A recurring theme in The Lord of the Rings is the quest that one accepts in ignorance – no hobbit could undertake to destroy the Ring if he really knew what was required to succeed. I believe this is the reason that people don’t tell you the truth about parenting. If we really knew what it would take, we could never do it. One of the lesser sacrifices of parenting, but one that still galls me, is the vulnerability to sentiment, especially around the holidays. I try to fight it with snarky, yet seasonal, film choices. Read More
ByGD
Christmas Cheer
ByGD
Daughter of the Forest
I was introduced to Juliet Marillier’s Daughter of the Forest by the fabulous Felicia Day and her Vaginal Fantasy Bookclub. But I don’t know how I missed it on my own, since it’s right up my alley. Set in a mythological Ireland when Druids still held the upper hand against expanding Christendom and Fair Folk still meddled in the lives of mortals, Daughter of the Forest is a retelling of the “Six Swans” fairy tale. Read More
ByGD
Ghost of Solstice Past
Now it is winter solstice, but my neighborhood is best known for its celebration of the summer solstice. Here is a float from the annual parade a few years ago.
ByGD
Heavy Metal Road Trip: Iceland Southern Route
Iceland attracts a lot of specialized tourism. Some people come just for volcanoes, or for glaciers, or for the sagas. Now with big festivals like Airwaves and ATP, music has become a big draw. This summer, Iceland was the destination for my heavy metal road trip. Read More
ByGD
Nothing New Under the Sun
You know when you find a $20 bill in the laundry? I was having a hard time coming up with a blog topic for today when I found a post I wrote in early November, on the day I felt like I was coming down with a cold. It is no less relevant today for the month it spent forgotten in my files:
I know this comes as no surprise to the literary among you, but writing fiction is hard. Read More