Category Archives: works in progress

Hello, Goodbye…

Posted on November 6, 2009 | Comments Off

Once again, my apologies for neglecting the ol’ blog — it’s been a busy week of editing, express mailing, and phone calls. None of which means I have any news to report, but things have kicked up a bit on the excitement meter. Over the falls! as Barb and I often say.

The mercury in central Maryland is beginning to hover in the mid-30s in the mornings now, and the trees have shed most of their leaves, moving from the showy to the mostly skeletal in a matter of days. I’ll likely make a quick zip around the yard on the riding mower this weekend to mulch everything up for the winter. It’s not only fun, but it beats raking any day — and I won’t even mention the time I made a turn too quickly and fell off the mower. The seat was loose, I swear.

Finally, I finished reading The Lennon Prophecy: A New Examination of the Death Clues of the Beatles, truly one of the most bizarre Beatles books I’ve ever read. I’ll have a review up here on Monday.

Have a good weekend!

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Posted in random musings, works in progress

Legends of the Fall

Posted on September 29, 2009 | Comments Off

Fall seems to be officially here. Temperatures have settled squarely into the low- to mid-70s, and the air is starting to get that delicious crisp edge. Some evenings you can smell fireplace smoke, cutting its way through the chill to find your nose. The weather is that odd combination of brisk and balmy, so you can wear shorts as you work in the yard, but still need a sweatshirt, preferably with the sleeves pushed up to your elbows. It’s my favorite time of year.

Fall also means Halloween is just around the corner, as hard as that is to believe. My wife is an absolute Halloween Junkie. While she’s not a fan of the horrifying, she does delight in the goofy fake-scary decorations, from signs that say “EEK!” to life-size plastic skeletons we do all sorts of terrible things to. And at the end of the season, we’re always very careful to pack the skeletons up again with their upper bodies in one box and their legs in another. That way, if they come to life and want to go on a killing spree, we’ve at least made them easier to outrun. Because you can never be too sure.

We’ll also be heading up to Sleepy Hollow in mid-October, which is getting to be a habit with us. We’ll be taking part in the nighttime Legend Celebration over at Philipsburg Manor (for the fainter of heart, there’s also a daylight version of events over at Washington Irving’s Sunnyside) and the spectacular Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor.

If you’ve never been to either event, try like heck to make it. I’ll try to do a better job taking pictures this year so I can put up a few to give you an idea of just how neat these events can be. Plus, I’m working with Historic Hudson Valley to see if we can come up with something fun and Washington Irvingish to do when I’m there. I’ll keep you posted.

Finally, I’m working hard on some sample chapters for my latest project, to see if I can make anything come of it. I’m pleased with what I have so far — and Barb gave me some spectacularly good edits on the first chapter — but we’ll see what happens. If this comes together, I really will explain everything that’s been going on for the last 18 months. Hopefully, all will become clear at that time.

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Posted in Jack O Lantern Blaze, Legend Weekend, Uncategorized, works in progress

Tagged Halloween, Historic Hudson Valley, Sunnyside

Random Abstract

Posted on August 10, 2009 | 1 comment

Once again, apologies for neglecting the ol’ blog. I’ve been away, but not idle. Here’s a rundown on what’s happened over the last 13 days:

– I turned a year older, and celebrated my birthday by painting the concrete floor of our living room, mowing the lawn, and having dinner with my wife and my dad. The perfect way to spend one’s birthday, if I may so. And I do say so.

– I had an incredibly productive day at the Library of Congress, running down some long-lost newspaper stories and advertisements related to Project Blue Harvest. Nothing major, but lots of little things that make those Wow, I Didn’t Know That moments that give your subject life.

– I finished reading The Road to Xanadu, the first book in Simon Callow’s masterful biography of Orson Welles. Next up: part two, Hello, Americans!

– I had two exciting conversations relating to Washington Irving: An American Original — and hope to have something to tell you here shortly.

– I replaced my peezacrap eight-year-old HP laptop — which weighs 300 pounds, has a loose ‘Y’ key, and will only open documents in Safe Mode — with a much lighter, quicker, and convenient MacBook.

– And finally, I’m leaving for New Mexico tomorrow to enjoy a bit of R&R, visit my Mom, see my brother (who just happens to be in Albuquerque this week for his high school reunion) and his family, hang out with my pals, and come whizzing back to Maryland with my kid, who’s been out west all summer. And don’t get between me and the big steaming plate of Los Cuates’ carne adovada I’m having mere moments after my plane lands. Because I will knock you down. Hard.

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Posted in get outta my way, New Mexico, Washington Irving, works in progress

Hello, I Must Be Going (Again)

Posted on July 21, 2009 | Comments Off

I know, I know — it’s been slow going here on the ol’ blog, for which you have my apologies. I had a conversation last night regarding Project Blue Harvest that’s going to involve some serious library, interview, and writing time — so the blog gets the back seat for a while. I know, I know — I’ll miss you too. *sniff*

Until then, take it away, Groucho . . .

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Posted in Groucho, Hello I Must Be Going, Project Blue Harvest, works in progress

There And Back Again

Posted on June 10, 2009 | Comments Off

I’m back home in one piece — and while I was gone I missed the huge rain and windstorm that moved through the DC area late yesterday afternoon. The only indication it had ever been here were a few wet spots on the driveway and a rather large downed branch in the back yard that juuuuust missed falling on the Jeep.

