drizzle, cool, temp 18
We had a marvelous time at Heffers last night. The authors write under the name Michael Gregorio. Husband and wife team. He's British, she's Italian and they live in Spoleto, Italy. they were extremely interesting and very funny. she was describing the rigors of writing together and said when they were editing their latest book she was certain her husband was afraid she was lurking behind the kitchen door with a knife.
I know for sure Michael and I could never write a book together. Too opinionated. (him, of course - I'm a saint)
Went to the Fellows Garden again today but it started raining, so we moved up our coffee with richard Reynolds at Heffers and showed up around 11am - for 'elevenses'. He was wonderful and left work so we could have a quiet time catching up. Lovely man. I was describing my humiliation at asking the former Master at Christ's College, 'so, what do you do?', and Richard told us a Noel coward story, of being at a dinner and seated next to a woman who looked extremely familar. All dinner Coward wracked his brains, trying to think there he knew her from. Finally, near the end of dinner, he decided the best thing was to simply say, 'And so what is your husband doing these days?' in hopes that would give him a clue.
Her answer?
'Still King.'
I felt much better.
Though, oddly, I didn't. I seem to have caught some little bug that gave me an upset stomach. to make matters worse, Michael and I had gone out for breakfast and I'd had stewed prunes. Love stewed prunes. But you can imagine the result.
We hurried home and I spent the afternoon in bed, dozing. Then woke up, Michael made us tea, and while he read his book I did another 50 pages or so of editing on book 5.
Feeling much better now and will put dinner on for both of us. wonderful to have a whole week here and not need to rush around all the time.
I'll speak to you tomorrow.
Showing posts with label Heffers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heffers. Show all posts
Thursday, 11 September 2008
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
Blood, Sweat, toil and strawberry jam
mainly sunny, blustery, temps 20
wonderful day. No rain. Don't know if you've heard, but there's been horrendous flooding in the UK - not here in Cambridge, but in many other regions. Eight people killed and a number of villages cut off. So a day without rain isn't simply convenient. It's a Godsend.
Our lovely time continues. Made straight for the Fellow's Garden at Christ's College this morning. This is a beautiful and peaceful oasis in the centre of the bustling old city. It's walled, with tall trees, open lawn, perennial borders. Apple trees, ponds, roses and a weary old tree they call Milton's Tree. I sat down close to it and edited about 25 pages of book 5. Honestly, it's a writer's dream.
Then Michael and I headed for a large cappuccino at one of the cafes. Then the real mission of the day. Michael's been longing to see Churchill College - one of the most recent additions to Cambridge, and built after his time here. It's slightly outside of the centre of town and today, with the sun, seemed the best day to go. Mostly Michael wanted to see it because it was designed by LeCorbusier.
On our way, just opposite the spectactular Trinity College, we stopped at Heffers Bookstore. It's one of the great independent bookstores anywhere - though it was recently bought by one of the chairs...can't remember which - though you'd never know it...it remains unchanged. There Ibought a copy of Josephine Tey's Brat Farrar. I've never read it and it's the book we'll all be discussing at Magna Cum Murder in Muncie this year. And we also wanted to say 'hi' to our great friend Richard Reynolds, who runs the Crime section of the bookstore. He was in and we chatted for a few minutes - made arrangements to meet tomorrow for coffee. Then he mentioned they're having a reading at Heffers tonight. 6:30. Two authors who write under one name. Mysteries set in Prussia.
So Michael and I are going. What fun!
Then we set off for Churchill college. Quite a long walk-but well worth it. A really quite unusual design. for those of you familiar with Habitat in Montreal - designed for Expo 67 - it looks similar. Like cubes piled one on top of the other. We walked all around - including the amazing cricket pitch. Then decided to head back.
Walking back was fun. We decided to try all the little footpaths winding through Cambridge, and that aren't on a map, so it's unclear where they're going. Only had to turn back once. But what discoveries. We walked through hidden forests and over small stone bridges over rivers, past garden and small cottages - then suddenly we were right at Trinity and king's College again.
