Friday of each month.

At our last salon, I was joined by a wide variety of women photographers, editors, writers, bloggers, artists, and crafters — an amazing array of talent. After the event, I noticed that some of the women “friended” each other on Facebook and beyond. That made me very happy, since one of my goals with my studio-gallery is to foster creative community in my Brooklyn neighborhood of Ditmas Park.

2. The Paul Taylor Dance Company is now at City Center in Manhattan through mid-March. I’m fortunate to know Annmaria Mazzini, one of the intensely gifted dancers who perform in the company. (She’s also a talented jewelry designer — I have several of her magical pieces.)

Seeing Annmaria dance has become a special ritual for me, marking the end of winter and start of spring. This year was extraordinary because Thea was old enough to attend with us for the first time! Annmaria even gave Thea a tour backstage at City Center, which thrilled my daughter immensely.

Thea and Annmaria, still in costume from dancing the 1960’s-themed Changes.

Imagine being (almost) five years old and looking out at this vista. In the words of Thea, “really cool.”

3. One of the things I love most about Brooklyn is the community (see item #1 above). One of Thea’s friends is a little girl named Theodora, who lives around the corner from us. Theodora’s mom is Jenny Offill, the author of several books including the novel LAST THINGS, which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Jenny has a short story in Electric Literature from which she will be doing a reading of on March 14 at 7pm at KGB Bar and Lit Review. More info here.

Another neighbor mother and friend is journalist Sharon Lerner. Her first book THE WAR ON MOMS is being published by Wiley next month. It’s battlefield reporting on the widespread realities facing most American women today: the lack of paid maternity leave, the dearth of decent part-time work options, and the shortage of good, affordable childcare options. It tells the truth that overworked, stressed-out American moms need to hear: that they’re not alone — and they’re not to blame. Read excerpts here.

4. Related reading news: We’ll be having author Mary Sharratt visit the gallery all the way from England on March 15 at 7pm to present and sign her new novel, DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL. I’m very excited — this is an exclusive for us, since the book won’t be released until early April.  DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL is garnering some extraordinary praise and received a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly. Learn more about this event.

5. I’ve decided to start offering semi-regular blog posts about my inspirations for The Novel, which is set amidst Victorian England’s deliciously decadent Aesthetic movement. For example, I wrote last month about my trip to Montreal to view the Waterhouse exhibit. The next one will go up later this week as part of my ongoing Creativity Friday series. It’s about my obsession with a Schubert string quintet. (Listen to it here.)

6. Finally, several people have yet to claim their prizes from our Valentine’s Week giveaways. Please send me your info so I can get your goodies on the way. (Or, if you e-mailed me and have yet to receive a prize, please send it to me again — your e-mail did not make it through.)

And with that, I hope you all are having a great week!

• Filed under The Novel, art and words, creativity, events, friends and colleagues, giveaways and raffles, studio and gallery, the art world, the world around me | 2 Responses