He's BACK!

Hi.
I know, it's been a while.  There's no real excuse other than getting tired of bitching about things in typed form... not finding time (in the mea culpa sense) and many other events that have happened to me.  But I return, just like Pan always says he will.  And I've brought good news.

Peter Pan: 
Betwixt-and-Between
My interquel novel bringing to light the lost years of everybody's favorite lost boy.
is HERE!  That's right... AVAILABLE!
Amazon link

How did a wild, eternal infant in a London park become the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up fighting pirates in the Neverland? Which, of course, requires growing up — and ceasing again? Tall questions for such a small boy. At long last, the story of how a baby came to be the boy we know on the magical island.

Once again, I've scoured Barrie's remaining ideas, delved into his world and devised the answer to one of the most troubling dilemmas in all of the Pan-iverse.  I hope you enjoy it.  I've already had two of the toughest Pan critics delight in its pages... and some non-fanatics are satisfied as well.

It's been too long, but I am finally able to bring it to you.  Thanks for waiting.  I really appreciate it.

P.S. - If the e-book versions aren't available at the time of this posting, they will be up soon.

Another Knock at the Window

Well, it's happened yet again, folks.

Someone else has decided to write another novel about Peter Pan.

This time it's Always Neverland by Zoe Barton.
I haven't read it (yet?) but apparently (if one is to be absolutely technical about it) it doesn't hold water or air, in that it includes Tinker Bell and Captain Hook.  Maybe there's something in the book that 'magically' resurrects these two characters, I don't know.  If not, then we can add it to the pile that just ignores what Sir J.M. Barrie wrote.  Sad, no?

Here's the "blurb" for it:

School has only been out for one whole day, and Ashley can already tell her vacation is going to bore her to tears. With her friends out of town and her parents working nonstop, she finds herself alone and with nothing to do—until one night she wakes up and discovers Peter Pan in her bedroom, wrestling with his shadow.


Since his original adventure with the Darlings, Peter Pan has been bringing new “Wendy girls” to Neverland to take care of the Lost Boys. But Ashley’s made of much tougher stuff than the Wendy girls before her—she’d rather befriend the mermaids or fight Captain Hook and his pirate crew. Creating new adventures for her friends, Ashley is bringing change to Neverland . . . and not everyone is happy about it. 

Show More

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Not that the idea isn't something ANYONE could think of... but doesn't this Ashley sound like one Amy Alexis Richards?  And "wrestling with his shadow" seems to imply that it's doing that 'move on its own' trick that doesn't really exist.  [Link to more misconceptions about Peter Pan in the left sidebar.] 

Anyone else want to take a stab at the contents of this one before I get to it?

I have to say, though, that I kind of like the depiction of Peter Pan on the cover.  The triangular shape of the leaves isn't as appealing to me, but the rest of him is great.  And isn't that Disney's version of the Neverland shown?  I do really enjoy how the whole design of the cover leads you toward opening the book.

Time to Check on the TIME

We all know that the Darling children flew off to the Neverland with Peter Pan.  And we all know that they did in fact return.

But the part that seems to pass everyone by is the how much time passes during their visit. All one really gets from adaptations of it is that they did come back... and seemingly soon.  They have their various famed adventues and the climatic pirate ship battle and it all looks done and gone.  In Disney, for instance, parents George and Mary return home from their party on the same night, to find Wendy asleep at the window, implying that she dreamt it all up. Some folks like to think that they did spend a good deal of time in the Neverland and simply returned, magically, on the same night. A la more time passed in the Neverland than at their home in London. This certainly could be true within the Disney movie. But as always, I like to go to the source. Especially when the various presentations fall short of depicting the reality of this fantasy.

So... how long are they actually there? 

Well, first of all, the very act of even flying to the Neverland seems to take much longer than you might first imagine.

Not long ago. But how long ago? They were flying over the sea before this thought began to disturb Wendy seriously. John thought it was their second sea and their third night.

Thus, we already have an indication that it couldn't just be one night.

And if those lines are construed as the children's wrong impressions, a narrative clue as to it not being the same night, or even just a day, is this line:

...that the children are coming back, that indeed they will be here on Thursday week.

This means not the very next Thursday, but the one after that, as in the one in a week. Hence, they must have been gone for at least twelve days.

But there’s more in the text than just that to give us some idea. Consider: Captain Pan calculated, after consulting the ship’s chart, that if this weather lasted they should strike the Azores about the 21st of June, after which it would save time to fly.  The Azores are in the Atlantic (while the Neverland is on the other side of the world), so... if they had left in the Winter and not yet come back up through June 21, the beginning of summer, we are now talking about 6 months that the Darling children had been away from home. But there’s more!

