Hello, friends, and Happy Hanukkah, Happy Solstice, Happy Kwanzaa and Happy Christmas! Here's an essay I wrote a few years ago about the surprisingly recent roots of three Christmas traditions. Hope you have a splendid week. I'll be back on December 28 with my final blog post. Quick: name three Christmas symbols. If you’re like me, the first things you picture are Christmas trees, a … [Read more...]
from Monsoon Season
Hello, friends. Today, I thought I'd share with you another snippet from my work-in-progress, Monsoon Season. This scene takes place in November 1945. At this point, the Second World War is over (Japan surrendered in August 1945) and the British have resumed their control over the colony of Malaya. The temporary government is called the British Military Administration (BMA), but it's more … [Read more...]
Looking ahead, part 3
Hello, friends. Did you know that I've been writing this blog since September 2009, and that there are 380 posts in total? No? Me neither! I had to check. I've been looking back because I'm starting to look ahead. I've decided to wind down this blog at the end of 2016, in order to make more time for other kinds of writing. Published posts will stay up and I'm planning to keep in touch with … [Read more...]
On historicity
Hello, friends. I'm at a critical point in Monsoon Season - about 70% through a first draft - and things are starting to come together fast. I'm at that amazing, terrifying, highly adrenalized point at which I start to think about the novel ALL THE TIME. Even when I shouldn't be. And I still don't know how it's going to end. One of things I've been turning over in my head is, Am I willing to … [Read more...]
Knight vs snail
This week, my friend A.P. steered me towards one of the most absurdly delightful things I've seen in a long time: illuminated medieval manuscripts featuring knights doing battle with snails. Yes, literal snails. Flying snails, no less. There's a brief discussion in the British Library blog post about what the knight vs snail motif might mean. (There's also pedantry galore in the comments!) … [Read more...]
Arrogance and folly
Hello, friends. Earlier this month, I started writing Part 3 of Monsoon Season. I'm trying to be less secretive about my work-in-progress, so today I'm posting an excerpt from this week's work. It might make the final cut; it might not. The speaker is Chen Liling, a young Chinese Communist guerrilla in Japanese-occupied Malaya. April 18, 1945 Here is a measure of how long we’ve been in the … [Read more...]