la_marquise (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
la_marquise) wrote2009-11-23 12:41 pm
la_marquise) wrote2009-11-23 12:41 pm
Entry tags:
Five questions
From ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
a_d_medievalist.
1. How did you meet the marquis?
Neither of us can remember how we met for the very first time. We were both members of the Cambridge University SF Society and must have been told each other's names at some point. But the first memory either of us have of meeting and talking is in around 1985/6, at a party, when for some long forgotten reason we got talking and he pretended to strangle me. Various other things happened (including me being engaged to someone else for a while) and we finally got together in 1987.
2. How much do you consciously inject your social/political beliefs into your novels?
I don't know. I don't consciously set out to do so (except for my short story 'Strong Brown God', which was written for an explicitly political anthology) but I tend to notice that such things have crept in fairly early and end up working towards and about them. Living With Ghosts is fairly light on politics, I think (although the rich/poor divide is in there). Grass King is a lot more overtly political and became so from its third chapter.
3. Who is your favourite historian (to read)?
Peter Sawyer, definitely. I love the acuteness in his writing. I have a soft spot for G R Elton, too, though I don't agree with him!
4. You're having a party, and you have to invite 5 people each from history and fiction, as well as several LJ friends: who do you invite?
Oh, that's difficult. The fictional characters are fairly easy -- I'd like all of Athos, Porthos, Aramis and d'Artagnan in their fictional personae, plus Freddy Standen from Georgette Heyer's Cotillion, because he's at home in any social situation. From history... Gruffudd ap Llywelyn and Trahaearn ap Caradog, my two favourite 11th century Welsh kings; Cardinal Richelieu, because he's much maligned and was a cat lover; the Russian dissident writer and former victim of Stalin's purges Eugenia Ginsberg, because she's my heroine; and the remarkable Marie de Rohan, duchesse de Chevreuse, because she's one of the cleverest and most interesting women in French history (though she and Richelieu did not get on at all). From LJ? Oh, even harder...narkil, of course (aka the marquis); anef, because she's always a good guest; anna_wing, because she could handle Richelieu, I'm certain; desperance, because he'd never forgive me for having both Freddy and Aramis present and not inviting him; and stevegreen, because he's great company and he would write the event up afterwards with skill and flair.
5. What is your dream holiday (and does it include writing?)?
That's something that changes regularly, because I'm one of those people who works out where she really wants to go, then saves up and goes. China is high on my list, as is Northern India. I like to tour around and see edifices and mountains and lakes and.... Ad learn about the history and culture. And the marquis has to come, too. I might write, I might not: it would depend on what I was working on at the time.
Leave me a comment saying "Resistance is Futile."
• I'll respond by asking you five questions so I can satisfy my curiosity.
• Update your journal with the answers to the questions.
• Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions.
a_d_medievalist.1. How did you meet the marquis?
Neither of us can remember how we met for the very first time. We were both members of the Cambridge University SF Society and must have been told each other's names at some point. But the first memory either of us have of meeting and talking is in around 1985/6, at a party, when for some long forgotten reason we got talking and he pretended to strangle me. Various other things happened (including me being engaged to someone else for a while) and we finally got together in 1987.
2. How much do you consciously inject your social/political beliefs into your novels?
I don't know. I don't consciously set out to do so (except for my short story 'Strong Brown God', which was written for an explicitly political anthology) but I tend to notice that such things have crept in fairly early and end up working towards and about them. Living With Ghosts is fairly light on politics, I think (although the rich/poor divide is in there). Grass King is a lot more overtly political and became so from its third chapter.
3. Who is your favourite historian (to read)?
Peter Sawyer, definitely. I love the acuteness in his writing. I have a soft spot for G R Elton, too, though I don't agree with him!
4. You're having a party, and you have to invite 5 people each from history and fiction, as well as several LJ friends: who do you invite?
Oh, that's difficult. The fictional characters are fairly easy -- I'd like all of Athos, Porthos, Aramis and d'Artagnan in their fictional personae, plus Freddy Standen from Georgette Heyer's Cotillion, because he's at home in any social situation. From history... Gruffudd ap Llywelyn and Trahaearn ap Caradog, my two favourite 11th century Welsh kings; Cardinal Richelieu, because he's much maligned and was a cat lover; the Russian dissident writer and former victim of Stalin's purges Eugenia Ginsberg, because she's my heroine; and the remarkable Marie de Rohan, duchesse de Chevreuse, because she's one of the cleverest and most interesting women in French history (though she and Richelieu did not get on at all). From LJ? Oh, even harder...
narkil, of course (aka the marquis); anef, because she's always a good guest; anna_wing, because she could handle Richelieu, I'm certain; desperance, because he'd never forgive me for having both Freddy and Aramis present and not inviting him; and stevegreen, because he's great company and he would write the event up afterwards with skill and flair.5. What is your dream holiday (and does it include writing?)?
