Talking Tink...

Assuming her alive at the time you found her, would you be able to carry on a conversation with Tinker Bell? I’m guessing you’re inclined to say “no” because she speaks in the sound of little tinkling bells. No doubt your rationale for this comes from the passage:

“You don’t hear her, do you?” and they both listened.

“The only sound I hear,” said Wendy, “is like a tinkle of bells.”

“Well, that’s Tink, that’s the fairy language. I think I hear her too.”

Some of you might be so inclined as to believe you cannot understand the fairy language. Hearing it the first time, really how could you? Would you be able to understand Swahili when it first entered your ear? (I’ll venture to guess no.) And there’s rationale for this from the book as well:

“Tink,” said Peter amiably, “this lady says she wishes you were her fairy.”

Tinker Bell answered insolently.

“What does she say, Peter?”

He had to translate.

And then: What she said in her lovely tinkle Wendy could not of course understand...

So there we have, right? Only Peter Pan can understand Tinker Bell...

Now hold on a moment! Don’t go zipping to conclusions. Here’s a bit of text regarding the Lost Boys:

“Hullo, Tink,” cried the wondering boys.
Tink’s reply rang out: “Peter wants you to shoot the Wendy.”
It was not in their nature to question when Peter ordered. “Let us do what Peter wishes!” cried the simple boys.

A-ha! So the boys make sense of her bell-voice, too. Before you go arguing that the boys are wont to say such a thing anyway as they are devoted to Peter’s wishes, surely you don’t forget they actually do shoot Wendy down, just as Tink says Peter commands. Obviously it’s not just a regurgitation of an ingrained desire (to obey Pan’s wishes.)

So why is it that the Boys can comprehend her as well as Pan?  Perhaps it’s because they’re in the Neverland and therefore just do?  No, that’s not it.  Good guess, though.  Perhaps they’re magical like Peter himself?   Oh no, that can’t be it.   They’re just not.  Well, then, why?

For the answer, we’ll have to (but of course) look to Barrie’s words again:

“You silly ass!” cried Tinker Bell in a passion.

She had said it so often that Wendy needed no translation.
“I almost agree with her,” Wendy snapped.

When does this occur in the story? Just about the time Wendy is trying to get Peter to declare his real feelings for her. When “playing house” needs to be much more real for her than it seems in the Home Under the Ground. Okay, but how about a more concrete image story-wise?  Surely.  It’s after Pan rescues Tiger Lily. Unlike a play or movie version of the story which must have a rapidity to the adventures the children have on the island, we know that a they’re there for a long time, so the saving of the Redskin princess wouldn’t have been toward the beginning of their trip.

And so we arrive at the simple answer. If you’ve been around Tink for quite some time, would you understand her then?  Yep.

It seems that the fairy language is something that humans can pick up on, if they have enough exposure to it. Which certainly explains why the Lost Boys have no trouble.  For who knows how long they’ve each been on the island?  But we can bet it’s been a while.

Knowing that I’d need the first girl to visit NeverWorld to be able understand Denny (Peter Pan’s ‘new’ fairy) right away in my book, I had to make sure I included a passage about how this could be so.

Of course, Amy could not be described as a normal child, for she understood the fairy language perfectly. She had heard it so many times while passing through Kensington Gardens and in the twilight of slumber that she knew it quite well. Thus, she did not need a translator to converse with the fairy who just spoke to her.

Another easy solution. You see, I happen to know (of course I would) a little about the backstory of Miss Amy Alexis Richards.  In the relevant nutshell, she’s been hunting for fairies and Peter Pan since age five, and does so with more conviction than most summon up [for anything] their whole lives.  It took her a while to finally track down the Darlings’ house, but that’s another story and I digress...

At any rate, talking to Tink is no great feat.  It’s just a matter of paying attention and prolonged exposure. Not unlike any other language, oui?

