Sarah Zama's Blog, page 59

Thursday Quotables – A Case of Identity (A Sherlock Holmes Short Story)

A professional case of great gravity was engaging my own attention at the time, and the whole of next day I was busy at the bedside of the sufferer. It was not until close upon six o’clock that I found myself free and was able to spring into a hansom and drive to Baker Street, half afraid that I might be too late to assist at the dénouement of the little mystery. I found Sherlock Holmes alone, however, half asleep, with his long form curled up in the recesses of his armchair. A formidable array of bottles and test-tubes, with the pungent cleanly smell of hydrochloric acid, told me that he had spent his day in the chemical work which was so dear to him.

“Well, have you solved it?” I asked as I entered.

“Yes. It was the bisulphate of baryta.”

“No, no, the mystery!” I cried.

“Oh, that! I thought of the salt that I have been working upon. There was never any mystery in the matter, though, as I said yesterday, some of the details are of interest. The only drawback is that there is no law, I fear, that can touch the scoundrel.”

“Who was it, then, and what was his object in deserting Miss Sutherland?”

The question was hardly out of my mouth, and Holmes had not yet opened his lips to reply, when we heard a heavy footfall in the passage and a tap at the door.

“This is the girl’s stepfather, Mr. James Windiback,” said Holmes. “He has written to me to say that he would be her eat six. Come in!”

Some time back, Lisa from the Bookshelf Fantasies talked about an app she had just discover. An app for reader (read all about it in Lisa’s post). I decided to try it, and really really like it. The app only offers classic, royalty-free works, but I have to tell you I didn’t know there are so many classic stories I want to read.

Just for the sake of trying, I chose a short work, and since I read a couple of Sherlock Holmes’s stories many years ago and liked them I though why not start with this short 2-intallment story?

About the app: I don’t normally read fiction on my phone, but this app is simple and clean and it was comfortable enough.

About the story: I’m sure it was a lot more complicated when it was first published, but the trick has been used so many time in storytelling now that I was able to guess the outcome before it was revealed. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the story. It is a joy to read, it flows away very fast and I liked Holmes and Dr. Watson’s banters, they sound so natural and witty.

Being so short, the story relies heavily on dialogue, though I have to admit Conan Doyle managed to cleverly include a lot: body language, backstory, characters’ interaction, and of course, Holmes’s legendary deduction skills, which, I have to say, do come across as realistic and sound.

So, would I recommend such a classic? Definitely yes. Would I recommend trying the app? Definitely yes. I know Lisa is reading Moby Dick with the app. I won’t try such a long read, I’m sorry. But hey! If you try the app, let me know what you think and what you’re reading. There’s a lot of fantasy and horror too, so I know I’ll read some of that next. You?

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In post is part of the Thursday Quotables mem. If you want to discover more about this meme and maybe take part in it, head over to Bookshelf Fantasies

The post Thursday Quotables – A Case of Identity (A Sherlock Holmes Short Story) appeared first on The Old Shelter.

Tomorrow’s bread

“I do not need my freedom when I’m dead… I cannot live on tomorrow’s bread”

– Langston Hughes

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The Pavement – A Very Disquieting Short Film Noir

This is a short film produced by director Taylor Engel for the Spoiled Short Film Festival.

It is only 3 minutes long, but it manages to tell a story with a lot of depth by not recounting what actually happened, but by letting us know what happened as the events emerge in the mind of the protagonist. It is haunting.

I think short films are among the hardest forms of storytelling out there, but it works wonderfully when you master the art. Director Engel, who has long worked in trailers – and it shows – merges narration, perspective and images masterfully, creating a noir film that is almost a deconstruction of the genre. By using the tropes of film noir – black and white, crime, betrayal, the famme fatal, the damaged hero – but putting them in one by one at strange intervals, in a circling narration, he creates something that may work only in this format.

I’ve watched a lot of short films noir, but let me tell you this is by far my favourite.

Shot in just ten hours, this short ended up in the final top 10 of the Project Greenlight, the HBO show supervised by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck aimed to produce a feature film  for a first time director.