That's something that changes regularly, because I'm one of those people who works out where she really wants to go, then saves up and goes. China is high on my list, as is Northern India. I like to tour around and see edifices and mountains and lakes and.... Ad learn about the history and culture. And the marquis has to come, too. I might write, I might not: it would depend on what I was working on at the time.
Leave me a comment saying "Resistance is Futile."
• I'll respond by asking you five questions so I can satisfy my curiosity.
• Update your journal with the answers to the questions.
• Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
For frothy poison, maybe Madame de Tencin and Madame du Deffand? Horry Walpole worshipped the latter--and he was known for his conversation (though I guess Gilly Williams was better, but he doesn't seem to have left anything behind to read.)
and for the total Monty Pythonesque, how about Paul Whitehead?
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
Reisistance is futile.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
Resistance is futile
Re: Resistance is futile
Re: Resistance is futile
1) So, tell me your dinner party -- five from fiction, five from history, five others.
· The Enchantress of Florence in all her various guises from Salmon Rusdie’s recent book
· Inspector Montalbano (crime series about Sicily by Andrea Camillieri) because he loves good food so. He might even bring a treat – or at least some excellent wine.
· Francis Crawford, Comte de Sevigny and his bride (eventually) Philippa Somerville, from Dorothy Dunnett’s brilliantly researched historical series, The Lymond Chronicles
· V.I. Warchawsky someone to talk business with the Inspector – of course I wouldn’t seat her beside him. That would be too obvious
· Simon de Montfort: He not only helped to establish the framework for parliamentary government in England, I would like to ask him about his father’s treatment of the Cathar’s
· The real Duchess of Devonshire – not the trumped up creature from the movie.
· Constantine the Great’s mother Helena
· As from my comment, Blanche of Castile
· Thomas Jefferson – he would not only enjoy all these powerful attractive women, he and de Montfort would have a good time comparing experiences
Then to shake up the mix:
· Barack Obama
· Ex-president Leonard Meri of Estonia. He was also a write, poet, translator and historian
· Georgia O’Keefe another strong woman and a fabulous artist
· Stphen Fry – why not?
· Baroness Ashton – she could benefit from the experiences and advice of all these seasoned politikers – or maybe not.
2) Where else in Europe have you lived?
In addition to Estonia, where I now reside: Greece, the island of Kreta, London, England, Helsinki, Finland, and very briefly – two months – Italy in Abruzzi.
3) When and why did you start writing?
I wrote my first play, ‘The Penthouse Ghost’ when I was 9. It was about a woman, murdered by her husband so he could marry his lover. She returns as a ghost and drives the new wife crazy so she jumps off the balcony. The husband, driven by remorse and grief soon follows her over the edge.
It was performed in our garage by my playmates whom I had dragooned into appearing. Naturally I was the director. Why? Don-no ‘cause it was there.
4) What did you think of Ludlow Castle?
I’ve never been there. But funnily enough it is on my list of to-do places. As part of my involvement with organic farming and tourism development here on the island of Saaremaa I am very interested in the way this sleepy town almost in the middle of nowhere reinvented itself as a serious foodie destination. Perhaps a grant for a discovery trip should be proposed…..
5) What are your favourite kinds of music?
Mozart, baroque, generally followed by traditional local music, Greek rebetika, kritika; also North African, Yunisian. Moroccan – the kinds of things you hear coming out of doorways in parts of North East Paris.
no subject
no subject
no subject
voltage divided by currentfutile.no subject
mad Americans with gunsUS religious right? 5) What is your preferred flavour of cake?no subject
no subject
no subject
I'm not sure how well they'd fit in with your other guests, but I'd also propose Simon Templar, the Hon Galahad Threepwood, and Mrs Bradley, because they all have conversation and they can cope with anyone or anything. Among the non-fictional people I'd suggest the Rev Sidney Smith and Lord Byron, ditto.
no subject
no subject
We could have them both and Keats too!
One needs a really reliable household staff to be a salonniere. And a very good cook, to whom one must pay exorbitant wages so that they are not poached by one's guests.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
2) What was the last garment you bought?
3) What attracted you to mediaeval history?
4) What lost historical text would you most like to rediscover?
5) If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?