Beauty and the Beast, Dylan Thomas poem, Love and Hope in 2021 by Kaye Spencer #poems #80stelevision #dylanthomas #prairierosepubs

This is my eighth, and last, article in a series about my favorite poems. Click on the poem’s titles to read the previous seven.

• Nov. 2020 – The NightBefore Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore
• Oct. 2020 – The Raven,El Dorado, Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poe
• Sept. 2020 – A Child’sGarden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson
• Aug. 2020 – Acquaintedwith the Night, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
• July  2020 – Invictus by William Ernest Henley
• June 2020 – Casey at the Bat by Ernest Lawrence Thayer
• May 2020 – My Papa’s Waltz by Theodore Roethke 

Beauty and the Beast was a tragically short-lived television series—1987-1990—starring Ron Perlman as Vincent and Linda Hamilton as Catherine Chandler.

I was so obsessed with this show that when Catherine died in the episode “Though Lovers Be Lost”, I was inconsolable. I cried so hard that my three young children, who didn’t understand my grief, were scared I’d not recover.

Consequently, I’ve never watched another television series as it aired. I have a few DVD sets of older television shows, but that’s as emotionally invested as I can muster. I watch shows and movies just like I read books. If I don’t know how it ends going in, I won’t watch or read it.

 

Catherine and Vincent

This isn’t a complete list, but along with quotes and passages from books, many worthy poems were recited, referenced, or quoted in the B & B series.

Ozymandias and I Arise from the Dreams of Thee by Percy Bysshe Shelly

Sonnets #CXVI and #XXIX by William Shakespeare

She Walks in Beauty by George Gordon, Lord Byron

Acquainted with the Night by Robert Frost

Somewhere I have Never Traveled by E. E. Cummings

Invictus by William Ernest Henley

Remember by Christina Rosetti

This soundtrack of music and Ron Perlman reciting poetry, Love and Hope – Beauty and the Beast, is criminally over-priced on Amazon ($106.00 as of today). Listen to it on YouTube HERE.

The title of the B & B episode, “Though Lovers Be Lost”, is a line in Welsh poet and writer Dylan Thomas’ (1914-1953) poem And Death Shall have No Dominion. This poem was published in May 1933 in New England Weekly. The title, which is a recurring line/refrain is of Biblical origin.

Dylan Thomas courtesy Wikipedia
Attribution HERE

The poem illustrates that, while death ultimately has the last word so-to-speak, death doesn’t control everything. It can’t control our free will or, as Viktor Frankl wrote in Man’s Search for Meaning, ‘man’s will to meaning’, which is our determination to stand firm and resolute against the power of death so that we actually have the last word.

But that is another subject for another time.

These two lines from the poem—

Though lovers be lost, love shall not;
And death shall have no dominion.

—serve as one of the themes in my western romance, The Comanchero’s Bride, as are Westley words to Buttercup. “Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.”

 

Click HERE to read more about The Comanchero's Bride.

Thomas’ poem is a reminder that death can’t take the love that lives on in our hearts and in our memories when we lose someone dear, because love is stronger than death. Death comes to all living things, but it cannot stay. It cannot linger. (to paraphrase Dickens) It must move on, never settling, never resting, and always alone.

But love, love endures. Love is forever. Love remains. Love has a companion called hope. A person is never alone when she holds on to both. They are the heart’s shield that death cannot penetrate.

This article may feel like a downer of a way to end the year, but it’s not. Much like 2016 that began with the celebrity deaths of David Bowie and Alan Rickman and ended with the world losing Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, 2020 hasn’t played nicely in its own special ways but, through it all, we’re heading into 2021, just as we looked to 2017, with love and hope in our hearts that things will be better.

And they will be. They always are.

Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.

Apology: If you're reading this from your phone, you probably won't see the YouTube video of Richard Burton reciting Death Shall have No Dominion.

If you need a good cry, you can find Catherine’s death scene in on YouTube. After all these years, it’s still too close to my heart and too raw in my memory to revisit. L

My next Prairie Rose Publications’ book is an historical, romantic suspense novel scheduled for a February 10, 2021 release under the Fire Star Press imprint. The setting is Chicago 1929, specifically February 14^th , and the title is Chicago Lightning.

Throughout January, I will blog on my website about Chicago Lightning and the related history of the Prohibition/Roaring Twenties era. I’ll post the articles on Facebook for your reading convenience.

