Research
The Somme (4)
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. Today is the centenary of the death of Alan Seeger. Seeger was an American poet, an uncle of…
Read MoreThe 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 MoreWomen’s dress: 1879 & 1925
A key date in The Murder of Mary Russell is 1879, when Sherlock Holmes and his future landlady meet. The other date is, of course, 1925, when Mary Russell…well. One thing that fascinated me is the difference in clothing between those two periods. Yes, Russell tends to wear her father’s old suits, but she couldn’t…
Read MoreResearch and other addictions
I love research. It’s addictive, in fact, and can threaten the actual writing of the book unless one develops a stern attitude towards the Siren call of the shelves—or, for those wired that way, of the Internet. In The Murder of Mary Russell, the past holds the answer to the present’s questions, which means I…
Read MoreCommon Core supplements
Whether you’re interested in the Beekeeper’s Apprentice Common Core syllabus for a class, or would just like to see some background material, we’ve now added a whole lot of materials to the supplemental section–such as a selection of cartoons from Mr Punch Goes to War: SCENE: HOTEL. LITTLE GIRL: “Oh, Mummy! They’ve given me a…
Read MoreSchool Daze for Miss Russell
Sorry kids, but here in the northern hemisphere, we’re getting close to the new school year. (Was that a chorus of parents saying Yay! I just heard?) So I thought I’d make another mention of the study program that two great Middle School teachers put together based on The Beekeeper’s Apprentice. As Jake and Katye…
Read MoreThe Museum of Fabulousness
On Friday I made the trip back into London from the city’s Western Reaches, headed this time to my favorite non-grandmother’s-attic museum, the Museum of London. From the Stone Age river-side village to Roman Londinium to Victoria’s smoke-choked London, the museum uncovers the city’s layers as archaeological digs have done– brilliantly presented to prove…
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