Is this thing on?

Ed Thomas

2010-02-24T18:13:00.000-08:00

I learned today that Ed Thomas has passed away.

I can't tell you how hard it was to type those words. I knew he had been ill, knew that he was not expected to survive, but still it's hard. Even as I would not wish a moment's suffering on my beloved friend, it is so hard.

In 1992, many months before my first book was published, I received a call from a bookseller in Orange, California. Ed Thomas, the owner of Book Carnival, had read an advanced readers copy of Goodnight, Irene, and invited me to sign at his store when it was published. He was kindness itself, and I accepted his invitation.

So my first book signing was held at Book Carnival, and I came away from it with a false impression that every signing at any store might include a huge turnout. My humility was soon returned to me. But after that, I tried hard to arrange matters so that Book Carnival would always be my first signing date. Although I wasn't always able to prevail over plans my publisher's marketing department made, every time I published a book I signed there as soon as I could. It wasn't the turnout, although they always managed a good one for me, but I would have been happy to return in any case — because that 1992 phone call was the beginning of two treasured friendships — Ed and Pat Thomas were unfailingly kind to me over the next 18 years.

Ed had already been in the book business a long time when I met him. The number of authors who felt a family-like loyalty to him is legion, and by the time I met him already included Dean Koontz, Michael Connelly, Robert Crais and scores of others. For me, each visit to that store was like a visit home. Pat and I would talk about Texas and family and friends; Ed would tell jokes and stories; they would always treat you right. I would come to a friend's signing and still be in the store over an hour after it ended, talking to Ed and Pat.

Ed would tell me a joke (he had my number early on re judging how earthy they could be) and Pat would blush and wave a dismissive hand at him and say "Oh, Ed!" even as she laughed with us.

The Book Carnival is one of the oldest stores of its kind in the country. In 2003, Ed and Pat Thomas traveled to New York for the Edgars, where they were presented with the Raven. They were richly deserving of the acknowledgement.One of my favorite photos was taken of the three of us that night, and you can see it here.

Jokes and stories were part of each of my visits to the store, but nothing excited Ed like discovering a good read. I never walked out of Book Carnival only carrying the book I came in for. That was okay — I happily anticipated discovering a new (to me) writer with each visit. It was what every writer knew when they were at the store — Ed loved the books he sold. He knew mystery and dark fantasy (the store's specialty). He was extremely well-read in the genres, and also read beyond them. He knew book collecting, but he was not one of those folks with an untouched library. He learned what his customers liked and remembered that, so that even if a book could be bought cheaper somewhere else, they came to his small store for all that he offered them beyond a buck off. And what he offered was a great deal of knowledge and personal service. He was a man who wouldn't tell you he liked something he didn't. He wouldn't tell you a rare book was worth more than it was. The buyer didn't have to beware at the Book Carnival.

I always loved to exchange stories about some of our wackier encounters with the public. Ed once told me a story about getting a call from a man who asked him where the store was.

Ed told him the address.

The man said, "No, it's not."

"Yes, it is," Ed said.

Ed listened with growing incredulity as the guy started to argue with him about it. "Look, whether you believe it or not," Ed said, "I'm standing right here in it."

How I wish he was standing right there now, that I could drive there tonight and visit one more time, and let him know how very much I'll miss him.

Radio tonight

2010-01-25T17:45:00.000-08:00

I'll be on Desert News Talk Station KNewsRadio.com 94.3 FM with host Christopher Rice tonight at 7:15 PM Pacific talking about the Crime Lab Project. If you get a chance, listen in and call in! http://www.knewsradio.com

Books on the iPhone/iPod

2009-12-12T23:33:00.000-08:00

There are a number of formats you can use to read (or hear) my books now, including electronic editions. An addition to these formats is one I just became aware of -- Iceberg Reader offers several of my books for the iPhone and newer iPods. Just go to the App Store on your phone and search by my name, and you'll see the list of currently available books.

If you'd rather listen to the books on your iPhone or computer or other device, you can also download or purchase other formats of my audio books from iTunes, Recorded Books or Audible.com.

Fallbrook's Writers Read is final 2009 appearance

2009-12-06T07:59:00.000-08:00

I'll be in Fallbrook, California for an evening with Fallbrook's Writers Read on Tuesday, December 8 at Café des Artistes, 103 S. Main Street. Fallbrook is in northern San Diego County, just inland from Oceanside. I recommend arriving in town early enough to take a walk through its galleries and stores in the downtown area. I often have lunch at Café des Artistes when I'm in town -- definitely worth a stop if you're in the neighborhood.

