I'm invited to an outdoor wedding this afternoon, and guess what? They must have sent an invitation to Mutha Murphy too, because the clouds are getting low and DARK!

Sitemeter Sez: Visitors from Dublin, Ireland (Another friendly kiss to ya' Eavan!) and all those untrackable USA folks. I think my Emeryville visitors are Caroline Noh and Matt Child.

Remembering my friend George-O at: Theater X-Net

Starring: Ida Rubinstein Belle Epoch Russian/Parisian beauty.
Ida's Places in Paris -- from my first jet-lagged day by the Seine.
Read more about Ida in Sisters of Salome by Toni Bentley

Visit: Michael's Montana Web Archive
Theater, Art, Flash Gordon, Funky Music and MORE!
Spitfires of the Spaceways
Wilma Deering & Dale Arden to the rescue; Bodacious Princess Aura I; Hapless Aura II; The fiery Emperor Ming; The Orson Welles Rumor Debunked; and BOTH incarnations of Jean Rogers!





Thanks to Jim Keefe (Visit his Website) -- the LAST Flash Gordon illustrator of the 20th Century, and Flash's first illustrator of the 21st, for his recommendations -- HERE!

Charity Alert: Keep that Resolution to click on The Hunger Site every day. Also check into Terra Sigilata blog -- donate $$$ to cancer patients just by clicking onto the site.

In The Community: I am running the first proofs of my entry to the 2007 Members Only Salon at the Hockaday Museum of Art today.

Theatre/Theater: Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Update


Sunday, October 21 Buckaroo Bindlestiff Wild West Jamboree
at The Parrish Art Museum 25 Job's Lane, Southampton, NY
Admission is Free. 1 to 4 pm. Fun for the whole Family!
info: 631-283-2118 parrshart.org
Join Gentleman Jack Pennygaff and Miss Philly for this rootin' and tootin' Wild West Jamboree. Celebrating the legends and arts that made the American Wild West, the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus offers an amazing display of lasso spinning, whip cracking, gun slinging, live western music, knife throwing, and many surprises. All the little buckaroos and buckarettes are invited to learn how to spin a rope after the show.

Saturday, October 27, 2007 Magic Hats' Night of the Living Dead
featuring Bindlestiff Family Cirkus at the Lincoln Theater 126 East Cabarrus Street Raleigh, NC 27601
Tickets are $13 in advance/$15 DOS. Doors; 8pm Must be 21 years old.
For info/tickets: http://staging.magichat.net/nold/
...a most unusual celebration ... The howling winds have pushed us South -- The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus promises and evening of unexpected treats and tricks freaturing a Fearsome Foursome of Freakery- dynamite entertainment which will shock, amaze and disgust event the most hardened Halloween reveler!
Don't forget a very special "Group Costume contest" for the $1000 Grand prize! You and a minimum of one other soul, must arrive in the same theme. You can have as many in your group as you would like, but the minimum is two folks in a clearly shared theme. All attending will help choose the winner.
Come Unusually Attired!!

November 2-4, 2007 Sideshow Gathering in Wilkes Barre, PA
Bindlestiff Family Cirkus will performer Saturday evening.
Everyone Welcome! http://www.thesideshowgathering.com/
A number of Bindlestiffs will be performing at the annual Inkin' In the Valley Tattoo Convention and Sideshow Gathering. Mr. Pennygaff and Philomena join this congress of curiosities from across the world to present three days of continuous Sideshow entertainment.

More zooming around -- good thing I ENJOY my work. The wind is blowing off the mountains, and you can see snow falling about the 4000 foot line (3300 m) -- yeah, that means it's cold.

Sitemeter Sez: Visitors from Emeryville, California and Fargo, North Dakota. (I wonder if the latter are fans of Rory Block? She sings a killer song about that place!)


A redigitized image of ace singer/guitarist Aurora (Rory) Block.
Her website is nice!

