Bonus Track: “Have You Been to Jail for Justice”

Hi, everyone. Today’s scheduled By Special Request artist, Pearl Jam, is another group I might not have seen had they not been on a multi-artist bill. I saw them at the Bridge School Benefit concert in 1996. However, they only allow their content to be watched on Youtube (which is certainly their prerogative), so I can’t share anything here.

So, that brings us to the next group on the list. I’ve loved Peter, Paul & Mary since childhood. I feel very privileged to not only have seen the trio perform, but also to have met Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey. The memory of how Peter came out of the dressing room, made a beeline for me, and engulfed me in an enormous hug that came from his whole heart will stay with me forever.

Today’s song is one of my personal anthems. I haven’t been to jail for justice, but I’ve been ready more than once.

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Bonus Track: “I Can’t Wait”

Hi, everyone. I literally just got back from a trip to Southern California, and I’m ready to drop in my tracks. Anyway, today’s By Special Request artist is Nu Shooz, who originated in my hometown of Portland, Ore., and had one big hit on the national scene. Here’s “I Can’t Wait!”

Weekend Reads: “Santa Fe Mourning”

Santa Fe Mourning: A Santa Fe Revival Mystery by Amanda Allen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love reading books set in places I’ve visited. Having recently been in Santa Fe myself, I was delighted to find this book available at Left Coast Crime.

Madeline Alwin came to Santa Fe, like so many other artists before her, for the light. Her husband died during WWI, and she’s part of the up-and-coming artistic set in town now. Her household includes a Puebloan woman, Juanita, and her children; Juanita’s husband, Tomas, isn’t around much. Madeline also has friends in town, like novelist Gunther and La Fonda maitre d’ Anton, so she doesn’t feel lonely. And she’s very much attracted to David Cole, the new doctor in town.

But things go awry when Tomas’ body is found in an alleyway behind La Fonda, and Madeline receives a threatening note warning her not to investigate. Next thing we know, Tomas and Juanita’s son, Eddie, is in jail after being charged with his father’s murder.

Needless to say, she pays the note very little heed … and goes on trying to prove Eddie’s innocence.

The book is peopled with historical figures and situations, and shows the prejudice against the Puebloan people to great effect. The characters are complex and well-drawn, and we see the more liberal/reform leanings of Madeline and her circle clearly.

This is an excellent start to a series, and I plan to read more of it. Nicely done!

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Bonus Track: “Hurt”

I wouldn’t have seen today’s By Special Request artist, Nine Inch Nails, had they not opened for David Bowie on his Outside tour. However, it was interesting to see an act that, by lead vocalist Trent Reznor’s own admission, would have an existed without Bowie’s influence. Here’s “Hurt.”

What are you willing to fudge in historical fiction? | A Writer of History

Instead of extreme historical accuracy, we thought historical credibility was more important. That’s why we included an afterword at the end of the book to discuss what was real and what we had changed for the novel.

And if you’re a writer, don’t sweat it if you get something wrong. It happens. Whole YouTube channels are made to point out mistakes in insanely popular movies. The takeaway is that if you’ve written a story that readers love, it doesn’t matter if you get everything exactly right.

We found that the use of historical detail broke down into four main categories. Knowing which category a particular element of our story fit into helped us decide how to handle it in the book.

What are you willing to fudge in historical fiction? | A Writer of History