Tag Archives: #timemachine

Greetings from Maine!

puffin-dissagreement-brent-ander

Hello, readers!

Today I write to you from one of my favorite, most inspirational locations, coastal Maine.  I have always been fond of the ocean, although not being in the ocean, but being near it.  The sound of the surf, the lighthouses, the happy puffins, and today, the way the striated clouds parallel the horizon, makes me quite content.  I find inspiration here, in this setting, even though the wind makes my cheeks frozen and numb.  What is it about the ocean, specifically Maine?

 

img_2991img_2993

img_3001

Back in 1990, I flew with my friend Jenny to Spain, and spent a few weeks living with a family which we had met when their daughter was an exchange student at our high school.  It was our first transatlantic flight, one where we would actually need a passport, and we were all of nineteen years old.  On the return flight, our plane made a surprise stop in Bangor, Maine, at which time I viewed for the first time the beautiful, lake-filled, ocean-coasted landscape of that state from the window of our plane. At that moment, I made a pact with myself that I would be sure to visit and spend quality time in Maine.

Nowadays, my husband and I make at least one yearly trip to Maine.  During that time, we visit familiar and unfamiliar places.  I draw much inspiration from the sea and the surf here. On one visit, we saw some beautiful harbor bells for sale.  These multi-toned bells are crafted to mimic the unique harbor bell tones of the various harbors on the coast.  We purchased three different bells that visit, each representing the bell tones from different places:  Cape Cod, Chesapeake, and Portsmouth.  Each sounds different, and each represents both a lonely and uplifting spirit.  Here are some sound samples.  What do you think?

Cape Cod Buoy Bell

Chesapeake Buoy Bell

Portsmouth Buoy Bell

I learned from the vendor that all buoy bells are different, each one a unique combination of tones, distinguishing it from the bells of other harbors.  I have also since learned that there is a long history of these bells in Europe as well.  We ended up keeping the Portsmouth buoy bell, and gifting the others to our parents.  We leave our bell up year round on our front porch.  Even the smallest breeze sends the mournful, yet hopeful tones through the air.  We love its sound.

Coastal Maine and buoy bells were an inspiration in my Harbor Bells Trilogy.  Here is a small snippet from chapter 1 of book 1, tentatively titled, THE FIRST HARBOR BELL:

An old man, with skin transparent enough to see the veins and sinews beneath, sat on a stump.  Mangled and contorted, his bony fingers grasped a walking stick, gnarled with knots of the tree from whence it came.  His knuckles, enlarged and swollen with age, protruded profoundly, threatening to burst through the very skin that was holding his aged body together.   Around his shoulders, a cape, threadbare from time and wear, fluttered as a breeze floated past. 

In the distance, a harbor bell sounded.  Its three-toned broken chord, resonated within James.  It was a familiar sound.  One that he had been around his entire life in coastal England. 

Today, though, the bell’s music felt somewhat different.  As if a trance threatened to overtake him, James stood, looking intently at the caped man. He was captivated.

While this book is still in the early draft stages, I am happy to share this bit with you all.  If you listen to the samples of the buoy bells above, what do they make you think of?  I’d love to hear from you in the comments 🙂

Writerly Reflections and Resolutions, 2016/2017

happy-new-year

Welcome, Readers!

Happy New Year!

I hung up my Music Teacher Hat last week so I could celebrate the holidays with my family and friends.  Along with that, my family is blessed with both of my children’s birthdays during this week as well (December 27 and 29), making this week, for them, the gift that keeps on giving.  I love it!  In the quiet times of this vacation, though, I get to reflect on the year which has passed, and lay down some plans for the the coming year.

2016 brought with it the loss of many familiar people in our lives.I write about the loss of David Bowie here, but we said goodbye to so many other public figures in 2016 as well.  One loss of a very personal nature was Great Grandfather Dede, who was a World War II veteran.  A couple of years ago, he took part in the Honor Flight, which was such an emotional experience for both him and us.  His burial was incredibly moving.

2016 brought with it some fantastic writerly news, as I landed a publishing contract with REUTS Publications, began an internship with Golden Wheat Literary, and signed with agent Jessica Schmeidler, who is representing my writerly works.  I also worked along side a screenwriter to adapt one of my novels, which was as fabulous as it sounds! Here is my adrenaline-charged post about that. 