Remembering my friend George-O at: Theater X-Net

Starring: Ida Rubinstein Belle Epoch Russian/Parisian beauty.
Ida's Places in Paris -- from my first jet-lagged day by the Seine.
Read more about Ida in Sisters of Salome by Toni Bentley

Visit: Michael's Montana Web Archive
Theater, Art, Flash Gordon, Funky Music and MORE!
Spitfires of the Spaceways
Wilma Deering & Dale Arden to the rescue; Bodacious Princess Aura I; Hapless Aura II; The fiery Emperor Ming; The Orson Welles Rumor Debunked; and BOTH incarnations of Jean Rogers!





Thanks to Jim Keefe (Visit his Website) -- the LAST Flash Gordon illustrator of the 20th Century, and Flash's first illustrator of the 21st, for his recommendations -- HERE!

Charity Alert: Keep that Resolution to click on The Hunger Site every day. Also check into Terra Sigilata blog -- donate $$$ to cancer patients just by clicking onto the site.

In The Community: I have enjoyed the quality time I've spent with John Houston these last three days -- his gallery walk at the Hockaday Museum of Art last evening was a transcendent experience for one and all. His film Songs In Stone continues to be delightful, even though I'll end up showing it four times today. (I'm taking a meal break right now.)
John's introductions and the stories he's told during the Q&A sessions have opened so many people's eyes, and it's been wonderful to be part of this experience.

Media Watch: Treat yourself to a glimpse of the world of Inuit Art via Houston Gallery North's Website.


This is the cover of Songs In Stone, as shown on his gallery's website.

Zoom, zoom, zoom -- Day-um, I'm busy today! Intermittent rain with snow falling on the foothills between streaks of blue sky.

Sitemeter Sez: Many visitors from MySpace, and/or search engines that don't track. Someone viewed my picture of lovely Lisa Schaus.

Remembering my friend George-O at: Theater X-Net

Starring: Ida Rubinstein Belle Epoch Russian/Parisian beauty.
Ida's Places in Paris -- from my first jet-lagged day by the Seine.
Read more about Ida in Sisters of Salome by Toni Bentley

Visit: Michael's Montana Web Archive
Theater, Art, Flash Gordon, Funky Music and MORE!
Spitfires of the Spaceways
Wilma Deering & Dale Arden to the rescue; Bodacious Princess Aura I; Hapless Aura II; The fiery Emperor Ming; The Orson Welles Rumor Debunked; and BOTH incarnations of Jean Rogers!





Thanks to Jim Keefe (Visit his Website) -- the LAST Flash Gordon illustrator of the 20th Century, and Flash's first illustrator of the 21st, for his recommendations -- HERE!

Charity Alert: Keep that Resolution to click on The Hunger Site every day. Also check into Terra Sigilata blog -- donate $$$ to cancer patients just by clicking onto the site.

In The Community: I was helping our guest John Houston take pictures of the Inuit Art at the Hockaday Museum of Art last evening. I'll be following him around with a video camera tonight during his gallery lecture, and showing his film all day tomorrow.


Inuit Art at the Hockaday -- see it while it's there!
(We are taking it away after Oct. 13)

Don't Go Away!
Theatre/Theater: Footsbarn Theatre Tour Dates this month --

Montluçon, France
04 October at 20:30h - The Man Who Laughs
05 October at 20:30h - The Man Who Laughs
at Esplanade du château
(in the footsbarn tent)
presented by Saison Culturelle
reservations: tel: +33 (0)4 70 02 56 55
Tickets: From €7 to €8

Parassy (18), France
14 October at 18:30h - The Man Who Laughs
(in the footsbarn tent)
presented by Festival La Cuvée de Parassy
reservations: +33 (0)2 48 24 83 41
Tickets: €15

Stourbridge, United Kingdom
19 October at 19:30h - A Midsummer Night's Dream (2007)
20 October at 19:30h - A Midsummer Night's Dream (2007)
25 October at 19:30h - A Midsummer Night's Dream (2007)
26 October at 19:30h - A Midsummer Night's Dream (2007)
27 October at 19:30h - A Midsummer Night's Dream (2007)
at Glasshouse College
(in the Footsbarn Tent)
Presented by International Mask Festival
Reservations: +44 (0)1384 812812
Tickets: £12.00 (concessions £10.00)
Special offer first 50 tickets purchased only £8.00
www.internationalmaskfestival.com

NOT a morning person, but I was up before 6 AM to make sure we were ready for a 7 AM event. I need COFFEE!