Just a couple of lines showing that many days did indeed go by on the island:

[Wendy] was often at the lagoon, however, on sunny days after rain, when the mermaids come up in extraordinary numbers to play with their bubbles.

We have now reached the evening that was to be known among them as the Night of Nights, because of its adventures and their upshot.

Regarding the amount of their adventures:

To describe them all would require a book as large as an English-Latin, Latin-English Dictionary, and the most we can do is to give one as a specimen of an average hour on the island.

And then on the other end, back in London, a little from the waiting period of Mr. and Mrs. Darling:

They sat thus night after night recalling that fatal Friday...

Instead of watching the ship, however, we must now return to that desolate home from which three of our characters had taken heartless flight so long ago.

Note, of course, SO LONG AGO.

And then there is this line to ponder:

Wendy, while still in the Neverland and considering going home, says, Perhaps mother is in half mourning by this time.

This had been brought back to my attention by Hook & Jill author Andrea Jones.  For this topic had been one of the many bits she and I discussed about the world of Pan last visit. I had mentioned how the duration of the time in the Neverland is rarely (if ever) actually brought to light in pop culture thinking of the tale.  So, this line immediately came back to Andrea.   Half mourning?   We had an inkling, but needed to be sure. To the internet!

Half-mourning is the traditional third part of mourning in the Victorian era. The plain black clothing associated with the first stage of mourning and the black clothing with trims worn in the second period were replaced in half-mourning by garments in shades of purple and gray. White was also acceptable in this late mourning stage.

In nineteenth century England, the first mourning period, or full mourning, lasted one year and one day. The second mourning stage was nine months long and the half-mourning period was three to six months long. The idea of easing into non-mourning was emphasized by going from dark clothing and a veil for widows to a dark dress with decorative trim to new, lighter- colored of clothing.*

Get all that? Whoa there! If Mary Darling were in half mourning, then this calculates into roughly two years they are gone!

Seem implausible? Don’t forget about George Darling living in the kennel. He even goes to work in it:

Every morning the kennel was carried with Mr. Darling in it to a cab...

And he’s gained notoriety for it:

It may have been quixotic, but it was magnificent. Soon the inward meaning of it leaked out, and the great heart of the public was touched. Crowds followed the cab, cheering it lustily; charming girls scaled it to get his autograph; interviews appeared in the better class of papers, and society invited him to dinner and added, “Do come in the kennel.”

Granted, word of such a sensation could indeed spread quickly, but having nearly two years time to reach this level would certainly make sense.

We also have to consider, of course, that Wendy could be wrong. Time is described as behaving strangely on the island, so perhaps she has miscounted the days. It was not really Saturday night, at least it may have been, for they had long lost count of the days; but always if they wanted to do anything special they said this was Saturday night, and then they did it. Still, however, this does give another indication that they were there for ever so long!  They are even forgetting details about their own home.  Sure the Neverland is a distracting and adventurous place, but would that have happened in so a short time as is generally thought? (Unless one goes by the assumption that the Neverland makes one forget things, but I don't recall any solid evidence of that concept.)  And since Wendy’s “job” is meant to be a homemaker and she adheres to it, she would have a better grasp on ‘reality’ than the others. So it’s not entirely far-fetched that she just as well could be correct.

So no matter what, this idea that they had their fun in the Neverland for a night or even merely the weekend is not the truth. The Darlings, as shown by the text, had been gone for what amounts to years.

It pains me to think of poor Mr. & Mrs. Darling, pining for their lost children and regretting their alleged mistakes.  Mary keeps the window open, sitting by it in the hope they they'll return.  It's so heart-breaking.  And if you want more of the depth of their despair, Barrie lays it all out for you during the novel.

But then, Peter likely had no intention of letting them return to London in the first place.

 * Quoted from this page.

 * I certainly didn't catch every reference to the length of their stay in the novel, so feel free to add more!

Write It Right?

They're destroying my world.

Okay, not literally.  Well, okay, maybe literally.

Just a little purposeful over-reation to the fact of progress.

I have a novel that I put on the back burner.  It takes place here in Chicago.  As such, I've gone around town and took notes (mental, written and general impressions) about specific places.  Then I wrote them, specificially, into the story.  I'd hoped it would have an authentic feel.