Doors open at 5:30 with a supper menu available. I'll be reading and signing books beginning at 6 PM.

There's an open mic for others to share original poetry and prose from 6:45 to 7:30 PM.

My friends at San Diego's fabulous Mysterious Galaxy Books will be providing books for sale and signing.

Except for a sold-out event at the Los Angeles Regional Crime Lab, this will be my last scheduled public appearance for this year. I've intentionally kept my schedule clear until March 11-14, 2010, when I'll be at Left Coast Crime in Los Angeles, where I'm a Guest of Honor.

I hope to see you in Fallbrook and hope you have signed up for both Left Coast Crime and the special Forensic Science Day at the convention.

Happy Holidays, and thank you again for your support this past year!

Not Going to World Fantasy Convention

2009-10-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry to say that due to circumstances beyond my control, I won't be at the World Fantasy Convention. I'll be offering my membership to the convention through the Live Journal site:

http://community.livejournal.com/worldfantasycon

I look forward to trying to get to this one in the future. For those who are going, have a great time!

Music on Hold - Or While You Wait for Me to Post Advice for Writers...

2009-10-16T23:20:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get the next book finished, so not much posting going on, I know. But for those of you who are looking for writing advice and publishing advice, let me give you a couple of links to sites that are worth your while. Read them. Twice.

First and foremost: SWFA's Writer Beware. My friend Lee Goldberg spearheaded a successful effort to get additional support for this site from MWA — and MWA deserves praise for pitching in -- one of its many efforts on behalf of writers.

I strongly encourage you to spend a lot of time on that site.

Then, take a look at Pub Rants (short for Publishing Rants.) Agent Kristin Nelson kindly takes the time to instruct newcomers (and experienced writers as well) on this blog, which will give you her views on the business of publishing and help you to understand the work of agents and how they can help you -- and how you can best approach them. Start with the Agenting 101 blogs!

More later. I have to get back to work....

Next Up -- More October Events

2009-10-07T17:49:00.000-07:00

Alas, I won't be at Bouchercon this year, so I'll miss seeing those of you who are going. But I've got a full schedule of appearances this fall, so I hope we'll meet up at one of these events!

Friday October 9 - Nashville, Tennessee
Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word
12-1 PM session followed by signing
War Memorial Plaza
Nashville, TN
Evening: Authors in the Round Dinner

Thursday October 22 - Costa Mesa, California
"Will You Kill My Boss For Me?" and Other Harmless Requests:
My Life as a Crime Fiction Writer
CSULB Orange County Alumni Event
Orange County Speakers Series
Wyndham Resort, Orange County
3350 Avenue of the Arts
Costa Mesa, CA
Cost of event: $50 CSULB Alumni Association members, $55 non-members Reception at 6 PM, Presentation and discussion at 7 PM
RSVP by 10/16/09 - Click here for ticket information.

Thursday, October 29 to Sunday, November 1
World Fantasy Convention
San José, California
This event is sold out, but if you have an attending membership, I look forward to seeing you there!

For more information, please see the schedule page of my Website!

A Forensic Science Panel & a Book Fair-- Stop by and say hello!

2009-09-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

I've got two public appearances coming up soon -- more to come in October and November!

Tuesday, September 29, 11:45 AM-2:30 PM
California Forensic Science Institute Forum
"Challenges Facing Forensic Science"
Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center
Los Angeles Regional Crime Laboratory
William T Fujikoka Room
1800 Paseo Rancho Castilla
Los Angeles CA 90032

Call CFSI for more information at (323) 343-4877

Sunday, October 4

West Hollywood Book Fair
West Hollywood Park
647 N. San Vicente Blvd
West Hollywood [click here for a map and link to parking info]

Noon - Crossover/Supernatural/Mystery Panel (which probably has a better name by now, but this is the only one I've been given) in the Fiction Pavilion

2:30 PM Sisters in Crime: How Far Have We Come?
in the Mystery & Suspense Pavilion

There will be signings after each panel, and at 4 PM I'll also be signing at the Sisters in Crime booth.

Coming soon: appearances in Orange County, CA; Nashville, Tennessee; San Jose, CA; Muskego, Wisconsin; and Fallbrook, CA. See my Web site's Schedule page for more info!

