Due to a family emergency today (everything's fine, for now), I won't be able to start on NaNo tomorrow morning with the rest of y'all. Poo. Ah well...I do like a challenge.
Go forth and write, you guys, and I'll be with you soon!!!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
NaNo Spaces
Yesterday I asked about your NaNoWriMo writing spaces and superstitions/rituals.
Heather has posted photos of her writing space (holy crap, all by hand!) and the Struggling Writer has posted a list of his rituals (don't believe a single one!).
What about you?
Heather has posted photos of her writing space (holy crap, all by hand!) and the Struggling Writer has posted a list of his rituals (don't believe a single one!).
What about you?
Bes
Myths, folklore and symbolism
Bes: A grimacing, dwarflike protective spirit of the Egyptians, usually depicted with the tongue sticking out, it was supposed to protect from evil influences and bring cheerfulness. (Herder)
Bes: A grimacing, dwarflike protective spirit of the Egyptians, usually depicted with the tongue sticking out, it was supposed to protect from evil influences and bring cheerfulness. (Herder)
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Well, that was interesting
5.6 earthquake tonight, about 10 miles NNE from where I live. It was only (they're saying) 5 miles down, which means you feel it more. First, the big shaking jolt, and then rolling waves that went on forever, or so it felt. All told, about a minute, and no damage here at our place, unless you count a very scared Pandora who took about an hour to peek out from under her safe place under the couch.
You know, it felt like the Loma Prieta in '89. Funny, I was just talking with friends at work this afternoon about my bridge phobia, and how that's directly related to earthquakes, and how we haven't had a "good" one in a while. Eerie.
You know, it felt like the Loma Prieta in '89. Funny, I was just talking with friends at work this afternoon about my bridge phobia, and how that's directly related to earthquakes, and how we haven't had a "good" one in a while. Eerie.
NaNo writing set up
OK, here's my writing set up for NaNo:
It's pretty much exactly the same as my day to day writing set up, with one crucial difference: my lucky red NaNo coffee mug. Oh, and the Comfy Chair has not yet been rolled out of the office into the dining room.
On the right is my basket-o-crap with books, gum, a little BPAL Polyhymnia to inspire, and my Big Notebook of Doom that has family trees, word count goals, etc. On the left is my Ganesh and my Zena Moon candle for writing.
In the middle of course is my crappy little Dell Inspiron 700m. I got it a few years ago because I liked how light and small it is. It's been a good computer overall, just so. damn. small. The goal for next year's NaNo is to have a new laptop.
So. What does your writing area look like? How do you get geared up for doing NaNo (or writing in general) - what are your superstitions and quirks? I must have both chai and cocoa/coffee, and I must have Extra cool watermelon gum. If I don't chew gum, I end up snacking, and that way lies disaster.
It's pretty much exactly the same as my day to day writing set up, with one crucial difference: my lucky red NaNo coffee mug. Oh, and the Comfy Chair has not yet been rolled out of the office into the dining room.
On the right is my basket-o-crap with books, gum, a little BPAL Polyhymnia to inspire, and my Big Notebook of Doom that has family trees, word count goals, etc. On the left is my Ganesh and my Zena Moon candle for writing.
In the middle of course is my crappy little Dell Inspiron 700m. I got it a few years ago because I liked how light and small it is. It's been a good computer overall, just so. damn. small. The goal for next year's NaNo is to have a new laptop.
So. What does your writing area look like? How do you get geared up for doing NaNo (or writing in general) - what are your superstitions and quirks? I must have both chai and cocoa/coffee, and I must have Extra cool watermelon gum. If I don't chew gum, I end up snacking, and that way lies disaster.
What I know about this year's NaNo
The Struggling Writer posted his list of things he knows about this year's NaNo. Here's mine:
1. I only have 25 days, not 30, thanks to some weekend obligations and holidays
2. This is the best I've felt before I started in the three years I've done it
3. My apartment will go seriously to seed
4. I will drink a great deal of caffeine.
That's about all I know ... the rest is a mystery. I like that.
1. I only have 25 days, not 30, thanks to some weekend obligations and holidays
2. This is the best I've felt before I started in the three years I've done it
3. My apartment will go seriously to seed
4. I will drink a great deal of caffeine.
That's about all I know ... the rest is a mystery. I like that.
Reminder: Catherynne M. Valente
Just a reminder that on November 7 I'll be interviewing mythic fiction author Catherynne M. Valente.
Catherynne's novel The Orphan's Tales Vol II: In the Cities of Coin and Spice, the partner book to The Orphan's Tales Vol I: In the Night Garden was released today.
