Joni Rendon's Blog, page 8
October 18, 2013
Lovers’ Lane: Kipling’s Naulahka
In anticipation of Writers Between the Covers, on sale October 29, we’re spotlighting locales associated with literary lovers. Click here to find out how to enter to win a copy of the book.
A JEWEL FIT FOR A KIPLING
While Rudyard Kipling was on honeymoon, he received the bad news that his bank had gone bust, taking his life savings along with it. The penniless writer and his young American bride, Carrie, decided to leave England for Brattleboro, Vermont, where they were able to build a home on property owned by Carrie’s family.
They christened their dwelling “Naulahka,” the Hindi word for “jewel beyond price,” which was also the title of a novel Kipling had co-written with his wife’s brother. While at Naulahka (pronounced now-LAH-kuh), the writer produced some of his best known works including The Jungle Book and the first of his Just So Stories. His fiercely protective wife guarded the door to his study, refusing admittance to the newspapermen and fans who frequently came to call on the now-famous author.
During his time in Vermont, avid golfer Kipling also invented the game of “snow golf” using red-painted golf balls and cups. His golf clubs remain at the house, which the family hurriedly left only four years after their arrival. When Kipling became embroiled in an ugly lawsuit against his alcoholic brother-in-law, who reportedly threatened to kill him, the resulting media hype spurred the publicity-shy writer to return to England.
Today Naulahka, which has been managed and restored by the Landmark Trust, can be rented by bibliophiles who want to soak in Kipling’s claw-foot tub or sit at the desk where the Nobel Prize winner penned his works.
[Photo: Nancy Palmieri for The New York Times]
October 14, 2013
Win a Copy of WRITERS BETWEEN THE COVERS!
W
e’re giving away three copies of Writers Between the Covers, a salacious look at what happened off the page in the love lives of famous scribes.
Why did Norman Mailer stab his second wife at a party? Who was Edith Wharton’s secret transatlantic lover? What motivated Anaïs Nin to become a bigamist?
Writers Between the Covers rips the sheets off these and other real-life love stories of the literati—some with fairy tale endings and others that resulted in break-ups, breakdowns, and brawls. Among the writers laid bare are Agatha Christie, who sparked the largest-ever manhunt in England as her marriage fell apart; Arthur Miller, whose jaw-dropping pairing with Marilyn Monroe proved that opposites attract, at least initially; and T.S. Eliot, who slept in a deckchair on his disastrous honeymoon.
From the best break-up letters to the stormiest love triangles to the boldest cougars and cradle-robbers, this fun and accessible volume—packed with lists, quizzes, and in-depth exposés—reveals literary history’s most titillating loves, lusts, and longings.
TO BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN A COPY
Step 1: Leave a comment in the comments section below. (Winners will be selected at random from among all the commenters and notified by email.) Step 2: Share a mention of Writers Between the Covers and/or this contest on Facebook or Twitter; use the buttons below or cut & paste this link: http://wp.me/p8snh-RP.
Enter by October 28, 2013.
HELP US SPREAD THE WORD
The more entries we get, the more copies we’ll give away. If we receive 50 or more entries, we’ll give away a fourth copy of Writers Between the Covers; 100 or more, and a fifth bibliophile will also be reading about literary love lives.
October 11, 2013
Lovers’ Lane: Agatha Christie’s English Estate
In anticipation of Writers Between the Covers, on sale October 29, we’re spotlighting literary locales associated with some of the figures featured in the book.
GREENWAY HOUSE
When archaeological excursions in the Middle East weren’t on the itinerary for Agatha Christie and her husband, Max Mallowan, the couple could often be found at Greenway House, their holiday retreat in the English countryside. Among the items on display in the 18th century residence-turned-museum—which inspired the setting for the Poirot tale Dead Man’s Folly—are the author’s 1937 Remington portable typewriter and a Steinway piano. The musically talented Christie, who trained as a classical pianist, was too shy to play the piano for anyone except Mallowan.
Before Christie found her happily ever after with the archaeologist, she endured the painfully public demise of her first marriage. After her spouse walked out on her, she became embroiled in a real-life mystery. Christie disappeared for eleven days, sparking the largest-ever manhunt in England before resurfacing with claims of amnesia.
