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Animal Farm
A month ago I wrote about the challenge of turning The Ravenstones into a graphic novel and, in the process of researching what was involved, that I’d come across an illustrated version of Animal Farm in my local library (first published in Portuguese as A Revoluçâo dos bichos in Brazil in 2018; this English version Read more
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Little Wars and Toy Soldiers
This post comes out on November 11, Remembrance Day in Canada (and other parts of the Commonwealth) and Veterans’ Day in America; as such, like last year, it reflects on the matters of war and peace, and recognizes the sacrifice of so many service men and women who gave so much in the name of Read more
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A Graphic Novel (Where Does One Start?)
Some of my readers, and one especially – my youngest grandchild – has asked me to turn The Ravenstones saga into a graphic novel. These are hugely popular, especially among teenage readers. But what do I know about writing a graphic novel (GN)? On the surface, it seems all one has to do is add Read more
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The Velveteen Rabbit at 100 (Part 2)
Two weeks ago I spoke about the 100th anniversary of The Velveteen Rabbit, noting the publication of Lisa Frautino’s retrospective of the celebrated book. That post reviewed Margery Williams’ life but did not really address its enduring appeal. That is today’s subject: why did the story originally resonate and why does it still appeal to Read more
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The Velveteen Rabbit at 100 (Part 1)
My copy of the reprint of the original (New York: Doubleday, 1991) On June 23 of this year, Literary Hub published an account by Lisa Rowe Fraustino, Hollins University, on the “Enduring Relevance of Margery Williams’s Most Famous Book”, providing a summary of the author’s life and relevance today. The article serves as an introduction Read more
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The Beggarstaff Brothers
I’ve written before (April 29, 2023) about how my love of art and interest in the art world began during my time serving with the Canadian Embassy in Washington D.C. (1975-77). At one point I even contemplated giving up my government sinecure and going into the art business, importing prints and posters of 20th century Read more
