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Home » Weekly Roundup of History, Archaeology and Writing Wisdom August 29-Sept 5

Weekly Roundup of History, Archaeology and Writing Wisdom August 29-Sept 5

image leather bound booksHere are some good blog book tour etiquette reminders if you’re an author heading toward a launch. I have a talk about organizing online book tours and these are a few of the points I emphasize—nice to let someone else do the chatting! By Gail Martin (she writes Steampunk) Click here for “Five Things to Remember When You’re Building a Blog Tour” by Gail Martin

 

 

image of The Education of Achilles on the Lyre, by James Barry
The Education of Achilles on the Lyre, by James Barry

Ancient music (1400 BCE), played on lyre, based on notations found in Ugarit (now in Syria), an important trade city in the Eastern Mediterranean world I have set my books. Click here for the YouTube recording. 

 

If you want accurate, detailed information about the tragic human and cultural losses in Palmyra, here is ASOR Syrian Heritage Initiative’s Special Report. The photographs and descriptions will break your heart. Click here for ASOR’s Syrian Heritage Special Report Update

 

 

Image of Grendel fr Beowulf or is it a certain Republican Candidate?
Grendel fr Beowulf or is it a certain Republican Candidate?

Bruce Holsinger (author of A Burnable Book and The Invention of Fire) innocently decided to spice up his Beowulf lectures with some Trump comparisons/satire. He used the Twitter #BeowulfTrump to spread the fun. The Washington Post noticed and picked it up. Ancient epic poetry is a great source of modern political satire. Click here for Washington Post “If Donald Trump Was a Mythic Anglo Saxon Hero”

 

Here’s a particularly good article on the Bronze Age palace discovered near classical Sparta that just might be the old homestead of the legendary Helen and her cuckolded husband Menelaos. I’m going to stay tuned in for more on this site. Click here for “The Most Interesting Thing About that Ancient Spartan Palace” in Forbes 

 

 

 

Book cover image Lady of the Eternal City Kate QuinnLooking for history, mystery & derring do? Alison Morton has made a great annotated list of books. Of recent reads, I especially loved Nancy Bilyeau’s Tapestry and Kate Quinn’s Lady of the Eternal City (in the middle and can’t put it down, damn Kate—I do have things to do, you know). Any list that starts with Helen Hollick has got to be good and it carries on in a deliciously pulse-raising manner. There’s actually a hashtag for this sort of fun, apparently: #histmystderringdo     Click here for Alison Morton’s website “History Mystery and Derring Do: A Reading Selection”

 

 

 

4 thoughts on “Weekly Roundup of History, Archaeology and Writing Wisdom August 29-Sept 5”

  1. Holsinger’s spoofing on Beowulf/Trump was hilarious. I’m not on Twitter much lately (writing) so thanks for pointing it out, Judy!

    1. Bruce certainly managed to give an intelligent spin for a good laugh. I know what you mean about not being on Twitter (or much of anything lately). That’s been me this week. Done with a long rewrite and then a total read through. Whew!

  2. I’m wishing I had been to Palmyra. I’ve only enjoyed it through photos and descriptions. Now none of us will ever see those majestic ruins.

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