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Author Archives: Amanda McCabe/Laurel McKee

About Amanda McCabe/Laurel McKee

Writer (as Amanda McCabe, Laurel McKee, Amanda Carmack), history geek, yoga enthusiast, pet owner!

Alternate Realities

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Well, I had another post all ready to go, with a few nice pics, but Blogger didn’t want to cooperate with me. So, that will have to wait for when I have a bit more patience! In the meantime, I have a few thoughts related to Prinnyworld, and Elena’s and Janet’s excellent posts.

In the last year or so, I’ve read a few books that dealt with an “alternative” Regency world. The backdrops of the stories, and integral parts of their plots, were well-grounded in the culture and history of the Regency period–with a few notable exceptions. One of them was Susannah Clark’s Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell, a huge tome of nearly 800 pages, but they all fly by. The year is 1808, and Regency England is full of magic–theoretical and practical, fairies and other creatures, statues in churches that suddenly shout out, all sorts of things. It comes across sort of like a “comedy of manners,” complete with footnotes and eccentric “period” spelling. There is rich mythology woven into real history (such as a blockade of French ports by an English fleet conured up out of rainwater).

Another was Madeleine Robins’ “Sarah Tolerance” mysteries (two that I know of so far–Petty Treason and Point of Honour). These are terrific glimpses into the gritty underworld of Regency London, seen from the viewpoint of a Fallen Woman turned Agent of Inquiry. A sort of Regency noir. They take a few liberties with history–for instance, Queen Charlotte is the Regent. But they are well and imaginatively done.

Another is Naomi Novik’s His Majesty’s Dragon, which I only recently (in the last two weeks!) picked up, thanks to all the recs online. What a fun book! It’s the first in her “Temeraire” series (T. being the dragon). Patrick O’Brian meets–I dunno, some fantasy author who writes a lot about dragons. 🙂 Dragons, of various breeds and varieties, are used in aerial combat against France (flown by the Aerial Corps, natch, a fascinating sub-caste in Regency society). There are detailed battle scenes and a great deal about both naval and aerial life. Sometimes the dragons seem more well-rounded than the rather stiff humans, but it’s a great read.

This doesn’t even count the numerous Regency-set romances that involve some sort of paranormal aspect. Would those count as an “alternate reality”? I think the whole idea is fascinating, probably because I could never really be creative enough to create my own version of history and have it work as well as these examples. What about you? Do you like books of this sort, or do you prefer your history “straight up”? What are some favorite examples of the genre?

Posted in Reading, Regency, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 11 Replies

25 things…

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Today’s post really has nothing to do with writing, I guess. Though I suppose it could be a useful tool when first starting a project and “getting to know” your characters. But someone sent me this questionnaire of “25 things about YOU,” and it was kind of fun to fill out. Here are my answers, and I can’t wait to hear what other people have to say about them, too. 🙂 Or maybe it’s just a way for me to indulge my natural nosiness…