See you in 2021,
Kaye Spencer

You can find Kaye in Cyberland here:

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‘Tis the season to be Jolly

 

 

 It really is, despite everything. Because, pandemic or no, confined or not confined, alone or with others, we have many reasons to be jolly:

1. We are alive, or we wouldn’t be reading this 
2. We have books that can transport us to distant places or other times
3. There are wonderful writers, and the way they use language can thrill us
4. Not far away is beautiful countryside
5. Flowers smell lovely
6. Animals can be our best friends
7. There is beautiful music to listen to

And my end of the year gift to you all is a piece of music — perhaps my favorite — created by Dieterich Buxtehude. Buxtehude lived from 1637 to 1707 in what is now Germany. Not only a brilliant organist, he was also one of the world’s great composers (he greatly influenced Johann Sebastian Bach.) So listen to this beautiful Alleluia that has traveled to us through the centuries and enjoy.

Season’s Greeting to you all, hugs and cheers!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XOT0v09LWU

 

 

And…oh well…I never can resist adding a cynical note…

 

 

 

More about my books and passionate life can be found at http://www.j-arleneculiner.com

and http://www:jill-culiner.com

and on my story podcast at https://soundcloud.com/j-arlene-culiner

A WRITER'S CHRISTMAS LIST, by Mollie Hunt, Cat Writer

  

Aside from the usual things—peace on Earth, a lottery win, a pony (that’s a hold-out from when I was a little girl)—all I want for Christmas are:

 

AUTHOR EVENTS.

I used to get so nervous before a book event that I’d swear I’d never do one again. Now I miss them like crazy.

BOOKSTORES.

Remember back when we could go to a real live bookstore? See our books placed lovingly on the shelves?

CONFERENCES.

From Pop Cats to the Cat Writers Association Conference to the Las Vegas Star Trek convention, 2020 was cancelled and it looks like 2021 may not be much better. I can’t wait until it’s safe to go out again. Besides the joy and vivacity of the various events, I love staying in hotels and ordering room service.

EXERCISE.

OMC! Did I say the E-word? I’ve never been the one to go to the gym or play sports, but BC (before Covid) I got a certain amount of exercise in my daily life. Now my biggest exertion is moving from screen to screen—laptop, computer, TV, phone. I don’t have the desire or discipline to do pushups with Richard Simmons, but if I don’t get going, I fear I’ll turn into Jaba the Hut.

FELLOWSHIPS.

Zoom is great! I don’t have to dress or brush my teeth. I can even set a background so my associates think I’m in Hawaii or the Louvre instead of my messy office. But online chats will never replace in person events, no matter how hard everyone tries.

MEETINGS.

I belong to several writers’ and other groups that hold regular meetings, at least they did BC. Some have moved to Zoom, but others have fallen by the wayside. Hopefully when this is all over, those groups can move forward again. We’ve lost so much during this pandemic, but I have high hopes for people’s enthusiasm about what comes next.

NEW IDEAS.

You’d think working on four books would be enough to keep me busy, and it is, but all four are in various stages of editing. I have nothing new to wrap my head around, which may be for the best since my head isn’t working all that well these days.

PRESENTATIONS.

Another in-person event put on hold, presentations, both mine and other people’s, were one of my favorite pastimes. I’ve done a couple of them on Zoom but felt such distance from my little audience of squares, I preformed poorly. Sorry about that.

REVIEWS.

I know people are reading. What else do we have to do (besides Netflix and Amazon shopping?) so why aren’t I seeing a rise in book reviews? Maybe everyone’s stunned into silence by the current events. I know I am.

SLEEP.

I don’t know about you, but my sleep cycle is all messed up. I’m awake half the night, then dog-tired after lunch. What I wouldn’t give for a good night’s sleep where not a creature is stirring not even a cat—I mean, mouse.

What’s on you Writer’s Christmas List this year?

 A Time To Write   -  Ruben D. Gonzales

It came as a surprise to me, the solitariness of writing. Long hours alone. Cooped up with only my thoughts on the created fictional world. I now understand the draw a fictional world holds over troubled souls. A world of your own making where outside stresses may be left behind. Where worries of a Corona virus need not be carried. Our shoulders, bent under the pressure of every day life, suddenly relieved by the trip into another domain, created just as you want, filled with whimsical characters or dreadful spirits, happy children, or assassins bent on death.

Of course my wife dislikes that world. The world where I appear to lose myself – away from the immediacy of the household world. Both retired now from working beneath others, on others schedules, from others expectations, I think she thought the hard earned free time would be our time. Time to spend visiting grand children. Time for household chores and renovations. Instead she discovered a writing hermit had been sharing her bed all these years.