Finally, after struggling with a work in progress that seemed to be too much to handle, I had an epiphany, and mapped out the story as a trilogy, of which the first draft of Book One (The First Harbor Bell) is two-thirds complete.  I am super proud of that, as it is a story that has been brewing within me for at least five years, and whose initial seeds were planted when I was only fifteen.  I can’t wait to share The Harbor Bell Series with you!

As I roll into 2017, I have three resolutions.

  1.  I hope to continue the trajectory I am on with my writing.  I am on a serious roll with The Harbor Bell Series, as well as a couple of other things, and I resolve to continue my forward-moving progress on those fronts.
  2. I resolve to stay “above the line” as much as possible, in all aspects of my life, writing or otherwise.  For those who may not understand what that phrase means to me, here it is:  “Above The Line” means to focus on the positives in life, and to be the change I want to see.  Dwelling on the negatives is destructive, and I don’t have time for that.
  3. I resolve to get back on my weekly blog-posting schedule.  It’s very doable, and I miss it.  Along with that, I further resolve to let go of any guilt quickly when life happens and I might not be able to post on that schedule for a time.  Things happen, and it’s not the end of the world.

So, there you have it.  Wish me luck, but I know I can do it!  What are your thoughts as we leave 2016 and head into 2017?  Post your comments here!

Autumn, Costumes…And Bruce Springsteen?

autumn-photo

Hello, readers!  Welcome to Autumn!

With school in full swing now, and October on the horizon, my daughter has been asking about costumes.  I am now searching online daily for the exact costume she wants.  We will find it…eventually.  I only hope that when we do, it’ll arrive on time.

When I was younger, I remember dressing up as a 50’s girl, with a poodle skirt and bobbie socks.  As I got older, we would have school dances where we could show up in costume, which one time, I dressed up as Cyndi Lauper.  Hey! It was the 80’s, and for the record, I also had a Cyndi Lauper birthday cake that year.

Costumes are all about becoming someone or something else for a while.  During those years, I dreamed playing music in a pop band (Did I really just admit that???)  Being able to dress the part helped fill that need for me.  And plenty of my friends wanted to be Courtney Cox, before we even knew who she was (see below…)

Paul Natkin Archive

Bruce Springsteen and Courteney Cox at the filming of the video for Dancing in the Dark on 6/27/84 in Minneapolis, Mn. (Photo by Paul Natkin/WireImage)

This post, so far, has been a trip down memory lane.  You might be surprised, though, because here comes my writerly tie in:   The act of writing fiction is like creating a costume, and the act of reading fiction gives you a new costume to wear for a short time.

Here’s why:  Fabulous words, draped over the body of reality, allow the reader to experience life as someone else for a bit.  It’s a beautiful thing.  As kids, how many of us identified with a hero or heroine, choosing to read books about those characters so that we could continue to experience that life a while longer?  Some of my favorite books as a small child, were created by Beatrix Potter.  I loved the costume-like world she created for her animals, and reading these books together with my parents ad my grandma Honey placed me directly into Peter Rabbit’s thicket, Hunca-Munca’s dollhouse, and Squirrel Nutkin’s tree.

As I grew older, I found that I wanted to spend more and more time with the characters of Judy Blume, Madeleine L’Engle, and Jean Shepard, among others.  Opening a book was as if I threw on a costume, becoming part of those character’s world.

I am grateful that I had the experience of wearing those literary costumes growing up, and I consider myself fortunate to have the opportunity to create costumes for my readers.  It’s a wonderful thing.

What literary “costumes” were your favorites growing up?  How about now? If you are a writer, what “costumes” do you create for your readers?  Please share your comments!  I love hearing from you!

P.S.  In case you have now been inspired to watch Bruce Springsteen’s epic video for Dancing In The Dark, here it is!  Enjoy!

 

Big News, And I’m Shouting It From The Mountaintops!

On the mountain top

It’s been a really great day!!!  Here’s why:

Today I have the privilege to announce a new adventure: My novel, WORDS IN THE WINDOWSILL, has been acquired by REUTS Publications, and I couldn’t be more pleased.   Read the official announcement here!

This book and I have quite a little history!  Here’s how our adventure began.

