In the Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

I picked up a copy of Mr. Eco’s book last weekend. I had a copy about ten years ago and I couldn’t get into it. This time the story has caught my attention. I offer cudos to Mr. Eco on his writing, however the endless lines of Latin have driven me nuts. This is the first time I have ever considered writing in the margins. It seems there are more folks that write books in their books than I realized. Marginalium, according to Merrium Webster, is marginal notes. It orginated from Medeval latin. There are lots of expamples in the old iluminated manuscripts of marginalia that show glimps into a scribes’s working life.

One of the IJ facebook group told me there is a book he wrote after Rose that gives the translations of the latin phrases. Why didn’t it come with my copy? Seems like that should have been a no brainer. Great book well recieved except for stumbling over the latin. So companion book. Brillant. Which means I don’t have to write in my book. I just have to find a copy of the companion book. 

Cheers I am going back to my reading. james

Wild Wind

The wind is wild tonight. Trees are whipping and moaning. The power lines spark when they slap together. All in all a nasty night for man and beast. And yet there is something that calls to me from the wild heart of the storm. A call echoed about within my soul. Dear tempest do you know how you temp me? Calling me to embrace the fiece wild wind. No, I thought not. I don’t understand it either. 

Cheers on a windy night. Be smart and stay safe. james

Welcome April

Last couple of months I haven’t posted as much as I wanted. However I couldn’t seem to find the words. I read a few books and posted the reviews and that was fun. My stories on the other hand, I had trouble putting pen to paper. I have thought about them quite a bit, yet it never translated to words on the page. 

I know I am far from the first and far from the last to experience this. It is comforting knowing I’m right there in the middle with everybody else and fustrated that I can’t seem to move past it. I just finished reading a Conan story and it has rekindled my passion for the Cimmerian. Mr. Howard’s hero is still valid and worthy of consideration in our modern world. 

In my NaNoWriMo project, Manuscripts, Ephinanies, Illuminated, Conan plays a part first as a comissioned project and they when my heronine needs to believe in herself. The Cimmerian visits her dreams to build her confidence. Ambitious but worthwhile project, if I could just get the story out of my head and on the paper. 

Here’s to a new month and inspired writing. Cheers, james