Anyway, New York was a great time. I had a fun, interesting and animated lunch meeting with Several Really Neat People, followed by a quick trip through a Really Neat Place to see some Really Interesting Archives. Did I say really interesting? Make that unbelievable. And yes, I’m still hoping that I’ll have something to report here soon. If it comes together, this’ll be fun.

Meanwhile, I got to hang a bit with Jonathan (and thumb through all of his clients’ books, neatly shelved in his office), ride the subway, take two frenetic cab rides, and sit in a sweltering Penn Station for 90 minutes, waiting for my train. And all in the span of about five hours.

Ahhhh, New York. Nothing like it.

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Posted in New York, works in progress

Off To The City

Posted on June 8, 2009 | 1 comment

I’m getting ready to head up to New York tomorrow morning, so Jonathan and I can attend a lunch meeting with some really, really neat people. It’ll be one of those mornings where I have to leave the house around 5 a.m. to catch the 6:30 train — and I debated whether to head up there today and stay the night but decided against it, based mainly on the costs of staying in the city. Barb suggested that next time I stay in Philadelphia, where it’s a bit less expensive, then take the train from there, cutting my commute in half so I don’t need to get up nearly as early. I may give that a try next time.

Anyway, I’m looking forward not only to the meeting, but to the city, to seeing and talking with Jonathan, and to the train ride itself. For some reason, I really enjoy train rides — there’s something vaguely old style about it, like stepping into an Agatha Christie novel, if only for a moment . . . until the lady across the aisle from you begins talking loudly into a cell phone and the moment is shattered.

Suffice it to say, I’ll be sitting in the quiet car. See you later this week!

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Posted in New York, Project Blue Harvest, works in progress

Wednesday Odds and Ends

Posted on June 3, 2009 | 2 comments

Some random shiny objects I wanted to bring to your attention:

– I’m a few days late with this, but the latest issue of The Biographer’s Craft hit inboxes earlier this week. Editor Jamie McGrath keeps it short, sweet, and always interesting: this month features a piece on Olivia Gentile and her book on Phoebe Snetsinger, Life List: A Woman’s Quest for the World’s Most Amazing Birds, an update on the fledgling Biographers International Organization, a short remembrance of the late David Herbert Donald, and — one of my favorite pieces — a new entry on writers’ work spaces. Plus, you’ll get updates on new and recently acquired biographies, and Jamie’s running commentary.

You can get the June issue right here. And you should do so right now.

– I’m getting ready to make a quick trip up to New York City next week to hook up with Agent J so we can attend another meeting regarding Project Blue Harvest. I still don’t want to say too much until we’ve got something firm to report, but suffice it to say, this one should be fun. I’m looking forward to it, and it’s always a pleasure to catch up with Jonathan.

– Finally, here’s a super cool trailer for the coming Beatles: Rock Band, as well as a more cinematic introduction. Man, I can’t wait to get my hands on this thing.

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Posted in Beatles, random musings, The Biographer's Craft, works in progress

Within A Budding Grove

Posted on May 6, 2009 | 1 comment

Once again, my apologies for the lack of posts here lately, but things have been rather hectic. Apart from sheer scheduling issues, Spring weather — even when it rains — is never terribly conducive to my pen. There’s too much to look at, too many pots to fill, too many holes to dig.

But there is some progress being made; in fact, I just shipped something off to Agent J for comments and further discussion.

In the meantime, for your literary enjoyment, let’s take a peek in on the “Summarize Proust” competition:

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Posted in Monty Python, works in progress

Back At It

Posted on April 13, 2009 | Comments Off

My apologies for the lack of posts here lately — I’ve been hunkered down trying to get some work done on Project Blue Harvest. It’s been slow going, but that’s mostly my fault, since I preferred spending some time with Madi during her Spring Break, and trying to get some work done in the yard while the weather was pleasant, rather than spending some seat time at my desk.

While I more than managed the first of these two items (quality time with The Kid), I waited too long on the second one. I opted not to mow on Friday when it was 70 degrees, holding out instead for the promise of some wonderful Easter weekend weather. Fat chance. It rained all day Saturday, and Sunday was cold and windy. I mowed anyway.

Anyway, now that I’m mission accomplished on those two important items, it’s back to the desk. But I’ll see you back here shortly, I promise.

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Posted in Project Blue Harvest, random musings, works in progress

Spring Break

Posted on April 7, 2009 | 1 comment

It’s Spring Break here in the Maryland area, which means clearer roads, crowded museums, and no sign of our daughter until she emerges groggily from her room at 10:30 a.m. I opted to stay home with Madi for her first day of break yesterday, and we squeezed in exactly seven minutes worth of xBox time before she went off to a friend’s house for the day and night.

But that’s okay; she deserves her fun, and I’ve got some work to do, starting with straightening up my office.

Yeah, I know — I just moved into the new space at the beginning of the winter, but I’ve already cluttered it up with stacks of mail, CDs, and empty amazon.com boxes that I need to flatten and recycle. Once that’s out of the way, I’ve got some reading to do, likely followed by several hours of staring into space before I sit down and really try to get some work done.

Fortunately, the weather today is conducive to working inside — it’s a chilly 39 degrees outside, so my urge to mow the rapidly-greening lawn and plant cyclamen is . . . well, not gone, but low. The only real problem I’m having here at the desk is that the windy weather outside is causing the power to flicker — which means I’ve had to restart this blog entry several times. Fortunately, WordPress saves my drafts, so no real harm done. But I can’t say the same for the document I was poking at.

Okay, time to get cracking!