This called for a celebration, and since it was 3:30 and we hadn't yet had lunch we stopped at the University Arms for Afternoon Tea. Finger sandwiches with the crusts cut off, scones and clotted cream with strawberry preserve. And pastries. Yum.
I did more editing on the fifth book. So when you buy your copy, in about a year, and it has strawberry jam on it, you'll know what happened.
Must be off. Just out of a quick shower. Michael having a nap. Must wake him and head to Heffers for the authors reading. So nice to be in the audience and support another author. I know how intimidating these can be.
speak tomorrow. hope you're enjoying your time in Cambridge. I sure am.
wonderful day. No rain. Don't know if you've heard, but there's been horrendous flooding in the UK - not here in Cambridge, but in many other regions. Eight people killed and a number of villages cut off. So a day without rain isn't simply convenient. It's a Godsend.
Our lovely time continues. Made straight for the Fellow's Garden at Christ's College this morning. This is a beautiful and peaceful oasis in the centre of the bustling old city. It's walled, with tall trees, open lawn, perennial borders. Apple trees, ponds, roses and a weary old tree they call Milton's Tree. I sat down close to it and edited about 25 pages of book 5. Honestly, it's a writer's dream.
Then Michael and I headed for a large cappuccino at one of the cafes. Then the real mission of the day. Michael's been longing to see Churchill College - one of the most recent additions to Cambridge, and built after his time here. It's slightly outside of the centre of town and today, with the sun, seemed the best day to go. Mostly Michael wanted to see it because it was designed by LeCorbusier.
On our way, just opposite the spectactular Trinity College, we stopped at Heffers Bookstore. It's one of the great independent bookstores anywhere - though it was recently bought by one of the chairs...can't remember which - though you'd never know it...it remains unchanged. There Ibought a copy of Josephine Tey's Brat Farrar. I've never read it and it's the book we'll all be discussing at Magna Cum Murder in Muncie this year. And we also wanted to say 'hi' to our great friend Richard Reynolds, who runs the Crime section of the bookstore. He was in and we chatted for a few minutes - made arrangements to meet tomorrow for coffee. Then he mentioned they're having a reading at Heffers tonight. 6:30. Two authors who write under one name. Mysteries set in Prussia.
So Michael and I are going. What fun!
Then we set off for Churchill college. Quite a long walk-but well worth it. A really quite unusual design. for those of you familiar with Habitat in Montreal - designed for Expo 67 - it looks similar. Like cubes piled one on top of the other. We walked all around - including the amazing cricket pitch. Then decided to head back.
Walking back was fun. We decided to try all the little footpaths winding through Cambridge, and that aren't on a map, so it's unclear where they're going. Only had to turn back once. But what discoveries. We walked through hidden forests and over small stone bridges over rivers, past garden and small cottages - then suddenly we were right at Trinity and king's College again.
This called for a celebration, and since it was 3:30 and we hadn't yet had lunch we stopped at the University Arms for Afternoon Tea. Finger sandwiches with the crusts cut off, scones and clotted cream with strawberry preserve. And pastries. Yum.
I did more editing on the fifth book. So when you buy your copy, in about a year, and it has strawberry jam on it, you'll know what happened.
Must be off. Just out of a quick shower. Michael having a nap. Must wake him and head to Heffers for the authors reading. So nice to be in the audience and support another author. I know how intimidating these can be.
speak tomorrow. hope you're enjoying your time in Cambridge. I sure am.
Friday, 18 April 2008
Eye-catching
Sunny, cool, temps 9
We're now in an English village called Eye. Not kidding - that's it's name. Gets less silly the more you say it. And see it. It's gorgeous. Picture-postcard stuff. Very old church, timbered and thatched cottages, tea rooms and bakeries. Wonderful.