Well, as it turns out, some of the places I have the boy and girl visiting no longer exist.  Drat.  It's not all for naught, though.  There are locations that (goodness forbid) will not change.  It would require a major re-landscaping and there is no (it would seem) conceivable reason to do so.  But then there are spots such as a particular restaurant in Greektown.  You'd think that those would be safe.  For right now, yes, but consider that one of Bart's favorite restaurants has gone bye-bye.  He's in his thirties and he'd been going there as a six-year-old and has ever since.  If even an "institution" like Matsuya can suddenly disappear... is anyplace a safe fictional bet?

I'll of course be revamping that back-burned novel whenever I wind up getting back to it so as to make it a little less exact... but then, some of the places and 'objects' are heavily woven into the story!  Besides, I had wanted people to be able to visit these places themselves (if the spirit so moved them.)

Makes me wonder if it's better to create a fictionalized city like Jeremy Strache's "Chicago" or if the realism adds that extra believability.  Seems like there's good reason for both ways.

Putting Down the Pen on Another Pan

Woo!
Last night I finished writing
Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between.

For those who do not already know:

This novel is an interquel.

That means it's a sequel to one work, but a prequel to another. You see, there's a major gap between Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens (really part of the novel The Little White Bird) and Peter and Wendy (aka Peter Pan.) In PPiKG, Pan's "origin story" by Barrie, he is an eternal infant living among the birds and fairies in the famous London park. But the next time we see him, he's a young boy fighting pirates in the Neverland. One could just chalk it up to Barrie changing his focus for the character. Sure, that's true. Yet reference is made in Peter and Wendy as to the first adventure having happened. That means story-wise, we have a major chunk missing. How did the little boy who wouldn't grow up...er... grow up to being a boy? And how did he get to the Neverland? Thus, I've pored through Barrie's works again and devised that very story. Those and some other ponderous elements are made clear.

I must, of course, read through it all again and make any necessary revisions. And I've got a few very minor details (such as which birds specifically) to fill in... but otherwise it's a completed book. It clocks in (currently) at 53,533 words. Naturally that will change. It's a short novel, but then, so are Barrie's.

Before I unleash it, I am going to have (at least) three people take a gander at it first. Not just anyone, either. Andrea Jones (Hook & Jill) will be delving into it for me. Since she's quite versed in Barrie's world it can only behoove me to get her opinion. Her obsession has the very helpful advantage of a feminine perspective as well as masterfully manipulating Barrie without sacrificing any of his integrity and themes. My faithful reader Anon will also have a read. Anon rivals my own obsession with Pan and Barrie and also matches my insistance on the meticulous details. Anon has been anxious to read this tale since I mentioned it. And of course, Bart.

I really am curious what they will think of it. I'm hoping it doesn't seem completely off the mark to them. Not that I doubt the work. I am very pleased with it. I just wonder if since I've been dealing with and living with it for so long that I'm more readily accepting of some of the ideas, characters and events in it. After all, I am more than touching a subject that is both delicate and difficult - namely the wherefore of how Peter Pan...er, grew up, so to speak. There's the chance that at first experiencing this adventure it could seem too outlandish. But I do feel it remains true to Barrie's universe while expanding it just that much further.

At this point, then, I am not entirely sure of this novel's fate. But I will be sure to keep you posted.

*Yes, that's the cover I've devised for it. The photo is of a walkway gate in Kensington Gardens. Bart took the picture when we visited London and the "world" of Sir J.M. Barrie.

Where's That Dang Crocodile?

To quote a cliche: How time flies!

It's been just about a week and I've not posted anything. My apologies to regular readers. I'm sure you know what happened... I had things to do, places to be (that old drill) and time just got away from me. And yes, I had also been writing Peter Pan: Betwixt-and-Between during that time. In fact, I've come up with a "tagline" for it, too. Bart loves it... and I also bounced it off Andrea Hook & Jill Jones, who is likewise fond of it. I'll reveal it later, of course.

A couple Peter Pan related items I've found since last post:

The band Kula Shaker has a new single out: "Peter Pan R.I.P." I sorry to say I'm not that much of a fan of this song. No, the title/subject idea has nothing to do with it. Truth is, I rather like Kula Shaker. Their song "Tattva," to put it in a creative way, spins my soul the other way around when I hear it. And many of their other pieces I enjoy very much. Unfortunately, for me, this Peter Pan song does nothing for me. It's just not as engaging somehow. On a non-aesthetic level, I also don't fully understand it. Evidence more than suggests that Peter Pan is far from dead. Perhaps they're saying kids grow up too fast today? My other guess (and this is probably it) is that it refers to Michael Jackson. (Jackson's self-proclaimed Peter Pan-ness never [ha!] sat right with me in the first place - not to mention that his "Neverland Ranch" had Disney Pan sculptures in it.) That all said, it doesn't say much about Peter Pan at all. At any rate, I wish I could be more of fan of Kula Shaker's new song. You can listen to it here, if you like (in the little music player top right side.) [At least at the time of this posting, the song is/had been available.]