INVESTIGATE CHRISTIE’S RETREAT
Greenway House sits on 30 acres of woodland and gardens overlooking the River Dart. Mystery buffs who want to do more than meander through the museum can holiday in Christie and Mallowan’s digs; a five-bedroom apartment, spread over the first and second floors of the house, is available for short-term rentals.
[Photo ©Flickr/globalNix]
October 4, 2013
Lovers’ Lane: The Brownings in Florence, Italy
In anticipation of Writers Between the Covers , on sale October 29, we’re spotlighting literary locales associated with some of the couples featured in the book.
IDYLLIC ITALY
After a whirlwind courtship and a clandestine wedding in 1846, celebrity poets Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning fled England to escape the reproach of her tyrannical father, who had forbidden her and her siblings ever to marry.
The newlyweds settled in Florence, making their home at Casa Guidi, a grand apartment in a 15th-century palazzo. Elizabeth declared the abode “magnificent” and wrote in a letter, “We have six beautiful rooms and a kitchen, three of them quite palace rooms and opening on a terrace.” For 14 happy years, the Brownings lived, loved, and wrote primarily at Casa Guidi, turning out such works as Elizabeth’s Aurora Leigh and Robert’s Men and Women. The couple’s only child, Pen, was born in the Florentine palazzo, and Elizabeth later died there in her husband’s arms on June 29, 1861.
CHECK INTO CASA GUIDI
Some of Casa Guidi’s elegant rooms have been restored to close approximations of how they appeared during the Brownings’ time, while a modern kitchen and bathrooms were installed in the former servants’ quarters. The apartments are available to rent for most weeks during the year, and certain rooms are open for public viewing on select afternoons.
[Photos © The Landmark Trust]
September 27, 2013
Writers Between the Covers
Over the past few years of visiting the homes and haunts where writers lived, loved, and found inspiration, we repeatedly found ourselves sidetracked by the “love” side of the equation.
Where exactly was the secret door that Victor Hugo used as an escape route for his mistress? Was it true Charles Dickens had a thing for his sister-in-law? Who was Edith Wharton’s secret trans-Atlantic lover? Like the nosy tourists who rented telescopes to spy on Lord Byron and the Shelleys during their summer on Lake Geneva, we wanted to know what really instigated the famous (and not so famous) hook-ups, make-ups, and break-ups of our literary idols.
This burning question led us to write Writers Between the Covers: The Scandalous Romantic Lives of Legendary Literary Casanovas, Coquettes and Cads, a salacious look at what happened off the page in the love lives of famous writers. We’ve been gone from the blog working on the book for the past year and are pleased to announce it will be published next month by Plume/Penguin.
We hope you’ll check it out when it hits the shelves and that you’ll stay tuned here, where we’ll be posting more information along with an excerpt and giving away a few free copies.
February 24, 2012
Happy B-Day, John Steinbeck
If you're inclined to show up in Salinas, California, this Sunday, February 26, stop by the National Steinbeck Center, which is hosting a celebration in honor of the writer's 110th birthday. The day-long festivities include musical performances, reading circles, and more, including birthday cake.
Take some time to meander through the Center, which is truly a bibliophile's fun house with interactive exhibits, mini-theaters showing film adaptations of The Grapes of Wrath and other works, thematically arranged galleries offering in-depth looks into the worlds of Steinbeck's novels, and an oversize crossword puzzle for testing your Steinbeck smarts. Also on display is the custom-made pickup truck camper that was home to the writer and his canine companion during their 34-state journey recounted in Travels with Charley.
[Photo ©National Steinbeck Center]
January 15, 2012
Dickens Revelry
2012 is the year of Charles Dickens. The bicentenary of the writer's birth is February 7, but the festivities are taking place all year long. Hundreds of exhibits, film screenings, walking tours, and more are featured in the Events Calendar on Dickens2012.com. Plus, bibliophiles can follow along on Twitter for bicentenary-related news.
Many of the events are happening in the UK, from a read-along of Oliver Twist in Portsmouth, where Dickens was born, to a Christmas market where characters from his novels will mingle with revelers in the town of Rochester, near where he lived the last years of his life.