In 1994, a friend and I went on an adventure of our own; a month-long trip through several countries in Europe.  As classically trained musicians, we were quite interested in the histories and world that Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and other master composers lived in, and that trip afforded us an opportunity to see much of it first hand.  I hadn’t realized it at the time, but on that trip, the seeds of WORDS IN THE WINDOWSILL were planted.  During the years (10+!) that followed, I revisited those memories through the photos and journals that I kept during the trip, and as time went on, I knew I had to continue the adventure, in the form of a novel.

NaNo 2

2012 brought another stop on WINDOWSILL’s adventure:  I decided to use NaNoWriMo as the launching pad for writing it.  By the end of the November, I had the first draft nearly completed, and it was clear what a special story it was to me.  Its plot continues to hold a unique connection to me and my musical life, as do its characters.  But I wondered:  Would anyone else feel similarly?

I beta’d it.  I revised it.  I modified and added parts to it.  I removed parts of it.  I freaked out a little bit when I realized that I still needed those discarded parts, so I sifted through older drafts to put them back in.  (It’s true what they say about keeping all of your early drafts… ) I continued to believe in it, and I never gave up hope.  Now, several drafts, edits, contests and queries later, the reality is finally sinking in.  My novel, set partially in the 21st century and partially in the 1800’s, has found its home, and a new adventure is about to begin.

fireworks

Along this journey, I have met some amazing writerly people, who guided and encouraged me.  New friends, professionals in the business.  I never met a contest or Twitter pitch party I didn’t like.  At one point, I posted about how even though the art of writing seems like a lonely, solitary endeavor, it really isn’t (at least not for me!)  We learn from each other in so many ways.

Thank you, so much, to everyone who supported me on this incredible journey thus far.  It means a lot!

excited doggie

So now, WORDS IN THE WINDOWSILL and I embark on another part of this publishing adventure together.  I look forward to posting updates on the process from acquisition to publication as we go, and I hope you’ll share the ride with me!

Feel free to leave comments below!

And visit my Facebook Page and Twitter as well!

 

 

 

Cookies With Nana

Hello, writerly friends!

Happy New Year!  While this post is happening a little bit later than I wanted, the sentiment is the same.  With the passing of the 2015 holiday season, I am poised to reflect on something wonderful; a gift that I received from my mother.  I hope that reading this will give you a warm feeling on these cold winter days.

One of the fondest memories I have from my youth is baking with my mother.  Mom was a first grade teacher for many years, and her attention to details is what made her a fine baker.

I mention this, because several years ago at the holidays, my mom presented me with a book she had put together; a journal of sorts, or perhaps more of a scrapbook, which was filled with stories, cookie recipes and pictures.  The stories told about my female relatives and their Italian heritage.  Each story was adorned by a photograph of the relative whose recipe it was.

These were special cookie recipes.  I knew the cookies were Italian in origin, but these particular recipes held a special place in my mother’s heart.  She had enjoyed baking cookies with her own mother (my Nana), just as I had enjoyed baking with mine.

I had grown up making the same cookies with my mother in our kitchen, but I hadn’t realized from whom the recipes came.  My mother added her own special holiday cookie recipes as well, making the book something of a time capsule.

A photograph of my great grandmother, Nana’s mother, with a favorite of her recipes sits on the final page of the book.  That is so special to me.  The photo is very old and faded, her wavy silver hair apparent.  Clearly, Nana learned to bake special cookies from her mother.  It’s a family tradition worth keeping, and I intend to add a page with my own photo and recipes into the book as well, so it may be passed on.

So there you have it; a bit of a sentimental journey, but a fond one, nonetheless.  Does your family have any special holiday baking traditions?  Are there family recipes that hold sentimental value to you?  I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

 

 

Flashback Time Machine: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Today I am resurrecting my blog series, Flashback Time Machine, with a feature about one of my favorite classics, The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Frances Hodgson Burnett   The_Secret_Garden_book_cover_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_17396

For those who may have never heard of Frances Hodgson Burnett, I have a little bit of background for you. Frances Hodgson Burnett was born in England in 1849, but moved with her family to the U.S. in 1865 after her father died. Her early writings were published in magazines, but she began writing novels in the 1880’s, after she was married. She wrote The Secret Garden in the 1890’s. Frances Hodgson Burnett died in 1924 in Long Island, New York.

