Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Review: Doom "An Excellent Job Of Continuing Lewis' Loony But Chilling Adventures"

Book review: The Doom of the Haunted Opera

Encounters at Chicago's International House

The first in an occasional series about where John Bellairs lived during his time in Chicago.

The International House of Chicago (1414 E. 59th Street) is a student residence for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students on the University of Chicago campus. John Bellairs moved here when began graduate work in 1959 and remained a resident there until around 1961. He may have returned to live there later during his later years as a student in Chicago.

Friday, March 17, 2006

Go with the Green

Saint Patrick
Happy St. Patrick’s Day – and to celebrate, here’s a portion of the hymn Father Higgins taught us, St. Patrick’s Breastplate. Patrick is supposed to have composed this in his preparation for this victory over Paganism.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Review: Tower "Strickland Continues To Write As If Bellairs Were Guiding His Hand From Beyond The Grave"

Book review: The Tower at the End of the World

Remembering Severn Darden

Severn Darden
by guest contributor, Alfred Myers:
In browsing the Bellairsia website, I noticed The House With a Clock in Its Walls lists Severn Darden as one of the actors. Darden was a product the famous Second City Comedy Group that originated at the University of Chicago. It, and its direct predecessor, the Compass Players, generated much of the edgiest comedy of the late 1950s and early '60s and produced such stars as Mike Nichols, Elaine May, and Shelly Berman.

Thursday, March 2, 2006

Come Under One Body's Hand

The Wicker Man
Just got through watching a strange little film entitled The Wicker Man. It’s set on an island off the west coast of Scotland where people continue to practice ancient pagan rituals. The film was released in 1973 and it’s fairly dated and all, but there was one curious little scene that made me do a double take.

Wednesday, March 1, 2006

Something About Bellairs in the Classroom

Are you an educator who has used John Bellairs’s novels in your classroom for a reading assignment? Or perhaps a student who did a Bellairs-related project, such as poster, diorama, or model for an assignment? If so, we'd like to do some homework and discuss lesson plans with you. Drop us a line...even on a school night.