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Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Sad news

Robert-holdstock-picture On November 18th I learned that my friend and colleague Robert Holdstock had been rushed to hospital due to a sudden infection, and he's been much in my thoughts and prayers ever since.  MythagoWoodHe died on Sunday morning, leaving his family, friends and admirers on both sides of the Atlantic stunned and saddened by this loss.

Born near the Romney Marsh in Kent, Rob and his partner Sarah made their home in London for many years, where he wrote magnificent books rooted in Celtic, Nordic, Gothic and Pictish history and legend. Rob knew the landscape of myth and folklore as thoroughly as the streets of his London neighborhood, and his "Mythago Wood" sequence of novels are modern classics of mythic literature.

The fantasy and mythic arts fields will miss him. And I'm going to miss him too.


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Drawing Board

Bookshelf

  • : The Wood Wife:

    The Wood Wife:
    A mythic novel set in the Sonoran desert of Arizona. This link goes to the US edition; a UK edition is available here; and the new French edition is here. (For those who might be interested, I did a Q-&-A session on the book over on the Good Reads site.)

  • : A Midsummer Night's Faery Tale:

    A Midsummer Night's Faery Tale:
    This is the first book in the Old Oak Wood series for children, deeply rooted in the landscape and folklore of Dartmoor. I wrote the story, and the art is by master dollmaker Wendy Froud. The other two volumes are The Winter Child and The Faeries of Spring Cottage.

  • : Snow White, Blood Red:

    Snow White, Blood Red:
    The first of six anthologies containing fairy tale inspired stories for adult readers. The other volumes are: Black Thorn, White Rose; Ruby Slipper, Golden Tears; Black Swan, White Raven; Silver Birch, Blood Moon; and Black Heart, Ivory Bones.

  • : A Wolf at the Door:

    A Wolf at the Door:
    The first of three anthologies containing fairy tale inspired stories for 8-to-12 year old readers. The other two volumes are Swan Sister and Troll's Eye View.

  • : The Green Man:

    The Green Man:
    Tales from the Mythic Forest, for YA readers.

  • : The Faery Reel:

    The Faery Reel:
    Tales from the Twlight Realm, for YA readers.

  • : The Coyote Road:

    The Coyote Road:
    Trickster Tales, for YA readers.

  • : The Beastly Bride:

    The Beastly Bride:
    Tales of the Animal People, for YA readers.

  • : Salon Fantastique:

    Salon Fantastique:
    New works of fantasy & mythic fiction for adult readers.

  • : Teeth:

    Teeth:
    Dark fantasy for YA readers.

  • : Welcome to Bordertown:

    Welcome to Bordertown:
    The latest volume in a classic Urban Fantasy series for YA readers. (For information on the previous books, visit the Bordertown website.)

  • : Good Faeries, Bad Faeries:

    Good Faeries, Bad Faeries:
    I was the editor and folklore consultant for this wonderful book by Brian Froud.

  • The Armless Maiden:
    Fairy tale inspired fiction for adult readers, focused on themes of childhood trauma, survival, and healing.

    All told, I've published over 40 books for children, teenagers, and adults, and been kindly given a number of awards for them. Information about the
    books I've written, created-&-edited, or otherwise had a hand in, can be found on my website.

    -----------------------

    Below are books recently read, or re-read, and enjoyed....

Recommended Reading



Links to:

  • The Endicott Studio
    The nonprofit organization for Mythic Arts that I ran for 22 years (starting in 1986), co-directed with author & folklorist Midori Snyder. The organization is currently on hiatus (while we catch our breaths and make a living)...but we'll be back!
  • In the Labyrinth
    Midori's terrific blog.
  • Ophaboom Theatre
    The "Commedia dell'Arte" company directed by my husband, Howard Gayton,
    and Geoff Beale.
  • John Barleycorn Must Die
    Howard's graphic novel blog, with artist Rex Van Ryn.
  • Ellen Datlow
    Ellen and I have edited
    over 30 anthologies together.
  • Wendy Froud
    Wendy and I created three children's books together: the Old Oak Wood series.
  • Interstitial Arts
    Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman, & other good folk look at writing and art in the interstices between genres.
  • Journal of Mythic Arts
    The archives of the award-winning journal that Midori Snyder and I co-edited, 1997-2008.
  • Bumblehill Studio
    My Etsy shop.
  • The Inspiration Board
    Magical muses & more links.



    "Everyone, no matter what their cultural background, has a right to discover the sacred in nature; to heal and be redeemed spiritually by nature; and to revere the ancestors. We are all haunted and saved by our memories."

    -- Martha Brooks
    (from Bone Dance)


    At night I dream that you and I are two plants
    that grew together, roots entwined,
    and that you know the earth and the rain like my mouth,
    since we are made of earth and rain.

    -- Pablo Neruda
    (from his poem "Rain")


    "Walking, I can almost hear the redwoods beating. And the oceans are above me here, rolling clouds, heavy and dark. It is winter and there is smoke from the fires. It is a world of elemental attention, of all things working together, listening to what speaks in the blood. Whichever road I follow, I walk in the land of many gods, and they love and eat one another. Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me. Be still, they say. Watch and listen. You are the result of the love of thousands."

    -- Linda Hogan
    (from Dwellings)

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