There's a re-release of a book called Neverland by Douglas Clegg. I admit I have not read it, but from what I can gather it is not about Pan's island. Though it does take place on an island...hence the title. Actually, there are other reasons. It's a horror novel touching on some of the themes from Barrie's masterpiece.

Neverland is the story of a dysfunctional southern family summer-vacationing on a Georgia island of badly faded glory, and of the horror that washes over them, literally like a hurricane, when the children turn an abandoned shack into their clubhouse and discover there dark secrets about the family, the island's history, the supernatural, and ultimately themselves.

As the title suggests, themes and elements from J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan figure prominently, such as imagination, the wish never to grow up, and even the fantasy of enchanted flight.
- quoted from The Groovy Age of Horror

(If the title of this post is too cryptic, I'm referring to the Croc in Barrie's story, of course, and the idea that when you want to know the time in the Neverland you need to find her.)

Random Discoveries

So I flip on the TV to watch something mindless while I sort through some old microsettes (gasp!) to see if I could locate something... but that's not really important.

I caught the last half hour of FX playing Peter Pan, Hogan's version. Of course, I come in right at the "Split my infinitives!" scene. Sigh. I kept it on though, and had a nice moment watching the fairies rise up from the trees having just re-read a similar passage from Barrie's screenplay. Anyway, I noted they removed the Lost Boys' introductions to Mrs. Darling and also Slightly's late entrance to be adopted by Aunt Millicent. Yes, I know films on TV are edited. I just found it interesting that it does, in fact, become expendable if need be. For although (knowing they should be there) I missed them, the flow of the overall story is not compromised.

I then changed the channel at the end and voila! A story idea outta nowhere. Well, to be fair, I suppose it's been brewing a long time and it just took a more coherent form. And, just having written it down (yes, just after that last sentence) I suppose it needs a little work. I'm not really sure if it would work best as a comedy or as a thriller. Perhaps it's a connection to a different novel (not Peter Pan releated) I know I'll eventually write. Time will tell.

Update: The new tidbit definitely doesn't connect with the other idea. The tone is entirely different in each piece. But they deal with the same subject matter - the so called paranormal.

Calling for the PAN of Barrie's Classic!

So I've been reading through Peter and Wendy (a.k.a. Peter Pan) again on account of that really cool event that will be happening this weekend [which I hope to have permission to write about here.]

No matter which version of the novel being addressed, there is always too much missing. Ridiculously so. Sure, I understand that cuts and tweaks usually need to be made when transferring it to the visual medium. But does that always have to be the case? I've decided no.

If I ever am able to present my own filmed adaptation of Barrie's masterpiece, I am going to do using several parts. It seems the only way to be able to include it all (besides one VERY long film) is to spread it over several sections. I'm imagining the proverbial "mini-series." I'd also like to see it done in realistic motion-capture CGI animation. In many ways, it's the "best of both worlds."

It's truly a shame, for instance, that we always lose the full gamut of Mrs. Darling's fears and toils regarding the coming of Peter Pan. Do you even know about her scouring the floor with a candle in a panic for footprints? And She rattled the poker up the chimney and tapped the walls. She's really freaked out! I mentioned the loss of Mrs. Darling's interactions before in this post.

And none have fully realized the flight to the Neverland. What of the real duration? Where are the bouts with the birds? The touching of shark fins? And the Darlings fearful at being left by themselves when Pan darts off to some adventure without them?

It would also require the alluring task of adding some dialogue for passages such as: [Wendy] gave him a look of the most intense admiration, and he thought it was because he had run away, but it was really because he knew fairies. Wendy had lived such a home life that to know fairies struck her as quite delightful. She poured out questions about them, to his surprise...

If ever given the chance, I want to include it PAN (ALL.) And yes, there would HAVE to be a Narrator for the salient quips included as such.

If you've never read the original, please do so... you'll be surprised at how much you're missing!

Don't PANIC - It's HERE!

Peter Pan's NeverWorld

is now available in PAPERBACK!

