Since Bernard Cornwell is the opening keynote for the Historical Novel Society conference in June, I figured I had better read one or two of his books. I picked up The Archer's Tale, but despite the very enticing timeframe, it was just too gory. I do love me some gore now and again, but I suppose I wasn't in the right mood. I returned it to the library yesterday and picked up Sharpe's Trafalgar, which I'm quite enjoying. It's like Patrick O'Brian lite, and I've become quite the sucker for the Napoleonic nautical tale. I suppose I should pick up one or two of the Hornblower books for grins as well, but nothing will ever compare to O'Brian. I think he must have time traveled, because he renders that world so realistically and I've said it before, and I'll say it a million times more, his characterization of Jack and Stephen, and their relationship over 20 years (and 20+ books) is crystalline. Pitch perfect.

Diana Gabaldon is another featured author at the conference, but I can't get my hands on the first Outlander for love or money (it's always checked out!) so if any of you have non-Outlaner suggestions for Diana Gabaldon, that would be fantastic.

Getting really excited about the HNS conference program. It's less about "OMG you need to get an agent and let me show you how!!!!" and more about actual craft.

It's always nice when someone "in the industry" calls a spade a spade. From over at Making Light:

Unpublished fiction writers are the largest and most reliably naive segment of the whole aspiring writer tribe. Pitch sessions at legit weekend writers’ conferences are perennially oversubscribed by aspiring young writers eager for their ten or fifteen minutes with a Real Agent or Real Editor. The only case I’ve heard of where pitch sessions with editors resulted in sales by unpublished novelists was when Harlequin bought a couple of titles at romance conventions. On the other hand, Harlequin is always trolling for newbie romance writers, and these magic sales happened some time ago. For everyone else and since, the best recorded outcome is still "Sure, go ahead and send me the manuscript."

Africkingmen. Now that I've done 2 of these Speed Dating dealies, I can't see that a pitch session is any more useful than sending a query letter, and is infinitely more frustrating and nerve-wracking.

Word-hoard
concupiscence: strong appetite; excessive sexual desire

Back when I was an undergrad (lo, those many years ago), I had 2 minors - BritLit and Art History (my major was Humanities). When I was a sophomore, I took an upper level class on Greek Art and it was brutal - the only grade in the class was the final, and that was 50 slide identifications. But it was absolutely fascinating and thrilling. And yes, I got an A. :)

Maenad "or Bacchante. A wild woman, the votary of Bacchus, who took part in his orgiastic rites, the Bacchanalia."

bacchus "(Gk Dionysus), popularly the god of wine, originally a fertility god worshipped in the form of a bull or a goat, whose rites were accompanied by frenzied orgies, when the animal was torn to pieces and its raw flesh consumed, a symbolic eating of the god himself. In Greece the cult seems to have had a particular attraction for women; the Maenad...with her typical swirling drapery, her figure expressing physical abandonment as she beats a tambourine, is first known to us on Greek drinking cups of the 5th cent. B.C..."

I love this image, because even without her limbs you can see how much movement there is here, how vibrant it is. I wonder what her arms were doing. I also wonder if we would find sculpture like this as compelling if it were complete.

More from Hall's book...

Horae: "In Greek and Roman mythology spirits who personified the Seasons. As such they carry flowers and fruit. They gave their name to the Hours, which in a later era they came to represent. They are the female attendants of Aurora, the dawn, and also of Luna (Selene) whose daughters they were. Their number varies, generally not less than three. They are sometimes depicted with butterfly's wings." [Hall also notes: "By a quite separate tradition the Seasons are also represented by four deities - Venus, Ceres, Bacchus, and Boreas."]

My good friend Heather, knowing what a dork I am for symbols and mythology, found an amazing treasure for me at her library book sale: Dictionary of Subjects & Symbols in Art by James Hall. This puppy's out of print now, so it's such a treat to get my hands on it. I wish I'd had it when I was an art history minor in undergrad!

So, here's a wee sample:

Griffin: "a fabulous monster having the head, wings and claws of an eagle, and the body and hinder parts of a lion. Its origin probably lay in the ancient east where with other imaginary beasts it was said to guard the gold of India. The Greeks believed that griffins guarded the gold mines of the Scythians. It is a common bearing in heraldry where it symbolizes the combined qualities of eagle and lion - watchfulness and courage. As a Christian symbol it signifies the dual nature of Christ, divine (bird) and human (animal), and is a common motif in Gothic church sculpture. Dante describes the triumphal car of the Church drawn by a griffin."

Word-hoard
zarf: "a cup-shaped holder for a hot coffee-cup...usually of metal and of ornamental design." (Sir James Murray's New English Dictionary, 1928)

Also, according to the Forgotten English calendar, today is the Feast Day of St. Drogo "a twelfth-century shepherd who became a patron of coffeehouse owners, whose controversial shops were once regarded with suspicion."

Word-hoard
doggerybaw: "nonsense" (Jabez Good's Glossary of East Lincolnshire, 1900)

So, back in January I posted this image of the view from my writing desk (AKA the kitchen table):



Thought you'd like to see what spring looks like in NorCal!





The gorgeous leafy tree is, I believe, a type of acacia and the one with the pink popcorn balls is a variety of Japanese cherry. During the summer, it's incredibly lush and full with deep green leaves, during the fall it glows golden, and during the winter its branches are slender and elegant. It's a great tree.

Word-hoard
biwrixle: "to change, transform"