Catherynne's novel The Orphan's Tales Vol II: In the Cities of Coin and Spice, the partner book to The Orphan's Tales Vol I: In the Night Garden was released today.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Getting ready for NaNo!
 | As you can see by my big-assed grin (and my 2007 t-shirt - I had to show it off!) I'm excited about NaNo this year! I absolutely love doing NaNo. I write every day before work during the rest of the year, but I like the extra push, the extra jolt of adrenaline of NaNo. I also love the camaraderie. Being a writer is such a solitary thing, and any chance to get a group of writers together, all pulling toward a common goal (but necessarily in our own, unique ways) is fantastic. The excitement, the angst, the stress, the fun! I'm nervous and excited about starting on Thursday. In the next day or so, I'm going to take a photo of my NaNo set up and post it here; I'd love it if fellow NaNoers would do the same! |
Word-hoard podcast: natiform
This week's word-hoard feature: natiform.
Listen in and leave me a comment with your creative use of each week's word-hoard featured word - or your reactions to each week's unique word!
You can subscribe to this podcast (and this whole blog for that matter) by clicking on the RSS icon in the right-sidebar. Or, if you'd like to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, you can do it one of two ways:
1. Search for "Julie K. Rose" or "Word-Hoard" in the iTunes store; the podcast will show up in the search results, and you can simply click the "subscribe button"; or
2. Choose the Advanced menu, and then Subscribe to Podcast. This will bring up a dialog box, where you can paste this URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/YULh.
Listen in and leave me a comment with your creative use of each week's word-hoard featured word - or your reactions to each week's unique word!
You can subscribe to this podcast (and this whole blog for that matter) by clicking on the RSS icon in the right-sidebar. Or, if you'd like to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, you can do it one of two ways:
1. Search for "Julie K. Rose" or "Word-Hoard" in the iTunes store; the podcast will show up in the search results, and you can simply click the "subscribe button"; or
2. Choose the Advanced menu, and then Subscribe to Podcast. This will bring up a dialog box, where you can paste this URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/YULh.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Honey
Myths, folklore & symbolism
"One of the alchemists' signs for honey."
Get the full story at symbols.com.
"One of the alchemists' signs for honey."
Get the full story at symbols.com.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Booking Through Thursday Meme
Here's this week's question from Booking Through Thursday:
Even if it takes me forever to read them (because work's busy, or I've got other commitments), most of the time I stick with books until the bitter end.
In the last year, though, I gave up on Guns, Germs, and Steel and a blow-by-blow analysis of the battle of Trafalgar. The concept of both books was really fascinating, but they just didn't grab me at all. It was too bad on the Trafalgar book, too, because I was really excited to read it. I guess I'll stick with Patrick O'Brian for my early 19c naval fix. :)
On the fiction side, I will admit that I had high, high hopes for Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and I wanted so much to like it. But I gave up 2/3 in because I felt in her desire to make magic seem like a normal part of early 19c life, it ended up too dry, not magical or surprising enough for my taste. That said, though, it could easily have been the mood I was in at the time, so I'll probably give it another try.
Edited to add: I forgot! I gave up on The Kalevala. It was too dense for me. Or maybe I'm too dense for it. ;-)
ETA2: OK, I totally lied. I also put down Gregory Maguire's Wicked about halfway through.
I would enjoy reading a meme about people’s abandoned books. The books that you start but don’t finish say as much about you as the ones you actually read, sometimes because of the books themselves or because of the circumstances that prevent you from finishing. So . . . what books have you abandoned and why?
Even if it takes me forever to read them (because work's busy, or I've got other commitments), most of the time I stick with books until the bitter end.
In the last year, though, I gave up on Guns, Germs, and Steel and a blow-by-blow analysis of the battle of Trafalgar. The concept of both books was really fascinating, but they just didn't grab me at all. It was too bad on the Trafalgar book, too, because I was really excited to read it. I guess I'll stick with Patrick O'Brian for my early 19c naval fix. :)
On the fiction side, I will admit that I had high, high hopes for Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and I wanted so much to like it. But I gave up 2/3 in because I felt in her desire to make magic seem like a normal part of early 19c life, it ended up too dry, not magical or surprising enough for my taste. That said, though, it could easily have been the mood I was in at the time, so I'll probably give it another try.
Edited to add: I forgot! I gave up on The Kalevala. It was too dense for me. Or maybe I'm too dense for it. ;-)
ETA2: OK, I totally lied. I also put down Gregory Maguire's Wicked about halfway through.
