Clea Simon's Blog, page 50
December 23, 2017
Happy Jolabokaflod!
Did you know that Iceland has a tradition of giving books on Christmas Eve? Called Jolabokaflod – literally “Christmas book flood” – this tradition dates back to World War II, and results in cozy nights, when families and friends gather for peaceful evenings by the fire, books in hand…. sound nice? We think so too.
(and if you want to be extra nice, buy your book gifts from an indie bookseller! (We recommend Harvard Book Store, Porter Square Books, and Brookline Booksmith, up here in the Boston area, in part because they have signed copies of all my books. Yes, they ship!)
December 22, 2017
Happy merry!
It’s nearly dark, on the Friday before Christmas, and I have inserted the final “to do” notes on my WIP – the first “witch cats of Cambridge” book. And with that, I have what is pretty much a full first draft, or, at least, a book-size pile of words!
I say “pretty much” because I know there’s work to do. I suspect that one of my supporting characters needs another scene, and I know for a fact that my protagonist is too trusting of one particular gent. But that’s the kind of stuff I need to be reading the ms. through to fix. And so, as the last of the light disappears, I’m going to set this up to print out and go for a walk.
Next week, I’ll tackle the copy edits for “Cross My Path,” the third Blackie and Care mystery, and I’ll try to read that through as well. Then on Tuesday, Jan. 2, I’ll take those pages I’m about to print out and start the work of making this big pile of words into a book.
Until then, dear readers, be well. Hug those close to you. Hope your holiday is warm and merry and bright. Be well.
December 20, 2017
Frodo Baggins is my George Bailey
For some people, the holidays call for a re-watching of “It’s A Wonderful Life.” For us, it involves a trip to Mordor. Ever since my husband gave me a copy of “The Lord of the Rings” movies on DVD for Chanukah, watching them – in the extended version, of course – has become our holiday tradition. Starting sometime during Chanukah and finishing up, ideally, by New Year’s, we watch the entire set of films, an hour (or two or three) a night. We started late this year – Chanukah began last Tuesday, and we had friends to see and concerts to hear – but as the longest night of the year comes around, we’re deep into it once more.
Like any bookworm, I have some problems with the film adaptation. Problems that Jon, who has never read the books, might not understand. So, for us, the annual viewing includes various rituals that only another Tolkien purist would understand, as when I stop the film to explain that, no, Lord Faramir would never consider taking the One Ring for himself, or that, no, the Ents don’t have to be fooled into joining the fight. As we’ve upgraded to a blue-ray version, I’ve perhaps stopped reciting the name of every weapon drawn in the battle of Helm’s Deep. Perhaps. Jon is very tolerant, even when I drag out my well-thumbed paperback editions to read aloud the pertinent passages (perhaps because he knows the dark days of winter will allow him to call for re-viewings of “The Godfather,” “Goodfellas,” and “Casino.”) Because, of course, the book is always best.
Do you have favorite movies or TV shows that signal the holidays to you? Poems or books you love to re-visit at this time of the year? I’d love to hear them – and the stories behind them.
Hope you’re keeping warm, with good company, a good movie, or maybe even a good book! Be of good cheer, the sun will return! It always does. – Clea
December 17, 2017
December 14, 2017
Movies about writing…
As a former music critic, I’m used to the saying that writing about music is like dancing about architecture. But movies have gotten pretty good at depicting the writing life. In fact, they’ve done so well, that many people comment on it. The Femmes Fatale blog posted this list earlier this week, and I realized that my favorites weren’t on it – and that I had to make my own list. Do you know these movies? What are your favorite films about writing?
Impromptu: If you haven’t seen this funny fictional account of how writer George Sand and composer Frederic Chopin fell in love, rent or stream it now! While Hugh Grant excels as the ailing composer, Judy Davis’s Sand is a revelation. She plays her as a working writer, churning out the words for money – until she finds some real inspiration in love. A stellar supporting cast, including Emma Thompson as a would-be patron of the arts, round out this romantic take on la Vie Boheme. Line to watch out for: “The horse is a critic!”
