Time Capsule: Nov. 22, 1935

After Johnny Dixon has a run-in with school bully Eddie Tompke, Gramma Dixon helps treat Johnny's cut finger:

"As Gramma fussed over him she went on about the Tompkes and their relations, the Tadmans and the Sweets and the Schemanskes. Gramma was like that.  She had lived in Duston Heights all her life, and she knew everything about everybody." - The Cure of the Blue Figurine (1983)

Unpublished Blog Post Found On The Laptop Of A Long-Retired New York Advertising Executive

Next time...next time it will be better. Haven’t yet found the nun who was waving that black squiggly flag. Paint the runway white and gold? Nah, it didn’t work that last time, either. Someone said his Fiat driver was found on Uber, but I must check it first. A flash mob of people outside Saint Michael’s Cathedral acting out an open Communion line, complete with Papal ferula-shaped selfie sticks. Should be interesting.  Those kids might be on to something.  Does open up a new field, though.... And this time he got to visit the White House. Humpf.  Znerb. Tweb.

Your Favorite Johnny Dixon Book?

Here's your chance to vote for your favorite book in the Johnny Dixon series. The popular, twelve book series ran from 1983 to 1999 and features the cast from Duston Heights, Massachusetts. Do you prefer sinister statuettes, time traveling trolleys, or galloping off at odd hours across New England?

Thus Spake Zebulon Patriach

It's always fun to see contemporary artists take on the work on John Bellairs, such as these storyboards by Anissa Espinosa of The Revenge of the Wizard’s Ghost.  Good work!

The Gargoyle in the Dump

And now for something completely different - and unexpected: The Gargoyle in the Dump is a recently discovered, never-before-published story by John Bellairs to be published September 2015 from Open Road Media.

Your Favorite Anthony Monday Book?

Here's your chance to vote for your favorite book in the Anthony Monday series. The four book series is John Bellairs's shortest series, existing from 1978 to 1992 and featuring the cast from Hoosac, Minnesota. Do you prefer elaborate libraries, wild weather, or exploring untamed outer dimensions?

What's What: Magna Carta

Professor Childermass boasts that the name Childermass is "ancient and honorable" with one of his ancestors alongside the barons who forced King John to sign the Magna Carta [The Spell of the Sorcerer's Skull, 9].

Memoriam: Christopher Lee

We learned today of the passing of Sir Christopher Lee, the iconic British actor who gained fame for his many films roles, beginning with Frankenstein's monster (1957) and Count Dracula (1958), continuing with Francisco Scaramanga in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Saruman in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003) and The Hobbit film trilogy (2012–2014), and two films of the Star Wars prequel trilogy (2002 and 2005).

Who's Who: Tom Corbett, Space Cadet

Lewis envisions himself wearing Grampa Barnavelt's lucky coin, imagining that he was this figure [The Figure in the Shadows; 61].

Answers Blowing in the Wind

I was on the mend a week or so ago from a dog bite when a flood of questions entered the mind. Would I have to get a tetanus shot? Would the dog have to get a tetanus shot? Should I have bit back? Why are idioms called idioms and not, say, qualinyms? The amount of questions reminded me, when I found my pending posts file at the Bellairsia office, that I have been meaning to post a few words about questions and answers as a way to address those pointless websites where people ask questions that they couldn't manage to find answers to themselves.

Your Favorite Lewis Barnavelt Book?

Here's your chance to vote for your favorite book in the Lewis Barnavelt series.  The twelve book series ran from 1973 to 2008 and stars the timid hero of New Zebedee, Michigan.  Do you prefer ticking clocks, shadowy figures, broken bridges, or terrifying towers?

Who's Who: C. S. Forester

Rose Rita had just begun reading a book by this author about a naval captain during the Napoleonic wars [The Specter from the Magician's Museum; 35].  Lewis later reads a rousing sea adventure by the same author [The Tower at the End of the World; 78].

Who's Who: Rocky Marciano

After sleepless nights from worrying about the Keller family in the Hawaii House, Jonathan says his nephew looks like he went a few round with this world heavyweight champion (The House where Nobody Lived; 116).

Staging "Heartbreak House"

The fifth - and we assume final - in a series of articles about Bellairs performing with the College of Saint Teresa Drama Department.

Swift As A Shadow, Short As Any Dream

Since we're celebrating The Figure in the Shadows this year we thought we might as well point out that today in the United States and Canada - February 2 - is the only day of the year when "figure in the shadows" refers to a rodent named Phil.

Poll: Your Favorite Mercer Mayer Artwork in "Figure"

Mercer Mayer created 13 full page illustrations for The Figure in the Shadows and, in celebration of its 40th anniversary, we want to know which one is your favorite.

Is it seeing Woody Mingo on the streets of New Zebedee wearing a deerstalker, Rose Rita seconds away from dropping a mysterious amulet into the sewer, or Lewis standing at the front door of 100 High Street at midnight whilst reading recently-delivered mail? Or something else entirely?

Pick your favorite from our list below and see how it ranks with other fans.

Richard Dyer-Bennet: Modern Troubadour Covers Wide Range

It's been fifty years since musician Richard Dyer-Bennet visited the College of Saint Teresa campus in Winona, Minnesota, which is where Bellairs taught during 1964-65 school year.  Bellairs first encountered Dyer-Bennet when the singer visited the University of Notre Dame campus during the 1957-58 school year.

This Is My Birth-Day

We celebrate the 77th birthday of John Bellairs with this posting from Suzanne Fischer at HiLoBrow.com, whose members pay tribute to high- or low-brow heroes on his or her birthdays. Or something like that, we suppose.

Richard Dyer-Bennet: Tenor, Guitarist To Sing at College

It's been fifty years since musician Richard Dyer-Bennet visited the College of Saint Teresa campus in Winona, Minnesota, which is where Bellairs taught during 1964-65 school year.  Bellairs first encountered Dyer-Bennet when the singer visited the University of Notre Dame campus during the 1957-58 school year. Dyer-Bennet performed on the Saint Teresa campus on Jan. 20, and we'll discuss the event in a few days.

Who's Who: Charles Atlas

Experiencing bully problems of his own, Lewis sees an ad in the back of a comic book featuring this bodybuilder and decides to mail in the coupon with a quarter to begin his muscle building program [The Figure in the Shadows; 44].

Time Capsule: Jan. 2, 1925

It's the ninetieth anniversary of the death of former Marshall librarian and John's great aunt, Victoria Monk (1869-1925).  Victoria’s brother was John Monk; his daughter, Virginia, was the mother of John Bellairs.

Bellairs-Related Gorey Artwork At Auction

Right off the bat this year we have news of a forthcoming auction that includes some gems created by Edward Gorey.  Goreyana reports the auction on January 22, 2015 at Swann Galleries in New York City features three pieces of original art by Edward Gorey, two of which have ties to the Bellairs corpus of books.