Fan
Myths, folklore & symbolism
fan: A common device in Babylonia, India, China, Persia, Greece, Rome, and in other cultures, it symbolizes sovereign rank, particularly when made of palm fronds or of ostrich or peacock feathers. In Hinduism the fan represents, among other things, ritual sacrifice, since the sacrificial fires are fanned with it. Especially in China and Japan, the movement of the fan was associated with defense against evil spirits. (Herder)
fan: A common device in Babylonia, India, China, Persia, Greece, Rome, and in other cultures, it symbolizes sovereign rank, particularly when made of palm fronds or of ostrich or peacock feathers. In Hinduism the fan represents, among other things, ritual sacrifice, since the sacrificial fires are fanned with it. Especially in China and Japan, the movement of the fan was associated with defense against evil spirits. (Herder)
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Exciting News!
On November 7, here in this very blog, I'll be interviewing mythic fiction author Catherynne M. Valente.
Catherynne's 2006 novel The Orphan's Tales Vol I: In the Night Garden received the James Tiptree Jr. Award for the expansion of gender and sexuality in speculative fiction. In the Night Garden has also been nominated for the World Fantasy Award in the Best Novel category, alongside Ellen Kushner, Gene Wolfe, Scott Lynch, and Stephen King. The awards will be presented in Saratoga Springs on November 4th. The Orphan's Tales Vol II: In the Cities of Coin and Spice will be released on October 30.
So, mark your calendars! I'm so stoked. I know you will be, too.
Catherynne's 2006 novel The Orphan's Tales Vol I: In the Night Garden received the James Tiptree Jr. Award for the expansion of gender and sexuality in speculative fiction. In the Night Garden has also been nominated for the World Fantasy Award in the Best Novel category, alongside Ellen Kushner, Gene Wolfe, Scott Lynch, and Stephen King. The awards will be presented in Saratoga Springs on November 4th. The Orphan's Tales Vol II: In the Cities of Coin and Spice will be released on October 30.
So, mark your calendars! I'm so stoked. I know you will be, too.
Yoni
Myths, Symbols & Folklore
yoni: Sanskrit term for the womb, associated with the vulva in Indian symbology. Portrayals of the yoni in isolation (a triangle pointing downward, representing the pubic triangle) are relatively rare. In the cult of Shiva it usually appears in stone sculptures as a ring or series of rings at the base of the linga (the traditional phallic symbol, usually in the form of a truncated pillar). The yoni and linga constitute a fundamental duality, the feminine and masculine principles without whose combination of creation of the world would have been unthinkable. The combination of the kundalini snake (the symbol of vital energy) with a representation of the yoni stands for the awareness of greater interconnectedness that arises out of matter. (Biedermann)
yoni: Sanskrit term for the womb, associated with the vulva in Indian symbology. Portrayals of the yoni in isolation (a triangle pointing downward, representing the pubic triangle) are relatively rare. In the cult of Shiva it usually appears in stone sculptures as a ring or series of rings at the base of the linga (the traditional phallic symbol, usually in the form of a truncated pillar). The yoni and linga constitute a fundamental duality, the feminine and masculine principles without whose combination of creation of the world would have been unthinkable. The combination of the kundalini snake (the symbol of vital energy) with a representation of the yoni stands for the awareness of greater interconnectedness that arises out of matter. (Biedermann)
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Anchor
Myths, folklore & symbolism
anchor: It is an attribute of various sea deities. Because the anchor is the ship's only source of stability during storms, it is a symbol of hope, especially in Christian usage (it is frequently depicted on grave markers and sarcophagi), and a sign of steadfastness and fidelity. In early Christian times it was used as a disguised symbol of the cross. (Herder)
anchor: It is an attribute of various sea deities. Because the anchor is the ship's only source of stability during storms, it is a symbol of hope, especially in Christian usage (it is frequently depicted on grave markers and sarcophagi), and a sign of steadfastness and fidelity. In early Christian times it was used as a disguised symbol of the cross. (Herder)
Monday, October 22, 2007
Word-hoard podcast: tephramancy
This week's word-hoard feature: tephramancy.
Listen in and leave me a comment with your creative use of each week's word-hoard featured word - or your reactions to each week's unique word!
You can subscribe to this podcast (and this whole blog for that matter) by clicking on the RSS icon in the right-sidebar. Or, if you'd like to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, you can do it one of two ways:
1. Search for "Julie K. Rose" or "Word-Hoard" in the iTunes store; the podcast will show up in the search results, and you can simply click the "subscribe button"; or
2. Choose the Advanced menu, and then Subscribe to Podcast. This will bring up a dialog box, where you can paste this URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/YULh.
Listen in and leave me a comment with your creative use of each week's word-hoard featured word - or your reactions to each week's unique word!