Not that I entirely withdraw from the world around. There are still meals to contemplate, trash to take out, occasional long delayed home repairs. But at the slightest pause in the everyday I can dash to the computer to write. To retreat into the world of my current story, treasure hunt or mystery. 

As writing has become the must do – other once cherished past times have indeed passed. The guitar in its case remains silent. The twang of the banjo leaning against the wall next to my desk remains strangely quiet. The piano in the den, even at this holiday time of year, has lost its merriment. All replaced by solitary writing where the words on the page take the primary position over all else.

Is this why the literary world is filled with the scared souls of our greatest writers? Or have I not just found the balance between what is expected and what is needed - to write.

So I steal time in the early morning hours, waking at 4:00 AM - sometimes earlier. Stealing time from sleep. A double edged sword. To find time to write but with the loss of sleep the dreams that come are also lost. 

www.rubendgonzales.com

New Release -- Pennytook and Peregrine’s Curse (Legends of Winatuke Book 4 & 5) by Sarah J. McNeal

 

PENNYTOOK

Pennytook is a war-weary Gypsy who longs for peace from the past, and wants something meaningful in his life for the future.

Esmeralda, a Gypsy trick rider, has harbored a deep affection for Pennytook, for many years. But her dark secret will never allow him into her life.

A mythological creature is about to unleash its horror and change the destinies of Esmeralda and Pennytook forever. Will forgiveness allow them the love they both search for…if they manage to survive?

PEREGRINE’S CURSE

Peregrine McKnight is a wildly successful musician who only wants to fall in love with a woman who understands him and have a loving family. But Peregrine knows that can never happen for him—he’s been cursed.

After a foray into the magical dimension of Winatuke, Peregrine suffers a curse placed on him by the evil Navasi king. Though Peregrine manages to survive, the curse prevents him from ever falling in love.

Beautiful dancer Parisa Habuba survived the war in Syria—but at a price: she has lost her hearing in the constant bombing attacks. When Parisa learns of a position for a dancer with the famous musician, Peregrine McKnight, she doesn’t hesitate to audition.  This may be her only chance to prove she can dance—in spite of her hearing loss.

Although it might take a miracle for Peregrine and Parisa to find love—anything is possible in the magical realm of Winatuke...

EXCERPT PENNYTOOK:

Esmeralda remembered how Pennytook's eyes had followed her while she rode. She did her best tricks to gain his attention. It was a stupid thing to do. He might recognize me and then what would I do? In her own defense, Esmeralda knew she could not help herself. When Pennytook was young and had a wife and baby, even then, she thought him handsome and charming. He was lean and muscular with black hair, dark eyes, and an olive complexion. The years had changed him very little. Feathers of silver now ran through his black hair, and his face was more angular, with lines around his mouth and the corners of his eyes. His hands, though worn and hardened by hard work, were still strong.

His abilities with horses and music were renowned. Everyone loved Pennytook. He led his tribe with a fair hand and kindness. His campfires were always warm and his ways generous and inviting.

Many said of him that he knew the ways of magic and held great wisdom. Esmeralda knew this to be true firsthand from that time on the Dark Isle when hell opened up and spewed horror. She knew Pennytook would eventually realize her association with his son and that night on the Dark Isle. He would learn her terrible secret. When he came to know she was the cause of him losing his son, he would hate her, and she would be shunned by his tribe for all time. Knowing that Pennytook would think ill of her if he knew the truth hurt like a dagger sticking in her chest. She had always loved him, though she held her feelings close to her heart. Still, even though he would turn away from her and curse her, she knew she had to tell him what she had done. He needed to hear her reveal her secret from her own lips, and from no other. And then, she would have to bear his hatred. 

2020 - A Year in Reading

To state the obvious, 2020 has been a bad year for most things.  From pandemic to natural disasters to violence and riots to locusts and murder hornets to air crashes to the election, and the list goes on.  Every single one of us has been affected, and my heart goes out to those who have lost friends and loved ones.  

One of the less egregious ramifications of 2020 is being stuck at home full time and precluded from socializing with family and friends.  

Them:  We're bored. 

Me:  Read a book!

Of course, if being stuck at home is the worst thing you’ve had to deal with this year (and you're able to work from home), you are one of the lucky ones.  But this can take its toll on even the most steadfast introvert and put a strain on your household unit.  (Why does my husband keep placing the toilet paper in the “under” position?!?  But, hey, at least we have toilet paper ... for now.)  For me, however, one of the small bright spots that has come from staying home is that I've had more time for reading.  

According to my Goodreads statistics, for the past five years, I have consistently read approximately 21 books per year.  For 2020, however, it looks like I will come in at around 48 books - more than double!  

