Spring Newsletter
“Consistency for me is everything”
The Den O’Alyth, gifted to the town of Alyth by the Earl of Airlie in 1928
It is two weeks since we learned that Alexei Navalny lost his life at the Arctic penal colony, officially known as IK-3 Polar Wolf, located in one of the most remote towns of Russia and known for its harsh conditions. Right to the end, he was unimaginably brave and unflinching in his activism against the Putin regime. The world feels a lesser place without him, less hopeful. But, here is another quote, this one from the English author Terry Pratchett: No-one is finally dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away. We must hope that the ripples Alexei Navalny has caused will turn to waves of change that honor his courage and beliefs.
And, what can we do, we who live quiet, unremarkable lives? We can try to have the courage of our convictions in our own small way, to be sure. We can seek out and respect honor and goodness—and we can look for beauty and love.
And so, this month, I will spend my birthday in Alyth in Perthshire, a small town about 60 miles north of Edinburgh. Pictured here is the Packhorse Bridge in Alyth, built around 1500 to enable the crossing of Alyth Burn.
This Scottish trip is a birthday present from my life partner; a driving tour from Edinburgh through Alyth, Inverness, Fort William, and Glasgow. It’s a way to celebrate the Scottish heritage of my maternal grandmother, whose family came from Alyth, and it will surely be a journey to fill up reserves of beauty and love.
As a counterbalance to sadness, there is also much to be grateful for. I’m excited to share with you the cover for The Deceived Ones—designed by the team at Apprentice House Press—suggesting the musical themes of the book, the contemporary setting of Baltimore, and the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
I've just finished the final proofreading of my manuscript, and the release date is Tuesday, May 7th. I’ll be in conversation with my good friend, the broadcaster and musician Tom Hall, at The Ivy Bookshop at 6pm on that day. A few of the other book events lined up include Main Point Books, Wayne, PA at 4pm on Sunday May 19th with Danielle Ariano who has a book coming out in April, and a conversation with Lesley Malin, Producing Executive Director of Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, at The Enoch Pratt Free Library at 2pm on Saturday, May 25th. Please check out the events page on my website from time to time for up-to-date info about other upcoming dates and venues.
I’m having to come to terms with not being able to find time for my work in progress in the midst of preparing to birth The Deceived Ones. Between that, being on air at WBJC every weekday, and not wanting to be a silent partner in my domestic life, something has to give. Sadly, for the moment, that is Sister Föben and her journey to being one of the first named women composers in America.
Meanwhile, while many writers avoid reading anything that pertains to their WIP, I have no such qualms. Recently, I immersed myself in Hild, the first in a trilogy by Nicola Griffith—the second novel, Menewood, came out last October—about the 7th century life of St. Hild of Whitby. I use the word “immersing” with intent, because Nicola Griffith prides herself on that technique, and immerse she does.
And then there’s always music. One of the privileges of being a classical music DJ is that I get to interview many of the artists who live in or come through Baltimore.
The American pianist, Garrick Ohlsson, who won the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition (image by Jan Zizka), made his 7th appearance on The Shriver Hall Concert Series last month, and I got to speak with him by phone from his home in San Francisco beforehand. As I’ve commented elsewhere, he must have done thousands of interviews over the five decades since that early triumph, but he still turns up fresh each time. It was a joy to speak to him. You can hear the (short) podcast here.
I hope your spring will be full of rejuvenation and burgeoning if you live in the northern hemisphere, and full of mellow fruitfulness if you live in the south.
Until next time, take care!