You can subscribe to this podcast (and this whole blog for that matter) by clicking on the RSS icon in the right-sidebar. Or, if you'd like to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, you can do it one of two ways:
1. Search for "Julie K. Rose" or "Word-Hoard" in the iTunes store; the podcast will show up in the search results, and you can simply click the "subscribe button"; or
2. Choose the Advanced menu, and then Subscribe to Podcast. This will bring up a dialog box, where you can paste this URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/YULh.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Playlists
Do you create playlists for your stories? Or your artwork? You know, those songs that seem particularly evocative of your story or characters, those songs that are the "soundtrack" to your story?
Here's my playlist for THE PILGRIM GLASS:
1. London Calling - The Clash
2. Swamp Thing - The Chameleons
3. Around the World - Red Hot Chili Peppers
4. Fibre de Verre - Paris Combo
5. The Lark Ascending - Ralph Vaughan Williams
6. Warning Sign - Coldplay
7. Out of the Woods - Nickel Creek
8. Theft, and Wandering Around Lost - Cocteau Twins
9. Taking the Veil - David Sylvian
10. Fade Into You - Mazzy Star
11. Mercy - Prefab Sprout
12. First and Last Waltz - Nickel Creek
13. Over the Hillside - The Blue Nile
14. An Ending (Ascent)- Brian Eno
And here's my playlist for THE MIDNIGHT SON:
1. Ocean Rain - Echo and the Bunnymen
2. Kjerringa Pa Seter'N (Old Lady On The Mountain Farm) - Lief Sorbye
3. Bridal Veil Falls - Chris Thile
4. Det Star Ein Friar Uti Gare (There'S A Suitor In The Garden) - Lief Sorbye
5. I Don't Understand Anything - Everything But the Girl
6. A Chantar - Beatriz Countess of Dia (performed by Mara Kiek)
7. Pastures New - Nickel Creek
So. What about you?
Here's my playlist for THE PILGRIM GLASS:
1. London Calling - The Clash
2. Swamp Thing - The Chameleons
3. Around the World - Red Hot Chili Peppers
4. Fibre de Verre - Paris Combo
5. The Lark Ascending - Ralph Vaughan Williams
6. Warning Sign - Coldplay
7. Out of the Woods - Nickel Creek
8. Theft, and Wandering Around Lost - Cocteau Twins
9. Taking the Veil - David Sylvian
10. Fade Into You - Mazzy Star
11. Mercy - Prefab Sprout
12. First and Last Waltz - Nickel Creek
13. Over the Hillside - The Blue Nile
14. An Ending (Ascent)- Brian Eno
And here's my playlist for THE MIDNIGHT SON:
1. Ocean Rain - Echo and the Bunnymen
2. Kjerringa Pa Seter'N (Old Lady On The Mountain Farm) - Lief Sorbye
3. Bridal Veil Falls - Chris Thile
4. Det Star Ein Friar Uti Gare (There'S A Suitor In The Garden) - Lief Sorbye
5. I Don't Understand Anything - Everything But the Girl
6. A Chantar - Beatriz Countess of Dia (performed by Mara Kiek)
7. Pastures New - Nickel Creek
So. What about you?
Coyote
Myths, folklore & symbolism
coyote: A North American prairie wolf, which in some American Indian cultures is seen as the cause of all evil (specifically of winter and death). (Herder)
Of course, the coyote is also featured in many Native American stories as a trickster or culture hero, in creation myths, and as a mischievous or inventive figure.
coyote: A North American prairie wolf, which in some American Indian cultures is seen as the cause of all evil (specifically of winter and death). (Herder)
Of course, the coyote is also featured in many Native American stories as a trickster or culture hero, in creation myths, and as a mischievous or inventive figure.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Symbol for alcohol
Myths, folklore & symbolism
One of the signs used in early chemistry to denote alcohol or wine spirit. (More information at symbols.com)
One of the signs used in early chemistry to denote alcohol or wine spirit. (More information at symbols.com)
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Lotus
Myths, folklore & symbolism
lotus: A flower as meaningful in the southeast Mediterranean region and in Asia as the rose or the lily in Europe...In ancient Egypt the lotus blossom is mentioned in the myth of the creation of the world: it originated from the primordial ooze, and the divine creator of the world ("a handsome lad") arose from its calyx. The blossoms, which open at sunrise and close at sunset, were linked with the sun god and the mythical emergence of light from the slime in which the universe began. The graves of Thebes contain many paintings showing lotus ponds on which the dead person floats in a boat made of rushes, and pillars representing bunches of lotuses are common in the monumental architecture; lotus wreaths were buried with the dead...
