This excerpt is taken from Chapter Eight in The Innamorati when Erminia finds herself in the piazza, watching a performance of the Commedia troupe, the Libertini. She is stunned by the magic of Anna Forseti's masks. And their power incite in her the longing to be fully the fantastic creature that she is, threatening to […]
Excerpt from The Innamorati: Erminia’s Song Read More »
Homer offers one of the earliest descriptions of the Sirens in The Odyssey. It comes as Odysseus is leaving Hades, having gotten advice from just about all of the shades in his past. Circe makes it clear that there are still significant obstacles to his journey home and offers suggestions as to how to hear
The Sirens of Homer’s Odyssey I Read More »
I am working on a series of posts on my research on the sirens — all of which went into creating the character of Erminia, the siren in The Innamorati. I decided to provide something from the novel as an opportunity to see how the research transforms into character. So here is the chapter where
Excerpt From The Innamorati: Erminia, the Siren Read More »
Bright among goddesses she stood in our midst and addressed us:“Unhappy men, who went alive to the house of Hades, so dying twice, when all the rest of mankind die only here all the rest of the day, and then tomorrow, when dawn shows,you shall sail, and I will show you the way and make
Circe’s Advice to Odysseus Read More »
Erminia picked her way carefully between the rocks and gnarled tree roots of the path as she made her way down a steep slope to the sea. Behind her, the hills rose into pleated crests, lined with cedar, oak, and pine. In the dawn light, the gorse bloomed bright yellow amid the green leaves. The
Excerpt from The Innamorati: The Siren Erminia Read More »
Here’s the full sized version of the magazine photo by Annie Leibovitz of these incredible satyrs half-way through their transformation.
Annie Leibovitz: Satyrs Read More »
Every time I work on a book, I spend almost as much time looking for evocative images as I do the right word or phrase. I never know exactly where I will find them — though heaven knows, Pinterest has provided me with much joy recently. And I now keep all the found images from
Visual Nutrition: Finding the Satyrs of The Innamorati Read More »
There is nothing more thrilling than to read a novel's opening sentences and feel the entire weight of the novel laid bare, giving both a sense of anticipation and dread. You can not help yourself but to lean in to see if such proclaimed prophecy will turn out to be right even as you are
Lessons From the Masters: Joseph Conrad’s Opening Sentence: An Outcast of the Islands Read More »
