Haverhill Home to Bellairs; Zombie

The Hammersmith Group released an anticipated and controversial master plan for the future of downtown Haverhill, Massachusetts, one of the oldest cities in the country.

Dies (or Deaths) are Cast by Dolls

Photographer Trix B has published 26 images to Flickr as part of her Tinycrumb Ghastlies series, a sordid retelling of the famous Gashlycrumb Tinies, where "C is for Candy ingested with razors".  Ouch.

Of Every Nation a Residence

The Autumn 2007 edition of the Chicago International House newsletter has a brief feature about John Bellairs in their Travel in Time: Stories from the International House Archives series. There isn’t a lot of new information covered here (though the I-House is celebrating its 75th anniversary) but it’s nice to see their inclusion of John:

Seeing Double: The Eyes of the Killer Robot

We knew the ayes had it but this has us seeing double:

• Best we can tell the name of the band is The Eyes of the Killer Robot (or so suggests the title at YouTube).
• N.J. Kailhofer also has written a short piece entitled The Eyes of the Killer Robot.

Book Alert: The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer

Brad Strickland has announced via his website the twelfth title in the Lewis Barnavelt series. The Sign of the Sinister Sorcerer is to be published by Dial Books for Young Readers in 2008.

2007 Living History Portrayal Walk

Oakridge Cemetery, one of the oldest continuously operated cemeteries in Michigan, is home again this year to the annual Living History Portrayal Walk. This guided walking tour will feature actors portraying significant persons from Marshall's past at each of those individual's gravesites. This year’s famous Marshallnites include Nathan Benedict, William H. Brown, George Emery Church, Dulcenia Daily, Mary Edgerton, Augustus Hyde, and Thomas Sullivan. 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 6, 2007
Time: 7:00 pm

For more information, please contact the Marshall Chamber of Commerce.

Review: Face "Cean Fantasy With A Very Light Touch"

Book review: The Face in the Frost

44th Annual Historic Home Tour

“The Marshall, Michigan Home Tour offers exquisite private homes and businesses for public viewing and enjoyment. The tour will feature eight vintage homes and will include six 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 seventeen structures will be one business 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.”

When: September 8-9, 2007
Time: Saturday 9:00 to 5:00, Sunday 10:00 to 5:00

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

Bibliofile: Luis Barnavelt I Potwór Dzikiego Strumienia

Longtime visitors to Bellairsia may recall how a number of years ago (c.2001-02) we found a handful of book cover images from the Lewis Barnavelt series when they were published in Poland:

Review: Fidgeta "A Slim Volume Of Inspired Foolishness"

Book review: Saint Fidgeta and Other Parodies

Researching Laughlin Hall

The fourth in an occasional series about where John Bellairs lived during his time in Chicago.

A couple of years ago, one of John Bellairs's friends, the late Bernie Markwell, sent us some notes about meeting John for the first time four decades ago in Chicago. His notes were somewhat sparse and he indicated he would send more. He never did, he never will, and so we're stuck with what we have. 

Markwell said he first met John in the fall of 1960 when he "moved to Laughlin Hall (now destroyed) to get more work done."  He also said a few years later Bellairs would eventually live in the building as well. It is unknown if he lived here before or after his tenure in Minnesota - that is, before fall 1964 or after spring 1965.

Oh Come Hither, Harry!

A few lines composed inside Bellairsia HQ:

A tip of the hat to the author
for creating that mythical force,
a spellbinding sense of wonder,
derived from staying your course.
Yes, the mystery’s finally over,
the secret’s been spilt from your pen.
Much praise for getting those children
Back to the library again.
And we laud the legions of readers,
who we hope don’t end up and weep,
but you’ve got the whole stinkin’ weekend -
so go home and go get some sleep!

Review: Figure "Another Delightfully Creepy Tale"

Book review: The Figure in the Shadows

Wit! Whither Wander You?

Now you can set out on your own and see the world of John Bellairs without even leaving your house. Wanderlust is the beginning of a new map-plotting project that will identify the locations and inspirations found in the books by John Bellairs and those continued by Brad Strickland. Become an armchair cartographer as you visit distant points in England and Germany, as well as those sights from Bellairs’s backyard in Marshall and Massachusetts.

17th Annual Welcome to My Garden Tour

The Marshall Area Garden Club prepares for their 17th annual Welcome To My Garden Tour later this month, showcasing some of the Marshall area’s private and public landscaped gardens. For more information visit the Marshall Chamber of Commerce.

When: July 14-15; 10:00 to 4:00 (rain or shine)