Jane Marlow's Blog, page 6

OLD FRIENDS & NEW FACES

A bear-hug "Thank you!" to all Who Is to Blame readers who submitted photos!
I got such a kick out of seeing each of you!

What Was Russia Like Before Putin? Before Stalin?

My horizons stretched profoundly during my research for Who Is to Blame. And I love sharing what I learned.

My free quarterly e-newsletter, Petrovo Potpourri, isn't about me. It’s not about things you can buy. It’s about insights you can gain while relaxing with a few chuckles.

You'll get a kick out of Petrovo Potpourri if you like:
- hearing about free books
- historical footnotes
- jaw-dropping Russian art
- Slavic proverbs that get twisted in translation
- riddles centered on the peasants’ immediate world: home, fields, & nature (including the birds & the bees!)  
- wit & wisdom from 19th century Russian writers, like this one from novelist Ivan Turgenev about narrow viewpoints: Most people can't understand how others can blow their noses differently than they do.

No sales gimmicks. Rest easy that I will never share your contact information. Nor will you will ever receive spam from me.

Take a peek at the current issue:
http://us13.campaign-archive1.com/?u=...

Subscribe here http://janemarlowbooks.com/contact/

WEDDING BELLS

Balmy weather makes June a popular month for weddings in the Northern Hemisphere. However, 19th-century Russians peasants preferred to take their wedding vows following the autumn harvest, when food, rubles, and time were more plentiful.

The night after the wedding, the family often eavesdropped to ensure things were getting off to a good start. And the next day, was there blood on the bedding?

Once married, a peasant woman was required to always cover her sensual hair and put aside her single hair braid for matronly double braids.

Planning a wedding? Pick up a few decorating ideas from these images!


Arrival of Sorcerer at Peasant Wedding
by Vasily Maximov 1875


Village Wedding in Tambov Province
by Andrei Ryabushkin 1880

ONE OF WORLD'S LONGEST BOOKS

In 1862, Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy began writing a book that would take six years to finish and eventually be called War & Peace. The epic story is considered to be one of the greatest novels ever written, remarkable for its dramatic breadth and unity. Its vast canvas includes 580 characters. Tolstoy's wife, Sophia, hand-copied as many as seven complete manuscripts before Tolstoy considered it ready for publication. Although writing kept him busy, he still found time to father 13 children.

GET CAUGHT READING

May is "Get Caught Reading Month," a nationwide campaign to remind people of all ages how much fun it is to read.

In honor of "Get Caught Reading Month," I'm creating a photo collage of folks reading or listening to Who Is to Blame. The photo collection will also appear on my website and Facebook page.

Join the fun! Perhaps a photo of you reading while on the beach? Or cozied up next to a crackling fire? Or propped up in bed? Or even a picture of your favorite feline sprawled across the book's cover! Silly or serious!

No names will be included. Email the photo to me before May 10. JaneMarlowBooks.com

Thanks!

NATIONAL BOOKMOBILE DAY

When I was still a malleable small fry (prior to those audacious teen years), my mom, in cahoots with our hometown bookmobile, taught me to appreciate the written word.

I’ve since devoted many years to trying to use it properly.

National Book Mobile Day - Apr 12, 2017.
Give a round of thanks to your local library!

RUSSIAN WORDS WELL WRITTEN

The present generation sees everything clearly, it is amazed and laughs at the folly of its ancestors...and self-confidently enters on a fresh set of errors at which their descendants will laugh again later on.
~ Nikolai Gogol in Dead Souls (1842)

Russian dramatist, novelist, short story writer (1809 - 1852)

The cover of the novel as intended and illustrated by Nikolai Gogol

WHAT A SLAVIC SPREAD!

I received photos from my friend Joan in Ohio. After reading WHO IS TO BLAME, these Yellow Springs gals put together a multi-course meal of traditional Russian food. How I wish I could have joined them!

→ Zakooski (appetizers) beet salad, baklazhan (eggplant), sprats, pickles, bread
→ Soup - pickle soup, chicken broth with potatoes, carrots & pickle bits
→ Main course - kotletti (ground meat pattie), kartoffel (potatoes boiled, buttered)
→ Dessert - tea with Russian tea cakes
All washed down with wine & (of course!) vodka

THE MAKING OF AN AUDIBLE BOOK

Who Is to Blame is a complex book to record. Thank goodness Gil at Peak Recording is a pro and a gentleman in every regard. The narrator, actor John Hosking, devoted countless hours mastering the tongue-twister Russian names. Fate was unbelievably generous when it lined me up with these 2 gentlemen!



I even have a bit part in the recording. Gil warned me ”Be sure to wear quiet clothes.” Huh? What do clothes matter in an audio recording?? Well… some clothes make a slight noise whenever you move, and the microphone doesn’t discriminate – it picks up everything. Natural fibers tend to be less rambunctious!



Audible book available soon. Will keep you posted. Below is the digital of the first 4 minutes of Chapter 2.

COZY UP TO A FIRE

Can you imagine a more idyllic way to spend a wintry Sunday afternoon?
Thanks, Barbara, for sending your photo.