(Apologies although I blathered quite a bit anyway...)

This week, chapters 2-3!

More Amazing Crochet from Dawn, some victorian pruditry, more wonderful emails from y'all, how to be an ostritch rather than a governess, and a little background on our author.

His dad was a Swedenborgian (say THAT three times fast) and I thought--when working through the "ghost" question--this quotation was ellucidating:

Although James had rejected in the beginning of his career "spirit-rappings and ghost-raising", in the 1880s he become interested in the unconscious and the supernatural. In 1908 he wrote that "Peter Quint and Miss Jessel are not 'ghosts' at all, as we now know the ghost, but goblins, elves, imps, demons as loosely constructed as those of the old trials for whichcraft; if not, more pleasingly, fairies of the legendary order, wooing their victims forth to see them dance under the moon." Virginia Woolf thought that Henry James's ghost have nothing in common with the violent old ghosts - "the blood-stained captains, the white horses, the headless ladies of dark lanes and windy commons." Edmund Wilson was convinced that the story was "primarily intended as a characterization of the governess".

Then there's the "corruption" question. Ah...the tangled web...

ALERT:
I just this second got this email from MaryBeth--right after uploading the 'Cast. Darnit. But it's worth noting here:

Loved your comments on the Fog Index. I'm a technical editor, and I have the following quote by Melville on my wall at work: "A man of true science uses but few hard words, and only those when none other will serve his purpose; whereas the smatterer in science thinks that by mouthing hard words he proves that he understands hard things."

Is that not brilliant?! I love Melville...but I'm not gonna do Moby Dick...not for a couple of years, anyway. See how I love you?

Many thanks to Nikolle Doolin for her SEXY reading of Henry James' Turn of the Screw.

Cool things to check out: Crochet Sea Creatures not to be believed (Thank you Dawn!), Check out Yarn-a-go-go's site and then check into NaNoWriMo! It's not too late! Then there's The Thread Project (One World, One Cloth), and I ran out of time to talk about My Paper Crane from Heidi.

I'll never do this to you.

Here's Henry, by the way:

I think you'll need this over the next few weeks.:

Character List
Anonymous Narrator
Probably represents Henry James. (Diagetic Level 1)

Douglas
The one in posession of the Governess' manuscript. He may have been in love with her. (Diagetic Level 2)

The Governess
The protagonist--twenty-year-old governess of Flora and Miles at the country estate of Bly. (Diagetic Level 3)

Mrs. Grose
A servant at Bly; illiterate, respectful.

Miles
A ten-year-old boy; charming, well-behaved, and very attractive.

Flora
An eight-year-old girl; beautiful and well mannered.

The Children’s Uncle
The governess's employer; good looking but aloof with odd requirements for the job...

Peter Quint
A former valet at Bly; "infamous" throughout the area of Bly.

Miss Jessel
The governess's predecessor; a lady, young and beautiful but "infamous." Apparantly had an inappropriate relationship with Quint.


May thanks to Nikolle Doolin for her SEXY reading of Henry James' Turn of the Screw. If you check out her site you'll see why she's so good...except for that blasted microphone...

Some good blogs to check out (from SOAR attendees: Rachael Herron, Janine Bajus, and Brooke Sinnes, oh, and Stephanie...I think you know her); a really cool listener's site (Spinneret) regarding My Friend Irving; some pics (scroll down) and some detritus that I need to get out to you (below).

A good Challah recipe. Heal the world through cooling!
and a nice Jewish crafting guild (just in cast you thought they didn't exist!)...

The Red Thread Project! How cool is this!

And some stuff I found but didn't have time to talk about b/c I blathered too much: The sounds of (good) music can be found at NPR

In need of Knickers?
Check this out?

Hook up with next year's mystery stole (number three).

Awesome matress stitch (plus!) tutorial. Which I needed.
Sadly.

You can see the photo album of SOAR pics here.