Saturday, August 10, 2013
Friday, August 9, 2013
No Remorse and resourcefulness
Not long ago, I was in Brisbane, and called by the iconic Aussie bookshop, Angus & Robertson.
While there, I was intrigued to see that an energetic young man had hauled out a school desk and chair to the street frontage, and was busily touting his self-published book to passersby.
Impressed by his resourcefulness, I first checked that the store actually stocked his books (it did, which accounted for the tolerant expressions on the faces of the bookstore staff), and then got into conversation with the author, Ian Walkley.
Had he sold many books? Quite a few, he said, and promptly tried to sell me one. I declined the kind offer, but did ask him to autograph one of the postcards he was handing out -- as, after all, with his kind of resourcefulness, he might turn out to be Australia's answer to Ian Fleming.
Today, while hunting through one of the piles on my desk for something else, I turned up the card, and had no trouble at all remembering how I had obtained it.
So, how were the book and its author doing? Not badly at all, judging by his entry on amazon.com The book has won something or other, judging by the sticker, and there is a very respectable number of rave reviews.
Definitely much of it is due to his personal drive. Not only has Ian Walkley paid for a Kirkus review, but he has a prominent presence on Shelfari and Good Reads.
One hopes that he can spare the time from all this to produce a second volume. Judging by the customer reviews, it should be well received.
While there, I was intrigued to see that an energetic young man had hauled out a school desk and chair to the street frontage, and was busily touting his self-published book to passersby.
Impressed by his resourcefulness, I first checked that the store actually stocked his books (it did, which accounted for the tolerant expressions on the faces of the bookstore staff), and then got into conversation with the author, Ian Walkley.
Had he sold many books? Quite a few, he said, and promptly tried to sell me one. I declined the kind offer, but did ask him to autograph one of the postcards he was handing out -- as, after all, with his kind of resourcefulness, he might turn out to be Australia's answer to Ian Fleming.
Today, while hunting through one of the piles on my desk for something else, I turned up the card, and had no trouble at all remembering how I had obtained it.So, how were the book and its author doing? Not badly at all, judging by his entry on amazon.com The book has won something or other, judging by the sticker, and there is a very respectable number of rave reviews.
Definitely much of it is due to his personal drive. Not only has Ian Walkley paid for a Kirkus review, but he has a prominent presence on Shelfari and Good Reads.
One hopes that he can spare the time from all this to produce a second volume. Judging by the customer reviews, it should be well received.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
A reminder from Old Salt Press
The Elephant Voyage free on amazon for just two days.
August 7 and August 8.
Grab it before the deadline is up.
Amazon review:
August 7 and August 8.
Grab it before the deadline is up.
Amazon review:
"Elephant Voyage' (Kindle edition), by Joan Druett, is an
engaging read. Like a modern day Robinson Crusoe adventure, `Elephant Voyage'
tells a chilling latter-day real-life story, in which a group of seal fishermen
are castaway on a desolate and uninhabited sub-Antarctic island through a
deliverable act of negligence by the skipper of the `Sarah W. Hunt'.
"The fact
the men are eventually rescued is remarkable, and almost didn't happen. Much
vital time was lost as officials argue over cost and availability of vessels to
attempt a search and rescue mission. In the end it is only providence that saves
the men's lives.
"And why the captain abandoned them and sailed away leaving
them to suffer starvation and potential death, is the question everyone
asks.
"Carried away with the dramatic events as they enfolded, exceptionally
well told by Druett, I was jolted back to reality once the legal proceedings
begin. Here the book takes on a non-fiction feel with the men's evidence being
repeated almost word for word.
"`Elephant Voyage' is a remarkable story of
survival and rescue, tied up in red tape and government bureaucracy, which must
be fully unravelled if the reasons behind Captain Miner's blatant act of neglect
are to be thoroughly investigated."
-- M. Muir.
Republished by permission
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
The rejection letter
CLYTIE:--"The real name of Mark Twain is S. L. Clemens, and the reason why he writes under a nom de plume is, we suppose, the same that induced you to call yourself Clytie."
WISHING TO KNOW:--"Judging from your style of composition, spelling, and handwriting, we would not encourage you to send any MS to a publisher."
EMILY LEWIS:--"We are much obliged for your poem, and regret to decline it."