So why is it that there’s the misconception that only Pan can talk to Miss Bell? That when (erroneously) Captain Hook speaks with her in cahoots, she must pantomime to help get her point across? [Thank you, Disney. (Said with an eye roll.)] Why is it that she rarely talks in the few movies of the tale?  Do we really have an aversion to hearing her speak?  Possibly so, since many protested her being heard in the Disney films about her... and the script drafts of it bounced back and forth as to whether or not she had a “voice.” (Yes, certainly it also had to do with maintaining the Disney animated feature as well.)  And yes, I know a certain actress played Tink and spoke freely in a certain movie named for the priate captain, but I so very pretend that movie doesn't exist.

It baffles me, then, why P.J. Hogan preserved the “silent” pantomiming Tinker Bell as well. Although I do recall learning in the ‘extras’ on the DVD that Hogan (and all) had been entranced by Ludivine Sagnier's facial expressions and clowning as such without words.  But as cute as they may have been, I’d preferred they left the marvelous expressionism as such to Peter Pan, for as I’ve said before, no one makes faces like Jeremy Sumpter!

I’ll tell you... if I’m ever responsible for the mini-series version that rattles around in my head, the way I’d handle Tink’s speech is as follows:  She’s just heard as the jangling at first. But throughout the show, each time she speaks, a whisper of actual words will gradually become louder, almost imperceptible until it’s clear as a well, bell.  Naturally the tinkling sound will always accompany her, but it will be softened and weaker.

So there you have it.

Tinker Bell talks. Why else would she have lines with quotes around them in the book?

Ahoy There! What a Weekend!



Photo of Ms. Jones pirated from her Facebook page



I’ve had a wonderful weekend.

How can one not when the illustrious Andrea Jones, author of Hook & Jill, is sleeping over?

That’s right, folks. She and I finally had another “playdate.” We mostly filled our time talking shop. Yep, just as you’d think, with Peter Pan & Captain Hook.

I shared the insights and opinions I’ve had over the years regarding Barrie’s pirate captain, both clandestine and obvious. She’s working on a Hook  presentation and knew I’d have a good perspective. Glad to help.



She returned the favor sevenfold by sharing her insights and opinions of my interquel novel, Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between. I’ll save what she had to say for another post.

We were originally supposed to finish The Lost Boys, the Andrew Birkin BBC mini-series on the life of J.M. Barrie in relation to the Llewelyn Davies family (and hence the creation of his most famous tale) which we had begun during her last visit. But before she came we decided to forgo it, for neither of us remembered precisely where we had left off and we knew we’d run short of time. Besides, to fully appreciate the masterful work it would probably be best to start from the beginning. So I just lent it to Andrea to watch at her leisure (whenever THAT is in her busy schedule!) at home.

We had meant to watch another film, you see, and nearly didn’t get to it . But we did squeeze it in just before brunch on Sunday. The movie is Neverland by Damion Dietz. I’m going to leave commentary on this for another post as well. Suffice to say that it’s a very whacked out version of Peter Pan. Despite its outlandish take on it, it remains rooted in the deep psychology of Barrie and presents the darkness of it all quite well. Andrea enjoyed it, too, on both levels.

We of course stopped talking up the Neverland (and World) so that we could have dinner. A dinner made by Bart. Andrea loves his cooking (she’s not alone!) and has now tasted his specialty - Roast Chicken with Root Vegetables. Folks, let me tell you. Bart has perfected this dish. His chicken is soft and delicious and the vegetables are such that you’ll stuff yourself with more of them even though you have no room. He also tempted (tempted? Okay, yes, we happily indulged!) us with three kinds of scones and British clotted cream - a treat for two people obsessed with Peter Pan. (No, sorry, Bart didn’t make the scones. But he sure knows where to find good ones!)  Thanks, Bart!

On and on we talked about Barrie, his tale and our derivative stories. Andrea kindly detailed not just the next in her series, Other Oceans, but the events of the third book as well. You’ll love it, believe me. In turn I told her what happens in the next few books of the NeverWorld and she’d been just as entranced with mine as I with hers. And the best part is how different each of them are! Yet they have similar themes racing through them, as if we can both hear the hum of the tuning fork struck by Barrie.