The Charles Dickens Museum in London (left) is celebrating the author's birthday with a dinner at the Mansion House, the home and office of the Lord Mayor of London. The evening's agenda includes a sherry reception, three-course dinner, and Dickensian entertainment led by actor Sir Patrick Stewart. Details: February 7, 6:45-10:30 p.m., £120 per person.
The Museum is also hosting a Dickens Reading Group to explore the writer's works and those of his Victorian-era contemporaries. The first twelve-week session kicks off Thursday, February 17, and takes place at the atmospheric museum, Dickens' only surviving London residence.
Other festivities around the world include an exhibit, "The Mysteries of Charles Dickens (1812-1870)," at the Museum Strauhof in Zurich, Switzerland, and the "Dickens Heritage Tour" in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, where he often holidayed. Fans in Houston, Texas, have come up with an unusual idea–a half-marathon especially for Dickens enthusiasts. For details on these and other events, visit Dickens2012.org.
[Images of the author © Charles Dickens Museum]
December 15, 2011
Holiday Spotlight: Austen-Inspired Festivities in Bath
"Lady Russell, convinced that Anne would not be allowed to be of any use, or any importance, in the choice of the house which they were going to secure, was very unwilling to have her hurried away so soon, and wanted to make it possible for her to stay behind till she might convey her to Bath herself after Christmas," wrote Jane Austen in Persuasion, one of two novels for which she used the English spa town as a backdrop.
Literary travelers conveying themselves to Bath this month will find the Jane Austen Centre especially festive. The exhibit "Jane Austen's Regency Christmas" illustrates how the holiday was celebrated in the Georgian period. For some additional good cheer, samples of mulled wine and Mrs. Austen's plum pudding are offered. The exhibit runs through December 31.
Crafty Janeites can try their hand at making an Austen-inspired . For everyone else, the Jane Austen Centre online gift shop (which ships worldwide) has a terrific selection of gifts, including pre-made ornaments, tea accessories, the ever-popular "I Love Mr. Darcy" tote bag, and a silver charm for fans of Northanger Abbey, the other novel Austen set in Bath.
[photo on right ©Jane Austen Centre]
December 9, 2011
Holiday Spotlight: Twain and Stowe
Mark Twain's parlor decked out for the holidays.
Make it a double header this weekend and visit both Mark Twain's mansion and Harriet Beecher Stowe's abode, which are right next door to each other in Hartford, Connecticut. Among the festivities at the Victorian-themed "Stowe & Twain's Olde-Fashioned Christmas" extravaganza are crafts, caroling, and horse-drawn carriage rides around the historic Nook Farm neighborhood that was a popular dwelling place for writers and publishers in the 1800s.
The Olde-Fashioned Christmas takes place Saturday, December 10, and Sunday, December 11, from noon to 4 p.m. The activities are free. There is an admission charge for tours of the houses adorned in holiday finery, looking as they would have when the writers were in residence. If you prefer a different take, also on December 10 at the Mark Twain House is a separate event at 2 p.m.: the Winter Solstice Steampunk Christmas Tea.
[Photo ©westernconnecticut.blogspot.com]
December 2, 2011
Holiday Spotlight: Orchard House
Louisa May Alcott's home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts, is hosting holiday-themed tours on Saturdays and Sundays through December 18th. The "Little Women Christmas" festivities include reenactments of scenes from the novel performed by costumed characters, activities for children and families, and take-home mementos.
Advance reservations are strongly suggested. Included with admission for reserved tickets is 10% off in the Orchard House gift shop. For the bibliophiles on your gift list, we suggest a Mood Pillow. The stylish throw pillow, a recreation of one owned by Louisa May Alcott, has a dual use: mood indicator. If it stood on end, the writer wanted to socialize; if it lay flat it was best to stay away.
Also available are t-shirts for literary kids with the tag line "Little Women Grow Up to Be Great Women" and one for grown-ups sporting a quote by Louisa May Alcott: "The emerging woman …will be strong minded, strong hearted, strong souled, and strong bodied…"
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