Y S Lee

Author of Young Adult, Historical and Mystery Novels

  • Novels
    • A Spy in the House
      • Excerpt: A Spy in the House
      • Deleted scene: A Spy in the House
    • The Body at the Tower
      • Excerpt: The Body at the Tower
      • Deleted scene: The Body at the Tower
    • The Traitor in the Tunnel
      • Excerpt: The Traitor in the Tunnel
      • Deleted scene: The Traitor in the Tunnel
    • Rivals in the City
      • Excerpt: Rivals in the City
      • Deleted scene: Rivals in the City
  • Short Stories
  • Blog
  • About
    • FAQs
  • Visits
You are here: Home / Archives for history

On historicity

August 10, 2016 By Ying 4 Comments

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...]

Filed Under: Things I Write Tagged With: ahistori, historicity, history, Monsoon Season, Things I Write

Amelia Bloomer

July 20, 2016 By Ying Leave a Comment

Hello, friends. Recently, I visited Phillips Free Library in Homer, NY to talk about history and writing. It was delightful. Did you know that Homer, NY is the birthplace of Amelia Bloomer? Her childhood home is on North Main Street, just a couple of minutes' walk from the Town Hall. It looks like it's been converted into four apartments (see the four Victorian-era mailboxes, two on … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Things I Do Tagged With: Amelia Bloomer, American history, feminism, history, The History Girls, Things I Do, writing life

Conwy

July 29, 2015 By Ying Leave a Comment

Hello, friends. My whistle-stop internet tour of major tourist destinations in North Wales continues. Today, we're in Conwy! Here's a view from the quay that includes the medieval town walls. The harbour again, this time with Conwy Castle (Castell Conwy, in Welsh) at the right. We began our day at the Smallest House in Britain. Here it is, with me standing by the door for scale. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Things I Do Tagged With: castles, Conwy, history, medieval walled town, Smallest House, Things I Do, travels, Wales

The Victorian tattoo

April 1, 2015 By Ying 2 Comments

Hello, friends. Today is April Fool's Day and I feel a certain amount of not-so-subtle cultural pressure to write a gag post. I believe I ought to document a Shocking Truth about the Victorians, or similar, which I later reveal as - surprise! - a prank. Joke's on you, sssssuckers. However, I've always felt a strange resentment of April Fool's jokes and, for that matter, practical jokes in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Things I Read, Things I Write Tagged With: April Fool's Day, body art, history, Rivals in the City, tattoos, Things I Read, Things I Write, Victorian history, Victoriana

Inventing tradition

December 24, 2014 By Ying Leave a Comment

Merry Christmas, to those who celebrate it! Right now, I am frantically wrapping presents and mumbling nasty things about my to-do list, so here's a re-post from December 2009, about Victorian Christmas inventions. Hope you enjoy it, and have a wonderful holiday! Quick: name three Christmas symbols. If you’re like me, the first things you picture are Christmas trees, a red-suited Santa Claus … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Things I Write Tagged With: Christmas, history, holidays, Queen Victoria, Victorian inventions, Victoriana

The Cat Came Back

June 18, 2014 By Ying Leave a Comment

Hello, friends. On Father's Day, our family drove out to the United Church hall in the village of Battersea, Ontario, for a concert by children's musician Gary Rasberry. It was a lovely afternoon with thoughtful and inventive music for children, astoundingly gifted musicians (including Sheesham Crow, from Sheesham & Lotus), and church-lady pie. True story: Me: May I have two coffees, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Things I Do Tagged With: children's music, folk music, free pie, Gary Rasberry, history, minstrelsy, race, Sheesham and Lotus, The Cat Came Back, the sanitizing impulse

Next Page »

Get my newsletter

powered by TinyLetter

Say hello…

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • E-mail

Search my blog

© Copyright 2019 Y S Lee · All Rights Reserved · Powered by WordPress · Admin