What I'm Reading This Month (Feb. 2013)

One of my creative New Year's resolutions is to finish all the books that I started reading...last year. I'm the type who never reads one book at a time, but multiple books at the same time. My husband (who's a one-book-at-a-time person) is amazed at how I can do this. Books litter the floor next to our bed. He claims my messyness gene has been passed down to our kids. At least they get it honestly!

This month, I'm reading these books:

1) Doctor Who, The Writer's Tale by Russell T. Davies and Benjamin Cook. How do you write for a television series like Doctor Who? RTD tells Ben Cook about his writing process, about his characters and how he brings them to the page. This book includes script drafts, revisions and little doodles by RTD himself. This is a fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse at what went on behind the scenes during RTD's time as head writer (from 2005-10).  If you're ever curious about writing for television, read this book.

2) Basic Written Chinese: An Introduction to Reading and Writing for Beginners by Cornelius C. Kubler. Language learning is more than just speaking it. Reading, writing and understanding it are just as important for communication. Words are introduced in context and are used in narratives and sentence drills. Many Chinese characters look similar, so there are exercises in differentiating between those characters. The enclosed CD/DVD helps with pronunciation and new vocabulary.

3) Temples, Tombs and Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Ancient Egypt by Barbara Mertz. Ms.Mertz is the real name of Elizabeth Peters, the author of the Amelia Peabody mystery series (set in Egypt at the turn of the century). I've always been interested in Egyptology since I was a girl. The land of the Pharaohs have a certain mystical quality that has never gone away. Ms. Mertz tells the history of this fabled land, but not in a dry, scholarly tone.

4) The Egyptian Book of the Dead, translated by E.A. Wallis Budge. A translation of the Book of the Dead, a collection of spells to ensure safe passage into the Egyptian afterlife.

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2013

What am I Reading this Month? (February-March 2012)

I've got a whole slew of books I'm reading at the same time. Unlike some people I know, I can't just read one book at a time. Just how I'm wired I guess.

Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale by Russell T. Davies and Benjamin Cook. I saw this in the used bookstore today and snapped it up for $7. The guy behind the counter saw me with it as I was checking out and said, "Oh, you're a Whovian too!" I'm really curious to read about RTD's creative processes while he was writing scripts for Chris Eccleston's and David Tennant's Dr. Who, as well as Torchwood. 

The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, reproduced from the original publication in The Strand Magazine with the classic illustrations by Sidney Paget. The Holmesian Canon, with Paget's illustrations. I've had this particular copy since 1992, while I was in college, and I've re-read it many times.

The Daily Book of Art: 365 readings that teach, inspire and entertain Exactly what it says on the tin. Each day covers a different topic, ranging from famous artists (like Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Da Vinci), periods of art history (Rococo, Neoclassicism), famous museums (Louvre, Palacio Nacional in Mexico City, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City), and the mechanics of art (color temperature? what's a balanced composition? atmospheric perspective?).

The Complete I Ching, 10th Anniversary Edition, The Definitive Translation by Taoist Master Alfred Huang A translation of the Chinese Book of Changes. There are a total of 64 gua (symbols) in the I Ching. Master Huang explains each gua and includes an analysis of its structure, plus the commentaries by Confucius, King Wen and the Duke of Zhou. (The latter two lived during the Shang Dynasties of China).

First attempts at writing..with the manual typewriter (pictures)

Remember a little while back I wrote about my old Olympia Carina 1 Manual typewriter. 

Recently I unearthed my first attempts to write with it. Keep in mind that I was in my early teens when I wrote this on lined paper. The first one is a collection of science fiction stories, the second is a mystery noir story about a private investigator.

A friend of mine offered to bind my loose pages into an actual book. Until that time, I kept it in a huge 3-ring binder. The cover says 'by R.A. Copon', my maiden name.

 

Here is the book opened to a random page. Note the stout string through the holes to bind the pages together. And yes, that's wide-ruled paper, blue ink, and cross-outs. I also typed on both sides of the paper so it could be bound. (Yes, ouch, wince).

 

See the full gallery on Posterous

A closer look at the left hand page.

 

Here is the homemade cover of my P.I. short story. My sister did the binding.

 

And a sample of the writing. Black ink, and typing on one side of unlined paper. Yes, I was learning. >.< This was during my 'Sam Spade' phase of writing, with a hard-boiled P.I who lived in a rough and tumble city a la Gotham City, which was controlled by the Mob. Yes, he also used to be cop, but got kicked off the force due to corrupt forces.

 

Why share these first attempts at writing? I was willing to write anywhere, using any means necessary. Once you get bitten by the bug, it never really leaves you, even twenty-five years later.

One of the strangest books I've ever read...(book review)

The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Reif Larsen.

