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.

Time Capsule: 1965

Summer, 1965 - She’s tiny, she’s jittery and she’s what made Bellairs the “famous author.” Forty years ago this summer Saint Fidgeta found herself in print when the Catholic publication The Critic published the humorous story of this miraculous patroness that changed the lives of parishioners everywhere.

Photographing the John Bellairs Walk

We're always interested in improving Bellairsia. While we have an updated copy of Ann La Pietra’s John Bellairs Walk tour - featuring two new locations - we’re missing one particular item: pictures. Do you have photos of any of the locations on the tour? If so, and you want to share your photographs from your last stopover in Marshall, please drop us a line and we’ll see about getting them added to the online tour in the months ahead.

Something About Kryptos

News of the Kryptos sculpture was passed on to us this week and it immediately reminded us of something Johnny Dixon might stumble upon – and then figure out while at Boy Scout camp (see The Mummy, the Will and Crypt) – and we thought others might enjoy its tale:

What A Treasure Hadst Thou!

Here’s an interesting story about author Michael Stadther’s book, A Treasure Trove:

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but Michael Stadther can top that: His illustrated children's book, A Treasure's Trove, could be worth just over $1 million—if you can solve the riddles. Hidden within the 116-page forest-world fantasy are clues to the location of 12 golden tokens, each of which can be redeemed for a jeweled insect brooch valued at $8,500 to $450,000. "Anyone who can read can solve the puzzle," says Stadther, 53, a lifelong treasure-hunt fan. "I've [always] wanted to do this."

An Announcement from Brad Strickland

Brad Strickland writing:

Brad Strickland has agreed to write more books in the series begun by John Bellairs. Following the death of John's son Frank, the copyright situation was complex and tangled. Through the efforts of John's and Brad's agent Richard Curtis, all of John Bellairs's surviving relatives (his former wife Priscilla, his sister Suzanne, and his brother Frank) have reached an agreement regarding copyright with Dial Books for Young Readers, clearing the way for new additions to the series. Titles have yet to be worked out, but this fall Brad will turn in the first new Bellairs series title since The Whistle, the Grave, and the Ghost. I hope the readers think this is good news!

All best,
Brad

Edward Gorey Art For Sale

Up for grabs on ebay this week are the original pen and ink illustrations by Edward Gorey from the interior of The Trolley to Yesterday. On one sheet of paper are the illustration of the pointing hand, candle and sword as seen on page 120 and, our favorite device, the tabergan from page 107. The seller notes that the piece was purchased from the Gotham Book Mart on April 22, 1995.

La Pendola Magica - e altro ancora!

Longtime Bellairs fan Lorenza Boisi recently wrote to us from Italy and helped fill in some of the gaps of the Italian editions of House and provided some thoughts on the books:

Whither Travel You?

Visiting Vinalhaven this summer? Heading to Hoosac? Partying with puffins on Lundy Island? Zephyring over to New Zebedee? We are interested in hearing about any of your summer vacation plans that include visits to locations or ports of calls mentioned in John or Brad’s books. Or let us know if your vacation ends up like Rose Rita’s in The Letter, the Witch and the Ring (but if it does...well...you’re on your own...). Anyway, once you’re returned write a review of the destination, include a picture if possible, and we’ll share it online.