Bellairs Cam: Your Eyes On Thy Picture

Is there something strange in your neighborhood, a mysterious house or odd sculpture that either resembles or reminds you of something from John or Brad’s books? Then get your camera ready!

Where My Land And Living Lies

John Bellairs taught for only one school year at Shimer College, back when it was stationed in Mount Carroll, Illinois. The college left the small community in the 1970s for bigger pastures and the grounds became home of the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation (not quite the place to go if you want to find out how to get that century-old tobacco stain out of your Civil War-era floor rug).

Something About the (Other) Cronin House

Some comments on the Cronin House of Marshall...and some bit of history on the Cronin House in Hayward, California. There’s no relation between the two aside from the name but the one out west sounded as if it had an interesting history, too.

Time Capsule: The Face...at 40

We would do all Bellairsdom a great disservice if we did not acknowledge this year is the fortieth anniversary of The Face in the Frost. It is still the first (and the only compleat) story to feature the wizards Prospero and Roger Bacon who live in a strange land known only as the Southern Kingdom. And what a book it is.  Bellairs actually composed a lot of the book in another kingdom – the United Kingdom...England – in his years after teaching at Shimer College. How far along in Prospero's tale Bellairs was before he arrived in England is uncertain but the ambiance there surely inspired him – note the similarities of local flavor found in the Gorgon's head in Bath and Somerset's Five Dials Inn to some of the encounters in Face.

Dan Poblocki: The Stone Child

The Stone Child is the first book of author Dan Poblocki, who confesses to being a fan of Mr. Bellairs:

46th Annual Historic Home Tour

The Marshall, Michigan Home Tour is in its 46th year of offering exquisite private homes and businesses for public viewing and enjoyment. The tour will feature vintage homes and historic museums covering diverse specialties such as unusual architecture, antique home furnishings, and more. The Home Tour was voted the Best Home Tour by the readers of AAA's Michigan Living magazine.

• Saturday, September 12, 9:00 to 5:00
• Sunday, September 13, 10:00 to 5:00

For more information, including associated costs, please contact the Marshall Historical Society or Chamber of Commerce.

Elsewhere:

• Laura Martone shares some comments on the tour and some of the historical residences in Marshall
• Historical Ken discusses some of the other tours around Michigan.
• Some pictures of Marshall courtesy Scott Diussa and David Bowser.