I found it in Barnes and Noble on the clearance shelf. The first thing I noticed was that the book was completely square, not rectangular like most other books. It looked interesting at a first glance, with pictures and captions in the margins. I went ahead and bought it, at less than $7. The narrator is Tecumseh Sparrow (T.S. Spivet), a 12-year-old cartography genius who lives with his parents and sister in rural Montana. His father is a quiet rancher; his mother a scientist is search of a rare and exotic beetle. 

A call from the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. changes his life. He's offered a fellowship, although the museum director has no idea that T.S. is only 12 years old. T.S. decides to leave his family and go cross-country to D.C. So starts his very strange trip.

The first part of the book introduces his family: practically-minded sister Gracie, silent Tecumseh Elijah Spivet, and distracted Dr. Clair (his mother...he only refers her to Dr. Clair, not 'Mother'). We find out that T.S.'s brother Layton has recently died in a shooting accident, but no one really mentions Layton, except T.S. After the Smithsonian call, T.S. leaves on a train heading East.

The middle part of the book focuses on T.S.'s great-great grandmother, Emma Osterville. Dr. Clair kept a notebook about her illustrious ancestor: Emma was one of the first female geologists in the country. Why did such a strong-willed, practical woman give up everything to marry a rancher in the wilds of Montana?

It's a strange tale-within-a-tale, a definite mirror to T.S.'s journey in the opposite direction. There's one problem: we (the readers) never know the reason. Emma's story just ends on that vague note with no conclusion. Of course, Emma's tale lasts long enough to occupy T.S. during the entire cross-country trip (wormhole effect?)

The last part of the book has T.S. involved with a conspiracy group in Washington D.C., but that storyline doesn't go anywhere, either, and is never resolved. The story ends on a rather abrupt note (won't give it away, but my reaction was, "That's IT?!"), as if the book just runs out of time.

I actually enjoyed the illustrations and the footnotes in the margins. T.S. manages to include all sorts of trivia and pieces of information in those drawings. If footnotes drive you crazy, it can be a real distraction. Some of them are directly related to the story, but most are not. It's a fascinating look into T.S.'s mind; a 12-year-old genius whose thoughts are random, yet organized at the same time.

I enjoyed some parts of this book, but others seemed to drag out, and you have to suspend a lot of disbelief while reading this. Out of five stars, I'd give this book about a two and a half.

Research, Part II (aka, La Dolce Vita...NOT!)

Way back in March, I accepted an AU (alternative history challenge) at The Delphic Expanse: put our heroes in a specific historical period and what happens? Luckily, my assignment happened to be a period that I have plenty of interest: Renaissance Italy. I set my story in 1484 (late 15th century) Venice and Milan.

I needed to do tons of research for this story; that much I expected. As the plot unfolded, I had to dig deeper in certain areas of Renaissance life. My Muse chattered at high speed and gestured with her hands to emphasize her point. "A huge wedding! A duel! Surgery! Elaborate costumes and wooden sailing ships!" I combed Books a Million, Borders, and Amazon.com, as well as the local used bookstore. The Internet became a godsend with the specifics. 

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What did the upper class nobility wear on a daily basis?

How did they design their clothing? (One of my main characters was a seamstress). How did they get around the usury laws, which forbade them from overly elaborate clothing?

Italy in 1484 was a collection of city-states (there wasn't a united Italy until the late 19th century). Who ran the show in each of them?

What did sailors and naval officers wear? (two of my characters were a sea captain and his first lieutenant)

Architecture and engineering during that time? (I also had an engineer and an architect).

Distances between Milan, Venice, Naples, London and Plymouth (England)? (No car, plane, train, TARDIS, transporter or Stargate at that time).

Exactly where were the trade routes going to the East?

Gondoliers in the Venetian canals? (And a gondolier).

DIalects between the city-states? (Venice, Milan and Naples had their own dialect...there wasn't a common language at the time).

Surgery and medical practices? (Had two doctors, and the first lieutenant was injured during a street fight)

Betrothal and wedding ceremonies? (Had a double wedding at the end of the story).

Church affairs and the Inquisition? (The Spanish Inquisition was going on, one of the characters came from the East and wasn't a Christian, another character was a cousin of Queen Isabella (yes, THAT Isabella, married to Ferdinand and who sent Columbus on his way), mentioned two cardinals and the Dominican Friars of the Inquisition)

Duelling practices? (The villain challenged one of the main characters to a duel.How did they do it, what was the custom, was it to the death or to the pain?)

Weaponry? (knives, rapiers, swords, daggers, stilettos (for women).Yes, they did have firearms and cannons during that time, but pistols weren't popular in duels until the late 16th/early 17th century, and at the time firearms were a real danger to the shooter as well as the target. But the nobility DID have them)

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Quite a laundry list, but I enjoyed looking up the facts and details that brought 15th century Italy to life. One pitfall to research was the tendency to get so wrapped up in it and forget to write! The story needed to be about the characters and their situation, not what they ate for lunch. It was easy to get carried away with description and detail and not move the plot forward. There had to be a balance between the two.

