And Then There's John Bellairs

Author John Rateliff paid some kind words to John Bellairs and The Face in the Frost earlier this month, noting how much the book has affected him:

Who's Who: James Henry Breasted

One of the books that Johnny Dixon has checked out and is reading at home when he first meets Professor Childermass is this author’s History of Egypt [The Curse of the Blue Figurine; 14].

Who's Who: Duke of Cornwall

In his know-it-all fashion, Emerson Eells explains to Anthony that the Blood of Hailes was a relic given to the Hailes Abbey by this person in the year 1270 [The Dark Secret of Weatherend; 177].

Bid Him Bring His Pen And Inkhorn To Auction

Last week the Goreyana blog posted this bit of news for collectors:

On Thursday January 23rd, Swann Auction Galleries in New York City is having its second 20th Century Illustration Auction. Previews begin Friday January 17th. This auction includes a nice selection of original artwork by Edward "Bill" Gorey. Of special interest are four full color paintings by Mr. Gorey created as dust jacket designs the John Bellairs book series.

Who’s Who: Jimmy Durante

Professor Childermass informs Johnny, by channeling the comedic diction of this popular comedian, that “you been laborin’ under a misprehamprehension” about his grandmother being near death and - in turn - his need for undertaking the dangerous expedition of the Glomus estate [The Mummy, the Will, and the Crypt; 160].

Time Capsule: Imaginary Worlds (1973)

This year not only marks the fortieth year of The House with a Clock in it Walls (as has been noted throughout the blog’s last twelve months) but also of Imaginary Worlds: the Art of Fantasy, the study of the modern literary fantasy genre authored by Lin Carter (1930-88).

Where's There: Mount Palomar Observatory

It is said Lewis would one day work as an astronomer at this California observatory [The House with a Clock in its Walls; 120].

Anna Holmes: In the Mind of a 10-Year-Old

We’ve received more than a few alerts to the December 8 edition of the New York Times Sunday Review and the brief interview with Anna Holmes, the founder and editor of the online magazine/blog, Jezebel – known for, the NYT says, its smart and snarky feminist content. Holmes goes through some of her interests in the form of what she’s following, listening [to], and wearing – and for reading she heaps plenty of praise on John’s work:

The First Book To Terrify Me

Jenn's Bookshelf blog has a guest post from Belle Wong, owner of Ms.Bookish.com, that discusses - as the title of the post says - the first book to terrify me. Belle cites Bellairs' The House with a Clock in its Walls and remembers reading the Yearling paperback's tagline ("The thing was ticking away, marking off the minutes until doomsday") and the cover being the "scariest cover out of any book I’d ever read up until then."

BiblioFile: The House with a Clock in its Walls (1995)

In 1995 The House with a Clock in its Walls – as well as four other titles – was released in audiobook format by Recorded Books, LLC. The unabridged novel was read across either three audio cassettes or four compact discs for upwards of four-and-a-half hours of listening excitement. Telling the story is acclaimed award-winning narrator and actor George Guidall who has has recorded over 900 unabridged novels that have favorably earned reviews from Audiofile, Library Journal, Publisher's Weekly, and a variety of national newspapers and magazines.

Spooks, Character, and Place

Justin Glanville is both the president of the Munchen, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and a fan of John Bellairs. Well, that’s not quite right – he’s not so much the president as he is the town’s co-creator.

Staging "Ring Round the Moon"

The second in a series of articles about Bellairs performing with the College of Saint Teresa Drama Department.

Time Capsule: November 22, 1963

Friday, November 22, 1963: The Tea House at the corner of West 17th and Gould Streets on the campus of the College of Saint Teresa in Winona, Minnesota. That’s what the late Norbert Geier remembered.

We’ve met numerous people over the years here at Bellairsia, mostly sharing memories of John and his life and times. Sometimes the stories recall momentous events – the publication of a book or the news of a chance encounter – but often they are anecdotes of what was happening a generation or two ago. This story is a bit of both.

"House" at 40 Fan Art: The Ace of Nitwits - What’s Up Your Sleeve?

What’s What: Muggins Simoon

Jonathan Barnavelt's automobile; a 1935 model, described as "a big black car with running boards and a windshield that could be cranked open" [The House with a Clock in its Walls; 94].