tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post5510023317840279929..comments2024-03-29T02:43:11.575-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: David Hewson--The FloodJungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-69928157480068712752015-09-22T16:49:59.356-04:002015-09-22T16:49:59.356-04:00Hi Pat
Costa and his friends haven't disappea...Hi Pat<br /><br />Costa and his friends haven't disappeared. They're just on vacation. Watch this space as they say...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660866510522803724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-47297798253189063012015-09-22T16:34:58.851-04:002015-09-22T16:34:58.851-04:00Will there be more Nic Costa stories. I miss him a...Will there be more Nic Costa stories. I miss him and the gang. I love reading stories set in places I've never been to. Then I yearn to go visit and see how it compares to how I imagined it. Pat Dnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-23910591764509523442015-09-22T15:18:42.746-04:002015-09-22T15:18:42.746-04:00I've been to Florence and love the city. This ...I've been to Florence and love the city. This sounds like a book that I have to read. drpffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10091600378615453971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-47900795338146001142015-09-22T13:40:14.887-04:002015-09-22T13:40:14.887-04:00Diane Hale here. Thank you, David, for being such ...Diane Hale here. Thank you, David, for being such a thoughtful novelist and writing guru. I agree with the responses that being "there" gives those special sensory cues that can be so valuable to a writer. I also agree that whether you've seen it or not (as in sci-fi or fantasy), the world building has to be there. If the writer can't communicate that a story can fall flat. <br /><br />Keep up the good work, and I look forward to reading The Flood.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-49102180942931629362015-09-22T13:20:19.663-04:002015-09-22T13:20:19.663-04:00What an interesting post, David! I would think th...What an interesting post, David! I would think that it's in the nature of writers to want to expand their knowledge and write about new horizons. I know as a reader, I am thrilled to learn about new places, people, and events. By new, I mean new to me, as I revel in places that have long, often dark histories. I've often said that Debs' Gemma and Duncan series is like a guide to the different areas of London, full of rich history as to how the area arrived at its current place in London's map of cultural and social markings. <br /><br />While I completely embrace the idea of writers writing about what they don't know, doing the research, and bringing that new knowledge to readers, I think that an on-site familiarity with the setting would be a needed part of the research. Sometimes in visiting a new place, I can feel the history soaking into my pores. David, your trip to the Scottish Highlands to capture that sense of place for Macbeth is a perfect example of the need to get in touch with a place, to feel it.<br /><br />I hate to admit that I am new to your books, David, but that also means that I have a whole new world to explore through them. I haven't read a lot of Italy based novels, so I look forward to addressing that gap. The Flood sounds like the perfect book to start with in your oeuvre. Kathy Reelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004247271452356577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-25864719489531521662015-09-22T12:50:05.014-04:002015-09-22T12:50:05.014-04:00Here's a Negroni recipe. It's pretty basic...Here's a Negroni recipe. It's pretty basic. The big difference seems to whether or not you serve it on ice or straight up like a martini.<br /><br />http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/drinks/recipes/a3683/negroni-drink-recipe/<br /><br />I think I have the vermouth but not sure about the Campari. <br /><br />I could use a little Italy at home, but will maybe pass on the tripe:-)!Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-67683875194979758872015-09-22T12:21:36.491-04:002015-09-22T12:21:36.491-04:00Maybe Lucy's up for the offal... with a side o...Maybe Lucy's up for the offal... with a side of skate.<br />;-)<br />Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-77215063924026249072015-09-22T11:53:41.945-04:002015-09-22T11:53:41.945-04:00TFJ
People flocked from around the world to help s...TFJ<br />People flocked from around the world to help save Florence after the Flood. They became known as the Mud Angels. lots about them online including here http://tuscantraveler.com/2014/florence/tuscan-travelers-tales-mud-angels-flood-arno-1966/<br /><br />It is an extraordinary story and not well known because at the same time there were terrible floods in Venice, not that there were any fatalities there as I recall. <br /><br />There are some extraordinary images here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghWwhwEFwqA but the height of the flood was at night so the worst of it was never recorded.<br /><br />Susan<br />Well it's October 1 the book is out so maybe... I don't know about the pig man but I remember a Labour MP called James Wellbeloved who defected to another party. The then leader of the Labour Party later referred to him as "the inappropriately named Wellbeloved".<br /><br />Enjoy a Negroni!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660866510522803724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-62246912102935388612015-09-22T11:43:32.709-04:002015-09-22T11:43:32.709-04:00In less than 3 weeks, I will be IN Florence (becau...In less than 3 weeks, I will be IN Florence (because I HAVE to go back)so I'm so ready to find this book. Not until October eh? Sigh.