The whole project took me longer than I expected, but I was rather sad when the story ended. In true Shakespearean fashion, the lovers had their weddings and all's well that ended well. 

.

 

 

Ben Franklin's Epitaph (written as a younger man)

Ben Franklin wrote this in 1729, but it's not on his gravestone.

 

 

The Body

of

Benjamin Franklin, Printer

(Like the cover of an old book,

Its contents torn out,

And stript of its letter and guilding,)

Lies food for worms:

Yet the work itself shall not be lost,

For it will (as he believed) appear once more

In a new

And more beautiful edition,

Corrected and Amended

by

The Author

A Great Deal on Books

I went to Borders and found this book on the clearance shelf: Human Anatomy for Artists. To my shock and delight, it was selling for $9.99. Hardcover. I'm always looking for reference books on art, language and writing, but I'd never seen this before. So I wasted no time in buying a copy for my bookshelf.

Each page is finely drawn and exquisitely detailed with how bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons make up the human body, and how they are all interconnected. There are a few chapters devoted to how those structures change when the body is in motion (running, walking, jumping, etc.). I've always found hands hard to draw because of all the subtle and different angles and surfaces. Luckily, I found a few examples for drawing practice.

This is a great deal. I hadn't realized until later that the original selling price was $49.99, and it's listed as $36.46 on Amazon.com. $10.41 isn't bad at all.

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2011

What am I Reading This Month? (April 2011)

My Reading List for April. Yeah, when do I have time to read? Usually later at night, after the kids go to bed and right before I go to sleep.

1) Ninja: The Shadow Warrior by Joel Levy. Richly descriptive with full-color pictures, this talks about the upbringing, training and the equipment of the ninja (also known as the 'shinobi no mono'). How can you separate the fact from the fiction regarding these shadow warriors?

2) Criminal Investigation: Evidence, Clues and Forensic Science by John D. Wright. How do forensic investigators go about processing a case? This book covers the steps of investigating a crime scene, and the various jobs involved. Other important members of the crime scene team include the photographer/sketch artist, criminal profiler, forensic pathologist, toxicologist, ondontologist (who identifies victim by dental records) and ballistics expert.

Note: This book is mostly focused on the UK, but other international law enforcement organizations are mentioned, like Ireland's The Garda, Scotland's New Scotland Yard, the United States' FBI, Canada's National Police Services (which include the Royal Canadian Mountain Police) and the UK's Forensic Science Service (including the National Firearms Unit in Manchester).

3) The Code of Kings: The Language of Seven Sacred Maya Temples and Tombs by Linda Schele and Peter Mathews. More on this book here.


 All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2011

Books and Stuff I Got for Christmas

My bookish, linguistic, bohemian side is jumping up and down this season. A $25 Barnes and Noble gift card from Hubby and some extra spending money gave me a chance to get some things I've had my eye on for a while. Most of the time, I only do window-shopping in the bookstores, unless I can get a good deal on something and/or it's something that I know I can't get anywhere else.

New on the bookshelf (links are to its entry on Amazon.com, where all the publication info is listed):

The Indie Author Guide by April L. Hamilton I definitely wanted to get this one. This outlines how to get organized, whether or not to have a brand name, and the ins and outs of POD publishing. The companion website http://www.indieauthorguide.com has additional information and tips too.

Biting the Wax Tadpole: Confessions of a Language Fanatic by Elizabeth Little This book has little anecdotes about how different languages (from Xhosa to Esperanto to Gaelic and Quechua) have things in common, and the little things that drive linguists nuts. She references pop culture icons like Dr. Seuss and Star Wars.

Doctor Who: The TARDIS Handbook by Steve Tribe Yes, I'm an unabashed Doctor Who fan. This book (published by BBC Books) chronicles the history and background of the transdimensional blue police box.

The Brilliant Book of Doctor Who 2011 Compiled of interviews, production notes and other tantalizing tidbits from Series 5, Matt Smith's first year as the 11th Doctor.

Fashion Design Portfolio Edited by Maite Lafuente I was excited to get this one. I'm mostly a landscape/still life artist...I used to avoid drawing people (and clothes) like the plague. Although I'm hardly a fashionista, I'd like to improve on my figure drawing. It's still lacking, but I'm practicing.