 

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Good Short Film – The Pavement

Facebook – The Pavement Short Film

Film Shortage – The Pavement

Nerdiest – The Pavement: Spoiled Film Festival Official Selection

fstoppers – ‘The Pavement’ An Interview with Director Tayler Engel

The post The Pavement – A Very Disquieting Short Film Noir appeared first on The Old Shelter.

Let Me Give You a Present – Free eBook

I have meant to do this for a while, but life has interfered and I kept procrastinating this.

But now I’m ready!

I’m offering the PDF of my 2015 AtoZ Challenge for free to anyone subscribing to my newsletter.

Yes, they are the same entries you can read on my blog, but they are all collected in a PDF that will be all yours. And if there are no videos and no links, there are a lot more pics than in the blogs.

Roaring Twenties AtoZ is an easy to use guide to the Roaring Twenties organised alphabetically. I was very surprise to see how much of the era actually went into 26 letters. It is an essential guide to the decade, only a starting point, mind you, but still a jumping-place if you are interested in this time period and – like me when I started researching seven years ago – don’t really know where to start. New Woman? Jazz? The Model T? Prohibition? There’s a bit of everything and I truly believe that at the end of the PDF you get a fair impression of what the decade was.

Look!

Don’t you just want to CLICK HERE and subscribe to my mailing list?

I’m still trying to figure out how to use my newsletter, but I’d love to write a serial especially for the subscribers. It’s still a very vague idea, but it is brewing, so you never know.

And while we’re at it, look here

I’m going to run a promo for my book next week. 99c! It’s half its price, eh. You may want to consider getting it, and if you do, please also consider leaving a review on Goodreads, that’s the best promotion any indie author can get.

Enjoy!!

The post Let Me Give You a Present – Free eBook appeared first on The Old Shelter.

Let Me Give You a Present

I have meant to do this for a while, but life has interfered and I kept procrastinating this.

But now I’m ready!

I’m offering the PDF of my 2015 AtoZ Challenge for free to anyone subscribing to my newsletter.

Yes, they are the same entries you can read on my blog, but they are all collected in a PDF that will be all yours. And if there are no videos and no links, there are a lot more pics than in the blogs.

Roaring Twenties AtoZ is an easy to use guide to the Roaring Twenties organised alphabetically. I was very surprise to see how much of the era actually went into 26 letters. It is an essential guide to the decade, only a starting point, mind you, but still a jumping-place if you are interested in this time period and – like me when I started researching seven years ago – don’t really know where to start. New Woman? Jazz? The Model T? Prohibition? There’s a bit of everything and I truly believe that at the end of the PDF you get a fair impression of what the decade was.

Look!

Don’t you just want to CLICK HERE and subscribe to my mailing list?

I’m still trying to figure out how to use my newsletter, but I’d love to write a serial especially for the subscribers. It’s still a very vague idea, but it is brewing, so you never know.

And while we’re at it, look here

I’m going to run a promo for my book next week. 99c! It’s half its price, eh. You may want to consider getting it, and if you do, please also consider leaving a review on Goodreads, that’s the best promotion any indie author can get.

Enjoy!!

The post Let Me Give You a Present appeared first on The Old Shelter.

Thursday Quotables – Cunning as a Serpent, Innocent as a Dove

In the hallway above, there stood Isabeau, wreathed in that divine scent of lavender.

“Oh, poor Dona Anna! I couldn’t help overhearing mon oncle. He can be rather lound at times.”

Isabeau reached out to pet Gatito’s head. His ears flattened. He hissed.

“Gatito!” Anna cried. “Gato malo! I’m so sorry, Mademoiselle…”

Isabeau waved away Anna’s apology. “It is nothing, Dona Anna. I am a stranger to him, that is all.” She looked Anna over, her expression pained. “A word of advice, Dona. If I were you, I would take care not to appear before ma tante Lysette in such dishabille.”

