There are pivotal moments in Louis Bayard’s glorious new novel, The School of Night, that hinge on the archaic, pitch-dark machinations of alchemy. No small wonder, I suppose, as Bayard is himself a bit of an alchemist (perhaps conjurer is a more suitable term), capable of transporting readers to foregone ages with an almost supernatural deftness.
I first became aware of Bayard’s work with 2003’s “Mr. Timothy”, an incandescently beautiful (and heart-wrenching) book detailing the later-day exploits of Dickens’ Tiny Tim. Bayard’s next two books, stunning both, are The Pale Blue Eye (which follows a young Edgar Allen Poe solving an arcane and terrible mystery while attending West Point) and The Black Tower (in which Restoration era Paris is brought vividly to life as the fate of Marie-Antoinette and King Louis XVI’s long-lost son is relentlessly pursued).
The School of Night employs a two-tier narrative: one thread takes place in modern times following a group of Elizabethan collectors and scholars as they try to piece together a mystery involving an invaluable long-lost letter, a hidden treasure and the legacy of a secret cabal of luminaries called the School of Night. The other plot line unspools in 1603 as one of the School’s founding members, Thomas Harriot, a genius whose name has been almost forgotten in the mists of history, dabbles in matters both scientific and of the heart. Bayard does much to resurrect Harriot and his legacy, along the way providing a powerful love story that, through interweaving chapters, crashes headfirst into the story’s modern-day plot lines.
To discuss more of the plot would be a terrible disservice. Best to let readers simply revel in one twist and turn after another. Know that Bayard handles the modern tale masterfully, believably and with a level of humor sadly missing from most thrillers. And what of Bayard’s Elizabethan passages, the ones involving Harriot? They are, simply put, transcendent. Bayard displays not a single weakness as a writer, but if he has one strength that shines above the others (and just about any other modern writer I can think of) it is this: His ability to summon long-lost historical time periods with uncanny immediacy. From the pitch-perfect cadence of the dialogue to every sparkling flourish of sight, sound and smell, Bayard is able to almost corporally transport readers through the veils of time. You are there. You feel it.
Perhaps there is no better example than late in the book (after most of the plot threads have already been woven tightly together) when Bayard, by way of the lovelorn Harriot, leads us on a journey through a plague-choked London that is as harrowing as anything he has ever written. Grim, disturbing, and ultimately poignant, the scene — like all of Bayard’s output — is a virtuosic performance.
The School of Night — thrilling, funny, touching and sometimes heartbreaking — firmly cements Bayard’s status among our finest novelists.
Due out: March 29
For my new project “Tags for the Troops”, I am creating personalized dog tags for the women and men who are currently serving our country abroad, away from their homes and families. I will happily accept photos (vertical ones) of anything your soldier loves—his/her children, wives, husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends, pets, parents—really anything or anyone you think your soldier would like to keep close to his/her heart while they are away from home. I will create the dog tag and send it without charge. All you have to do is send me a photo and the name and address of your soldier. I am happy to say that I already have my first soldier, SGT Roger Markko!!! I have completed a dog tag for him with a picture of his children (see below)! I am so excited about this project and hope to bring a few smiles to those who sacrifice so much for us all. Peace and Love.
My family and I visited the Indianapolis Museum of Art yesterday just so we could take a peek at “Read My Pins”—Madeleine Albright’s exhibit of exquisite pin jewelry. I have never been a huge fan of wearing pins…well, maybe back in the late 80s when pins worn at the top of your over-sized blouse was the thing, but not much since then. Don’t get me wrong, I think pins are beautiful and the perfect accessory with the right hat or on a coat lapel but my jewelry “thing” is necklaces—I guess we all have our own jewelry vices. Madeleine’s pin exhibit was much more than I had imagined—it was absolutely amazing! She owns every kind of pin—small and large, expensive and inexpensive, animals, sea life, political, spiritual, heirlooms, new pieces, pins made by exclusive jewelry makers, unknown artists, and even a heart pin made by her daughter when she was a child (Madeleine’s favorite)…anyway, you get my drift. (I think she is the Imelda Marcos of pins! LOL!) Once at the exhibit, I found myself meandering from case to case and reading every single plaque—I didn’t want to miss a thing. It seemed so personal—I actually felt like I had been given an invitation from Madeleine herself to tour her jewelry box and share the secret behind each and every piece. I truly think one of the things that impressed me the most was that many of her pins were just costume pieces—not expensive—and some were made of simple materials such as metal, rhinestones or clay. The idea here is that these pieces mean something to her and are just as important as the expensive diamond and pearl pieces. You have to respect and admire a person like that—someone who can have all the expensive jewelry she wants. As I continued through the exhibit I viewed pictures of past presidents, rulers of other nations, dignitaries, etc. all with Madeleine—always smiling and always sporting a beautiful pin. I’m sure most of those people got the messages she was conveying with her jewelry…but for those who didn’t, I’m sure they are still scratching their heads thinking there was something about that Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, but maybe they just couldn’t PINpoint it. Anyway, kudos to you Madeleine Albright for proudly wearing your jewelry as art and as a way of making a true and bold statement…and for showing the world that jewelry can be cool and meaningful even when if it comes from the most humble of origins.
