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I have finally managed a Reading Wednesday post. (Life goals!) Many things have happened over the past few weeks: movies! Pride festivals! Music festivals! Multiple D&D campaigns! Gardening (and garden disasters)! I hope to post about some of these things in the near future.
In the meantime, here is a reading roundup, with more to come. Now I am going to take a walk before the wildfire smoke really rolls in.
What I Finished Reading This Week
A Dossan of Heather – Jean Duval & Stephen Jones
Packie Manus Byrne was born in Donegal and became a fixture on the British folk circuit in the 1970s and ‘80s. A Dossan of Heather collects 85 tunes from Byrne’s repertoire along with anecdotes for each. It’s a neat selection: many of the tunes aren’t widely played today, or are unusual variants of those that are. The accompanying anecdotes range from Byrne’s recollections of who taught him a particular tune to extended reminiscences on his childhood through middle age that are only tangentially related to the music. These provide fascinating glimpses into Donegal in the 1910s to 1960s, and the lives of migrant Irish laborers in England or Scotland. It’s good stuff.
But then there’s this—the accompanying anecdote to the tune The fumbling chorister, which is a hymn Byrne converted into a march.
Stephen Jones tape-recorded hours of Byrne reminiscing. He had myriad other material from which to choose, and he still chose to include this material—a man chuckling fondly over memories of groping unwilling women—in church. Jones thought a transcription of a man admitting to groping unwilling women—in church—was a fine illustration of what he calls Byrne’s “irresistible sense of fun.” Jones—who, by the way, is a teacher—listened to a man say When you’re in church they let you do it. You can grab them by the pussy. You can do anything and thought it was a charming example of what a delightful guy Packie Manus Byrne is. Jones thought everyone else who read this story would think the same thing. So did Jones' coauthor and the editors at Mel Bay, who reviewed at a manuscript in which a man admits to groping unwilling women in church and said, "Funny story! We can see why you want to include it." Jones, and Duval, and the editors at Mel Bay apparently did not think at all about the women "who had to carry on singing" while laughing boys groped them in church.
Things aren’t perfect now, but they’re better than they were then.
What I Finished Reading In Weeks Past
Fairies – Janet Bord
I first read this book in 1996 and loved it, largely because it contained a large number of fairy encounter narratives from across the British Isles and beyond. The original manuscripts from which Bord sourced her material have since become widely available thanks to Project Gutenberg and the like, making that aspect of Fairies slightly less exciting. That said, I still enjoyed revisiting it: in 2023, Fairies is a great time capsule of late-90s new age writing of the “Jane Doe saw a fairy in 1882, but maybe modern science will one day prove that it was an extraterrestrial. Or maybe fey and UFO sightings both have psychological, not paranormal, explanations. But really, who can prove what is and isn’t reality?” variety.
The Rock From The Sky – Jon Klassen
Just as good on the second read as the first. Klassen is a master of absurd humor, and a glorious illustrator.
The Hebridean Baker – Coinneach MacLeod
MacLeod is apparently a TikTok influencer, and boy does it show. This book—and MacLeod’s entire persona—is a meticulously orchestrated and curated feel-good fantasy pretending to be effortless and natural, and I love it. There’s nary a car or a power line in sight in the shots of sweeping Hebridean vistas. (Nor is there inclement weather, for that matter.) None of the plates or utensils in the gorgeous photos of food appear to date from after 1950. (It goes without saying that plastic anything is nonexistent.) “I am passionate about using home-grown Hebridean and Scottish produce. Eating locally first means choosing food that is grown and harvested close to where you live, close to the community and its people. Here are some of my favorite producers of quality foods that I use in my kitchen. I’d love you to give them a try,” says MacLeod in the introduction, blithely failing to explain how his readers can both eat locally and have his favorite Scottish foods delivered from from hundreds or thousands of miles away. He then introduces the first recipe, whose main component is the famously home-grown Scottish ingredient of...oranges? This and all subsequent dishes are preceded by a brief scenesetting paragraph that can border on cottagecore parody: “These savoury flapjacks make the perfect brunch or packed in a rucksack and taken on a hike up a Munro for a well-deserved mountain treat.” "Perfect for a special treat or a Sunday gathering (stretchy pants optional!)" And so forth. It’s ridiculous but a great deal of fun. The book’s eight chapters each close with a prose essay on various aspects of Hebridean folklore or modern day life, which were enjoyable reads (and I spotted some material from MacNeill popping up here and there). Plus, MacLeod is a huge proponent of the Scots Gaelic language (yes!) and the recipes have thus far proved to be quite tasty. So all in all, it's pretty much what I wanted from this cookbook experience.