We're here visiting two of Michael's oldest friends from his Cambridge days...John and Moira Buxton. They came to Cambridge yesterday to see my event at Heffer's bookstore, which is a massive independent bookstore in the city. It was a literary lunch, put on by Heffers and organized by Ruchard Reynolds, the head of the bookstore. Brian Freeman was there as well. When we arrived we were shown into the basement of the store, through storerooms and down corridors and past a dark and dingy lunchroom. Had I been alone I'd have been quite frightened. And finally we were shown into what looked like a boiler room - with sandwiches. It was quite hysterical, and very Cambridge, according to Michael. Very relaxed, almost under-whelming - and the more casual it appeared the more important the place. Heffers does not try to impress - it doesn't have to.
We had the best time. It was very fun, and funny. Helped along by the presence of one Mike Ripley, let out on day parole I believe. He's a fellow author and critic and extremely well respected not simply for his drinking, but his opinion. He came, and insisted on describing this part of Heffers as Mordor.
After the literary lunch, when we escaped the tunnels of Mordor and bought Mike's books John and Moira fdrove us back here to Eye. Spent today here as well - relaxing, getting caught up, being driven to neighboring villages each more charming than the last. Going into antique shops and tea rooms and public gardens.
However - it isn't warm. I still have my long underwear on! Lise wrote to say it's 26 degrees celcius in Sutton!!! It's about 8 degrees here.
Tomorrow we're back to London. Hoping to get back by noon then have a massage. And writing on Sunday.
That's all I want to do. Feel so badly because two kinder people would be hard to find than John and Moira - and I am enjoying their company so much - and Michael is adoring it. But a part of me just wants to get back and sit down and write, write, write.
Must learn to live in the day. Ohhmmm.
Talk to you tomorrow. From the leaded glass and mullioned window of John's study as I write this I see the parapets of a ruined castle, an ancient grave yard in front of the church, and chimney pots. Lovely.
We're now in an English village called Eye. Not kidding - that's it's name. Gets less silly the more you say it. And see it. It's gorgeous. Picture-postcard stuff. Very old church, timbered and thatched cottages, tea rooms and bakeries. Wonderful.
We're here visiting two of Michael's oldest friends from his Cambridge days...John and Moira Buxton. They came to Cambridge yesterday to see my event at Heffer's bookstore, which is a massive independent bookstore in the city. It was a literary lunch, put on by Heffers and organized by Ruchard Reynolds, the head of the bookstore. Brian Freeman was there as well. When we arrived we were shown into the basement of the store, through storerooms and down corridors and past a dark and dingy lunchroom. Had I been alone I'd have been quite frightened. And finally we were shown into what looked like a boiler room - with sandwiches. It was quite hysterical, and very Cambridge, according to Michael. Very relaxed, almost under-whelming - and the more casual it appeared the more important the place. Heffers does not try to impress - it doesn't have to.
We had the best time. It was very fun, and funny. Helped along by the presence of one Mike Ripley, let out on day parole I believe. He's a fellow author and critic and extremely well respected not simply for his drinking, but his opinion. He came, and insisted on describing this part of Heffers as Mordor.
After the literary lunch, when we escaped the tunnels of Mordor and bought Mike's books John and Moira fdrove us back here to Eye. Spent today here as well - relaxing, getting caught up, being driven to neighboring villages each more charming than the last. Going into antique shops and tea rooms and public gardens.
However - it isn't warm. I still have my long underwear on! Lise wrote to say it's 26 degrees celcius in Sutton!!! It's about 8 degrees here.
Tomorrow we're back to London. Hoping to get back by noon then have a massage. And writing on Sunday.
That's all I want to do. Feel so badly because two kinder people would be hard to find than John and Moira - and I am enjoying their company so much - and Michael is adoring it. But a part of me just wants to get back and sit down and write, write, write.
Must learn to live in the day. Ohhmmm.
Talk to you tomorrow. From the leaded glass and mullioned window of John's study as I write this I see the parapets of a ruined castle, an ancient grave yard in front of the church, and chimney pots. Lovely.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)