1) If you could build a second house anywhere, where would it be? Maui, of course! Or maybe a cottage in an English village. Can I have both?
2) What is your favorite article of clothing? Well, I have two, actually. One is an ancient yellow fisherman’s sweater. Yellow is a horrible color on me–makes me look like I’m dying of a terrible tropical fever. Plus there is a hole in the elbow. But I love that sweater and will never part with it. My other fave is a black jersey wrap dress that always gives me the comforting idea that I’m thinner than I am. It’s a magical dress.
3) What is the last CD you purchased? Cecilia Bartoli’s Opera Probita
4) What time do you wake up in the morning? 7 if I have to go to work (boo!), as late as the dogs will let me sleep on weekends
5) What is your favorite kitchen appliance? Er–does the phone count, since it’s in the kitchen? I use it to order takeout all the time. Or maybe the microwave.
6) If you could play any instrument, what would it be? This is hard, because I always wished I had musical talent and, well, I just don’t. Ask my parents about those ill-fated piano lessons. But I would love to play the cello
7) What is your favorite color? Pink!
8) Do you believe in the afterlife? Yes. No. Maybe. Depends on what day it is. 🙂
9) What is your favorite children’s book? Another toughie–there are so many. Eloise, I think. I adored that book when I was a kid, and drove my parents crazy demanding they let me move into a hotel
10) What is your favorite season? Autumn. I love the cool, crisp air, the colors, and Halloween
11) Do you have a tattoo? No–I’m afraid of pain!
12) Can you juggle? No, despite the best efforts of this guy selling juggling sets at a Ren. fair last spring
13) Who is the person you would most like to travel back in time and talk to? Why only one??? Shakespeare, maybe? Or Austen! Or the Buddha. Can I have all 3?
14) What is your favorite day of the week? Saturday, of course!
15) What’s in the trunk of your car? Besides the body of the last reviewer to diss my books?
16) If you could have one superpower what would it be? Invisibility! I really envied Harry Potter that cloak of his
17) Sushi or beef? Um–chicken. But if I have to choose one, sushi
18) What is your favorite meal? Fried shrimp
19) When is your birthday? January 15 (gifts accepted all year long, though)
20) Do you watch Oprah? If I happen to be home and it’s on. So, not much
21) Do you watch Survivor? No–not much of a “reality TV” person
22) What is your favorite TV show? Of all time, I LOVE LUCY. Or maybe NORTHERN EXPOSURE. Right now–LOST
23) Do you celebrate Christmas? In a “trapped in family hell” way, yes 🙂
24) What is your favorite movie? Another hard one. You all know how I love movies. Today I’m really liking ROMAN HOLIDAY
25) Vanilla or chocolate? Chocolate, always

Now your turn! Feel free to answer any or all of these yourself, either here or on your own blog. (But if it’s on your own blog, you have to send the Riskies a link!) Happy Saturday…

Posted in Frivolity | Tagged | 6 Replies

You Be the Director!

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As I’ve probably posted here before, I love movies. I’m by no means a Cinema Expert, like a friend of mine who was a Film Studies major. I don’t much like going to the movies with him because afterwards he always wants to talk about camera angles and filters and other techie stuff I don’t understand. I just want to talk about the characters. And the dialogue. And the costumes. All much too amateur for him. 🙂

Anyway, I do enjoy movies. So, I’ve been following the news out of Cannes this week. I love Cannes, too, for being so goofball and overblown and, well, so French. Who else boos movies? Not the Canadians, I bet. Toronto is probably far more civilized and not nearly as much fun. I’d like to know what all those actresses are thinking when it comes to their gowns, though. Kirsten Dunst, who I like because she’s usually so quirky and cute, gets herself up to look like Fraulein Maria at the abbey for her big premiere??? Monica Belluci in a Christmas tree skirt trimmed with feather dusters??? This is France, people! FRANCE! (Sofia Coppola sure had some great shoes, though).

But I digress. Fashion will always do that to me. I’m here to talk about movies. I think. One movie in particular–Marie Antoinette, the one reportedly just booed at Cannes by moviegoing members of the “petit bourgeois” (according to one French critic). Now, I haven’t seen this film–it doesn’t open here until October. I’ve only seen a trailer, and I don’t know why it was booed (though I’d dearly like to find out). I will definitely see it, for the elaborate costumes, Versailles, the reported neo-punk soundtrack, and because I’m always a sucker for overblown, pre-Revolutionary shenanigans. But I have some reservations, mostly about the casting. As I said, I do like Kirsten Dunst. But does “quirky” equal “Austrian princess in powdered wigs”? Just not sure. I also don’t know who I would cast instead, if it was MY movie. Maybe Anne Hathaway? Or Emmy Rossum, if she wasn’t so tall?

Anyway, here is your task, if you choose to accept it. Let’s imagine we’re making a film about, say, the life of Byron (forget the one from the BBC a couple years ago–ours will be better!). Who would you cast in the lead parts? As Byron? (I would vote for Johnny Depp, I think. Or Keanu Reeves, if he had the acting skills to equal his looks, darn it). Caro Lamb? (Now there would be a part for Kirsten Dunst!). The Shelleys? Annabelle Milbanke? Lady Melbourne?