In India the lotus blossom is the most important symbol for spirituality and art. Its goddess, Padma, is of pre-Aryan origin and is linked with the conceptual world of water and fertility; in Aryan times, the flower became associated with Vishnu's wife Lakshmi and with Brahma: in Hindu myth, Brahma, the creator of the world, was born from a lotus blossom growing from the navel of Vishnu, who was sleeping on the water. In the Buddhist tradition the lotus is of even greater significance: Gautama Buddha has "lotus eyes, lotus feet, and lotus thighs." The teacher, or guru, who brought Buddhism to Tibet (in the eighth century after Christ) was known as Padmasambhava ("born from out of the lotus")...The lotus is also the great symbol of knowledge: knowledge leads out of the cycle of reincarnation to Nirvana. The formulation "Om mani padme hum" of Tibetan prayer (translated "Om, jewel in the lotus, amen") is interpreted in Tantric Buddhism in terms that we might call "Freudian": the expression is taken as a metaphor for the (spiritual) sexual union of female blossom and male energy...The eighth day of the fourth month of the Chinese calendar was traditionally celebrated as the birthday of Fo (Buddha), "the day that the lotus blooms." Among the Maya of the Yucatan, the lotus-like white water-lily was called "the flower of the water" and frequently depicted on clay vessels and in architectural relief-work... (Biedermann)
The association of the lotus or the water lily with ideas of purity continued into the European Middle Ages in superficial form. Since its seed and root were believed to calm sensual drives, they were recommended to monks and nuns as a medicament. (Herder)
lotus: A flower as meaningful in the southeast Mediterranean region and in Asia as the rose or the lily in Europe...In ancient Egypt the lotus blossom is mentioned in the myth of the creation of the world: it originated from the primordial ooze, and the divine creator of the world ("a handsome lad") arose from its calyx. The blossoms, which open at sunrise and close at sunset, were linked with the sun god and the mythical emergence of light from the slime in which the universe began. The graves of Thebes contain many paintings showing lotus ponds on which the dead person floats in a boat made of rushes, and pillars representing bunches of lotuses are common in the monumental architecture; lotus wreaths were buried with the dead...
In India the lotus blossom is the most important symbol for spirituality and art. Its goddess, Padma, is of pre-Aryan origin and is linked with the conceptual world of water and fertility; in Aryan times, the flower became associated with Vishnu's wife Lakshmi and with Brahma: in Hindu myth, Brahma, the creator of the world, was born from a lotus blossom growing from the navel of Vishnu, who was sleeping on the water. In the Buddhist tradition the lotus is of even greater significance: Gautama Buddha has "lotus eyes, lotus feet, and lotus thighs." The teacher, or guru, who brought Buddhism to Tibet (in the eighth century after Christ) was known as Padmasambhava ("born from out of the lotus")...The lotus is also the great symbol of knowledge: knowledge leads out of the cycle of reincarnation to Nirvana. The formulation "Om mani padme hum" of Tibetan prayer (translated "Om, jewel in the lotus, amen") is interpreted in Tantric Buddhism in terms that we might call "Freudian": the expression is taken as a metaphor for the (spiritual) sexual union of female blossom and male energy...The eighth day of the fourth month of the Chinese calendar was traditionally celebrated as the birthday of Fo (Buddha), "the day that the lotus blooms." Among the Maya of the Yucatan, the lotus-like white water-lily was called "the flower of the water" and frequently depicted on clay vessels and in architectural relief-work... (Biedermann)
The association of the lotus or the water lily with ideas of purity continued into the European Middle Ages in superficial form. Since its seed and root were believed to calm sensual drives, they were recommended to monks and nuns as a medicament. (Herder)
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Larkspur
Myths, folklore & symbolism
larkspur: Any of a genus of the crowfoot family, in the Middle Ages it was associated with the knightly nobility because of its spurlike blossoms, and thus it symbolized knightly virtues. In paintings of Mary it also symbolizes her honor as Mother of God. (Herder)
larkspur: Any of a genus of the crowfoot family, in the Middle Ages it was associated with the knightly nobility because of its spurlike blossoms, and thus it symbolized knightly virtues. In paintings of Mary it also symbolizes her honor as Mother of God. (Herder)
Monday, October 15, 2007
Home again, home again
Finally back home after my trip to London. The business part was, well, business. Good and useful and all of that. I spent the day in London on Saturday, which was fantastic, if exhausting. I got home to a pile of laundry and chores and yes, more work, but also to my very own copy of Wil Wheaton's new book, The Happiest Days of Our Lives, which I can't wait to dig into. I also had forgotten about a couple of books I'd ordered from Amazon, plus the two I had out from the library, plus the two I'm reviewing for Historical Novels Review. Um. Oops? Oh, how I wish I'd had some of those on that 10-hour flight home yesterday...
Word-hoard podcast: sthenia
This week's word-hoard feature: sthenia.