Straggling to control Gatito had left Anna’s girdle crooked and her wimple askew. At least her sleeve was free of any stain or tear. Even so, she couldn’t possibly join Dona Esperanza and Madame Lysette in this condition.

“But—“ Anna winced at the rising note of panic in her voice. She straggle to hold on to her composure. Dona Esperanza told me to bring the castilio set to her.”

“I will deliver it.” Before Anna could object, Isabeau plucked the ivory box from beneath her arm. “Hurry along now. It would not do to keep Madame Lysette wating.”

Cunning as a Serpent, Innocent as a Dove by Lillian Csernica is part of the anthology And All Our Yesterdays, Sixteen Stories of Mystery and Crime Through the Ages. This particular story is set in Medieval Spain, inside a castle on the road to Santiago de Compostela, which is a setting I really liked, because is kind of unusual.

It’s very short story, with a linear plot, and yet filled with many characters. What I liked about it is the diversity of the cast. The main character, like all her family, is Spanish, while their guests are French, and the author really succeeded in bringing up the differences as well as the similarities between the two cultures.

There is also a great care in the depiction of the Medieval world, especially with regard to the relationships between peoples, which aren’t necessarily what we would expect today. In fact, interaction among nobility seemed to be very complex, and deeded to considerate many different elements and factors. But then, I’d say the entire story gives a picture of the Middle Ages we may not be so accustomed to envision, a multicultural place where people travelled and met. And cope with each other.

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In post is part of the Thursday Quotables mem. If you want to discover more about this meme and maybe take part in it, head over to Bookshelf Fantasies

The post Thursday Quotables – Cunning as a Serpent, Innocent as a Dove appeared first on The Old Shelter.

Gang Roundup – September 2016

A few months ago I noticed a post on the blog of fellow writers Sue Coletta: Sharing the Love in the Writing Community where she shares news about fellow writers. I love the idea of sharing what other writers and bloggers do and if you follow me on my social media you have probably stumbled upon my sharings. But I like the idea of sharing on this blog too.

On social media, I share anything from writing tips, marketing tools and experience, book reviews, photos, video, funny animal pics (especially kitties – yes, I’m one of those people), industry news, quotes.

But don’t worry, I’m not going to inundate you with all kinds of stuff. On this blog, I’d like to share especially about the diesel ear – particularly the 1920s, of course – and dieselpunk. There is some awesome material out there and I can’t wait to share it with you.

Ready? Here it goes the first Gang Roundup.

 

40 Amazing Vintage Photographs That Capture Everyday Life in London during the 1920s

The Vintage Everyday Blog is one of my favourite places in the blogosphere and I’m sure I’ll share a lot of posts from here. They publish vintage photos of every kind, from many different eras. Sometimes fun stuff, sometimes everyday stuff, sometimes even quite creepy stuff.

The everyday photos are my absolute favorite. Here is a fat collection of photos from 1920s London. Quite a charming place, don’t you think?

 

Refrigerators or Ice Boxes?

Mary Miley is a writers of mysteries set in Silent Era Hollywood. On her blog, she shares information about 1920s everyday life.

The 1920s were an exciting time for everything concerning the house. Many things that we take for granted now first appeared in the 1920s and either became commonplace or took the first steps to becoming commonplace later on. Refrigerators? Yes, they were among those things.

“Iceboxes had been around for decades before the 1920s and were common in middle-class homes. These were, literally, boxes with a bottom door (or two or more) for food and a top compartment lined with tin for the block of ice.”

 

 

The Diesel Powered Podcast #55 – Dieselpunk in Pop Culture Roundtable

The Diesel Powered Podcast is one of the best places where to start getting an idea what Dieselpunk is. It certainly was an eye-opener for me. Larry Hamyett, who’s one of the dieselpunk community most influential members, is often a guest.

In this episode in particular, he and Johnny Della Rocca talk about the basic of dieselpunk, what is it and what are its defining element.

 

 

Coroner’s Cocktails and Yak Yak Bourbon: The Worst Drinks of Prohibition

Fellow writer and blogger Lupachi writes dieselpunk stories set in Chicago in the 1920s, so I suppose it was only a matter of time before we met. On her blog she shares information about the 1920s and especially about Chicago and Al Capone, with extremely well researched articles.

