My friend and fellow-writer Denyse Kirkby has had a touch inspiration. Her story chain – well, two story chains, really, one adult, one young adult, is an idea to build a global story where everyone can contribute.
I think it’s beautiful, and I urge everyone to take part.
Adult Story Chain
Young Adult Story Chain
I'll be popping over there later...please pass the word about it.
Saturday 22 October 2011
Monday 17 October 2011
Girl Singer
Girl Singer
Tell Her What She’s Won
It’s 15 long years since singer Carolyn Wennblom released her only album, Bees to the Honey, one of the most underrated delights to emerge from Seattle in the ‘90s. But now there’s a chance to rejoice as she’s back, this time as part of the band Girl Singer. And make no mistake, this really is a band, not a vehicle for her. The four-piece, which includes two members of the Walkabouts (and, interestingly the song Injury Wants An Encore sounds like it could have been taken from the Walks’ songbook), is a tight, thoughtful unit, which suits the moody, enigmatic material. Wennblom’s voice has taken on more of a velvet quality with time, but still wonderfully elusive, and the other players (plus a few guests) give the ideal framing for each one, whether it’s the soft drive that propels Start It All Over or the drone of the opener, Coming Around. It’s an album born of maturity, the emotions and situations never clear-cut, the emotions in shades of grey rather than black and white, the music considered. It is what it is, with no compromises for commerciality, but always deliciously listenable, and worth hearing again and again. The production, too, is beautifully realised, smooth without being slick, and great attention to details in the sound. The thing to hope for is that it’s not a decade and a half until we hear from them on disc again. One of 2011’s superb discs.
Tell Her What She’s Won
It’s 15 long years since singer Carolyn Wennblom released her only album, Bees to the Honey, one of the most underrated delights to emerge from Seattle in the ‘90s. But now there’s a chance to rejoice as she’s back, this time as part of the band Girl Singer. And make no mistake, this really is a band, not a vehicle for her. The four-piece, which includes two members of the Walkabouts (and, interestingly the song Injury Wants An Encore sounds like it could have been taken from the Walks’ songbook), is a tight, thoughtful unit, which suits the moody, enigmatic material. Wennblom’s voice has taken on more of a velvet quality with time, but still wonderfully elusive, and the other players (plus a few guests) give the ideal framing for each one, whether it’s the soft drive that propels Start It All Over or the drone of the opener, Coming Around. It’s an album born of maturity, the emotions and situations never clear-cut, the emotions in shades of grey rather than black and white, the music considered. It is what it is, with no compromises for commerciality, but always deliciously listenable, and worth hearing again and again. The production, too, is beautifully realised, smooth without being slick, and great attention to details in the sound. The thing to hope for is that it’s not a decade and a half until we hear from them on disc again. One of 2011’s superb discs.
Saturday 8 October 2011
I've been remiss - forgive me
It’s been a while – far too long, really, since I posted on this blog. But that’s what happens when life intervenes and the need to make a living takes over.
But, for the novelist side of me, the last couple of weeks have been very interesting. The first reviews of Cold Cruel Winter have appeared in the US, and I’m quite staggered at how positive they’ve been. So far Publishers Weekly, Booklist and Kirkus Reviews had published them, the first a starred review that called the book “superb” while the other two were effusive in their praise. To complete the set, there’s one due from Library Journal at the start of November, and I’ve been told that, too, will be a starred review. So all the trade journals seem to like it, which is a very positive thing as I wait to hear whether the publisher wants to offer a contract for the fourth in the series.
While waiting with crossed fingers for that, I’ve been sent the cover for the third book in the Leeds series, The Constant Lovers, which will be out (in the UK at least) in hardback next January, the same time Cold Cruel Winter appears in trade paperback. In colour this time, and the moody shot of Kirkstall Abbey is lovely.
As if all that didn’t make for a basket full of joy, people have begun paying me for appearances, which has come as a shock, albeit a gratifying one. But the biggest and most exciting news on the appearance front is the duo – of sorts – with storyteller and musician Simon Heywood. It will receive its first outing at the end of November at Slaithwaite Civic Hall. The evening will be a mix of conversation, some readings from my books, some storytelling – from both of us – and some music that features in the books – mostly from Simon. We’ll be videoing the evening, and putting any worthwhile clips on YouTube. If it works the way we hope, then we’ll be touting it around to literary festival organisers (and anyone else who’ll have us).
But, for the novelist side of me, the last couple of weeks have been very interesting. The first reviews of Cold Cruel Winter have appeared in the US, and I’m quite staggered at how positive they’ve been. So far Publishers Weekly, Booklist and Kirkus Reviews had published them, the first a starred review that called the book “superb” while the other two were effusive in their praise. To complete the set, there’s one due from Library Journal at the start of November, and I’ve been told that, too, will be a starred review. So all the trade journals seem to like it, which is a very positive thing as I wait to hear whether the publisher wants to offer a contract for the fourth in the series.
While waiting with crossed fingers for that, I’ve been sent the cover for the third book in the Leeds series, The Constant Lovers, which will be out (in the UK at least) in hardback next January, the same time Cold Cruel Winter appears in trade paperback. In colour this time, and the moody shot of Kirkstall Abbey is lovely.
As if all that didn’t make for a basket full of joy, people have begun paying me for appearances, which has come as a shock, albeit a gratifying one. But the biggest and most exciting news on the appearance front is the duo – of sorts – with storyteller and musician Simon Heywood. It will receive its first outing at the end of November at Slaithwaite Civic Hall. The evening will be a mix of conversation, some readings from my books, some storytelling – from both of us – and some music that features in the books – mostly from Simon. We’ll be videoing the evening, and putting any worthwhile clips on YouTube. If it works the way we hope, then we’ll be touting it around to literary festival organisers (and anyone else who’ll have us).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)