So immersed were we that at one point Andrea wondered how it had suddenly reached 10:00 pm. It didn’t stop us, though, discussing matters until 2:00 am.

The brunch of which I spoke of course took place at Bananas Foster, one of the favorite haunts of mine and Bart’s. Andrea discovered their amazing stuffed French toast and opted for strawberry cream. Yum! And I just can’t get enough of the Bubble & Squeak.

Andrea also loaded up with copies of Peter Pan’s NeverWorld and the ‘promotional postcards’ [sized, not for mailing]. So if you happen to see her at one of the many upcoming pirate festivals, you'll  be able to pick up not just her delightful novel but mine as well. Also, I now have Hook & Jill bookmarks to distribute.

All in all, a very productive weekend. We actually managed to accomplish all we set out to do and got Andrea to Union Station with twenty minutes to spare!

I miss her already, as it’s so wonderful to have someone who likes to be spoken to about Peter Pan (and Hook), and she is an amazing woman. Until next time we’re face to face, thank goodness we can ‘see’ each other in cyberspace.

Avast Ye! What a Weekend!

For two rounds of the sun,
me hearty and I served the Pirate Queen on deck three.

Let me rephrase that.

Over the weekend, Bart and I welcomed author Andrea Jones into our home.


I refer to her as the Pirate Queen because Andrea penned the magnificent novel Hook & Jill, which deals with not only one of the greatest pirates of them all (Captain Hook) but her own feisty female buccaneer of grand repute. You might already know from other posts (or by the whopping clue in this text) that her novel is set on the shores and waters of Sir J. M. Barrie’s fantastic isle. Hook & Jill is a “reworking” of the story of Peter Pan. Andrea played a “What If?” game with the original tale, veering it off into a grand adventure. [For more on this concept and how much I love it, see my post(s) here.] Ever since I met Andrea at her appearance at The Book Cellar, she and I have been emailing or chatting via Facebook. Eventually we realized the necessity of getting together again in person. As she had not yet seen Andrew Birkin’s The Lost Boys, I invited her to view it on our big TV. Quickly this turned into an old-fashioned “Sleepover” and we’d been planning it over a month - having set a date when both our schedules could match. Well, it finally happened this past weekend.


We had a delightful visit. Bart made Andrea’s acquaintance outside of cyberspace for the first time, and we all had a pleasant chat over the delectable vegetable soup Bart made from a recipe of one of his dearest friends, La Trix. After a while, though, Andrea and I must have driven Bart crazy with our talk of Barrie. Later on, Andrea and I watched P.J. Hogan’s Peter Pan. I bet you’ll believe that we stopped it every minute or so, eager to express our opinions. We shared which parts we deemed lovely or brilliant to what disenchanted us. I rather enjoyed Andrea’s take on certain elements, as this film is largely what inspired her to write her novel.


Later, Bart bestowed culinary magic upon us once again. A roast bone-in loin of pork marinated with orange-pineapple juice, cilantro and chipolte peppers along with baked potatoes and a mixed green salad with balsamic vinaigrette. (He’d been making dinner while Andrea and I watched the movie.) A lot more conversation ensued, and again Bart graciously dealt with our pontifications about Barrie’s masterpiece. Not that we only spoke of that subject, of course.


We had intended to watch Birkin’s mini-series, as I said. But after dinner, Bart retreated to the computer and Andrea and I remained at the table. I showed her my collection of obscure books that have to do with Peter Pan - ranging from ill conceived sequels to rare comic adaptations. Andrea had a list of items regarding Peter Pan’s NeverWorld - bits she enjoyed, questions she had, etc. We also discussed the presentation the two of us are to give next year at an author dinner in Wisconsin. (More on this as the event approaches.) Well, the next thing we knew, the bells reached three in the morning! How Time flies when you’re discussing the Neverland! Obviously we did not get to Birkin that night. But I did show/introduce her to an episode of Fox’s Peter Pan & the Pirates before bedtime. (Not to mention we realized we’d never gotten to the orange spice cake Andrea brought! {I'd been worried she would bring one of jolly thickness with green sugar on it! ;) }]