(Back Later)

Oh, that was GOOD! Where was I?

Sitemeter Sez: Many visitors from MySpace, and/or search engines that don't track. Someone viewed my picture of lovely Lisa Schaus.

Remembering my friend George-O at: Theater X-Net

Starring: Ida Rubinstein Belle Epoch Russian/Parisian beauty.
Ida's Places in Paris -- from my first jet-lagged day by the Seine.
Read more about Ida in Sisters of Salome by Toni Bentley

Visit: Michael's Montana Web Archive
Theater, Art, Flash Gordon, Funky Music and MORE!
Spitfires of the Spaceways
Wilma Deering & Dale Arden to the rescue; Bodacious Princess Aura I; Hapless Aura II; The fiery Emperor Ming; The Orson Welles Rumor Debunked; and BOTH incarnations of Jean Rogers!





Thanks to Jim Keefe (Visit his Website) -- the LAST Flash Gordon illustrator of the 20th Century, and Flash's first illustrator of the 21st, for his recommendations -- HERE!

Charity Alert: Keep that Resolution to click on The Hunger Site every day. Also check into Terra Sigilata blog -- donate $$$ to cancer patients just by clicking onto the site.

In The Community: Back to work, with a vengence! Many public events at the Hockaday Museum of Art AND Flathead Valley Community College this week -- several associated with the Inuit Art exhibit.

Media Watch: REAL Books -- I finished re-reading Joy Chant's Red Moon and Black Mountain, but didn't like it as much as I did 35 years ago. She owes a LOT to Andrew Lang, and I'd guess that the Inklings were part of her reading list too, although she didn't acknowledge them in the author-blurb. However, she has an enjoyable writing style, and I thought she did a good job with The High Kings.
Speaking of key books in the development of Fantasy, ever-exploitive Ace Books reprinted Alan Garner's The Weirdstone of Brisingamen* in the late 60's, explicitly trying to capitalize on the "Tolkien Tradition," since they were foxed out of exploiting Tolkien by the old professor himself. Garner was/is a much more original writer, one of the best storytellers and wordsmiths in the Fantasy Genre, and I recommend his books very highly -- read the Wikipedia entry about him, and follow the links!
*The Moon of Gomrath is something of a sequel to Weirdstone, except that the two books don't really rely on one another. Garner's ability to criss-cross the borders of Faerie with grace and ease is remarkable. I also say that both he and Joy Chant owe much to Evelyn Nesbitt's fantastic novels about children in strange worlds, as did C.S. Lewis.


Jack Gaughan's cover of Ace Books' late 60's reprint of The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (1960) -- Andre Norton's testimonial is interesting in that she also dabbled in Nesbitt-like heroic fantasies in her Witch World series from the same publisher. This illustration portrays the Mara, minor but dangerous antagonists in Garner's book. Another version of these monsters showed up a decade later in the half-baked movie Prophecy, but I'll bet this author had nothing to do with that!

My house is still full of brown boxes! Why didn't this stuff put itself away while I was on vacation? It started raining last night, and is still trickling on. The Autumn leaves are turning fast in this corner of Montana, as they were in Utah.

Sitemeter Sez: Visitors from Cary, North Carolina; Makati, Phillipines; Frisco, Texas and Brooklyn, New York (Stozo Da' Klown, perhaps).

Remembering my friend George-O at: Theater X-Net

Starring: Ida Rubinstein Belle Epoch Russian/Parisian beauty.
Ida's Places in Paris -- from my first jet-lagged day by the Seine.
Read more about Ida in Sisters of Salome by Toni Bentley

Visit: Michael's Montana Web Archive
Theater, Art, Flash Gordon, Funky Music and MORE!
Spitfires of the Spaceways
Wilma Deering & Dale Arden to the rescue; Bodacious Princess Aura I; Hapless Aura II; The fiery Emperor Ming; The Orson Welles Rumor Debunked; and BOTH incarnations of Jean Rogers!