Dog Fairness

2009-09-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

Some have wondered why I talk about two dogs, but only have a photo of one on my book jackets. That's because Cappy is the only one who sat still long enough to be photographed on the day we took the jacket photo. If you look closely at that photo, you can see that I am restraining him from running after the squirrels that made Britches too much to deal with that day.

Britches was the model for Shade, though -- there is a slightly altered picture of him above, the second image in the line-up in the illustration bar at the top of my blog and Web site.

And here are a couple of photos of him. The hedgehog toy recovered from the attempted drowning.

Thoughts on a petty version of Le Corbeau

2009-09-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

I'm far from the first person to consider the downside of Internet anonymity, but a recent post to a blog I came across a couple of days ago has brought the subject to mind, so you get to hear me vent.

I'm not going to name the blog or link to it, because I think the person behind it would love nothing more, and I don't want to gratify him or her with more traffic. You see, I don't know if it's a he or a she, because if you want to hide your identity on the Web, going genderless is apparently the next step after devising what you believe to be a catchy pseudonym. This person wants us to think It (so much more fitting in this case than s/he) is a professional in the business of the mystery genre. An important It, It wants you to know, too important to be named, here to share insights with the great unwashed, but from behind a curtain. Where's Toto when you need him?

There are some cases in which I can see the reason for shielding one's identity. Consequences in the workplace are one. If you're living under an oppressive regime, by all means, save your life and liberty with a pen name.

Even if someone wants to offer advice without making specifics about his life known to everyone with a Dell, fine by me. One hopes against hope that readers of such a site will be cautious about anonymously given advice, since they really don't know if it's being given to them by a con artist or a benevolent expert. Caveat everybody.

I've seen some anonymous advice blogs handled well, and they have this in common: they are never used to insult people who then won't know who just attacked them.

Anonymity used to escape a more personal level of responsibility, used as a shield to allow one to be uncivil or otherwise behave badly is never praiseworthy.

What bothered me about this blog was that the anonymous It seems to enjoy sending a kind of modern version of a poison pen letter. (Not to be confused in any way with the mystery press and bookstore, by the way!)

Here's what bothered me: A point that could have been made otherwise (easily!) comes off instead as a thinly veiled way to stir the pot, to make trouble. An author (not me) and her work are disparaged, a load of names that will increase traffic to the blog are dropped, and in the end we know nothing of the person making the remarks other than what It claims to be true about Itself.

Maybe there's a special place in hell where certain people burn without ever having any idea who sent them there. I have a feeling they'll discover a high percentage of anonymous bloggers in that neighborhood.

The mystery writing community is a relatively small town, on the whole supportive and friendly. Sewing seeds of mistrust there is helpful to no one. We can do without this corbeau.

Celia Fremlin

2009-08-30T14:53:00.000-07:00

"Fremlin is here to stay as a major mistress of insight and suspense."
New York Times, April 3, 1960

"Celia Fremlin is certainly one of today's more gifted writers."
Los Angeles Times, May, 1963

I've just learned that English novelist Celia Fremlin passed away this summer, on June 16, 2009.

Fremlin, born in 1914, wrote two novels of manners before turning her pen to crime fiction and suspense. She won the Edgar for Best Novel for The Hours Before Dawn, first published in 1958. If you've never read it, find a copy as soon as possible. I strongly recommend it. It's superbly written, unsettling and perceptive.

Beyond that, I think those of you who want a look at women's lives in late 1950s -- as well as some insight into women's lives now, will find that without the least bit of preaching, Fremlin gives you something to think about. It's available from Chicago Academy Publishers.

Her eighteen other novels include Uncle Paul, The Jealous One (also available from Chicago Academy Publishers), The Spider-Orchid and Dangerous Thoughts. A bibliography is available here.

I've been collecting her books over the last ten years, and can tell you that the critical acclaim was well-deserved.

I'm indebted to Elizabeth Foxwell for sending me a link to Martin Edward's blog, where I learned of Fremlin's death, and I agree wholeheartedly with all he has to say there about the stunning lack of notice her passing has received.

