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Glimpses Into the Costuming of The Lord of the Rings, the Rings of Power
I've been a big fan of The Lord of the Rings since the age of 14. Seeing the series come to life through costume is a huge pleasure, and I can't wait to see what they share next.
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Ten Things About QUEEN OF FURY Plus Cover Reveal
Queen of Fury is set for publication this December, and here's a sneak peek at some of the themes.
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Rivia’s Riveting Wardrobe: A Look at The Witcher’s Season 2 Costumes
A new season of the Witcher is upon us. What do the costumes look like?
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The Mad Pursuit 2021 Year in Review
A look at 2021, and some thinky thoughts about 2022 and the way forward.
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Don We Now Our Christmas Frippery: A Look at Holiday Fashion
1 – Welcome to #ThreadTalk! We're talking #Christmas frippery. 🎄🎀🎅 Fair warning: If you came for an uncomplicated, nostalgic look at this winter celebration, I suggest you take your eggnog & jingle along, Santa baby. Still with me? Cool. Let's don our gay apparel & begin! 2 – Before we get to the frocks, Christmas as we know it is quite new. At least, the whole lighting trees, fancy outfits, presents, consumerism business. We have Dickens, Hessian soldiers & capitalism to thank for that. Prang, 1880, below. Watch out, kids. That's real fire! 3 – Lots of our current traditions are rather "new old-fashioned". See, up in until the 19th…
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Live Reading Stream from Queen of None
As I continue the one year celebration of the Queen of None release, I finally set up my audio arrangement in my office (read: space in the open loft area of my house where, if late enough at night, is relatively quiet enough). So last night I did a little live reading of two scenes from Queen of None: one, Hwyfar’s first introduction, and two, Anna’s total tear down of Gawain when she first arrives to Carelon. During the reading I was reminded, as I gave a voice to Anna… just how wily she is. She really is so calculating. It’s covered in a lot of beautiful language, good intentions,…
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QUEEN OF NONE is One! New Book Trailer and More
Queen of None was always about the stories within the story. But I also knew that Anna was not always the most reliable narrator. She is a good and compelling hero–but like all heroes, she has her faults, her missing pieces. The version of the characters you see in Queen of None is her take on them. Even some of those closest to her, like her own sons, are portrayed and informed by her own biases. Back in 2010, I actually started the sequel to Queen of None, originally entitled Knight of the Blood. At that point, it was going to be about Gawain and Palomydes at war. A story…
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A Bit of Québécois Heritage Food: Cigares au Chou
The Story The undisputed favorite heritage dish in my household isn’t even remotely French, but it comes from Mom’s family, and so I include it in this section. I like to make up the provenance here, that my grandmaman lived next to an old Polish woman at some point in her life and got the opportunity to watch her make galumpkies out of ingredients she already had, was inspired and delighted and ran home to make it for her mess of eight children and demanding husband. It became her staple, she won church cooking contests, and with her winnings bought her signature red lipstick. But, no. Cigares au chou, a…
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Men’s Regency Style: Is Beau Brummell to Blame?
1 – Welcome to #ThreadTalk! Our topic: the dandy of the Regency Era, Beau Brummell, oft credited with ruining men's fashion. Yes: he arrives at a cultural moment when "masculine" fashion takes a sharp turn away from color, patterns & frippery. But let's dig deeper, shall we?👔 2 – The Regency look is now iconic, thanks to Brummell's contemporary Jane Austen. But at the time, it was quite a shift. The elaborate "Macaroni" style favored wild colors, wigs, & designs, frequently mocked in satirical comics, had been the playground of rich young men. 3 – Although the English were a bit more restrained, Paris knew no limits. (Keep in mind…
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The Costumes of Villeneuve’s Dune: History, Texture, & Storytelling
Let's go on a trip to interstellar space and check out what fashion is like on Arakkis and beyond. A look at the threads that keep the new Dune film together.
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Mourning Traditions and Fashion History
Mourning... in fashion. Just because you were sad, didn't mean you didn't have to look amazing. Well, if you could afford it.
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#TheadTalk Halloween: Ghostly Garb
Ghosts and ghouls, wights and lost souls... what are they wearing?