Basic Tagalog (for Foreigners and Non-Tagalogs) by Paraluman S. Aspillera While I was growing up, I heard my parents speak Tagalog (Filipino) among themselves and their friends, but they only spoke English to me and my two sisters. So I can understand it pretty well, but I can't speak it really well. It's a part of my culture and heritage, and I think it'd be nice to study the language of my ancestors. (MP3 Audio CD included)

Mandarin Chinese: Learning Through Conversation by Kang Yuhua and Lai Siping  Each lesson is on the MP3 Audio CD and the conversations are written in both Chinese characters and pinyin (transliterated from how the words sound, with diacritical and tone marks). Being able to speak fluently in a language is part of the whole package. You also need to know how to read it and write it too.

Other gifts: a pair of Hershey's Cocoa ornaments, a Virginia Tech-themed ornament, a pair of Virginia-Tech flip flops (complete with a football-y attachment on the thong part...don't ask), jewelry and hair accessories from Del Sol (that change color in the sunlight), gift cards (from Starbucks and other places).

The kids really enjoyed Christmas this year. They received (much needed) clothes and shoes, art supplies, music, flashcards, books and LEGOS!!! Baby Girl is a big LEGO fan. I can see her being an engineer or an architect someday.

So...how were your holidays??



All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Indiana Annie and the Used Bookstore

I step into the used bookstore and I feel like Indiana Jones in some sort of exotic temple with foreign languages on the walls and strange tales waiting to be read. Of course, I'm actually at Book Sellers, in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the books are all arranged according to subject: science fiction, history, poetry, mystery...the list goes on.


The store has an interesting selection of book translations in other languages, including Korean, Chinese, Japanese, German, Spanish, Czech and Portuguese. I found German translations of the "Star Wars" saga and "King Kong", as well as a Portuguese translation of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (Sorcerer's, US) Stone." You can find the most unexpected treasures there. Once I picked up "Winnie Ille Puh" in Latin.


The Writing section is farther down the same aisle. There are plenty of how-to books, others full of publication advice (some several years out of date, unfortunately) and blank journal books. Some are spiral bound, others are hard-bound, with colorful covers and all sorts of designs. I've found unique journal books there and have built up my stock of blank books to jot down all sorts of ideas.


In the back are several shelves of the one dollar bargain books. Old college textbooks, humor collections, classic stories and recent novels, exercise and fitness, cross-stitch patterns, and non-fiction galore. It's a undiscovered treasure chest. I've found books dating back to the 1920s (like a copy of E.M. Forster's "Captain Hornblower" and "Cartellas del Armas" from 1944), but you have to to really dig to find them. Once you find them, it's worth the one dollar you pay for each.


I'll keep coming back a few times a month to see what's "new" on the shelves. It's like a siren call that I can't resist, one that leads me to treasure. 



All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Two Little Stories about Bookworms...

Poem by Ralph Bergerngren

"My pop is always buying books:
so that Mom says his study looks
just like an old bookstore. The bookshelves are so full and tall,
they hide the paper on the wall,
and there are books just everywhere,
on table, window-seat and chair,
and books right on the floor.
and every little while he buys
more books and brings them home and tries
to find a place where they will fit
and has an awful time of it.

Once, when I asked him why he got
so many books, he said, "Why not?"
I've puzzled over that a lot."


The Bookworm (and other Vermin) by J. Doraston
'There is a sort of busy Worm
that will the fairest books deform,
by gnawing holes through them
Alike, through every leaf they go,
yet of its merit nought they know,
No  care they aught about them.

Their tasteless tooth will tear and taint,
the Poet, Patriot, Sage or Saint,
Not sparing wit nor learning.
Now, if you'd know the reason why,
The best of reasons I'll supply:
'Tis bread to the poor vermin."

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010

Quotes about Books

"Where is Human Nature so weak as in the bookstore?" - Henry Ward Beecher, Star Papers


"Any man with a moderate income can afford to buy more books than he can read in a lifetime."- Henry Holt


"There are 10,000 books in my library, and it will keep growing until I die. This has exasperated my daughters, amused my friends, and baffled my accountant. If I had not picked up this habit in the library long ago, I would have more money in the bank today; I would not be richer." -Pete Hamill, "D'Artagnan on 9th Street: A Brooklyn Boy at the Library."


"Early to bed and Early to rise, Work like hell and advertise." -A distorted proverb from an agent.


"I cannot live without books." -Thomas Jefferson


"I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library." -Jorge Luis Borges


"Where books are burned, in the end, people will be burned too." -Heinrich Heine


"An effective minor character is a well-made bundle of ideas, and an effective major character is a well-made bundle of ideas to whom we are asked to pay more attention." --Eric Maisel, "Deep Writing".

Ben Franklin's Epitaph

(1729- he wrote it, but it's not on his gravestone)

The Body

of

Benjamin Franklin, Printer

(Like the cover of an old book,

its contents torn out,

and stript of its letter and gilding,)

Lies food for worms:

Yet the work itself shall not be lost,

for it will (as he beleived) appear once more

In a new

and more beautiful edition,

Corrected and amended

by

The Author

All writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010