NANNIE:--"We do not know why four verses, all dissimilar in metre, the emphasis falling on the wrong syllables, and the rhymes so unusually incorrect, were sent to us. 'Hard' and "fold,' 'clasped' and 'past,' and 'together' and 'heaven' certainly do not rhyme respectively one with another."
INQUIRER:--"We cannot say if you could earn a living by type-writing in England as ladies do in America."
KARL:-"Your letter was of the class that should have gone into the waste-paper basket."
AN IRISH GIRL complains that "Irish girls never by any chance are awarded the prizes even though their compositions are much better than those awarded the prize." If the Irish girls who compete for prizes be usually as impertinent, we are not surprised that they failed in obtaining them. We advise her to mend both manners and pen."
CHRISTMAS BERRIES:--"We should like to please our little friend by telling her that her verses were 'poetry,' but grieve to say they are not. Still, she has our best wishes."
E.C.:--"Your writing is so bad we could scarcely read your letter, and we regret that we are unable to make use of the verses you enclose. The rhythm is incorrect, and they lack any new idea."
MOSS ROSE "is thanked for offering to write a story for our paper. We do not encourage our girls to send us their first attempts, as we regret disappointing them. We employ experienced writers, whose stories and articles are of value in the literary market. It would not be fair to our readers, nor to the success of our magazine, to do otherwise."
MANUKA:--"The verses are not up to our mark, but as you have doubtless felt pleasure in writing them, like most young people, they have answered a purpose. They show, however, that you are quite ignorant of the rules of rhyming, and also that you have read little poetry, as you appear to have been guided by no rules of any kind as to the construction."
And, at last, some encouraging words...
AN ONLY DAUGHTER wishes to know "what she is to do with her old diaries," reports the editor of this fine magazine for girls, and goes on to muse, "Perhaps she might induce some publisher to purchase the copyright, and so do good service to herself, and possibly to him and us."
Monday, August 5, 2013
More other-worldly advice for girls
More from the Answers to Correspondents column ...
A.D.E.E.G.:-- "Where is your own feminine reserve and dignity? Why do you not tell your friend to show a little more self-respect? It is the man who should seek her acquaintance, not she his. It is he who should be introduced to her, not her to him! She ought to be ashamed of herself for being so forward."
LITTLE SNOWDROP:--"We think that your mother is the right person to settle all such matters, in reference to the attentions of her servants to your father and his guest, not her little girl. Try to learn how to spell and to write."
A whole episode of Downton Abbey could be written about this! And here's another one ...
WARWICKSHIRE LASS:--"We advise your asking permission to attend the practising class of the choir of the church you attend, or the singers of a chapel, if not of the Church of England. Have you named your wish to your mistress? She might like to hear where and how you spent your fortnightly evening out."
COUNTRY LASS:--"We could not possibly form an opinion as to your qualifications as a child's nurse; but we can do so to your absolute incapacity for teaching children, as your spelling, grammar, and pronunciation (shown by your spelling) are very bad."
BETH H:--"You must obey your father."
???
ONE IN DOUBT:--"What do you mean by your half-sister?--your father's or mother's daughter by a former marriage? If so, you cannot marry her."
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Advice from the distant past
The Girl's Own Paper
As a child, I inherited a battered annual of The Girl's Own Paper, published in 1885 by The "Leisure Hour" Office, 56, Paternoster Row, London.
I'm not sure at all of its provenance. In the front it has the inscription "Nellie Phillips, With Mrs. Westenra's best wishes, Xmas 1890," so perhaps Nellie was in service (as they used to say in those days), and perhaps she was my grandmother's aunt, or great-aunt, because as far as I know my grandmother did not have a sister Nellie. What I do know is that the annual has been loved by four or five generations of small girls, who took turns in their time to color in the pictures.
Nowadays, it provides a great deal of entertainment, as well as a glimpse into the world of young women a very long time ago. There is a column that is particularly interesting, being "Answers to Correspondents." The letters are not quoted, so you have to guess what was being asked from the reply given, an exercise that can be very amusing indeed.
Today's samples:
PUG DOG:-- "Cards may be frosted with pounded glass. Beware how to leave it about, as it may be mistaken for sugar."
A budding murderess, perhaps?
HELEN ADAIR:-- "Of course, you cannot sell your cards as original if you copy them."