I invite you to listen in and leave me a comment with your creative use of each week's word-hoard featured word! You can subscribe to this podcast (and this whole blog for that matter) by clicking on the RSS icon in the right-sidebar. Or, if you'd like to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, you can do it one of two ways:
1. Search for "Julie K. Rose" or "Word-Hoard" in the iTunes store; the podcast will show up in the search results, and you can simply click the "subscribe button"; or
2. Choose the Advanced menu, and then Subscribe to Podcast. This will bring up a dialog box, where you can paste this URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/YULh.
I invite you to listen in and leave me a comment with your creative use of each week's word-hoard featured word! You can subscribe to this podcast (and this whole blog for that matter) by clicking on the RSS icon in the right-sidebar. Or, if you'd like to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, you can do it one of two ways:
1. Search for "Julie K. Rose" or "Word-Hoard" in the iTunes store; the podcast will show up in the search results, and you can simply click the "subscribe button"; or
2. Choose the Advanced menu, and then Subscribe to Podcast. This will bring up a dialog box, where you can paste this URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/YULh.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
London, Pasha, and quince
Hooray, I've been able to sneak a little time before I go to my all-day meeting! London is awesome, as ever. We went to an amazing restaurant called Pasha in Gloucester road and had the best Moroccan meal. But, nose back to the grindstone now and hopefully I'll be able to sneak back in here tomorrow.
Myths, folklore & symbolism
quince: In antiquity it was a symbol of good fortune, love, and fertility and was sacred to Aphrodite. In Greece a wife brought a quince into the house of her husband at the time of their wedding as a symbol of a hoped-for happy marriage. (Herder)
Myths, folklore & symbolism
quince: In antiquity it was a symbol of good fortune, love, and fertility and was sacred to Aphrodite. In Greece a wife brought a quince into the house of her husband at the time of their wedding as a symbol of a hoped-for happy marriage. (Herder)
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Neptune
Heading off to the UK on business this afternoon, for the rest of the week. Theoretically I'm in meetings all day Wed-Fri, but I'm hoping I can sneak in and post here a couple of times.
Myths, folklore & symbolism
"The most common graph for the planet Neptune is a staff of Neptune with or without barbs and with a crossbar near the lower end of the vertical line."
Get the full story at symbols.com.
Myths, folklore & symbolism
"The most common graph for the planet Neptune is a staff of Neptune with or without barbs and with a crossbar near the lower end of the vertical line."
Get the full story at symbols.com.
Monday, October 08, 2007
The Word-Hoard: breklasse
This week's word-hoard feature: breklasse.
I invite you to listen in and leave me a comment with your creative use of each week's word-hoard featured word! You can subscribe to this podcast (and this whole blog for that matter) by clicking on the RSS icon in the right-sidebar. Or, if you'd like to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, you can do it one of two ways:
1. Search for "Julie K. Rose" or "Word-Hoard" in the iTunes store; the podcast will show up in the search results, and you can simply click the "subscribe button"; or
2. Choose the Advanced menu, and then Subscribe to Podcast. This will bring up a dialog box, where you can paste this URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/YULh.
I invite you to listen in and leave me a comment with your creative use of each week's word-hoard featured word! You can subscribe to this podcast (and this whole blog for that matter) by clicking on the RSS icon in the right-sidebar. Or, if you'd like to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, you can do it one of two ways:
1. Search for "Julie K. Rose" or "Word-Hoard" in the iTunes store; the podcast will show up in the search results, and you can simply click the "subscribe button"; or
2. Choose the Advanced menu, and then Subscribe to Podcast. This will bring up a dialog box, where you can paste this URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/YULh.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
It's breast cancer awareness month. For the last few years, a woman named Lisa has raised money for the Avon walk for the cure by selling autographed bears, signed by celebrities, on eBay. There's some great stuff in here, including photos/autos from Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, Alan Tudyuk, Zach Braff, and more!
And if you don't find anything interesting there, won't you take a few minutes to check out the Komen Foundation and see how you can help in the fight against breast cancer?
Two of my good friends were diagnosed with breast cancer this year; they're both doing well and are strong, amazing women. I know they, and the millions of women affected by this disease, will thank you for your time, effort, donations, etc.
And if you don't find anything interesting there, won't you take a few minutes to check out the Komen Foundation and see how you can help in the fight against breast cancer?
Two of my good friends were diagnosed with breast cancer this year; they're both doing well and are strong, amazing women. I know they, and the millions of women affected by this disease, will thank you for your time, effort, donations, etc.
Blue
Myths, folklore & symbolism
blue: The color of heaven, distance, and water, it is usually experienced as transparent, pure, immaterial, and cool. In addition, blue is the color of the divine, of truth, and of fidelity (in the sense of clinging to truth, as well as with reference to the fixed firmament of heaven).