Now, for a bit about my own reading background, as it pertains to this post about The Secret Garden: Growing up, I was never one to be a big reader. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to, actually. Much of my hesitation with reading came from a weak eye muscle, which made it difficult to focus for long periods of time. This eventually changed, thankfully, although the habit of reading was not as ingrained as it could have been.

One day, as a teenager, I came across the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie of The Secret Garden on television.

The Secret Garden 1987 movie

Another bit of backstory about me: I love to listen to the British accent, especially as spoken through a story of “classic” English speech. The pacing has a very “musical” quality to me. That one fact alone kept my interest watching the actors tell the story that Frances Hodgson Burnett had written so many years ago. By the end, I was moved by the message of the story, as well as the transformation of the main character, Mary Lenox. So much so, that I went right out and bought myself a copy. To actually read.

And read it, I did. As I read the story, the music of the words touched my heart. Here is my take on this wonderful book’s message:

Miss Mary Lenox begins the story as a spoiled brat, being forced out of her home in India due to a plague. She goes to live in England with an uncle in England, whom she has never met. It is here that Mary is introduced to a different lifestyle (although still privileged) where she makes friends (somewhat reluctantly) and discovers, by way of her insatiable curiosity and a hidden garden door, a love of the outdoors and gardening, and a compassion she never realized was within herself.

Throughout the story, it is revealed that her own uncle, who she is just beginning to get to know, has a secret of sadness, which he locked away in the secret garden. Mary also learns that one of her new “reluctant” friends is more of a spoiled brat than she is, and Miss Mary uses a mix of tough love and patience to bring him around. The reader sees that it is the secret garden that binds the characters. Mary, through hard work and kindness, is able to bring happiness once again to her new family and friends.

Obviously, I recommend this book. I love a story with a multi-layered theme and message, especially when it is as heartwarming as this one. I am really glad I discovered this story when I did. It is one of the gems that helped to shape me as a writer.

What novels speak to you on a deep level? Please let me know in the comments!

Spring Cleaning: A Chance To Take Stock In What We Have

Spring Cleaning is an annual ritual my family undertakes, literally, once a year. As much as I dislike the enormous chore of deep cleaning the house, it feels good to clear things out, take stock in what we have and what we might repurpose or pass on to someone else who may need it.

This past week, as part of this Spring Cleaning process, I took a look at all of my blog posts. Every single one of them! I discovered some real gems in there once I dusted off the cobwebs and reminded myself what had inspired each post.

I can honestly say I have grown quite a bit as a writer since I first began this blog. One of the nagging thoughts I had during the earliest posts was, “What gives me the right to post anything for other writers?” Another was, “What makes me think I can post anything that another writer may find valuable?”

I have gotten over those feelings of self-doubt over the years, thankfully!

My first posts were basically throw-aways, as I tried to navigate the way WordPress worked for blogging. But then I found something of a focus, and I began to reach out to other authors after reading their books. New relationships were formed as I would interview each one.

And I must say I adore doing interviews. My interview style has developed through the years into something that I take a lot of pride in. I have a lot of confidence in my questioning techniques now, which translates into some very interesting discussions!

Another thing I discovered is that some of my posts now fit into blog series and mini-series. My Writerly Advice topics continue to be great to write about, as well as my NaNo Mini-Series interviews. I can’t wait for next year’s NaNo Mini-Series!

…Which brings me to the biggest discovery during my Blog Spring Cleaning: Flashback Time Machine!

Flashback Time Machine is a series I started, then forgot about. In the series, I write about some literature classics, and come up with questions I would have liked to ask the author if they were still alive today. I enjoyed writing those posts a great deal.

Well, it’s time to resurrect the Flashback Time Machine! In the coming weeks, I will be working on the next installment of that series. I won’t divulge the book or author yet, although I already have the plan in place.

For now, thank you to all of my blog readers and followers! It means the world to me that we can connect in this way. Spring Cleaning can be awesome! Not only did I take stock of the written content on this blog from its earliest posts, but I also took stock in the many views, comments and followers that grew out of it.

If you have a topic for this blog that you would like me to cover, please leave a comment below!