Inside The Messenger: Memento Mori and Mourning Rings

2009-08-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

"Also, I do will and appoint ten rings of gold to be made of the value of twenty shillings a piece sterling with a death's-head upon some of them."
— a will dated 1648, quoted in Finger Ring Lore by William Jones

Those of you who've read The Messenger know that a special memento mori ring is part of the story. While only Tyler and Amanda can tell you where to find a ring exactly like the one in the book, memento mori rings are real.

Rings have long symbolized the eternal -- the unbroken circle. "Memento mori" is a Latin phrase that literally means "remember you shall die," and refers to objects that serve as a reminder that death awaits us all, and for those who believe in an afterlife, that it, too, awaits.

"As I am, so shall you be."

Memento mori and mourning rings were often made of gold or silver, might include gemstones, enamel work, or hair art. They were often decorated with symbols of death and mourning: skulls, skeletons, hourglasses, coffins, urns, willows, acacias, and garlands, to name a few. In my research I came across a few that had a single eye painted on them -- the deceased keeping watch. A little unnerving for the surviving spouse, one would think.

Memento mori rings have been worn since ancient times. Some of the most elaborate were made in 16-19th centuries in England, but they were also worn in many other countries.

William Shakespeare bequeathed memento mori rings to his wife and his daughter -- it was not uncommon at that time (and in later centuries) for wills to contain instructions that mourning rings be made with inscriptions to reminder the wearer of the deceased.

In Searching for Shakespeare, Tarnya Cooper writes that "Memorial rings were not only given or bequeathed as a lasting token of remembrance, gratitude and affection at death, but were also exchanged in betrothal and marriage." The book shows several examples of these rings.

Here are some links to photographs of memento mori rings and places where you can find more information about them:

The Art of Mourning Lots of historical information and many beautiful photographs of rings.

A ring worn at Jamestown, early 17th century. Possibly worn by Captain Christopher Lawne.

Laurell Antique Jewelry This site also has beautiful photographs of mourning rings.

Victorian Hair Art - This page shows a lovely example of mourning jewelry made with hair art -- a fascinating subject of its own!

Morning Glory Antiques - has photographs of several other examples of hair art from the Victorian period, including mourning rings

Brief notes

2009-08-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

I hope you are planning to attend Left Coast Crime 2010 in Los Angeles next March! I'm the Guest of Honor -- along with some guy named Lee Child. You may have heard of him? Yeah, I think he's great, too. Anyway, we'll be there along with Bill Fitzhugh and lots of others, so please register now. And don't forget to sign up for the Forensic Science Day -- it's going to be so cool!

The Crime Lab Project blog is running a Death Quiz -- find out how much you really know about death investigation in the U.S. -- and then tell your friends to take the quiz. Ignoring the dead can cost us our lives.

My Web Master is as overwhelmed with work as I am, so it may be a little while before my schedule on the site shows this, but -- I'm going to have some new additions to my October schedule, including the Southern Festival of Books, October 9-11 in Nashville, Tennessee. Stay tuned for details.

Speaking of Web sites, don't know if I've mentioned it or not, but one of my nieces, Heather Cvar, is a makeup artist, and her recently updated site has some cool photos on it. You can see them at HeatherCvar.com

Artistic ability runs in the family -- her mom, my sister Sandy Cvar, will be one of the print-makers featured at the International Printing Museum's Los Angeles Printers Fair on August 29. And if you go to the Orange County Fair, look for one of Sandy's prints in the Fine Arts Professional Graphics exhibit!

That's it for now. I have a ton of stuff to post here, but it will have to wait while I work on my next book.

Keeping up with me while I fall behind

2009-07-25T23:07:00.000-07:00

I know it's not great to have a blog and not post to it for over a month, but the thing is, I'm writing. Figure most of you would rather see a novel than a post. But if you are just dying to know what I'm up to on a more frequent basis, you can always follow me on Twitter (Jan_Burke) or add me on Facebook.

I stopped in here, by the way, to let you know that over on Murderati, Cornelia Read has revealed that I am both mean and a whiner. Sad but true. Of course, "sad but true" is what got me into this trouble in the first place.

And now, back to work!

"The Fallen" is nominated for a Barry Award!

2009-06-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

I'm so pleased and honored to announce that "The Fallen," which appeared in the August 2008 issue of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, has received a nomination for Best Short Story for the Barry Awards!

Barry Awards are named in memory of avid mystery fan Barry Gardner. The Barrys are voted on by readers of Mystery News and Deadly Pleasures. Winners will be announced at the 40th annual Bouchercon, which will be held October 15-18, 2009 in Indianapolis.