Blue is the color of the unreal and fantastic. Occasionally it is used in a negative sense (e.g., in German "to be blue" means to be too drunk to think straight; in American usage "blue" means sad or morose).
Egyptian gods and kings are often depicted with blue beards and wigs. The Hindu divinities Shiva and Krishna are usually shown as blue or bluish-white. Jesus and Yahweh are enthroned above the azure sky.
In Christian painting the battle between heaven and earth was frequently imaged in the opposition of blue and white against red and green (e.g., the battle of St. George and the dragon). As the color of Mary's robe, blue is also a purity symbol. In the Orient, blue is still thought to protect against the evil eye. (Herder)
blue: The color of heaven, distance, and water, it is usually experienced as transparent, pure, immaterial, and cool. In addition, blue is the color of the divine, of truth, and of fidelity (in the sense of clinging to truth, as well as with reference to the fixed firmament of heaven).
Blue is the color of the unreal and fantastic. Occasionally it is used in a negative sense (e.g., in German "to be blue" means to be too drunk to think straight; in American usage "blue" means sad or morose).
Egyptian gods and kings are often depicted with blue beards and wigs. The Hindu divinities Shiva and Krishna are usually shown as blue or bluish-white. Jesus and Yahweh are enthroned above the azure sky.
In Christian painting the battle between heaven and earth was frequently imaged in the opposition of blue and white against red and green (e.g., the battle of St. George and the dragon). As the color of Mary's robe, blue is also a purity symbol. In the Orient, blue is still thought to protect against the evil eye. (Herder)
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Booking Through Thursday Meme
This week's Booking Through Thursday meme is a fun one:
I don't necessarily seek out books like this, but they certainly don't put me off and I've never closed a book because of profanity or explicit sex. In fact, when I was in talks with an agent for my first novel, back in 2005, she said I had way too much profanity in the book. I was shocked - I mean, I do tend to talk like a sailor (sad, but true), and my protagonist Jonas certainly has a potty mouth...but I obliged her and did a search in my 400+ page manuscript ... and found 400+ "fucks". I'm no math major, but that looks like one per page to me. Oops! I took a little over half of them out, but I still feel like the rest serve a purpose and offer some insight into Jonas' character.
So, yeah, no problem with the profanity or the sex. I don't search out erotica but I have no problem at all with - in fact, enjoy - a well written explicit sex scene.
ETA: A commenter got me curious, so I looked through the MS on the first novel, and found 36 instances of the f-bomb, not 200+. So, significantly fewer cases than I had thought.
Do you have “issues” with too much profanity or overly explicit (ahem) “romantic” scenes in books? Or do you take them in stride? Have issues like these ever caused you to close a book? Or do you go looking for more exactly like them? (grin)
I don't necessarily seek out books like this, but they certainly don't put me off and I've never closed a book because of profanity or explicit sex. In fact, when I was in talks with an agent for my first novel, back in 2005, she said I had way too much profanity in the book. I was shocked - I mean, I do tend to talk like a sailor (sad, but true), and my protagonist Jonas certainly has a potty mouth...but I obliged her and did a search in my 400+ page manuscript ... and found 400+ "fucks". I'm no math major, but that looks like one per page to me. Oops! I took a little over half of them out, but I still feel like the rest serve a purpose and offer some insight into Jonas' character.
So, yeah, no problem with the profanity or the sex. I don't search out erotica but I have no problem at all with - in fact, enjoy - a well written explicit sex scene.
ETA: A commenter got me curious, so I looked through the MS on the first novel, and found 36 instances of the f-bomb, not 200+. So, significantly fewer cases than I had thought.
Doe
Myths, folklore & symbolism
doe or hind: A female deer, stands in many myths for the female animal in general, which can have a demonic character, despite what we see as the gentleness of the doe. The second of the Labors of Hercules was to capture the Hind of Ceryneia. The chariot of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, was pulled by does.
The animal is also important in Asiatic myth. In the Ural-Altaic regions she was the supernatural ancestor of several peoples. The Hungarian myth of origin tells of a fleeing doe who lured two primeval hunters into a swamp, where she transformed herself into two princesses who coupled with the hunters, becoming the progenitors of the Huns and the Magyars, respectively. Similarly, the family tree of Genghis Khan shoes a doe and a wolf as his progenitors.
A doe was said to have rescued fleeing Frankish warriors by showing them a point at which they could ford the Main river. In many old European fairy tales young women and girls are transformed into does. In one ancient Chinese legend a doe gives birth to a human child, a girl who is later reared by a man; but when she dies her body disappears, revealing her supernatural origins.
