It’s Library Time
In which we encounter a bookish dragon, and get to meet some other local word-slingers.
Things became a little more official in regard to our move this week as we are once more in possession of Maryland Driver’s Licenses. But perhaps more importantly with those in hand, we could join our local library.
It’s an impressive building just a few blocks away from our new condo. There’s been a library on that spot since the mid-1930s. The current imposing building was built in the mid-70s and is described on the town history informational sign on a nearby sidewalk as an example of ‘brutalist concrete architecture’ - which is pretty accurate. Thankfully at some point, the curved concrete walls were adorned by a series of impressionistic murals. There’s meant to be a secret word woven into each mural, but we haven’t figured any of them out yet.
The building houses the headquarters of the county system of 19 interconnected libraries, with the actual lending library on the top floor accessed by a three-story spiral ramp system which is also adorned with an impressive mural - in this case, a dragon with scales made of books.
First impressions were very good with friendly welcoming and informative staff, plus a well-stocked and extensive catalog, which we will enjoy digging into. There will certainly be enough to feed the Books Read section of this newsletter for many months, if not years, to come.
Alan
Other Stuff
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Brabazon Bits
Well the book is now out of my hands for a while, and it’s a strange feeling. As the early readers and copy editor get to work, I get to sit back.
Well not totally, as I have a little bit of additional research to do for one of the appendices. But overall it feels great to have reached a major milestone.
Word Slinging
I attended my first meeting of the Maryland Writers’ Association last week. The folks I met made me feel part of the group straight away. This particular meeting featured an excellent session on Complexity in Plots from novelist David Sloan.
One of the key takeaways I took note of was:
“To be interesting a story needs to be complex in something. To be comprehensible a story must not be complex in everything.”
Everyone was very welcoming, so much so that I seemed to have volunteered to speak at the upcoming September meeting and do my 5 Things I Learned Writing CARS presentation.
Pages and Screens
Books Read in 2024 - …“A World Called Camelot” by Arthur H. Landis
I know that Landis’s four-novel Camelot series is held in high regard by some, but this opening story just didn’t work for me.
The premise of mixing sword and sorcery, heroic fiction, and space-based science-fiction in one tale is an ambitious one. But for me, this was less of a convergence and more of a collision of genres.
The result from my perspective was a jumbled mix of ideas, convoluted world-building, and a confusing cast of characters that is thrown at the reader too fast.
Our online bookstore at Bookshop.org is fully up to date with the books read so far in 2024, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores .
Weekly Web Round-Up
Batman On The Cover - The journey through Batman’s comics publishing history continues this week as we move into May 1969 with new issues of Detective Comics, Batman, Justice League of America, and World’s Finest.
The call-out issue this week is Detective Comics #387, which was marketed as a 30th Anniversary issue. It's a fun cover but not particularly outstanding as anniversary covers go, but for me the most interesting aspect of this issue is inside its pages.
Like many Batman anniversary issues before and since it included the first Batman story, ‘The Case of the Chemical Crime Syndicate’ from Detective Comics #27. But in this instance, it wasn’t a straight reprint. The story was recreated. It was redrawn by tracing over the original art, re-lettered, and even subject to some mild censorship.
The knife jutting from the back of the murder victim (page 2, panel 2) was removed, and a word balloon where the killer confesses to the crime (page 6, panel 2 - "Sure... I did it! But you won't send me to the 'chair' for it! I'll -- ") was deleted.
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See you next time
Alan J. Porter
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I do believe that's a bookwyrm. I'm familiar with the species. Particularly large and lovely specimen.
Glad to hear y'all are settling in. Still coming to Armadillocon, though, yes?