Topsy Turvy: Mike Leigh’s 1999 film (now available in blue-ray) focuses on the creation of the Gilbert and Sullivan masterpiece “The Mikado.” To get there, it takes an in-depth look at the backstage politics, relationships, all-too-human flaws that drive creative personalities – and the moment when a blocked, repeating himself Gilbert (played to perfection by Jim Broadbent) gets the spark that will grow into his master work is priceless
Adaptation: Charlie Kaufman’s story within a story takes an almost surreal turn as it, on one level, attempts to adapt Susan Orleans’ nonfiction book, “The Orchid Thief,” as a film. Nicholas Cage is appropriately frantic as the blocked writer – and what author wouldn’t want to be portrayed by Meryl Streep – and have her work translated as such a wild adventure?
Almost Famous: As a onetime rock critic, I have a soft spot for this film. I’ll confess, after my mother saw it, she said, “So, that’s what you do!” Well, not really, Mom. Not by a long shot. But still a great, sweet reminiscence of a writer’s coming of age on the road. Plus, Philip Seymour Hoffman, as Lester Bangs, gives the young writer the single best piece of advice: “You cannot make friends with the rock stars.”
Shakespeare in Love: Blocked and desperate, a young playwright casts about for inspiration and – failing that – decides to flatter a patron (and his mistress) with a bit of hack work. Only love and a free-spirited young woman (who is way out of his league) intervene. Joseph Fiennes has just the right manic energy here, so that when he begins to imagine lines that will one day become classic, we can hear them taking form – and we can hear (and imagine) the revising along the way. Plus, Dame Judy Dench!
OK, what are your favorites?
December 12, 2017
“World Enough” in the Holiday 100
“World Enough” is a Harvard Book Store Holiday 100 pick. That means its 20% off – and, yes, they deliver. (They’ve got signed copies, too!)
Book lovers care….
After Hurricane Harvey, Houston’s Murder by the Book opened its doors as a safe, dry place for neighbors to come by for coffee, cookies, and general respite. Soon after, they began asking for donations for a charity auction. Well, that auction goes live today and runs through Sunday. Check it out for hundreds of signed books by the likes of Richard Ford, Lee Child, Nicholas Spark (and me!). Great for gifts – and a great cause. (For the full story, click here.)
Details:
* 90% of the money raised will go to Direct Relief, a highly-rated charity providing worldwide relief, specifically to areas affected by Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, and the Mexico City earthquake.
* 10% of the money raised will go to the BINC Foundation – the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, providing aid to booksellers in time of crisis.
Also, anyone who wins also gets a gift card to Murder By The Book!
December 10, 2017
December 9, 2017
LAST CHANCE: Three Pru Marlowe pet noir/$2.99
THIS IS IT: For one more day, Poisoned Pen Press, is offering this fantastic deal. They’ve bundled my first three Pru Marlowe pet noir mysteries (featuring the irascible tabby Wallis) into one e-book for only $2.99. Be forewarned – this deal is only going to last till MONDAY. I’m excited and hoping some new readers will discover my series before “Fear on Four Paws” comes out next summer.
Here’s the link (and please feel free to share):
December 6, 2017
“Everybody has a past…”
“Everybody has a past…” That’s how Mollie Hunt’s review of WORLD ENOUGH. Read the full text below:
Everybody has a past. Some are more memorable than others; some we would prefer to forget. My own past was rooted in the hippie movement and the music scene that went with it. Though WORLD ENOUGH’s Tara Wilton hit her crazy prime a few decades later in the clubs of the ‘80s, I can identify. I understand those push-pull relationships with once-upon-a-time friends. I get the compulsion to both renounce the past and embrace it. The dichotomy that runs throughout this story is eerily my own.
In this multi-layered work, Tara, a one-time newshound now bored by her current job, finds herself pulled back through doors she thought were closed forever. A story about the old scene leads her to new information and the possibility that events of the past were not as she had imagined them at the time. The death of one of the old tribe raises questions—was it accidental, suicide, or murder?— and brings doubts about another death back in the day.
Clea leads us slowly, purposefully, sometimes almost painfully through Tara’s thought process as she is drawn to uncover the facts, however grotesque. What happened? Where did it all go wrong? The world is dangerous when we begin to peel back the layers of its darkest secrets and reveal the raw, bleeding truth.
Mollie Hunt’s blog is Crazy Cat Lady Mysteries and More.