Aha, pirating existed even in those days...
L.A.P.:-- "You would require a special knife to cut the picture mounts, and we doubt your attempt being satisfactory."
Well, how encouraging is that!
TEMPUS FUGIT and HOPEFUL:-- "The 26th January, 1873, was a Sunday. Nelson was greatest as a naval and Wellington as a military commander. They cannot be compared one against the other. Horatia and her husband are dead: their children are living. Private families cannot be subjects of remark in a public paper."
Tell that to the paparazzi!
A.B.C.:-- "You subjected yourself to the caprices of a stranger in a most reckless and undignified way. When that person presumed to address you, you should have taken no notice and walked on, and if there happened to be any natural reason to excuse such presumption on the part of a stranger you should have declined walking with him, unless on a proper introduction, as your family had not the pleasure of his acquaintance. We are shocked to hear that your family know nothing about it. You should never walk out with any man without the permission of your mother. It is a gross act of impropriety and ignoring of parental authority. If this man desired your acquaintance he should have set about it in the proper way, and obtained an introduction, acting opening, and not taking advantage of your ignorance of common propriety, and forcing his acquaintance on you clandestinely."
As a child, I inherited a battered annual of The Girl's Own Paper, published in 1885 by The "Leisure Hour" Office, 56, Paternoster Row, London.
I'm not sure at all of its provenance. In the front it has the inscription "Nellie Phillips, With Mrs. Westenra's best wishes, Xmas 1890," so perhaps Nellie was in service (as they used to say in those days), and perhaps she was my grandmother's aunt, or great-aunt, because as far as I know my grandmother did not have a sister Nellie. What I do know is that the annual has been loved by four or five generations of small girls, who took turns in their time to color in the pictures.
Nowadays, it provides a great deal of entertainment, as well as a glimpse into the world of young women a very long time ago. There is a column that is particularly interesting, being "Answers to Correspondents." The letters are not quoted, so you have to guess what was being asked from the reply given, an exercise that can be very amusing indeed.
Today's samples:
PUG DOG:-- "Cards may be frosted with pounded glass. Beware how to leave it about, as it may be mistaken for sugar."
A budding murderess, perhaps?
HELEN ADAIR:-- "Of course, you cannot sell your cards as original if you copy them."
Aha, pirating existed even in those days...
L.A.P.:-- "You would require a special knife to cut the picture mounts, and we doubt your attempt being satisfactory."
Well, how encouraging is that!
TEMPUS FUGIT and HOPEFUL:-- "The 26th January, 1873, was a Sunday. Nelson was greatest as a naval and Wellington as a military commander. They cannot be compared one against the other. Horatia and her husband are dead: their children are living. Private families cannot be subjects of remark in a public paper."
Tell that to the paparazzi!
A.B.C.:-- "You subjected yourself to the caprices of a stranger in a most reckless and undignified way. When that person presumed to address you, you should have taken no notice and walked on, and if there happened to be any natural reason to excuse such presumption on the part of a stranger you should have declined walking with him, unless on a proper introduction, as your family had not the pleasure of his acquaintance. We are shocked to hear that your family know nothing about it. You should never walk out with any man without the permission of your mother. It is a gross act of impropriety and ignoring of parental authority. If this man desired your acquaintance he should have set about it in the proper way, and obtained an introduction, acting opening, and not taking advantage of your ignorance of common propriety, and forcing his acquaintance on you clandestinely."
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Island of the Lost
Back in 2007, Algonquin published my account of two shipwrecks on an hostile sub-Antarctic island
It was called ISLAND OF THE LOST
 |
The other was of the Aberdeen square-rigger Invercauld
Both ships collided with iron-bound cliffs and rocks on Auckland Island, in the year 1865. In both cases, the survivors had to grapple with nature to stay alive And, because of the terrain, neither knew that the other group was there. Both were isolated, to find death or life on their own.
One group did extraordinarily well. The Grafton survivors, led by their captain, Thomas Musgrave, ably supported by the amazingly resourceful Francois Raynal, built a substantial cabin, established a civilized route that included Bible readings, a school where each man taught his fellow his particular skills (French and mathematics, in the case of Raynal), and eventually built a getaway boat, which was navigated all the way to New Zealand.
