Notre Dame: Living in Zahm Hall

Fifty years ago this fall, Bellairs began his Freshman year (1955-56) on the University of Notre Dame campus. During this initial year, he lived in Zahm Hall.

Itinerary: Bellairs Walk, Marshall

by Leah Adams (July 29, 2005)
(Originally published at LiveJournal)

Wednesday, I got to fulfill one of my lifelong childhood dreams. This was more important to me than going to New Orleans. For those that know me, that’s pretty damned important. This was like my own personal Mecca. I got to go to Marshall, Michigan.

Dost Thou Turn Away And Hide Thy Face

There’s news of a possible break in the case of Joseph Force Crater, the prominent New York City judge who disappeared on August 6, 1930. A recently discovered letter asserts Crater was murdered and buried near the Coney Island boardwalk:

...and the Prisoner of Guantanamo?

Go figure: the Harry Potter series and books by Agatha Christie are what are being read at the Guantanamo Bay prison at the U.S. Naval Base in Cuba [article]. The Washington Times first reported Monday about the reading habits, noting Christie is popular since some of her mysteries are set in the Middle East. The Times also notes the library has 1,200 books and the Potter tales in four languages: English, French, Farsi and Russian. It's on order in Arabic and someone had put a request out for the film adaptations.

Tales of a College Nothing

In his June 23 article in the Daily Californian (Berkeley), David Boyk writes an interesting review of John Bellairs’s books, mentioning The Curse of the Blue Figurine, among others. What we found funny?

“...they have pictures by Edward Gorey. Sadly, new editions have replaced his stylish, weird scratchings with the work of some schmuck who wouldn’t know a cross-hatch if it hit him in the Roman nose.”

Our favorite?

“The world’s simple, and the biggest problems mostly have to do with Johnny accidentally hurting Grampa’s feelings.”

2005 Living History Portrayal Walk

Oakridge Cemetery in Marshall, Michigan is host once again to the annual Living History Portrayal Walk. This guided walking tour will feature actors portraying seven significant persons from Marshall's past at each of those individual's gravesites. The event will take place rain or shine so participants are encouraged to bring flashlights, wear comfortable walking shoes, and carry an umbrella.

When: October 15, 2005
Time: 6:00 pm

Tickets for this fundraiser will be limited to 300. For more information, including cost, please contact the Marshall Chamber of Commerce.

Paging Pascale Cosse

For at least the past seven years Pascale Cosse has been named as one of the writers of the film adaptation of The House with a Clock in its Walls, as seen on the Internet Movie Database (imdb.com).

Book Alert: The House Where Nobody Lived

From Brad Strickland:

With the settlement of Frank Bellairs's estate, the publisher has asked for new books and the first one will be called The House Where Nobody Lived. The publishers asked for a Lewis book, so that's what it is. It's based on an actual house in Marshall, Michigan, though I've taken liberties with it and have relocated it.

In other breaking news, it really looks as if the movie of The House with a Clock in Its Walls will finally be produced. Stay tuned.

The Grimoire Commeth

Mark June 2006 as your first chance to meet the Midions. The Curse of the Midions is the first adventure in Brad Strickland’s Grimoire mystery series for young-adults, something I’m sure we’ll hear more about as the months progress. The series is being published by Dial Books for Young Readers.

42nd Annual Historic Home Tour

The Marshall, Michigan Home Tour is in its fifth decade of offering exquisite private homes and businesses for public viewing and enjoyment. "The tour will feature eight vintage homes and will include five historic museums covering diverse specialties such as unusual architecture, antique home furnishings, Civil War memorabilia, and a restored antique post office. To close out the tour's sixteen structures will be three businesses from Marshall's well-maintained historic business district. Marshall's Home Tour was voted the Best Home Tour by the readers of AAA's Michigan Living magazine.”

Cuts Like a Knife

The BBC recently noted a long, lost treasure from the ancient city of Pompeii: 

A set of ancient silverware has been dug up from Pompeii, the Roman city destroyed by a volcano 2,000 years ago. The hand-crafted goblets, plates and trays had been bundled into a wicker basket by an inhabitant fleeing the erupting Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.

The tableware, well preserved in ash and mud, was discovered five years ago and archaeologists have used the latest techniques to separate 20 pieces. Experts say it is the most important find of this kind for 70 years.

Five For Six

In the event you thought the uproar of that book released over the weekend flew by us, leaving us unscathed, you’re wrong. We know some people sit up until the crack of dawn reading the latest adventure and, having said that, we were still somewhat surprised at the email that arrived in the overnight hours, awaiting us in the inbox early this morning:

Bibliofile: The Curse of the Blue Figurine

John Bellairs' first three Johnny Dixon novels – The Curse of the Blue Figurine (1983); The Mummy, the Will, and the Crypt (1983); and The Spell of the Sorcerer’s Skull (1984) – were published by British publishing house Corgi in the mid/late 1980s. David Langford comments on the foreign edition’s translation:

Gorey: The Gashlycrumb Tinies Come Home

In cooperation with the Edward Gorey Charitable Trust, The Edward Gorey House is very pleased to announce a major exhibit for 2005: the original art for Edward Gorey’s The Gashlycrumb Tinies.

This major Edward Gorey exhibit encompasses the pen and ink drawings for The Gashlycrumb Tinies and Mr. Gorey’s original typescript draft notes for the text. Also featured will be the five pen and ink panel drawings for Gorey’s slipcase for The Vinegar Works (three volume set includes The Gashlycrumb Tinies, The Insect God and The West Wing). The exhibit is scheduled to run from June 23 to September 5, 2005.

The "Welcome to My Garden" Tour

Jon Caulkett passes along a story from the Battle Creek Enquirer about the Marshall Area Garden Club's 15th annual "Welcome To My Garden Tour," showcasing some of the community's private and public gardens. On this year’s tour is the Zaharion House, formerly owned by the Cronin family, the house that is the inspiration for Bellairs’s The House with a Clock in its Walls. The tour is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 9 and 10. For more information visit the Marshall Chamber of Commerce.