Just in time for the Holidays...

It's slicker, less expensive and has extra pix!

Fly on over for your copy here...

A Clarification in the Pan Novel

My faithful reader “Anonymous” (both of this site and my work), who now posts as “Anon” brought up something when re-reading Peter Pan’s NeverWorld (for the third time.)

If Michael is in the Navy, why is he called private and why is there a general? Very good question. I suppose my little scheme didn’t work as well as I hoped. There are two answers. First, my own.

As told in the book, Michael has bounced around, so to speak, between varies countries and various military groups and fought in many wars and conflicts. Perhaps it should have been more clear that in his own mind, it all blends together. To him, one is the same as the next. By having both types mentioned (group and terminology) it’s supposed to represent his eternal amalgamation of it all. As for why his superior officer uses the “wrong” terminology, Michael’s been bleary-eyed, overtired from staring at the blip on a screen, as well as sinking into his own thoughts, haunted by them. Michael’s not hearing properly.

The second reason, as might be guessed, is meant to be an allusion to Barrie. When giving us information about Captain Jas. Hook, he never quite delivers a straight answer as to the whole. What I mean is, whenever one thinks information is pinned down, it pops undone by another. Not that it’s contradictory. It just doesn’t all fit, giving you the feeling that you’re missing a major piece of the puzzle. For example, Barrie tells us Hook was not his true name. To reveal who he really was would even at this date set the country in a blaze; but as those who read between the lines must already have guessed, he had been at a famous public school; and its traditions still clung to him like garments, with which indeed they are largely concerned. Okay, then who is he? Take all the other evidence/facts from Barrie and real history and there’s a pretty good candidate. Here’s the thing: Who I’m thinking of did not have a formal education. And there is no doubt that Hook attended Eton. Thus, I wanted to give a sense of “not-fitting” mystery to Michael as well.

I liked the idea of coupling the “non-fit” with the above, so that he himself feels awkward and “out of place” in the world.

Sorry for not making it more clear in the actual text.

Should We PANic?

Time to report on more Pan-derings.

Andrea Jones, author of the marvelous Hook & Jill, informed me of a book that is meant to be Tinker Bell centered. However, for all of you who just went “awwww” be aware that the Tink in this book is reportedly a brazen drunk. (Barrie’s Tink may be bitchy, for lack of better word, but I don’t think she deserves to be a full-on drunken tart.) There’s no word on when and if this story will ever be released. I’ll keep you posted. The author is Martha O’Connor and the book is Tink. Please note that I am not slamming her with my comments. Just my knee-jerk reaction. It could very well be that she justifies her spins on Barrie. But I’m also a harsh critic as you’ve probably figured out by now if you’ve been following along with me. (The picture is not associated with the book!)


There’s also one that's been out for some time now, but I have not yet made mention of here until now. But since I’m on the subject… It's a re-telling, of sorts, of the Peter Pan story, Tigerheart, by Peter David. I’ve not read it myself, to be honest. Since it is a completely new re-working of the story and not meant to be an adventure in the direct timeline of Barrie’s world, I didn’t pay much attention to it. I’ve read mixed reviews, however. This also harkens back to this post of mine. But by that I don’t mean this is doing that exact idea of a “Novel Remake.” For in order to be what I describe, the character names and situations would not be changed, just the way in which it’s told.


Never After is another “re-telling” of the story is by Dan Elconin. From the description, this one deviates greatly from the original tale with zombies and penis jokes. Yes, you read that correctly. I do like that “The Island” isn’t quite what it’s touted as… that’s true of Barrie’s island, too, and a fact that I like to emphasize myself. You can read more about it here. Call me a purist even when it's a re-envisioning, but zombies and penis jokes? No thanks.

Didn't I Already Say...?

The posts of the last two days brought to mind two previous posts.

The note regarding the "As Retold By Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson"
is not unlike the post A Rose By Any Other?
Sad that it would "come true" this way.

And yesterday I said I've been thinking about other Peter Pan adventures to be done.
Well, here's proof (not that anyone needed it): Pan Inspires Me YET AGAIN...

Let's hope that all writing involved turns out well, eh?

Revising the Neverland Can Be Done

In Hook & Jill, Andrea Jones takes us on an awfully big adventure. Jones has created a fantastic companion piece to Sir J.M. Barrie’s Peter and Wendy.