This blog is part of her continuing series about the history of the most popular Prohibition cocktails

 

 

Catherynne M. Valente – Speak Easy

“The hotel Artemisia sits on a fantastical 72nd Street, in a decade that never was. It is home to a cast of characters, creatures, and creations unlike any other, including especially Zelda Fair, who is perfect at being Zelda, but who longs for something more. The world of this extraordinary novella—a bootlegger’s brew of fairy tales, Jazz Age opulence, and organized crime—is ruled over by the diminutive, eternal, sinister Al. Zelda holds her own against the boss, or so it seems. But when she faces off against him and his besotted employee Frankie in a deadly game that just might change everything, she must bet it all and hope not to lose…”

This is a in-depth review of what sounds like a very different book, inspired by Zelda Fitzgerald’s life.

I haven’t read the book yet, so I can’t speak my mind on it… but yes, I’ve bought it.

 

 

The Wonderful Machine Age: The Daring Young Men in Their Flying Machines

You may remember C W Hawes, since he’s been a guest on this blog with a post about his favourite subject: airship. CW is the most knowledgeable person I know about this subject and let me tell you I’d read about it for hours.

He dedicated a few series to the airships on his blog. This one it the first I read and truly enjoyed. You can read the entire series here:

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

 

 

Sarah Plugs Her Own Stuff

Yeah, well, while we’re at it, let me plug my work too. I’d like to share with you my book reviews. You might happen to have a couple of minutes to check them out

26 June 2016 – The Most Sublime Blog

28 June 2016 – Terry Tyler Book Reviews

1 September 1026 – History from a Woman’s Perspective: A Book Blog

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Simplicity of a Super Athlete – Olympic Games, Stockholm 1912

And so Summer is almost over, the Olympics have been over for more than a week, but I’d like to close this Olympic month with one last blog about past athletes.

This is the story of the man who is considered the ultimate athlete, who won everything at the Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912… and whose records are not in the Olympic books

The beginning of the Bright Path

Jim Thorpe was born in 1887 near what is today Prague, Oklahoma. A child of Sac and Fox and Potawatomi Indian bloodlines, as well and French and Irish roots, he was given the name Wa-Tho-Huk (Bright Path) but christened Jacobus Franciscus Thorpe (James Francis Thorpe)

He spent his early life trapping and hunting with his father in the wilderness, where he started developing his legendary endurance via extensive excursions in Indian Territory. At age six, he was already a hunter and could spend hours walking and running.

His father was a horse handler as well as a hunter and Jim learned that trade too before, still a teenager, he lost his parents as well as his twin brother in a matter of a few short years. He then became a ward of government schools.

Always a reticent person, he was never very comfortable when at the center of attention. So that became kind of a personal problem when in 1907, as a student at Carlisle, Pennsylvania – a hybrid trade school and academy devoted to the forcible cultural assimilation of Native American children – he joined a track-and-field program and quickly started to excel everywhere: in the track-and-field specialties as well as baseball, hockey, lacrosse and even ballroom dancing, though it was football that finally propelled him to national reckoning.

When in 1912 he was nominated for the US Olympic team for the Games in Stockholm, Sweden, he didn’t accept because he was seeking success. He would have been perfectly happy to follow his father’s path and breed horses the rest of his life, but he wanted to marry his sweetheart, Iva Muller. Her family disapproved of the match, so he accepted to take part in the Olympics to prove that a man could make a good enough living at games to support a family. He followed his dream of a happy life, not that of success and celebrity.

 

The ultimate athlete at the Stockholm Olympic Games

He just swiped the Games. He won four of the five events of Pentathlon and a week later he overtook the Decathlon, winning basically everything there was to win in those Games.

In the Decathlon, he ran the metric miles in mismatched shoes (his own pair could not be found the morning of the race) in 4 minutes 40,1 seconds, a record that would last until 1972. No one would beat his decathlon overall score for another four Olympics.