For a full list of nominees in all categories, click here:
http://www.blackravenpress.com/BarryAwards2009.htm

New Audio Books!

2009-06-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

New audio books are now available!
You can now listen to
Goodnight, Irene
Sweet Dreams, Irene
Dear Irene,
Remember Me, Irene
Hocus
and
Liar
on Recorded Books. Click here for a link:
http://tinyurl.com/mcmav9
The books are unabridged and are also available at Audible.com and other audio book sites.

Other titles are on the way!

Why it's a good time to read Bones

2009-06-15T05:29:00.000-07:00

Pocket Books has just released a new paperback edition of Bones!

For those of you who haven't read it in a while, this might be a good time to re-read it. Why?

Let's just say that in the book I'm writing now, Nick Parrish is making the news again.

California Crime Writers Conference

2009-06-09T13:39:00.000-07:00

I'll be at the California Crime Writers Conference, sponsored by the LA chapters of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, on Sunday, June 14th at 2:00 PM. I'll be teaching a session with Doug Lyle, "CSI: The Real Facts." The event is being held at the The Pasadena Hilton, 168 S. Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena, CA. This is part of a two-day conference for writers that should be very helpful for those of you who are working on manuscripts. Hope to see some of you there!

I have some news about Bones and Liar, but I'll save that for the next post. A deadline and a few other matters have kept me from being more active on the blog, but don't give up on me!

Back from Mayhem...and about Facebook

2009-05-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

Just back from a wonderful time at Mayhem in the Midlands. It is one of the best organized fan conventions in the U.S., and always held at a size that allows people to actually spend time together -- as opposed to the usual feeling one gets of having waved to all of one's acquaintances while crossing Grand Central during a marathon.

This year Dana Stabenow was the Guest of Honor and Zoe Sharp was the Caroline Willner International Guest of Honor. Dana and I have been good friends for some years now, and she asked that I serve as the "Toastmaster" this time, which means I interviewed her at the convention on Sunday. At some point, that interview will be available online. I really enjoyed getting to know Zoe, and look forward to reading her work. The first books in her series have been picked up for reissue by Busted Flush Press, so watch for announcements from the BFP Website next year.

Ann asked about Facebook. Here's a badge that I think will get you through to my page there:

I'll try to put that in the sidebar of the blog. Wish me luck! First I have to deal with an unruly dry cleaner. Seriously. More on that soon.

Facebook & Twitter & Emailing me directly

2009-05-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

A few of you have asked about this, so here's the contact information:

I'm on Facebook -- Jan Burke.

I'm on Twitter. (Yes, before the recent tidal wave of celeb sign ups.) You can see my Tweets here on the blog or follow me -- Jan_Burke. You can send a message to me on Twitter using the usual Twitter commands. (@ or D)

And if you want to send me an email, puzzle this out, because if I write it out here, spammers will collect it off the blog and drive me nuts. So:
My last name
a dot
TheMessenger
at
Gmail
usual dot com suffix.

So the first part is Burke.TheMessenger

If you post a comment here and put your email address in your comment, I will read the comment and get back to you, but I won't make your comment public. That's to keep you from getting hassled by spammers.

CSULB Library

2009-04-29T22:58:00.000-07:00

This post is a test -- I've had a really odd message from Google on my blog's dashboard, so I'm not sure the blog is working.

Had a wonderful day today at the CSULB Library. Saw ORCA, its automated system for retrieving books and journals not kept in the usual stacks -- amazing, something almost out of science fiction. And the high-tech Spidell Center within the library is a great way for students to be able to use computers and search online for information. In a hundred other ways, the space has been opened up, made airier and brighter. There were lots of students there, making use of its resources.

There are many other plans, all of which will benefit the students, and I hope funding comes through for them. So if you're also a 49er -- one of CSULB's alumni -- consider a gift to the University Library. Visit it and you'll see they're making good use of the funds.

We now return to you after dropping off the face of the planet

2009-03-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I have fallen so far behind on posting here. It's not because I am quiet by nature or haven't got a thing to talk about. Mostly, it has been a matter of trying to focus on all the stuff on my plate right now and to catch up after traveling. First the main part of the tour, then the American Academy of Forensic Science meetings, and most recently Left Coast Crime 2009 in Hawai'i. I've also had day-long local events, such as the fabulous ALPHA event in Fullerton yesterday. And then there is the work I've been doing on the next Irene Kelly novel -- I'm trusting none of you will mind if I make that a bigger priority than blogging.