The other, after their captain succumbed to depression, descended to chaos and dissension, and perhaps even cannibalism. They were eventually rescued, but only by accident.
It's a cautionary tale, that has inspired many readers. The book is now used as a text in courses on leadership in American universities.
I get a great deal of fan mail. But I particularly liked the letter that arrived today.
I don't normally
write to authors but I am just finishing up Island of the Lost and wanted
to tell you what an incredibly gifted writer I found you to be......I enjoy
historical non-fiction, particularly about maritime history, and have read most
that has been written by and about Shackleton, Scott, Mawson, etc and this book
should be on the same shelf with all of those........it held my attention the
entire time, had the right mix of background with on-gong events and efforts of
the castaways to remain alive, and was just truly enjoyable........
Thanks!
Is the next Dr. Who a woman?
The next Dr. Who will be unveiled on Sunday...
In the UK, that is.
From the BBC
The half-hour show, presented by Zoe Ball, will feature an interview with the new lead, as well as 11th Doctor Matt Smith and executive producer Steven Moffat.
"The decision is made and the time has come to reveal who's taking over the Tardis," Moffat said.
"For the last of the Time Lords, the clock is striking twelve."
Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor, is on BBC One at 7pm on 4 August.
According to the official announcement, Ball "will unveil the 12th Doctor in the first ever interview in front of a live studio audience set against the backdrop of a swirling vortex, amongst Daleks and the Tardis".
The announcement sparked much speculation about who might take over, with Peter Capaldi, Ben Daniels, Rory Kinnear and Ben Whishaw among the bookies' favourites.
Ben Stephenson, BBC drama controller, said: "Amongst all the speculation and betting, there has been lots of fun and intrigue at work as we've been using the codename Houdini as a decoy.
"It's the biggest secret in showbiz, even those working with the new Doctor on other projects at the moment have no idea they are in the presence of the 12th incarnation."
Oh, if only it could be a comeback of either David Tennant or Christopher Eccleston, who struck such wonderful vibes off the sexy and charismatic Billie Piper.
Unfortunately, that's not likely,
But, if I was betting, I would wager that the next Dr. Who is a woman.
In the UK, that is.
From the BBC
The new star of Doctor Who will be
revealed in a special live programme on Sunday, the BBC has announced.
The half-hour show, presented by Zoe Ball, will feature an interview with the new lead, as well as 11th Doctor Matt Smith and executive producer Steven Moffat.
"The decision is made and the time has come to reveal who's taking over the Tardis," Moffat said.
"For the last of the Time Lords, the clock is striking twelve."
Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor, is on BBC One at 7pm on 4 August.
According to the official announcement, Ball "will unveil the 12th Doctor in the first ever interview in front of a live studio audience set against the backdrop of a swirling vortex, amongst Daleks and the Tardis".
The 11 Doctors
1. William Hartnell (1963-1966)
2. Patrick Troughton (1966-1969)
3. Jon Pertwee (1970-1974)
4. Tom Baker (1974-1981)
5. Peter Davison - pictured (1982-1984)
6. Colin Baker (1984-1986)
7. Sylvester McCoy (1987-1996)
8. Paul McGann (1996)
9. Christopher Eccleston (2005)
10. David Tennant (2005-2010)
11. Matt Smith (2010 - 2013)
1. William Hartnell (1963-1966)
2. Patrick Troughton (1966-1969)
3. Jon Pertwee (1970-1974)
4. Tom Baker (1974-1981)
5. Peter Davison - pictured (1982-1984)
6. Colin Baker (1984-1986)
7. Sylvester McCoy (1987-1996)
8. Paul McGann (1996)
9. Christopher Eccleston (2005)
10. David Tennant (2005-2010)
11. Matt Smith (2010 - 2013)
Smith, who has played the Time Lord since 2010,
announced in June that he would be bowing out in this year's Christmas
special.
The announcement sparked much speculation about who might take over, with Peter Capaldi, Ben Daniels, Rory Kinnear and Ben Whishaw among the bookies' favourites.
Ben Stephenson, BBC drama controller, said: "Amongst all the speculation and betting, there has been lots of fun and intrigue at work as we've been using the codename Houdini as a decoy.
"It's the biggest secret in showbiz, even those working with the new Doctor on other projects at the moment have no idea they are in the presence of the 12th incarnation."
