I’ve got something to ask Charles de Lint at World Fantasy next week. I finished up FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS this week (which you must read, I implore you; I shall write up a ringing endorsement on Endicott shortly) and segued right into THE WILD WOOD, an older novel that mentions a curious work by one Matthew Reynolds. “A contempory of George MacDonald,” he says of Reynolds, so that gives me a certain time frame. The book in question is a children’s book called THE WANDERING WOOD, and while I think it must certainly exist, I can’t find anything about it, nor can I find a used copy on Abe.com. Apparently it was illustrated by a British watercolor artist named Ellen Wentworth.

THE WANDERING WOOD is about a young girl who saves “a tribe of trees” from a bunch of woodcutters by helping them move to a different forest. How charming is that? It’s the kind of thing I’d ask about over on Sur La Lune were it not for an opportunity to go straight to the source of my curiosity, as it were. That’s rather fun.

In other news, I have some George MacDonald around here somewhere. I also recently picked up another long-lost fantasy classic, LUD-IN-THE-MIST. Choices, choices…

So, the program guide is up. A couple of “NOT FAIR!” moments:

Talking With Terri Windling
Interviewed by Charles de Lint (!!!)

vs.

Ghosts in the Attic
The ghost story is a staple of the horror genre, though they don’t always happen in the attic. Which are the best early ghost stories? How have they evolved in the past hundred or so years? Who is writing them now? Why is the ghost story such a popular theme? * * * * Stephen Jones, Jessica Amanda Salmonson, Darrell Schweitzer (M), Peter Straub, Robert Weinberg

(Note: writing ghost stories right now)

And then there’s also:

Adapting the Brothers Grimm & Other Fairy Tales
Fairy tales have always been an essential part of fantasy literature. They’ve been altered, turned into novels, and borrowed from. Where are the best uses of fairy tales? How can you turn a little folktale into a novel? What is it about fairy tales that make them important archetypes for so much of fantasy literature? * * * * David Drake, Dennis L. McKiernan (M), Delia Sherman, Terri Windling, Jane Yolen

vs.

Beyond Folk Music
Fantasy is full of wandering bards and talented amateurs, but seems somewhat short on classically trained and professional performers. Why don’t we see high culture such as orchestras and operas, even in highly developed fantasy cultures? Where are the exceptions? Why is the entertainment always provided by the medieval equivalent of the garage band? * * * * Louise Marley, L.E. Modesitt, Jr. (M), Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Sharon Shinn, Adam Stemple

I hate to be a whiner, but… come ON!

Don’t mind me, I’m just thankful to be going.

I love how Neil makes the grade for both volumes:

I guess Grant’s on there twice, as well.

Hee.

It’s really fun to stumble upon pictures of Chalres de Lint on Flickr.

Heck, it’s really fun to stumble upon Ellen Datlow’s photostream.

Here’s another one of Charles. And here’s his lovely wife/partner-in-non-crime, MaryAnn Harris.

I’m lovin’ it!

I’m sure that this will be making the rounds, but I can’t resist:

It’s the picture of Peter David at the bottom right that clinches it…

WEIRD SISTER gets the nod over at Dark, But Shining!

Woot alors.

Nipped from Nick:

One in three has bought a book just to look intelligent

It finds one in every eight young people confessing to choosing a book “simply to be seen with the latest shortlisted title”. This herd instinct dwindles to affect only one in 20 over-50 year-olds.

Chalk up another tic in the plus column for genre fiction: nobody carries the latest STAR TREK novelization or LORD FOUL’S BANE around to look “cool”. Or get laid.

Rugged individualists, us genre types.

A couple of links to point your way:

1. Dan Goldman, brother of my good friend Steven, and thereby one half of the Brothers Goldman, has a new website and it looks oh-so fine. Go, Dan, go.

2. There’s a new genre fiction blog out there. It’s called Deep Genre.

Huzzah.

Speaking of blogs, I’ve been cooking up a little something something to guest-blog over on one of my favorite blogs in the land, Dark, But Shining. Woo!

Lenox Avenue is no more.