She re-enters the Neverland, quite obviously knowing her way around. She guides us through familiar but new scenes, such as other tender moments in the Underground House and hunts in the jungles. She brings us to new places like the Fairy Glade and the entrance of the crocodile’s lair. Her grasp on the ethereal island is so imaginative, compelling and accurate, I’d venture to say Jones has been there herself. Surely she’s one of the adults who can still “hear the sound of the surf” and knows how to land.

And yet, by the same token, she steers way off course. But her new direction is far from uncharted. Although veering from the story we all know, it’s clear that Jones still navigates in Barrie’s blueprints. Carefully grounded, she plots her tale amid the set boundaries, while still managing to soar in the air often. Hook & Jill is not a continuation of Peter and Wendy, nor is it a paraquel. It’s a marvelous pretend turned real. Jones asks us to wonder what would happen if Wendy Darling gave in to her cravings for adventure. Cravings which being a mother to Peter Pan could not provide. As Wendy opens herself up to new experiences, so are we given an inspired and delightful new story in the Neverland. Every twist and surprise is balanced by an exceptional use of the original – from spot-on reactions of Peter Pan to extensions of Barrie’s logic. No detail is wasted and minute elements are deftly woven into the new material.

Jones rewrites the future, but also the past. For the timeline not only skews before Hook captures Tiger Lily, it branches off from the first story in Kensington Gardens as well. What Jones presents about the characters’ histories might be considered an imposition. But she expertly presents the reworking, both through her writing and her command of the sensitive bittersweetness of Barrie. What is technically a contradiction becomes necessary and gratifying, enhancing the themes of Barrie while strengthening the new vision of Jones. The right to navigate in two directions is well earned. Hook & Jill delivers a wonderful dream of the whole of Barrie’s world.

Andrea Jones, please lead us on into Other Oceans and beyond!

WARNING: Hook & Jill is not a novel for children, as Ms. Jones will be quick to say herself. This adventure explores the grown-up side of Barrie’s tale.

I'm HOOKed.
Jones-in for More
Pan's at Yet Another Window...

Pan's at Yet Another Window...

This book, Hook & Jill by Andrea Jones, came to my attention yesterday.
Interesting, no?

If you’re wondering, I’m not concerned about contradictions with this particular novel. For you see, it’s not a direct addition/continuation to Barrie’s story. Rather it seems to be a re-telling, or a re-imagining.

What does make me cock my head, though, is that emphasis is being placed on the Neverland as dark, sinister and highly dangerous... as if this were something special this time around. Okay, yes… but how is that different from what Barrie portrays? Perhaps Ms. Jones means darker still?

And I have to admit I’m quite curious about “Jill.” The only thing that comes to mind is the Hogan movie version when Wendy declares herself as “Red Handed Jill” which is a variation from John’s name for himself, “Red Handed Jack.”

I’ll just have to get the book and find out, eh?

Learn more about this new book here.

Jones-in for More
I'm HOOKed.

WARNING: Hook & Jill is not a novel for children, as Ms. Jones will be quick to say herself. This adventure explores the grown-up side of Barrie’s tale.

You're Doing This...Rye?

In recent news, J.D. Salinger has launched legal action against an author named J. D. California. It seems California is publishing 60 Years Later: Coming through the rye, an (obviously) unauthorized sequel.

As someone who has extended a classic myself, you can bet I have feelings on this event.

First and foremost, I do not understand how it has even come to pass. Salinger is still alive. So how on earth would it have ever progressed to this level? What I mean is, besides the utter disrespect, the copyright would not have been expired even if he had passed on merely a year ago. Who isn’t doing their job here?

Now, as far as my thoughts on the new book. I haven’t read it but my initial reaction is I’ve never been curious what else happens to Holden. California says he has, and this is what he envisioned: "Mr. C" runs away again...from his nursing home and visits all the the same spots. Why would I want to read something disheartening? Not that I think Holden’s life turned out peachy or that his new adventure should be sugar coated. That’s just the point. We don’t know what else happened…and I’m guessing we shouldn’t.

Okay, you’re probably thinking: Then where do YOU get off writing a sequel to a classic, Mr. Von Brown? Perhaps I don’t. But allow me to tell you how I view the situation. Perhaps I do…

First and foremost, as I have made clear, my novel arose out of an Independent Study (for college credit) on Sir J.M. Barrie and discovered his notes for a sequel. Besides this scrap of thought, Barrie never stopped tinkering with Pan. The script for the play had revisions right up to opening night curtain. He added new scenes over the years. He created an epilogue (When Wendy Grew Up) performed just once. Of course, Peter first appeared in The Little White Bird and so really, the play is an extension of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. He then wrote the story into novel form, making even more changes and additions. He tried his hand a screenplay, again with tweaking. But it didn’t stop there. He scribbled out musings on his own work long after as well. Thus, the question of whether or not Peter Pan would have another adventure, I believe, is not a question at all. No doubt Barrie conceived continuation. Not only that, but as per Barrie's own novel of Peter Pan, we are told that Pan's adventures go on. And even if he didn't, "the eternal boy" says it all.