The next morning we went to brunch at a favorite haunt of Bart and I. (You might know from the dust jacket flap of my hardcover that going to brunch is a frequent activity.) When we returned, we began Birkin’s The Lost Boys. Bart watched with us, as he thoroughly enjoys the biopic as well. Andrea had been drawn in just as we had upon first viewing. But alas, we could not complete the entire show before she had to catch a train. We knew we'd have to continue the viewing at a later date. Oh what a shame - another get together. ;)


All in all, we had a marvelous visit. The long awaited “Sleepover” turned out to be as much fun as it sounded. Quite the thrill to talk shop with a fellow Barrie enthusiast. How delightful to learn more about the life and craft of a cherished author friend. Thank you, Andrea, for coming to stay with us. I so enjoyed sharing and “playing” in the Neverland with you!

Wearing Out the Lost Boys?

I’m a little late in reporting this one. I had to find the time to explore exactly what I’d been looking at when I came across it. I’m out of the loop when it comes to current “clothing trends” so the following brand name had been unfamiliar to me.

There is a popular line called The Hundreds and it embodies the youth culture to some degree. (Not meant offensively, as I said, I’m not in the loop.)

But take a look. They’ve managed to partner with the House of Mouse and create “cute thug” versions of Disney’s adaptation of the Lost Boys. I’m surprised these were allowed given how protective Disney can be of its characters. I’m glad they did it, for I like them very much.

They're featured in a Limited Edition run of T-shirts brought out on the market on December 11.
For individual Lost Boy pictures as well as the Peter Pan and Captain Hook hats and the shirt with Tinker Bell, or more info in general on these creations keep scrolling down here.

The Worse...The Better...

Bart and I have finished the BBC special The Lost Boys by Andrew Birkin. (More on it here and here.)
All of the praise for it is not unfounded. It’s a damn fine piece of work. For those of you who don’t know, the story of J.M. Barrie and the Llewellyn Davies does not end happily. They are besieged with internal discontents and external tragedies. If your knowledge comes from Finding Neverland, then perhaps you’re not aware of what truly befell them. The boys pretty much wind up resenting the whole idea of Peter Pan, as it is a stigma and association they cannot avoid. “Oh! You’re the real Peter Pan!” Imagine hearing that all your life! Furthermore, unrest settles in the house as egos flair, leading Mary Hodgson (the boys’ nursemaid) to leave, dejected. George is killed in World War I, Michael seems to have committed suicide, Jack never quite liked the notion of “Uncle Jim” and although the program did not show it, Peter jumped in front of train at age 63.

As the drama increased, the performances elevated. Ian Holm does indeed do a wonderful job at displaying the joys and upsets of Barrie’s life. A bittersweetness that boils into just plain bitterness. Not to paint an unflattering picture of Barrie. The guy had to deal with more than his share of horror. The series ends with him playing with another child, showing that he still had hope and whimsy within him. There is much to be found in the power of the performances.

Bravo to Birkin, as well, for the script. For instance, he never had to tell you that George had been killed in the war. No words to that effect are ever spoken. Instead it can be inferred in a touching bemoaning session and a telegram in Barrie’s hand. Nicely played. Heartbreaking.

When I think of the Barrie/Llewellyn Davies story, I prefer the earlier happier times. Rambunctious boys out playing in the woods by a lake. The sadness, fears, rejections and abandoment are best left to the dark side of the Neverland.

I highly recommend this series for anyone who is interested in the real story of “J.M. Barrie and the Lost Boys” instead of the glamorized Hollywood version.

*The picture is the Region 2 DVD cover.

It's like being there...