I do wish the elves would come to my house and prepare my taxes. My accountant would probably feel that was an improvement, too.

My current desire to blab here comes from a response to being involuntarily silenced. A couple of days ago, the guys repairing our roof apparently cut through the fiber optic cable that carries our telephone, television, and Internet connections. It was like blowing the circuit breaker on our doorway to the rest of the world.

We've definitely gone longer without television, phones, email or using the Web, but it was *planned* on those other occasions. This time, the timing was not so hot. If we hadn't had a pair of iPhones, we wouldn't have been able to do much business. Since we get a crappy level of cell phone signal inside the house (I suspect our attic is lined with cell-signal-kryptonite), this meant holding some interesting conversations on the front lawn. Our neighbors already think we're crazy, so it wasn't too big a risk.

The one or two pressing needs (printing the directions to the event I was at on Saturday, sending an afterword to Jim Seels for ASAP Publishing's special edition of two terrific Ken Bruen short stories) were taken care of at my sister's house.

So we survived. All of this made me think about how dependent we've become on this one cable running from a pole in the backyard to our roof. As you might expect, for the first hour or so we felt really frustrated, as we ran around and tried to figure out what had happened. But once we reached the "nothing we can do about it until Verizon repairs it" stage, we found plenty to do with our time. After all, writing a manuscript doesn't require an Internet connection -- although this did interfere with my ability to enjoy my usual pastime of rationalized procrastination -- aka indulging in research.

It's fixed now (yes, Verizon came out here on a Sunday). I may just plan -- I do like it so much better when it's planned -- to go for a few more stretches like that.

Invest Your Forensic Science Reality Check

2009-02-24T11:28:00.000-08:00

Two years ago, the U.S. Congress mandated a study of forensic science by the National Academy of Sciences. Founded by a law passed during the Civil War, the NAS provides expert studies of scientific matters for the government.

So many have eagerly (or with trepidation) awaited their report on the state of forensic science in the U.S., and its recommendations on how it might be improved. That report was made public last week. You can read about here:
http://www.tinyurl.com/NASforensic

The report should serve as a reality check to those who believe in the fantasy world version of forensic science. The NAS called for "major reforms and new research," said that forensic science in the U.S. is "badly fragmented," that it is lacking in "rigorous certification programs," that "many forensic science labs are underfunded, understaffed, and have no effective oversight."

And that's just part of the first paragraph of their press briefing.

You may notice that much of this fits in with what the Crime Lab Project has been saying for some time.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be reading the full report from the NAS (you can read it free online, pay for a full-report pdf, buy chapters, or order a hardcover on the NAS Web site). I'll post my thoughts about it here, but I encourage you to read it for yourself. The more people who are informed about the challenges facing forensic science, the better our chances of seeing real change.

Sculpture on a Monday

2009-02-23T12:43:00.000-08:00

I'm back home until Left Coast Crime, and have lots of stuff to talk about from the American Academy of Forensic Science meetings, more about The Messenger, and other topics. But before launching into any of that, I thought, why not take a moment for beauty?

Many thanks to my friend Donald Grant, who told me about Kristen Hoard's sculptures and other works of art. You can see her work by clicking here. ( http://www.metalphoria.com )

Above: "Small Fire Tree" by Kristen Hoard

Poetry on a Wednesday -- Or, Another reason to love G.K. Chesterton

2009-02-04T14:18:00.000-08:00

A discussion list I'm on has been reading Georgette Heyer's mysteries, most recently The Unfinished Clue. Much as I like many of her other books, I'll admit that I'm not a great fan of her detective stories, and find this one particularly weak. I have a theory that Heyer despised many of her contemporaries, because so many of her books portraying them are heavily populated with unlikable characters.

One of the characters in The Unfinished Clue quotes lines from a poem by Frances Darwin Cornford, which led one of the list members to provide a link to this site:
http://tinyurl.com/crp5fg

I'm so glad I followed it, for the sake of the amusement to be found in G.K. Chesterton's response to the poem.

I'll add that while I laughed, Cornford was far from unread in her day, and should be remembered for other poems -- "All Souls' Night," for example, which appears in the Wikipedia article about her.