Fan Fiction? Yes, I can see why one might regard my work as fan fiction. The difference as I see it, is intention. FanFic is a way to generate more adventure for beloved characters, put into situations as per the fancy of the writer. Often (though not always, certainly) it seems to be done as a lark, something to pass the time amusingly. Oh yes, there are serious ventures. But just as many or more exist which “pair” certain characters together in a lewd manner. Hardly a serious venture. And for those FanFics writers who do "take it seriously," all the best to you. In my case, I made sure to include the various elements and ideas which Barrie left behind. Sure, some of my own ideas filled in the gaps. But on the whole I maneuvered around Barrie, his (and our) history as well as contemporary concerns.

Also, publication did not originally cross my mind. I couldn’t have not written the work if I tried. A sincere compulsion to complete the work of a treasured favorite. Why, then, have I brought my novel out? I thought it would be a nice way to celebrate the the Centennial of Peter Pan. So some years before it, I opened the window. Quite a lot happened in that pursuit. And now, so as to present a Pan adventure that’s in accordance with Barrie - which no one else has done.

My efforts, in a nutshell, are a scholarly endeavor, based on what the original author might have done. Although John David California says he also writes out of respect and love for Salinger, somehow I have trouble believing it. Though Coming through the rye is dedicated to Salinger, he calls him “the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life.” Yes, it’s cute in the Twain sense. But add the fact that Salinger is somehow also a character in the book? One article said it's essentially the first book over again. Where's the pleasure in that? [And why must the title be in lower case?]

I’ve one word left: Phony.

Novel Novels

Here’s some wacky news from the land of the literary which I found on one of my favorite sites, Boing Boing.

Fantasy author Peter Brett wrote a book on an industrial-grade HP iPAQ. And if that doesn’t sound impressive (or delightfully insane) already… it’s a 100,000 word novel. He says: As I got faster and faster typing with my thumbs, I wound up just writing prose on it. After doing that for a while, and realizing I could do it from anywhere, I made a commitment to myself to write on the train everyday. I admire his tenacity. Although it’s a wonderful idea… to make creative use of otherwise ‘wasted’ time .... I’d imagine revisions would be a bitch. Sometimes one sentence becomes garbled up over and over into something else entirely… seems it would be frustrating to go back constantly on a small device like that. Bravo, sir! Quite productive.


A new work from author Jeff Burk:

It's the first ShatnerCon with William Shatner as the guest of honor! But after a failed terrorist attack by Campbellians, a crazy terrorist cult that worships Bruce Campbell, all of the characters ever played by William Shatner are suddenly sucked into our world. Their mission: hunt down and destroy the real William Shatner.

How on earth does one get away with this? First of all, it’s that strange “fictionalizing” of real people in an overly bizarre and slanderous (used hyperbolically) fashion. Plus, what about the rights to all of those characters? Jeepers. How does one even THINK of this book anyway? None of what I’ve said is meant to be taken as condemnation… just as a happy “What the hell?”


The Boing Boing posts for more info and links:
Novel on HP iPAQ
Shatnerquake

The New Novel!

Well, folks, you know that novel I've been working on...

Yes! I'm tackling another tempered boy hero, but this time - from American culture!

What happens when the craftiest kid this side of the Mississippi

done hears of a way to ne'er grows up?

BULLY! It's one powerful adventure!

Coming Soon!

Lil' Updates...

The novel I’m currently writing has just passed the point of no return. Okay, I just wanted to sound dramatic. All that means is I’ve completed the “big” chapter. Now comes the aftermath of the event before the big payoff, so to speak. Darn this “sequential” writing I’ve gotten myself into… it will be nice when I can skip around again in time.





The trailer for Where the Wild Things Are has shown up on the internet.