Thanks to Jim Keefe (Visit his Website) -- the LAST Flash Gordon illustrator of the 20th Century, and Flash's first illustrator of the 21st, for his recommendations -- HERE!

Charity Alert: Keep that Resolution to click on The Hunger Site every day. Also check into Terra Sigilata blog -- donate $$$ to cancer patients just by clicking onto the site.

In The Community: Back to work! Many public events at the Hockaday Museum of Art AND Flathead Valley Community College this week -- several associated with the Inuit Art exhibit.

Media Watch: REAL Books -- Joy Chant's Red Moon and Black Mountain with a Frazetta cover. It was originally published as part of Ballantine Books "Adult Fantasy" series. J.R.R. Tolkien's impressive success with Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit apparently convinced Ballantine to take some risks. They had done well with Edgar Rice Burroughs earlier, and reprinted some amazing works by E.R. Eddison, Mervyn Peake, David Lindsay, and Peter S. Beagle in paperback too. Since I was working a full-time industrial job and going to college, I sure liked having a century's worth of Fantasy Literature on the racks to preserve my sanity when I had time to read. Here's a listing of the series itself (thanks to Wikipedia):
1. The Blue Star, Fletcher Pratt (May 1969)
(Never read it, didn't like this author)
2. The King of Elfland's Daughter, Lord Dunsany (Jun. 1969) EXCELLENT!
3. The Wood Beyond the World, William Morris (Jul. 1969) EXCELLENT!
4. The Silver Stallion, James Branch Cabell (Aug. 1969) EXCELLENT!
5. Lilith, George MacDonald (Sep. 1969) EXCELLENT!
6. Dragons, Elves, and Heroes, Lin Carter, ed. (Oct. 1969) (nope -- just didn't read it)
7. The Young Magicians, Lin Carter, ed. (Oct. 1969) (wasn't impressed)
8. Figures of Earth, James Branch Cabell (Nov. 1969) EXCELLENT!
9. The Sorcerer's Ship, Hannes Bok (Dec. 1969) (Great artist, lousy writer)
10. Land of Unreason, Fletcher Pratt and L. Sprague de Camp (nope)
11. The High Place, James Branch Cabell (Feb. 1970) EXCELLENT!
12. Lud-in-the-Mist, Hope Mirrlees (Mar. 1970) EXCELLENT! -- One of the very best.
13. At the Edge of the World, Lord Dunsany (Mar. 1970) (never saw it)
14. Phantastes, George MacDonald (Apr. 1970) VERY EXCELLENT!
15. The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, H. P. Lovecraft (May 1970) (Well, I liked it)
16. Zothique, Clark Ashton Smith (Jun. 1970) (Lovecraft's friend, but crappy book)
17. The Shaving of Shagpat, George Meredith (Jul. 1970) (nope)
18. The Island of the Mighty, Evangeline Walton (Jul. 1970) EXCELLENT!
19. Deryni Rising, Katherine Kurtz (Aug. 1970) (I wasn't impressed, but my vote hardly counted -- the whole series was a big success.)
20. The Well at the World's End, Vol. 1, William Morris (Aug. 1970) and
21. The Well at the World's End, Vol. 2, William Morris (Sep. 1970) EXCELLENT!
22. Golden Cities, Far, Lin Carter, ed. (Oct. 1970) (tedious)
23. Beyond the Golden Stair, Hannes Bok (Nov. 1970) (nope)
24. The Broken Sword, Poul Anderson (Jan. 1971) (A big disappointment)
25. The Boats of the "Glen Carrig", William Hope Hodgson (Feb. 1971) (never saw it)
26. The Doom that Came to Sarnath and Other Stories, H. P. Lovecraft (Feb. 1971) (some good, some bad)
27. Something About Eve, James Branch Cabell (Mar. 1971) (got tired of him)