In prehistoric rites of passage does may have symbolized female initiates. In Mayan mythology of the Yucatan, Zip is a god of the hunt; under the name A Uuc Yol Zip he is portrayed in ancient hieroglyphic writings as a horned man having intercourse with a doe. (Biedermann)
doe or hind: A female deer, stands in many myths for the female animal in general, which can have a demonic character, despite what we see as the gentleness of the doe. The second of the Labors of Hercules was to capture the Hind of Ceryneia. The chariot of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, was pulled by does.
The animal is also important in Asiatic myth. In the Ural-Altaic regions she was the supernatural ancestor of several peoples. The Hungarian myth of origin tells of a fleeing doe who lured two primeval hunters into a swamp, where she transformed herself into two princesses who coupled with the hunters, becoming the progenitors of the Huns and the Magyars, respectively. Similarly, the family tree of Genghis Khan shoes a doe and a wolf as his progenitors.
A doe was said to have rescued fleeing Frankish warriors by showing them a point at which they could ford the Main river. In many old European fairy tales young women and girls are transformed into does. In one ancient Chinese legend a doe gives birth to a human child, a girl who is later reared by a man; but when she dies her body disappears, revealing her supernatural origins.
In prehistoric rites of passage does may have symbolized female initiates. In Mayan mythology of the Yucatan, Zip is a god of the hunt; under the name A Uuc Yol Zip he is portrayed in ancient hieroglyphic writings as a horned man having intercourse with a doe. (Biedermann)
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Historical fiction covers
Interesting discussion over at Reading the Past on some recent historical fiction covers from the UK. Which one(s) do you prefer?
Paradox magazine, lavender
The Paradox Magazine website has been redesigned, and it's looking good! Plus, the new issue is out now...can't wait to get my copy. Paradox is "The Magazine of Historical and Speculative Fiction," which is of course right up my alley!
Myths, folklore & symbolism
lavender: A very spicy, fragrant, inconspicuous blossoming labiate flower of the Mediterranean regions, it has been used since antiquity for bathing, washing, and medicinal purposes. In the Middle Ages, it sometimes referred symbolically to the virtues of Mary. (Herder)
Myths, folklore & symbolism
lavender: A very spicy, fragrant, inconspicuous blossoming labiate flower of the Mediterranean regions, it has been used since antiquity for bathing, washing, and medicinal purposes. In the Middle Ages, it sometimes referred symbolically to the virtues of Mary. (Herder)
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Asphodel
Myths, Symbols & Folklore
asphodel: It is a variety of lily indigenous to the Mediterranean region and having white, loosely branched flower clusters and a fleshy, sweet root (e.g., the daffodil, narcissus). Among the Greeks and Romans, asphodels were considered to be death plants (and were thus sacred to Hades and Persephone); the roots were thought to be food for the dead, who occasionally (e.g., in Homer) wandered in fields of asphodels. In addition, the asphodel was though to protect against evil spirits. In the Middle Ages the asphodel was associated with the planet Saturn. (Herder)
asphodel: It is a variety of lily indigenous to the Mediterranean region and having white, loosely branched flower clusters and a fleshy, sweet root (e.g., the daffodil, narcissus). Among the Greeks and Romans, asphodels were considered to be death plants (and were thus sacred to Hades and Persephone); the roots were thought to be food for the dead, who occasionally (e.g., in Homer) wandered in fields of asphodels. In addition, the asphodel was though to protect against evil spirits. In the Middle Ages the asphodel was associated with the planet Saturn. (Herder)
Monday, October 01, 2007
Word-hoard podcast: ragrowter
This week's word-hoard feature: ragrowter.
I invite you to listen in and leave me a comment with your creative use of each week's word-hoard featured word! You can subscribe to this podcast (and this whole blog for that matter) by clicking on the RSS icon in the right-sidebar. Or, if you'd like to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, you can do it one of two ways:
1. Search for "Julie K. Rose" or "Word-Hoard" in the iTunes store; the podcast will show up in the search results, and you can simply click the "subscribe button"; or
2. Choose the Advanced menu, and then Subscribe to Podcast. This will bring up a dialog box, where you can paste this URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/YULh.
I invite you to listen in and leave me a comment with your creative use of each week's word-hoard featured word! You can subscribe to this podcast (and this whole blog for that matter) by clicking on the RSS icon in the right-sidebar. Or, if you'd like to subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, you can do it one of two ways:
1. Search for "Julie K. Rose" or "Word-Hoard" in the iTunes store; the podcast will show up in the search results, and you can simply click the "subscribe button"; or
2. Choose the Advanced menu, and then Subscribe to Podcast. This will bring up a dialog box, where you can paste this URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/YULh.
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