King Gustav V of Sweden nominated him the greatest athlete of all time when he awarded him the two gold medals for Pentathlon and Decathlon. In that occasion, Thorpe just dropped his eyes and said a simple “Thanks”. He then avoided all parties he was invited to, the attention of the newspapers, interviews, although he could not avoid the ticker-tape parade in New York City that welcomed him home.

But he never looked for that attention. He distrusted celebrity and avoided the public scrutiny and attention as long as he could.

Unfortunately, a year after his enterprise at the games, he once again became the talk of the nation.

Simplicity of the Super Athlete - Jim Thorpe at the Stockholm #OlympicGames 1912
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I won ‘em and I know I won ‘em

A newspaper discovered that he had been paid to play minor league in the years 1909 and 1910 and that would strip him of his amateur eligibility.

Thorpe readily admitted to that and that he had been paid a small salary. He also admitted ignorance that that fact would make him ineligible to compete in the Olympic Games. But honesty didn’t pay off.

The IOC demanded that he returned his gold medals, which he did, and his records were written out of the Olympic books. It was as if he had never gone to Stockholm.

But he never championed his cause, not even when he later discovered that many college athletes played on professional teams during the summer, but under assumed names in order to maintain their amateur status. As he would say to his children, “I won ‘em, and I know I won ‘em” and that was everything which mattered to him.

He went on to have an impressive football career, serving as president of the newly born National Football League for a season in 1920.

He started an involvement in the bettering of his people’s lives. In 1922 and 1923 he coached and played on an all Native American football team.

When his athletic career ended in 1928, he turned to the movie industry, where, even if mostly featuring in stereotypical roles of Indians, he worked so that Native Americans  were cast into Native American roles (which, at that time, almost never happened) and worked incessantly for his people’s rights.

That was still what he was doing when he died of cancer in 1953.

 

A late acknowledgment?

It’s commonly believed that Thorpe finally received justice and recognition in 1982 when, after years of public pressure, the IOC delivered two replicas of the Olympic gold medals Thorpe won to his family.

What less commonly known is that his records were never recognized. They are still out of the official Olympic books. So, he who is widely considered the ultimate athlete, who proved his value at the Olympic Games in 1912, is still a ghost of the Olympic Games.

 

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Bio – Jim Thorpe

Smithsonian – Why Are Jim Thorpe’s Olympic Records Still Not Recognized?

About Education – Jim Thorpe

NDeaph: Legendary Inspiration – Jim Thorpe

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Only Then Am I Clean

I love Take Me to Church by Hozier. I really do. So I was a bit hesitant to listen to this cover by Morgan James. But…

Well, just listen to her.

Goosebumps!

And so guys, this is the last of the summer song. But never fear, I’m always snoopping for new ‘vintage’ songs. Stay tuned!

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Thursday Quotables – Gods of New Orleans

Emma tried to radio one more time, muffling her voice in her collar like she’d done before. “Airship Vigilance requesting refuel on Farnsworth Wind and Water account.” She gave the account number and drew in a slow breath. Maybe her father’s account had run dry.

Been emptied is more like it.

The old man hadn’t bother to say goodbye the day he shot himself. Didn’t even leave a note.

Gods of New Orleans by A.J. Sikes is the second novel in the Gods of Chicago trilogy and it’s a fine example of what is already considered classic Dieselpunk. A nice setting in the diesel era, that in this case is the 1920s, with a New Orleans that is familiar enough to be recognizable and strange enough to be a place to discover. There’s a lot of SF here and a bit of fantasy. There are airships (of course), social class tensions, lots of jazz and flapper attitude, quite a bit of underworld workings and a mystery to discover.

Good stuff and a lot of fun.

Read an excerpt from the first novel in the trilogy, Gods of Chicago

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In post is part of the Thursday Quotables meme. If you want to discover more about this meme and maybe take part in it, head over to Bookshelf Fantasies

The post Thursday Quotables – Gods of New Orleans appeared first on The Old Shelter.