Last week, you may have seen my review of Miles Cameron’s The Dread Wyrm. Mr. Cameron, in preparation for the release of his new …
7 Obstacles for the Heroes of Slavic Mythology
I think many of you will agree with me when I say that one of the great joys in life is making up stories for your two-year-old …
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When Authors Don’t Fulfill Their Promises (Even with Dragons)
Have you ever read a book (with or without dragons) that begins with a promise that is almost impossible to fulfill, and (lo and …
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This was a war you won’t read about in history books
I’m getting to the end of my second novel, and the climax is going to be a real heart-breaker. I’m not going to spoil anything for …
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The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber
The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber My rating: 1 of 5 stars If you've ever read my reviews, you'll notice that I …
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Seven Typical Russian Gestures
Recently, a friend and I had a long overdue lunch. The food was good (Burmese), the company lively, and the conversation fruitful. …
8 things you’ve never heard about medieval Russian princes
Many people have an allergic reaction to the word "conventional." Or, worse yet, "traditional." They immediately sense the bonds …
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Things You May Not Know about “Kievan Rus”
These days, Tolkien isn’t particularly popular among certain readers and publishers of fantasy. To be called “Tolkien-esque” can …
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How Alexander the Great Became Popular in Russia
Recently, my wife and I finished reading aloud the amazing new Russian novel Laurus by Evgenii Vodolazkin. I loved it. First of …
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Russian Village Windows: the Eyes of the Russian Soul
Those of you who’ve been following me, especially on Pinterest, know that I love traditional Russian village windows, which …
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Slavic “fake-lore”: was Slavic mythology made up?
In the 18th century, Russia entered the grand stage of European history. It threw aside its "primitive Easternness", and did …
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Bright Week
The Bright Seven Days The first week of Easter is like an extended single day of feasting. Joyful and bright. …
How Iconographers Draw the Soul
In my second novel (tentatively titled The Garden in the Heart of the World), one of the characters is given a …
Seven Ways Russians Used to Celebrate the Coming of Spring
As I’ve begun to delve deeply into my second novel, I’m considering using the time of the year as a contrast to the characters’ …
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Things you never knew about the Russian cradle
A criticism of an early version of my first novel was that it was not grounded enough, too “out there,” too interested in the …
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Everything You Need to Know about the Russian Kaftan
Something a little lighter this week. I generally like to have a vivid mental picture of events and places and people before I …
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How the Legend of Prester John Influenced Slavic Mythology
Did you know that Columbus was looking for a mysterious Christian king of India when he stumbled upon the New World? Most people …
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