What I Still Need To Review: Queer City – Peter Ackroyd
What I Am Currently Reading
The Thorns Remain - JJA Harwood
Very early days for this one, but I'm excited to dive in.
Plant Magick – Jessica Hundley
So far, this appears to be much more carefully copyedited than any of the previous volumes.
The Silver Bough vol. 4 – F. Marian McNeill
While not uninteresting, this volume is definitely for the completionist, versus casual, reader.
Cult of the Dead Cow – Joseph Menn
These kids may be little shits, but hey, they’re fun-loving and carefree!
The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill – Rowenna Miller
About 10 percent of the way in, this novel seems to be going for a Robin McKinley-meets-Charlie Holmberg vibe.
Other Things I've Been Reading
Herbal – Deni Brown
I'm largely reading this straight through, with some jumping to entries immediately relevant to my gardening.
Chinese Communist Espionage – Peter Mattis
I picked at this a little bit over the past few weeks.
What I’m Reading Next
This week I acquired JJA Harwood’s The Thorns Remain, Liz Moody's Healthier Together, and Robin Williamson's The Pennywhistle Book (to replace a missing copy). In previous weeks, I acquired Rebecca Beyer’s Wild Witchcraft, John Crowley’s Flint and Mirror, Coinneach MacLeod’s The Hebridean Baker, Jessica Hundley’s Plant Magick, Jeri Smith-Ready’s Bad to the Bone, Megan Whalen Turner’s Moira’s Pen, and C.M. Waggoner’s The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry.
これで以上です。
In the meantime, here is a reading roundup, with more to come. Now I am going to take a walk before the wildfire smoke really rolls in.
What I Finished Reading This Week
A Dossan of Heather – Jean Duval & Stephen Jones
Packie Manus Byrne was born in Donegal and became a fixture on the British folk circuit in the 1970s and ‘80s. A Dossan of Heather collects 85 tunes from Byrne’s repertoire along with anecdotes for each. It’s a neat selection: many of the tunes aren’t widely played today, or are unusual variants of those that are. The accompanying anecdotes range from Byrne’s recollections of who taught him a particular tune to extended reminiscences on his childhood through middle age that are only tangentially related to the music. These provide fascinating glimpses into Donegal in the 1910s to 1960s, and the lives of migrant Irish laborers in England or Scotland. It’s good stuff.
But then there’s this—the accompanying anecdote to the tune The fumbling chorister, which is a hymn Byrne converted into a march.
To Jesus’ heart all burning with fervent love for menAnd, I mean, holy shit. If anyone needed a reminder about how bad things were in the pre-MeToo world of 2000 when A Dossan of Heather was published, here you have it.
My heart with fondness yearning shall raise this joyful strain
While ages course along, this be with loudness sung
For the sacred heart of Jesus, by every heart and tongue
‘I used to sing that when I was a youngster in the church choir. It’s a nice air, but it breaks into a nice march. I remember there were girls in the choir with us. We were only small little fellas and they were all full-grown girls. We used to be groping them like hell, and they couldn’t say a word, they had to carry on singing. Us with straight faces, oh dear!’
Stephen Jones tape-recorded hours of Byrne reminiscing. He had myriad other material from which to choose, and he still chose to include this material—a man chuckling fondly over memories of groping unwilling women—in church. Jones thought a transcription of a man admitting to groping unwilling women—in church—was a fine illustration of what he calls Byrne’s “irresistible sense of fun.” Jones—who, by the way, is a teacher—listened to a man say When you’re in church they let you do it. You can grab them by the pussy. You can do anything and thought it was a charming example of what a delightful guy Packie Manus Byrne is. Jones thought everyone else who read this story would think the same thing. So did Jones' coauthor and the editors at Mel Bay, who reviewed at a manuscript in which a man admits to groping unwilling women in church and said, "Funny story! We can see why you want to include it." Jones, and Duval, and the editors at Mel Bay apparently did not think at all about the women "who had to carry on singing" while laughing boys groped them in church.
Things aren’t perfect now, but they’re better than they were then.
