Something for the Smead Jolley Fans

A user named DMcCunney answers the age-old question about which book have you read/re-read all your life and confesses how the late Smead Jolley made someone a brief fantasy convert.  No errors there, Smead!

Time Capsule: 1860

1860: At the northwest corner of Michigan and Kalamazoo Avenues stands one of the most unusual pieces of architecture to be seen anywhere in the United States and it's celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.

Goreyana: Eyes & Lamp

Notes from Goreyana about The Eyes of the Killer Robot and The Lamp from the Warlock's Tomb:

• The Eyes of the Killer Robot has a wrap-around dust jacket design and a frontis drawing. I don't feel that the dust jacket painting for this book is as polished as the art for many of the other titles in the series. The artwork does convey atmosphere, but is not a favorite of mine. The artwork was sold by Bromer Booksellers in 2001.
• For The Lamp from the Warlock's Tomb, the front and back cover of the dust jacket do not read as a continuous image when viewed as a single image. The back of the jacket is daytime and the front is night, and there is a solid break at the spine between the images. This is one of the dust jacket paintings that was cut and sold in two pieces by Gotham Book Mart. An image of the front half of the dust jacket art without the type was included in Gorey Rare, a 2007 spiral bound calendar/date book.
• The frontis illustration...is one of the more technically challenging pieces of art created by Edward Gorey for the Bellairs series. To convey the darkness of the room, Mr. Gorey covered the entire surface of the art with his signature line work. Even so, the objects in the room are distinct and clearly visible. It is truly a masterpiece of control and consummate skill. 

Author Living in Haverhill

The following article appeared in the Newburyport Daily News promoting one of John’s visits to the Haverhill Public Library to meet his fans, 30 years ago today - May 10, 1980.  Anyone reading today who was there for this event is more than welcome to share their memories in our comment section.

Review: House "As An Adult It Struck Me As Just A Little Too Far-fetched"

Book review: The House with a Clock in its Walls

Top 10 Places to Visit

As we prepare for the tenth anniversary of Bellairsia, we’re using our slightly-worn Twitter feed to share some memorable moments and commentary in the form of Top Ten lists.

Cuffs In The Question

A few years ago, during a redesign of the Bellairsia website, we thought it would be fun to add some sort of interactivity in to the mix. You know, for kids: games or puzzles or the like.