This little book knocks it out of the park on its title alone. Oh, and with everything else that follows that title, by the way.

It's short. (Two short stories, each proceeded by a scattering of gem-poems, each followed by a wonderful explanation by the author. I had sworn off author explanations, but these have changed my mind.) Every word is so transfixing, time just about stopped when I read it: there is more writing and content in here than most books five times longer. 

Why does every book has to be 500 pages long, now?  I miss short novels.  I do.  I also think I have another author to add to my impending "Poetry Reading List." 

This is the Matter of the South: King Arthur with his gun in a pawn shop, The Fisher King haunted by black howling cusiths, even The Questing Beast. It is murkily ethereal, both in writing and story.  The opening poem sets the tone:

The fence had died.
Perishing by solemn degrees,
Choked to silence by bullis vines
Lurking on the ground
And slithering like fertility symbols
Through trees that suffered
Their subtle visitations.                      

For writers, hope and despair.  Words DO matter. The perfectly perched word opens up worlds in your heart. But DAMN -- how do you get there?  It reminds me of the wistful advice given to us by Chip Delaney at Clarion, in 2006: "You cannot master your craft; you must submit to your craft."  And perhaps more gently and much more recently, from Naomi Shahib Nye: "Believe in the work that comes through you."


                                                 Even better, Berrien doesn't refer to himself as a writer
                                                  in his blog.  He refers to himself as "writerly."  

                                                  I can't help but feel connected. I've wanted to be more writerly
                                                  all this year!

Greek mythology was my very first love, so I was very excited to read the first book of a series on Troy by David Gemmell, who wrote at least 30 novels.

Thirty. Novels.

Jealousy ensues. Starting the story I was ambivalent (nothing to do with my jealousy of course), because it is written more in "summer bot-boiler" style than "effervescent literature" I've been playing with.  I kept noting that the characters were much more modern in their attitude and the story became almost cloyingly sentimental in places.  A lot of places, actually.

But you know what? Those same characters completely won me over.  Helikaon (Aenaeus), also known as The Golden One, also known as Lord of the Silver Bow, navigates grief, rage, love, and honor with the courage of the most noble of heroes; but so does desperately fat Prince Antiphones who is despised by his father, stern Andromache whose courage brings many unwanted suitors, and even bookish Paris who is besotted by a very ordinary Helen.

It had not been my intention to read series of books during this Fantasy Reading List, and so far, I have resisted it fairly well.  But not this time.  I ordered the next two, even though by all rights, I should be on my way to the "H" authors on this list. And that was even before I learned Mr. Gemmell died in 2006, before the second one published, and his wife Stella finished the third one based on his notes.

It feels honorable to finish these stories on honor.

And the lesson for writers is this: don't make your fantasy world and characters so arcane and alien that they don't speak to (and therefore win over) real people.
 
                                                                Pay your respects to David Gemmell.