Posts by Laurie King
The Somme (3)
I’m giving away a copy of Joe Sacco’s The Great War, what NPR called a “panorama of devastation,” an accordian-fold book, 24 feet long, about day one of The Battle of the Somme. Scroll down to enter. One of those who survived that horrific first assault, and who endured the prolonged ghastliness of the months…
Read MoreBattle of the Somme (2)
I’m giving away a copy of Joe Sacco’s The Great War, what NPR called a “panorama of devastation,” an accordian-fold book, 24 feet long, about day one of The Battle of the Somme. Scroll down to enter. Those in charge—at least, in charge of the British forces—imagined that the German lines would be pounded soft…
Read MoreBattle of the Somme (1)
I’m giving away a copy of Joe Sacco’s The Great War, what NPR called a “panorama of devastation,” an accordian-fold book, 24 feet long, about day one of The Battle of the Somme. Scroll down to enter. The Battle of the Somme began 100 years ago today. The Great War started on a summer’s day just…
Read MoreCaramel(ized) corn
I love the foods of summer. Bye-bye squash and cauliflower, hello strawberries and tomatoes with actual flavor rather than vague redness, a panoply of peppers, Romano beans, white peaches, and… corn. Ah, corn. When sweet corn first begins to appear—ears that haven’t travelled a thousand miles, with kernels as chewy as the husk—just giving it…
Read MoreEditorial love
I just had an hour-long conversation with my editor that reminded me why I write—and more, why I partner with a publishing house rather than go Indie. My 2017 novel, Career Day, is like nothing I’ve ever written. It’s a tapestry of a book, interweaving a lot (yes, a lot) of voices, story lines, parts…
Read MoreUm, like, you know?
I love NPR. But sometimes, it puts my teeth on edge. I don’t listen to a lot of radio, mostly when I’m driving somewhere, but my local station (KAZU, 90.3 FM, at CSUMB) keeps me company whenever I’m on the road in Santa Cruz county. However, I have a complaint–not aimed at KAZU, mind you, but…
Read MoreEchoes of Sherlock Holmes
Something with my name on the cover has just appeared in the Publisher’s Weekly list of Top Ten Mysteries for the Fall Back in 2009, Les Klinger was in charge of the Left Coast Crime Sherlock Holmes panel. And being Les, he did not go just for the usual suspects (ie, me) but for guests of…
Read MoreNovel therapy
One of my favorite bloggers, The Passive Voice, reposted a piece about novel therapy: British libraries offer full bibliotherapy services, including recommendations and exhaustive reading lists based on condition, to anyone, at every library in the U.K., at no cost. Experts say books featuring characters or people that share a patient’s struggles can be an…
Read MoreLaurie emerges from her cave
Neck deep as I am in a first draft, nonetheless I’m due to extricate myself this week from the blizzard of paper scraps that is my study to appear in public, face scrubbed and carrying on normal conversation (as opposed to muttering vague bits of dialogue under my breath.) Thursday night I’ll be in San…
Read MoreA Tactile Tey
So, what’s a book to you? Electronic ink on a screen? Or paper, black ink, and the texture of the cover against your fingers? The words are the same, right? Sure—but the experience isn’t. For just under 70 years, the Folio Society has made “editions of the world’s great literature, in a format worthy of…
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