I take my hat, with its elegant hat pin, off to you.
Whhheeeeeewwwwwww, it was a really long holiday season for my family, as a matter of fact we are just now recovering from it all. Did I find time to blog during this busiest time of year? No. I fell out of the habit just like many of my friends. One of my goals this year is to blog more often and create a store front here from which I can actually sell my artwork and jewelry. It may take some time and redesigning but it will happen so stay tuned. :^D
Happy New Year!!!!!
Can you feel it? It’s in the air! I’m not talking about Christmas trees, holiday music, or the smell of fresh snow…I’m talking about the stress of it all!!! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!! But it seems as I have gotten older, and now have grown kids, the stress is worse than ever. Go figure. I thought it was easier as they got older. Hmmmmmm. Also, since I am an artist this is my busiest time of year. The orders come flying in…which is good…but I literally do feel like an elf in Santa’s workshop…I don’t stop working until late at night and I don’t stop working until December 24th!!! So couple that work schedule with grown kids who have a mile long wish list and you have one tiring month ahead. I remember when my hubby and I used to love Christmas shopping for toys—it was so much fun—but those days are gone and it makes me sad. Now our kids want laptops, the newest coolest phone (aaahhhhh, geeeez mom it HAS to have a full keyboard!!!), Ipads, game systems and controllers, e-readers, yada, yada, yada…so on top of everything else, we are always wondering if we’re even going to be able to afford Christmas. I know we are fortunate enough to be together and be healthy so the presents should not matter, but…well, if you have kids you know what I’m talking about. Ok, off to my workshop…this elf has vented enough…for now anyway. :^D
Cheers!
Thanks to all of you who are fans of The Art Of Donna Facebook page!!! I appreciate your support more than I can say! Please watch the two attached videos (in numerical order) so you can see how we picked the winners for this contest and who won! (We had to create two short videos as our camera recorder refuses to let us record for very long!)
Cheers!
P.S. Winners: I’ll be in touch soon so I can start creating your Swarovski crystal dog tags!!! :^D
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I adore cameos, especially very old ones…cameos that have a story attached. I know my great-grandmother wore them but some how I was not lucky enough to inherit one of hers. Anyway, one day I was looking through etsy and happened upon these every cool cameos–instead of featuring beautiful ivory maidens, they featured intricate skeleton profiles! I immediately thought of the new wave of books such as “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”, “Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters” and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”. I think this is a fun take on these classic stories and really quite unexpected. Why not take classic jewelry, such as cameos, and go for the unexpected? It does not take away from the beauty of original vintage pieces…it just puts a new spin on the idea. I wasn’t sure how I would create such pieces but I finally found a mold to use so I could create my very own skeleton cameos. I created the cameo and used vintage beads and other bits to finish the piece. I am in the midst of creating more but have posted photos of the one I just finished. Comments are, as always, very welcome. :^D
Cheers!
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I haven’t posted on here in awhile but it has been an extremely busy time for me and my family. I plan to get back on track this week so see you all then! :^D
Cheers!
I was going to write something fun tonight, or even post another recipe since yesterday’s post for Kalua Yams went over so well, but I noticed this post on wordpress and wanted to share it with my readers. Also, Halloween is this Sunday so be sure to check the candy your kids bring home from trick-or-treating before they eat it!
http://purebebe.com/2010/10/27/check-your-candy-6-companies-issue-halloween-candy-recalls/
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