Oh, if only it could be a comeback of either David Tennant or Christopher Eccleston, who struck such wonderful vibes off the sexy and charismatic Billie Piper.
Unfortunately, that's not likely,
But, if I was betting, I would wager that the next Dr. Who is a woman.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Perceptive review of The Elephant Voyage
From Old Salt Blog
Joan Druett's The Elephant Voyage is a fascinating historical account of sailors
who find themselves castaway on a desolate, wind-swept sub-Antarctic island,
while on an ill-fated voyage to hunt elephant seals in the late 19th century.
Their rescue and at least partial redemption also tells a tale of the lively and
complex world of colonial New Zealand at the dawn of the 20th century.
In 1883, New Bedford, Captain Sanford Miner and his investors, outfit the schooner Sarah W. Hunt and recruit a crew with no real sailing experience, yet who are nevertheless logged as able seamen. Captain Miner and his green crew set sail and successfully navigate to Macquarie Island, a tiny speck halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica, only to find the beaches deserted, with not an elephant seal to be seen. They sail on to Campbell Island, another tiny but rugged rock in the Southern Ocean, where they find a safe anchorage for the schooner. The captain sends the mates and crew off to search for seals along the shore in two whale boats. A storm blows up and one boat is blown out to sea, never to be seen again, while the other just barely manages to row back to the island. After several days of arduous rowing, they make it back to where the schooner had been anchored, only to find it gone.
The captain, in a feat of considerable seamanship but blindingly poor judgment, has decided that the crew has been lost in the storm and, with the limited assistance of the cook, sails the schooner to New Zealand. Captain Miner's arrival causes quite a furor. There are calls for a rescue mission, which immediately get caught up in political and bureaucratic maneuvering and intrigue.
What is so engaging about The Elephant Voyage is that once the surviving crew is ultimately rescued, an entirely new story unfolds with surprising consequences. It is as if the rescue is a large stone dropped in a quiet pool, where the ripples spread rapidly outward, rocking many boats and lapping unexpectedly on distant shores. The attorneys and prosecutors maneuver, in and out of court, during the trial of Captain Miner for abandoning his men. Local politicians become involved. The captain maintains an amusing running battle with his usually intoxicated cook. The US consulate gets involved and the newspapers join in the circus as the proceedings attract international interest.
The Elephant Voyage captures both the hardship of sailing in the Southern Ocean and the fascinating world of a rapidly developing colonial New Zealand. Highly recommended.
In 1883, New Bedford, Captain Sanford Miner and his investors, outfit the schooner Sarah W. Hunt and recruit a crew with no real sailing experience, yet who are nevertheless logged as able seamen. Captain Miner and his green crew set sail and successfully navigate to Macquarie Island, a tiny speck halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica, only to find the beaches deserted, with not an elephant seal to be seen. They sail on to Campbell Island, another tiny but rugged rock in the Southern Ocean, where they find a safe anchorage for the schooner. The captain sends the mates and crew off to search for seals along the shore in two whale boats. A storm blows up and one boat is blown out to sea, never to be seen again, while the other just barely manages to row back to the island. After several days of arduous rowing, they make it back to where the schooner had been anchored, only to find it gone.
The captain, in a feat of considerable seamanship but blindingly poor judgment, has decided that the crew has been lost in the storm and, with the limited assistance of the cook, sails the schooner to New Zealand. Captain Miner's arrival causes quite a furor. There are calls for a rescue mission, which immediately get caught up in political and bureaucratic maneuvering and intrigue.
What is so engaging about The Elephant Voyage is that once the surviving crew is ultimately rescued, an entirely new story unfolds with surprising consequences. It is as if the rescue is a large stone dropped in a quiet pool, where the ripples spread rapidly outward, rocking many boats and lapping unexpectedly on distant shores. The attorneys and prosecutors maneuver, in and out of court, during the trial of Captain Miner for abandoning his men. Local politicians become involved. The captain maintains an amusing running battle with his usually intoxicated cook. The US consulate gets involved and the newspapers join in the circus as the proceedings attract international interest.
The Elephant Voyage captures both the hardship of sailing in the Southern Ocean and the fascinating world of a rapidly developing colonial New Zealand. Highly recommended.
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