28. Red Moon and Black Mountain, Joy Chant (Mar. 1971) EXCELLENT!
29. Hyperborea, Clark Ashton Smith (Apr. 1971) (nope)
30. Don Rodriguez: Chronicles of Shadow Valley, Lord Dunsany (May 1971) (didn't finish it)
31. Vathek, William Beckford (Jun. 1971) (almost unreadable, abandoned)
32. The Man Who Was Thursday, G. K. Chesterton (Jul. 1971) EXCELLENT!
33. The Children of Llyr, Evangeline Walton (Aug. 1971) EXCELLENT!
34. The Cream of the Jest, James Branch Cabell (Sep. 1971) (actually liked it)
35. New Worlds for Old, Lin Carter, ed. (Sep. 1971) (no more of these)
36. The Spawn of Cthulhu, Lin Carter, ed. (Oct. 1971) (see above)
37. Double Phoenix, Edmund Cooper and Roger Lancelyn Green (Nov. 1971) (nope)
38. The Water of the Wondrous Isles, William Morris (Nov. 1971) EXCELLENT!
39. Khaled, F. Marion Crawford (Dec. 1971) (nope)
40. The World's Desire, H. Rider Haggard and Andrew Lang (Jan. 1972) (good names, bad book)
41. Xiccarph, Clark Ashton Smith (Feb. 1972) (nope)
42. The Lost Continent, C. J. Cutcliffe Hyne (Feb. 1972) (never saw it)
43. Discoveries in Fantasy, Lin Carter, ed. (Mar. 1972) (nope)
44. Domnei, James Branch Cabell (Mar. 1972) (nope)
45. Kai Lung's Golden Hours, Ernest Bramah (Apr. 1972) (nope)
46. Deryni Checkmate, Katherine Kurtz (May 1972) (nope)
47. Beyond the Fields We Know, Lord Dunsany (May 1972) (nope)
48. The Three Imposters, Arthur Machen (Jun. 1972) (nope)
49. The Night Land, Vol. 1, William Hope Hodgson (Jul. 1972) and
50. The Night Land, Vol. 2, William Hope Hodgson (Jul. 1972)
(never finished, wished I didn't start it)
51. The Song of Rhiannon, Evangeline Walton (Aug. 1972) EXCELLENT!
52. Great Short Novels of Adult Fantasy I, Lin Carter, ed. (Sep. 1972) (nope)
53. Evenor, George MacDonald (Nov. 1972) (never saw it)
54. Orlando Furioso: The Ring of Angelica, Volume 1, Ludovico Ariosto, translated by Richard Hodgens (Jan. 1973) (nope)
55. The Charwoman's Shadow, Lord Dunsany (Feb. 1973) (nope)
56. Great Short Novels ... II, Lin Carter, ed. (Mar. 1973) (nope)
57. The Sundering Flood, William Morris (May 1973) EXCELLENT!
(nope to all below)
58. Imaginary Worlds: the Art of Fantasy, Lin Carter (Jun. 1973)
59. Poseidonis, Clark Ashton Smith (Jul. 1973)
60. Excalibur, Sanders Anne Laubenthal (Aug. 1973)
61. High Deryni, Katherine Kurtz (Sep. 1973)
62. Hrolf Kraki's Saga, Poul Anderson (Oct. 1973)
63. The People of the Mist, H. Rider Haggard (Dec. 1973)
64. Kai Lung Unrolls His Mat, Ernest Bramah (Feb. 1974)
65. Over the Hills and Far Away, Lord Dunsany (Apr. 1974)

Series "left-overs," June-November 1974
1. Merlin's Ring, H. Warner Munn (Jun. 1974) (nope)
2. Prince of Annwn, Evangeline Walton (Nov. 1974) EXCELLENT!

I might give Lord Dunsany another chance today. I enjoyed every George MacDonald book I ever read. Thanks to those prolific paperback publishers of the 60's and 70's, there is an official Fantasy Genre now, with new fans and writers blossoming seasonally like Mallorn Trees in Lothlorien.


An illustration from William Morris' elaborate Wood Beyond the World (1894 edition). J.R.R. Tolkien was free with his written appreciation of Andrew Lang and other fantastic storytellers. Somehow he didn't mention Morris much, if at all, but their writing styles were SO similar -- in both poetry and prose.