To round out this year of fiction by early twentieth century English women, I offer a holiday mystery! The Santa Klaus Murder, by Mavis Doriel Hay -- Synopsis from the publisher: Aunt Mildred declared that no good could come of the Melbury family Christmas gatherings...
Oxford
August Tea and a Book: Two Novels from Barbara Pym
(Just under the wire with this August post!) This year my intention was to recommend novels by female authors published in the early 20th century. I veered into mid-century with Dodie Smith and I'm doing it again today with Barbara Pym's Jane and Prudence (1953) and...
June Tea and a Book: the novels of Winifred Holtby
For June’s “Tea and a Book” I am celebrating the work of Winifred Holtby (1898-1935), an English author who published seven novels, two books of poetry, two collections of short stories, and a critical memoir of Virginia Woolf, all before succumbing to kidney disease...
August Tea and a Book & a GIVEAWAY: Ophelia Swam, by Kelley Swain
During our many summers in Oxford, I spent a lot of time in Blackwell's Bookshop -- browsing, reading, drinking tea, and sometimes even writing. It's probably my favorite bookstore in the world because it is enormous, exhaustively stocked, and yet somehow intimate and...
Smultronställe in St. Cross Churchyard, Oxford
In my previous post featuring the work of Eva Ibbotson, I enthused about a Swedish word found in one of her novels: smultronställe is a noun meaning that special place treasured or yet to be discovered. It could be an idyllic opening in the forest, a quiet beach, a...
Literary Walks: Dorothy Sayers’ Oxford
If you know me at all, you know I love Oxford. You also might recall that I adore the mysteries of Dorothy L. Sayers. While in Oxford this summer I was determined to put together my own literary walk to celebrate Sayers' Gaudy Night and its two main characters,...
England 2015 postcards: Oxford Botanic Garden
Steve and I have always loved the Oxford Botanic Garden, and I've subjected you to many photos of it over the years. Can you bear with me once again? And perhaps help me with flower names? Above you see beautiful pinky purple flowers (I never pay attention to labels,...
Postcards from Wonderland
We returned from Lyme Regis yesterday, but I'll save those details for a post later this week. For now I want to share photos from last Wednesday when the clever Brasenose conference organizers put together a Mad Hatter Tea Party for all the conference groups....
Going to the city
For our anniversary weekend (23 years!), Steve and I will spend three nights in London. There will be theatre, a concert, and at least one full afternoon tea. Many postcards to come!In the meantime I offer you these:A rare shot of Radcliffe Camera and Brasenose...
The mystery of the wee blue door, an Exeter window, and more…
Every time I walk along Parks Road, I wonder about this small blue door. The building is on the grounds of Wadham College, but I can't seem to find any information about its history or current use. Was the door used for deliveries only? A closer view of the door. Any...
A view of the Camera
I love seeing the dome of the Radcliffe Camera when walking through the Deer Park and Old Quad of Brasenose College, but this is the first time it's seemed like a face peering over the wall -- am I the only one who thinks this face vaguely resembles the Stay Puft...
Postcards from the City of Dreaming Spires
We're back in Oxford!I want to do a better job of keeping in touch while we're here, and therefore my goal will be to post at least four photos a week. Virtual postcards, you might say. And I'll start with the above -- a view from our evening walk through Christ...
Settling in
Re-entry has been a challenge, but now that I've been home for a week, my brain seems to be making more of an effort.Before I left Oxford, one of the students -- who'd endured A LOT of talk about my cat -- asked me if I'd seen this video:Hee! I'm happy to report that...
Final Oxford 2013 post
We leave Sunday, so now it's the mad dash to settle accounts, pack, and say goodbyes.*sniffle*And yet, I am so EXCITED to be home after 7 weeks away! My kitty, my house, my TV, my bed, my quiet work space, my AIR CONDITIONING -- I yearn for them all. So . . . I'll sum...