Inspiration: It’s a Magical Thing

It’s time, ladies and gentlemen.  Another blog post, this time about  inspiration.  And in that sentiment, I thought I would write another Flashback Time Machine segment, featuring a flashback to an inspirational time in my own life.  Here we go!

This is me:

  author profile

When I first set out to write my latest novel, I realized that the inspiration had come from a trip I had taken, nearly twenty years ago.  I could never have known back then the vacation that I took in my twenties, would have led me here.

Allow me to explain.

I was always the kid at school who romanticized about living in castles, travelling by foot down cobblestone streets, sitting at an outdoor café, even though I didn’t drink coffee (at the time), I couldn’t wait to discover what a crumpet was.  I was that kid in school who adored learning languages, and the thought of travelling to Germany, Austria, Italy or Spain was not frightening to me because I just wanted to know how the people there lived.  And I was that kid in school who, believe it or not, was not a big reader, unless it was a time period piece where the character’s lived or travelled to Europe.  My school locker had been decorated with pictures I had cut out from magazines of those cobblestone streets, British pop bands, old cottages, and Monet paintings.

Well, almost 20 years ago, I finally had the opportunity to travel to Europe.  It had been a dream of mine to do so for about as long as I could remember; at the time, I was the ripe old age of 23.  I viewed this trip as the realization of a dream, which it most certainly was.  But I now know that that trip to Europe had planted the seeds for something more:  Something that just now I am beginning to see to fruition.

A Novel.

My current novel, still a work in progress, has literally been with me for the past twenty years, since that trip to Europe in 1994.  Not unlike myself at that time, my protagonist, Hans, is an American college student, pursuing a master’s degree in music.  He travels to Europe during the summer in order to begin planning out his Master’s thesis, in search of the origins of a mysterious piece of music, which he feels a deep connection to.  His travels take him to the birthplace of Beethoven (Bonn, Germany), as well as Vienna, where he discovers that the history of Beethoven that we all know might not be the complete story.

This novel has been a long time in the making, and I didn’t even realize it until this past year.  But again, hindsight is 20/20.  Looking back, I can see that I was predestined to write this book.  And even before my trip, it was almost written in the stars.  Like Hans, I was drawn to that area of the world to investigate further the things that I had a deep attachment to, even though I couldn’t pinpoint why.  And, upon seeing those things that I had only read about in books, I could sense that they meant something more to me in my life.  Something that would stay with me for two decades as the seeds for my novel began to sprout.

The website, noveltravelist.com, is a place for writers and artists to go to get help with location information for their novels, and I would encourage all writers to check it out.  In my case, a novel seedling was planted when my whole world revolved around being a musician and getting a job.  I had no idea the impact that trip would have on my life back then.  But here I am today, my first draft done, and the excitement as I write about those places in Europe is still as fresh in my mind as they were two decades ago.  I can still see the hue of Beethoven Haus, the gingerbread facades, the smells and sounds of old Europe that I lived in for a month of my life in 1994.

Inspiration:  It’s a magical thing.

Flashback Time Machine: George Eliot

George_Eliot_at_30_by_François_D'Albert_Durade

A few weeks ago, I got inspired to create a blog series I refer to as Flashback Time Machine, where I discuss a novel and author from the past, and come up with questions I would ask them in an interview, if ever I had the chance to do so.  Of course, these authors are not around anymore, but it’s still fun to think about.  Here is my second installment in my Flashback series.  I hope you enjoy!

One of my favorite novels is Silas Marner.  It is a classic, set in England, and holds a wonderful message.  Here is a brief synopsis:

Silas Marner is a weaver, and is very poor.  He turned into a recluse after being framed for a crime he did not commit, and moved to the town of Raveloe.  It is in Raveloe where Marners reclusive life takes a dramatic turn.

Being a weaver, Silas goes into the town periodically and takes in jobs of the townspeople.  He hides all of the money he earns under the floorboards of his very modest home.  One day, when he is out of his cottage, he slips into a trance-like state, at which time his money is stolen.  Beside himself, he runs into the town asking for help.  His money is all that he has in the world.  The townspeople are hesitant to help him, and Silas goes back to his home, alone.

One day, following another catatonic trance, Silas wakes to find a little girl has wandered into his home, and he is instantly taken by this little one.  He looks at it as a sign of better things to come when no one claims the child.  Silas goes on to raise the girl as his own, names her Eppie, and she brings Silas out of the solitary existence he has maintained for so long.