Wow!

This might not sound like a lot to some people, but keep in mind that I have a full-time job and mostly only read at night before bed.  (If I didn’t have a job, I can visualize myself filling great portions of every day reading for pleasure!)  My uptick in reading this year likely relates to being at home more.  Although I still work full-time and still mostly read before bed, I have more time to read at night and on the weekends, since there are no evening or weekend outings.  

Another factor that increased my reading is my public library's e-book collection.  I never used the library for physical books because I have a huge collection of hard-copy/paperback books at home, and I’ll have to admit that I’m too lazy to pick up and drop off physical books at the library.  Also, my eyes are getting too weak for physical books, most of which, to me, have such tiny print I have to strain to see it even with “reader” glasses.  With e-books, however, I can set the font to only about five words per page and I’m golden!   

Although my local library’s e-book collection doesn’t have all the books/authors I would like to read, it has a huge selection to choose from.  I was able to read all of the Miss Marple novels and short stories, which I had never read before and thoroughly enjoyed.  Next up, Poirot!  (Although I have already checked and the library doesn’t carry all of them in e-book format!  I may have to bite the bullet and do hard copies for the ones that are missing.)

I have heard some say that they’ve had trouble reading during the pandemic - that their minds are too distracted and/or stressed to focus on it.  It’s had the opposite affect on me.  I’ve found myself reading ravenously as a brief escape from our crazy reality.  

What about you?  Have you been able to enjoy reading during this year’s insanity?  How many books have you read in 2020?

Angela Crider Neary is an attorney by day and writer by night. She is an avid mystery reader and especially enjoys reading novels set in interesting locales. She was inspired to write her first mystery novella, Li'l Tom and the Pussyfoot Detective Bureau: The Case of the Parrots Desaparecidos, by one of her favorite areas in San Francisco, Telegraph Hill.  Her second book, Li'l Tom and the Case of the New Year Dragon is now available.  To learn more, visit her on Facebook and Amazon.

Photo Finish

Happy December! 'Tis the season to deck the halls, etc., etc., etc. I began sending out yearly Christmas cards once I got married. I always enjoyed the process of going out and selecting the perfect card but over the years the process of actually sending them became a bit of a chore. Over time I implemented a few changes to make things easier: I purchased pre-printed return address labels and blank labels that I could use to print out labels for the recipients. Once I set up the file containing the addresses it was just a matter of keeping it updated from year to year. The biggest improvement to the process was one I put off for years: downsizing the list of recipients. Several years ago I finally took the plunge and greatly reduced the number of recipients, primarily by removing people that I hadn't seen or heard from in years.

Even though we raised two boys I was never the person to do photo cards so that everyone could watch them grow up, nor did I write an annual fifteen-page letter detailing every aspect of our lives for the preceding year. However, things changed when we moved to our current home (aka The Cabin) in 2017. For some reason, that year I decided that I wanted to do photo cards - in part to show everyone our new house. I have kept up the new tradition and am actually quite enjoying it. While there are oodles of sites from which you can create/order personalized cards, Shutterfly is my provider of choice. I enjoy the process of selecting which card design and photos to use. One thing that all of our cards have had in common is a photo of my husband and I on the front and a photo of one of our cats, along with a "witty" saying on the back. (At least I think it's witty, LOL.) So, rather than getting to watch our sons grow up, folks will get to watch us grow old - which is fine by me. I hope that the recipients will also get to see a bit of our personalities that they may not have seen before. Now I invite you to take a stroll with me down memory lane with a peek at the main photos from our cards.

Our 2017 card featured what is still one of my favorite pictures of my hubby and I; our cat Nyx was featured on the back.

 

For our 2018 card we re-created the previous year's couple's photo - with me in my T-Rex costume. (Yes, I have a T-Rex costume.) Our cat Marvin was featured on the back.

Our 2019 card featured a picture of my hubby and I that was taken when we were at the Grand Prismatic Basin in Yellowstone National Park; Kota (the Kitten of the Apocalypse) was featured on the back.

Now, I'm going to give you a peek at the photos used on this year's cards which haven't even been sent out yet so shhhhhh! This year being what it has, I couldn't resist taking some 2020 appropriate photos of us and our newest feline family member, Bear, makes his debut on the back of the card.

Speaking of Bear, say a prayer for us y'all. A kitten's first Christmas is always interesting and I have no doubt that Bear will find his introduction to a Christmas tree to be beyond exciting.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year. Let's all raise a glass to a better 2021!

 

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