Serious and/or goofy answers all happily accepted! As are suggestions for Marie Antoinette. Or any other movie you choose to make. YOU are the director now! I may even give away a free book to the most, er, creative ideas…

Posted in TV and Film | Tagged , , , | 18 Replies

More Lunacy

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This is sort of a continuation on my post about Mary Lamb and mental health care in Regency England. I snooped around online and found some great websites, for anyone who might like to know more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethlehem-Royal-Hospital (this just gives a little more history on Bedlam, a link to their modern museum, a few pics)

http://www.nwe.ufl.edu/~pcraddoc/places.html (some cool maps)

http://www.iwm.org.uk (The Imperial War Museum website–their building incorporates what is left of the original Bedlam, which I thought was fascinating, though I’ve never visited this museum)

http://www.bedlampk.com (I searched all over the web for a good pic of those statues, and only found one here, of all places, at the Bedlam Asset Management website. It’s a cartoony pic, but you can see sort of what they looked like. Not sure I would let this company manage my assets, though…)

http://bms.brown.edu/HistoryofPsychiatry/bedlam.html (more Bedlam history)

Some Mary Lamb stuff:

http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/lambtales/LAMBTALES.HTM (Tales from Shakespeare)

http://womenshistory.about.com/library/pic/bl_p_mary_lamb.htm (a pic of Mary as an old woman)

And, just because I feel like it, http://www.theorlandobloomfiles.com

Have a great weekend!

Posted in Regency, Research | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Replies

Lady Cordelia Takes Tea

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On Saturday, I partook of your charming American custom of “Mother’s Day” by attending tea at a lovely little tea shop with my hostess, her mother, and various other ladies. (My own dear, departed mother would have loved this holiday, I think–she was always in need of more face paint and bottles of scent!). It was not the same as the tea I served in my house, which my friends always declared to be superlative, but it was adequate. They had an extensive selection of fine teas (which surprised me, I must say. I deplore this “Lipton” business!), some nice little sandwiches, and a few iced cakes. In honor of this occasion, I will pass on some of my own tea wisdom, mostly gained from my own mother (who adored a lapsang souchong).

Tea was introduced to Europe during Elizabethan times, but as people then had no sense of what was good for them, it did not reach England until 1657-60. Even the barbaric Russians had it before us, and it was a Venetian named Gian Battista Ramusio who was the first European to write about the drink. (Very surprising, if you know the Venetians at all). It was at first a hard sell, until that most deplorable of monarchs (lovely taste, though) Charles II took up the habit of drinking tea all day long. It was among the least objectionable of his many habits, I fear. It was also very popular here in your own country until that unfortunate occurence called the Boston Tea Party in 1773.

Afternoon tea was not a fixed tradition in my own time (though I enjoy cakes and a refreshing sip at four o’clock as much as anyone!). Slightly later than that, or so I read now on this Intra-Net compooter, the Duchess of Bedford started ordering a tray of bread-and-butter in the afternoons, as she could not wait for the fashionable dining hour before getting a bit peckish. It worked out well for her, and she began inviting friends to join her. The bread-and-butter was soon supplemented by pastries, sandwiches, and scones. “High tea” is a different thing altogther, a full meal served around six for the lower classes, consisting of meats, fish, cheese, bread and butter, cakes (and tea!).

Here are a few of my favorite recipes, which I experimented with while my hostess was away at her “work.” Her food cooling apparatus is always quite low on the staples of life, so I made do with what little I could find.

Cucumber Sandwiches:
1 large cuccumber
White wine vinegar
Butter (soft)

Peel and slice cucumber. Sprinkle the slices with vinegar and let sit for half an hour, drain and pat dry. Make the sandwich with 1 or 2 layers of cucumber slices, on thin bread spread with butter. Slice neatly into quarters (remove crusts!) and serve.

Devonshire Clotted Cream (warning! This is not a true clotted cream. I devised this with the use of that wondrous blender)

8 oz cream cheese
12 oz sour cream
Juice from 1 lemon
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
(Blend all until smooth)

Rose Butter (a most elegant spread for toast, sandwiches, scones)

4 oz butter
Fresh rose petals (pink is lovely)

Line the bottom of a covered dish with a thick layer of petals. Wrap butter with waxed paper and place in dish. Cover with more petals. Put lid on dish and let sit in cool space overnight.

Posted in Frivolity, Regency, Research | Tagged , , | 3 Replies
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