I watched the first part (of three) of Andrew Birkin's The Lost Boys. It's a BBC mini-series from 1978 chronicling the friendship between J. M. Barrie and the Llewelyn Davies family. Think Finding Neverland but accurate, less showy and more complete. Since Birkin is the authority on Barrie and from the amount of praise given this program, I expected it to be great. It has not disappointed.

From the moment it began, I knew I would love it. For those of you who know what this means, it even showed the balloon lady outside the Gardens. For the rest of you, it mirrored the feel of the Arthur Rackham drawings beautifully. It included little touches that made the past (and now fantasy of it) come alive. In a way that Finding Neverland did not quite achieve. From the costumes to the overall visual quality. And free of the 'must glamorize' mentality of Hollywood.

Another treasure-filled scene for a Barrie scholar is the re-creation of The Boy Castaways of Black Lake Island. This portion is not unlike having a time machine. Barrie's actual photographs are inserted every so often. They're placed amid history unfolding. We now see the Llewelyn Davies boys tromping along on their adventure, eventually striking the poses in the photos that have come to be known. (Only two copies of The Boy Castaways existed, one for the boys. One for Barrie.)

Thanks to Birkin, we have audio and video of Barrie. Ian Holm does a great job in picking up his speech patterns. Needless to say, his Scottish accent and acting are excellent. Also excellent is Paul Holmes, who plays George. (From the date of birth I assume it to be Holmes, for two boys have played him.) He doesn't seem to be acting at all - natural, convincing.

I enjoy it immensely. It's a delight to hear Barrie's most famous lines (of real life/notes, not from his literature) spoken and deftly inserted into conversations. Though not fast paced, it's compelling. It truly allows for the mundane moments to shine while they build to a lovely protrayal of how matters developed. Looking forward to the rest. (Even though it will be a sad story to come.)

Bravo Birkin! Bravo to Holm! And bravo to everyone who made this possible.

I've been waiting a long time to see this mini-series. It's been worth it.

Learn more about The Boy Castaways and see more of the pictures at Birkin's site.

The link is on the left.

The Lost Boys "Found"

I'm ecstatic! I just ordered from Amazon!

No, not my own book.

Andrew Birkin's The Lost Boys that aired on the BBC in 1978.

Imagine Finding Neverland, but accurate and more in-depth.

Premier Barrie scholar Birkin wrote this acclaimed work.

Here's a link of praise for it.

Ian Holm stars as Barrie and it is said to be one of his best performances.

I've known about it "forever." But alas, it had not been available on DVD in the US region codes. I obsessively checked for it for quite some time. I even have a TiVo Wish List in case BBC America decided to air it. I wound up shelving it in the back of my mind.

But Hosah!

After waiting fifteen years or so...on this red letter day, I stumbled across it!

What a delight! Can't wait for it to come! It will be on my shelf instead.

Pan-o-rama Perception

Now that I have gotten over the wide-eyed thrill of seeing my book appear for sale on Amazon, I suppose I have to get back to work...and posting.

Not that I have been relaxing. But I certainly haven't been posting.
Plenty of work lies ahead on promoting the novel and I've been attending to that.

From the current reading of the poll on this site, about half as many of you said No, you would not go with Pan. I only know of one of the rationales for this response, which admittedly to me seems a bit curious. Perhaps you're frightened of what the Neverland (or NeverWorld, for that matter) would hold? Or is the thought of his putting up with his cockiness just too much to bear? Frankly, I'd like to know. :)

So, in the meantime, I leave it up to you. Tell me:
What does Peter Pan mean to you? What do you think about the fantasy of Sir J. M. Barrie?
For example: Maybe you think Peter Pan is foolish for his forever-fun pursuits? Or that Wendy should have stayed with him? Do you tend to flit with the fancy of it or gravitate toward the more grave aspects? Are there re-interpretations you particularly enjoy? (Such as that Pan could be a vampire. [Think about it if you haven't...comes to your window, never ages, flies] The Lost Boys developed around this concept, by the way.) Anything you've always wanted to pontificate or rant about the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up? How do you perceive the story?
Now's your chance!
Don't worry, you won't be judged.