What I Finished Reading In Weeks Past
Fairies – Janet Bord
I first read this book in 1996 and loved it, largely because it contained a large number of fairy encounter narratives from across the British Isles and beyond. The original manuscripts from which Bord sourced her material have since become widely available thanks to Project Gutenberg and the like, making that aspect of Fairies slightly less exciting. That said, I still enjoyed revisiting it: in 2023, Fairies is a great time capsule of late-90s new age writing of the “Jane Doe saw a fairy in 1882, but maybe modern science will one day prove that it was an extraterrestrial. Or maybe fey and UFO sightings both have psychological, not paranormal, explanations. But really, who can prove what is and isn’t reality?” variety.
The Rock From The Sky – Jon Klassen
Just as good on the second read as the first. Klassen is a master of absurd humor, and a glorious illustrator.
The Hebridean Baker – Coinneach MacLeod
MacLeod is apparently a TikTok influencer, and boy does it show. This book—and MacLeod’s entire persona—is a meticulously orchestrated and curated feel-good fantasy pretending to be effortless and natural, and I love it. There’s nary a car or a power line in sight in the shots of sweeping Hebridean vistas. (Nor is there inclement weather, for that matter.) None of the plates or utensils in the gorgeous photos of food appear to date from after 1950. (It goes without saying that plastic anything is nonexistent.) “I am passionate about using home-grown Hebridean and Scottish produce. Eating locally first means choosing food that is grown and harvested close to where you live, close to the community and its people. Here are some of my favorite producers of quality foods that I use in my kitchen. I’d love you to give them a try,” says MacLeod in the introduction, blithely failing to explain how his readers can both eat locally and have his favorite Scottish foods delivered from from hundreds or thousands of miles away. He then introduces the first recipe, whose main component is the famously home-grown Scottish ingredient of...oranges? This and all subsequent dishes are preceded by a brief scenesetting paragraph that can border on cottagecore parody: “These savoury flapjacks make the perfect brunch or packed in a rucksack and taken on a hike up a Munro for a well-deserved mountain treat.” "Perfect for a special treat or a Sunday gathering (stretchy pants optional!)" And so forth. It’s ridiculous but a great deal of fun. The book’s eight chapters each close with a prose essay on various aspects of Hebridean folklore or modern day life, which were enjoyable reads (and I spotted some material from MacNeill popping up here and there). Plus, MacLeod is a huge proponent of the Scots Gaelic language (yes!) and the recipes have thus far proved to be quite tasty. So all in all, it's pretty much what I wanted from this cookbook experience.
What I Still Need To Review: Queer City – Peter Ackroyd
What I Am Currently Reading
The Thorns Remain - JJA Harwood
Very early days for this one, but I'm excited to dive in.
Plant Magick – Jessica Hundley
So far, this appears to be much more carefully copyedited than any of the previous volumes.
The Silver Bough vol. 4 – F. Marian McNeill
While not uninteresting, this volume is definitely for the completionist, versus casual, reader.
Cult of the Dead Cow – Joseph Menn
These kids may be little shits, but hey, they’re fun-loving and carefree!
The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill – Rowenna Miller
About 10 percent of the way in, this novel seems to be going for a Robin McKinley-meets-Charlie Holmberg vibe.
Other Things I've Been Reading
Herbal – Deni Brown
I'm largely reading this straight through, with some jumping to entries immediately relevant to my gardening.
Chinese Communist Espionage – Peter Mattis
I picked at this a little bit over the past few weeks.
What I’m Reading Next
This week I acquired JJA Harwood’s The Thorns Remain, Liz Moody's Healthier Together, and Robin Williamson's The Pennywhistle Book (to replace a missing copy). In previous weeks, I acquired Rebecca Beyer’s Wild Witchcraft, John Crowley’s Flint and Mirror, Coinneach MacLeod’s The Hebridean Baker, Jessica Hundley’s Plant Magick, Jeri Smith-Ready’s Bad to the Bone, Megan Whalen Turner’s Moira’s Pen, and C.M. Waggoner’s The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry.
これで以上です。
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But, as you note, the rapid changes are at least forcing those conversations now, so at least there's that.
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The Fairy book sounds like fun.
I'm glad you were able to get some good recipes from the book. There's nothing worse than a flop cookbook, than you are out the expense of a book and no yummy food.
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I, uh, may have liked the cookbook so much I went out and got the first one. ;-)