Oh. My thoughts? Looks pretty good, but I didn’t get wrapped up in it, I must admit. Perhaps it didn’t get packaged quite right? After all, a trailer can do wonders. Three cases in point: The original trailer to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder depicted it as lifeless, pointless and dull. (Watch it. IMDB does not have the original. It's on the DVD.) No justice to the movie in the least. The trailer for Superman Returns had me drooling for it to come out - only to discover it belongs in the “Wish-I’d-Never-Wasted-My-Time” category. Bravo to whoever concocted that trailer for they worked a miracle. And then there’s the famous re-cut of The Shining, which proves that you can make a movie look like anything! So…no, I am not disappointed by Where the Wild Things Are, but it could have been a little more engaging. Let’s hope it’s of the Wonka variety.

Our opera season has come to an end. Last night Bart and I attended The Abduction from the Seraglio, a Mozart work. Perhaps you remember it from Amadeus. It’s the one with “too many notes.” But that certainly did not seem the case. Another memorable masterpiece of sublime aural and visual delight. Bravi, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Bravi! We were all saying what a fantastic season it has been. Not one of the productions left anything to be desired. And some rarities, too!
It also proved a twinge bit sad, as it soon became time to bid farewell to our opera friends. Doesn’t that sound pretentious? Well, it’s really not. I just mean the wonderful people who sit around us. We’ve become quite fond of each other, catching up on our lives in the minutes before our mutual love of opera begins. And we discuss the pieces at intermission and afterward, too. But for the most part, we only see them perhaps once a month, actually, more like every month and a half. An odd relationship, but one I wouldn’t trade. Fortunately, we plan to get together with a few of them after London, so we’ll have even more to talk about (at their request.) We also have been out to dinner a couple of times with our usher. If you met her, you’d want to have dinner with her, too. She wants to hear all about London as well.

And I once again want it to be Monday. Thanks, Heroes!

All right…I’m sure I have something I should be doing…

Ring! Ring! New Year Calling...

HI!
I'm back!

Bart and I had a lovely visit back in my hometown with my parents. A low-key but relaxing Xmas, filled with cookies, relatives and nice times.

Bart and I spent New Year's Eve back here in Chicago and then had our Xmas with each other... among other gifts, he had my Metropolis poster (which had been sadly stuck in a tube for way too long) gorgeously framed in a double rim of red and gold! Thanks, Bart! He's going to "guest blog" about our Eve, so you can wait until then for the details.

Tonight we have our THIRD Xmas, with Bart's Dad, his sister Lage and Aunt. And yes, we have a FOURTH on the way, too... with his Mom, her best friend and Bart's psuedo-cousins. A FIFTH is likely with my buddy Laughter.

I'll be back to regular story/writing related posts in the next one...
or...
I'll start now.

I finished a chapter of the latest book on the plane ride. Somehow it's thrilling to know that part of the story had been composed sky high. For the handful of you who know the plot of the novel, you realize the added "cool" of it being written while crossing a Time Zone. And for the record, I did not type on a laptop. I wrote the old fashioned way... on whatever scraps of paper I had with me... like the other side of my printed out Boarding Pass. It's all since been typed in. And revised. On to the next chapter!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

I gathered up quite a few ideas to post about, so until then...

HAPPY 2009. May it be bring us all Fantasy.

The Lights Never Quite Came On...

If you're wondering why I didn't yet post my reaction and compare/contrast of the movie City of Ember to the book, The City of Ember, there is a good reason. I have not yet seen it. Cassidy and I wanted to go together on a weekend. But our schedules have not yet allowed us. Bart and I are to see her this coming Sunday, perhaps it will happen then. Perhaps. For my interest in seeing it has waned. From what I heard, the movie did not do so well. Plus, you might recall that Sunshine's students read it for class. They watched the film. Sunshine tells me they returned and asked her, "Did they read the book before they made the movie?" I probably would ask the same thing. For I can be rather fussy when it comes to adaptations as well. It's nice to know that the next generation is learning to be intolerant of sloppy work. To respect art. It's one thing to make allowances and changes to reflect a new medium. It's another to completely alter a work. And from what I have seen in commercials, the other complaints I have heard from Sunshine's students and the fizzling excitement I've read of what is supposed to be a "family movie," this is not one of the better conversions.

If I ever do see it, I'll post about it. But it seems as if I should let my vision of Ember come from Jeanne DuPrau's novel.

My other posts about it are here and here.

Update: Sunshine read the post and told me more. She said she is proud of her students for their disgust. She said, a really precocious girl told me with absolute horror in her voice that they added a MONSTER. "A MONSTER!!! There are no MONSTERS. They missed the point entirely."

Brava, precocious girl!

Don't let Hollywood stomp on literature by thinking they know better. It's the rare case when they do.