Things get really interesting in the story when, in an adjacent storyline, the squire’s son Godfrey and his wife are unable to have a child.  All of a sudden, it comes out that Godfrey is actually Eppie’s father!  He did not claim her as his own child because then it would come out that he had had the child with a drug addicted woman.  This would not be good for his family’s reputation.

Godfrey and his wife try and woo Eppie into wanting to live with them, saying that they could provide her with a wonderful home and a devoted family.  Godfrey’s wife forgives him for having a child with someone else.  Eppie, however, is a simple girl who fancies simple things, and in the end chooses to stay with Silas.

One of the reasons I love this story so much, is it’s message of hope.  Silas had just accepted the lot he was given, but the chance meeting of a little girl made all of the difference.  He had faith enough to believe that his life could change.

The author of Silas Marner, George Eliot, was a woman.  She penned this story and others under a man’s name so that her writing would be taken seriously.  Back in that time, female writers were published, but they were mostly known for writing romances.  Eliot’s birth name was Mary Ann Evans.

This got me thinking about the questions I might like to ask her, if I were able to today:

1.  As a female growing up in the 1800’s England, what were the expectations of your life?

2.  Did you find it difficult to have your work taken seriously, even after you had a male pen name?

3.  What advice might you have for the young girls of today regarding their futures?

4.  Do you consider yourself to be pioneering in any way for female writers?

Okay, everyone, weigh in!  Have you read Silas Marner?  What are your thoughts about it?  What would you like to know from Author George Eliot/Mary Ann Evans?

Flashback Time Machine: Samuel Taylor Coleridge

I love all of the visits to my blog!  As you all know, I interview authors here on S. M. Nystoriak’s Writer’s Block.  The biggest reason I began this endeavor was because I admire writers.  I love the process of writing, I love to meet people, and I get immense energy learning about how other writers tackle their craft.  Recently, however, I thought about some of the writers that influenced me through the years, thanks to a fellow blogger and recent interviewee, Scott Southard.  I discovered that I am a fan of the classics.  What would I do if I could interview those authors here on my Writer’s Block?  Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, anyone?

  Bill and Ted

So, I thought it might be fun to prep some interview questions with those authors whose work meant a lot to me through my life.

I always strayed away from fiction in school.  I really enjoyed learning about things, but from a research standpoint.  But, when I got into high school, and my 9th grade teacher passed around her copies of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, I became engrossed.  Originally published in 1798, the overall tone of that poem spoke to me in a tremendous way.  Its messages about living life and accepting blessings, even when they appear to be anything but, still ring to me.  I came away from that work of art with an appreciation for the written word as I had never experienced before.  There is a Wiki article about the poem, here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rime_of_the_Ancient_Mariner

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

So, for my first interview with the past, I choose Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the author of the classic epic poem, The Rime of The Ancient Mariner.  Here goes…

Q:  I always imagined that the plotline for The Rime of the Ancient Mariner was written as if it actually happened to someone, or possibly even a dream.  Tell me.  How did the idea for this tale come to you? 

Q:  This poem has some incredibly dark parts, when the albatross is dead and death seems to come at the ship form all sides, for example.  It is quite visual.  How did you come to conjure those creepy images?

Q:  Speaking of visual, are you an artist with paint or pencils?  The way that your words depict the boat, the sea, death, the Ancient Mariner himself, makes me wonder if you are also an artist.

Q:  So many of the lines from the Rime have become saying of modern day.  Could you have even imagined that would be the case back when you wrote it?

Q:  And musicians have done covers of this magnificent work.  In the 1980’s, the metal group Iron Maiden wrote music for it, and performed it with the complete text.  What do you think of that?

Q:  And about the rhyming lines.  Did you originally set out to write this work as a poem?  Or, did the words just present themselves that way?  As a musician, I have always had a fondness for the rhythm of the work.

If anyone is curious about the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and would like to read it, here is a link:  http://www.online-literature.com/coleridge/646/  I hope you enjoy it.

For those of you who know this work already, chime in.  What did you love about the Rime?  What would you want to know from the author?  Has anyone seen a telephone booth-time machine lately?