<br /><br />Wellbeloved. Wasn't Cyril Wellbeloved the name of Lord Emsworth's pig man, well beloved by the Empress of Blandings?<br /><br />And Esposito, of course, = hockey.Susan Dhttp://www.susandaly.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-66473741994754221882015-09-22T11:37:43.238-04:002015-09-22T11:37:43.238-04:00Thanks for introducing yet another author new to m...Thanks for introducing yet another author new to me and especially one that writes about Italy. The Flood is going to the top of my pile. I worked with bookbinder whose teacher --- Stella Patri --- helped to restore books damaged in the flood. Am looking forward to learning more about it along with Julia and Pino.<br /><br />And I totally believe a writer can write what she/he doesn't know: that's imagination at it's finest, when done well.<br /><br />~TriciaTFJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01145220939173150233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-7214764800116593512015-09-22T11:30:53.692-04:002015-09-22T11:30:53.692-04:00Oh! BIG David Hewson fan here and this one sounds...Oh! BIG David Hewson fan here and this one sounds fascinating!!!!!Kaye Wilkinson Barley - Meanderings and Museshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07486129009717476920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-67919769533693163202015-09-22T11:28:12.920-04:002015-09-22T11:28:12.920-04:00Thanks for this introduction! I have read all of ...Thanks for this introduction! I have read all of Donna Leon's books, and so I expect to enjoy these. Italy has such incredible layers of history. Denise Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02790883493798517829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-54444105873909426252015-09-22T11:20:27.013-04:002015-09-22T11:20:27.013-04:00This book sounds so very interesting. Must go to ...This book sounds so very interesting. Must go to Amazon and check out more of David's books. I love books that make me feel like I am right there and involved and experiencing that moment. Another great read for me to check out. Thanks Deborah and David!cheltyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09048588040595603833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-21915367542131241632015-09-22T11:16:02.500-04:002015-09-22T11:16:02.500-04:00I like the idea of writing about a place you don&#...<br />I like the idea of writing about a place you don't already know, forcing yourself to do the necessary homework. I can imagine writing about a place that I think I know and getting key details wrong because I thought I didn't need to go back over things, as I would know I needed to do when writing about a new place. OTOH I love the idea that you captured the spirit of a place even while getting some details wrong. I haven't met Nic yet but will make a point of doing so!<br /><br />Jim Collinsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-59084490045433271262015-09-22T10:51:44.551-04:002015-09-22T10:51:44.551-04:00I wouldn't dream of trying a Negroni outside I...I wouldn't dream of trying a Negroni outside Italy. They'd get it all wrong. They do in Italy sometimes. It is pretty powerful stuff but with food, especially in winter which is when the book is set, it works for me.<br /><br />Here is Pino's bar -- it's been tarted up since his day though.<br /><br />http://www.negronibar.it/en/<br /><br />If you saw the weather we're having right now I think your homesickness might vanish Debs!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660866510522803724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-43622305831596459332015-09-22T10:49:32.254-04:002015-09-22T10:49:32.254-04:00PS I wish England was just two hours for me by pla...PS I wish England was just two hours for me by plane...Or that I could even drive there! How wonderful it would be to be writing something, decide I needed to revisit the setting, then throw a few things in a suitcase and go for a few days....<br /><br />Can you tell I'm feeling homesick for the UK?Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-36522647430180603952015-09-22T10:44:09.664-04:002015-09-22T10:44:09.664-04:00I've had a Campari spritz in Rome, and I think...I've had a Campari spritz in Rome, and I think David's right. It doesn't taste the same anywhere else. Is the same true of Negroni? It seems like I tasted one somewhere--London, maybe?--and thought it was awful. But I like gin and the drink sounds so good when Pino and Julia are having. It fits the place and the characters.<br /><br />I had to laugh reading David's comment about sensory cues. On Sunday I was cooking some potato and yellow squash soup and I was suddenly transported from my kitchen to England and the smell of someone cooking boiled vegetables for a Sunday dinner--although in England there is usually cabbage in there along with the potatoes. Smell is most evocative of all the senses, I think.<br /><br />So you can start by writing what you don't know, then learn about it, but I think at some point you have to have personal/sensory experience. Hopefully writers of historical novels can visit places, if not the time, of their stories. And writers of sci-fi and fantasy have to use transference, substituting sensory cues that both they and the reader find familiar. Otherwise the reader has no way to connect.Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-49231899179211860252015-09-22T10:30:01.035-04:002015-09-22T10:30:01.035-04:00Very cool!
Thanks for the reply, David. Best of ...Very cool! <br /><br />Thanks for the reply, David. Best of luck with the new book. Karen in Ohionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-49378210458892361112015-09-22T10:09:46.726-04:002015-09-22T10:09:46.726-04:00Hi Karen
The book isn't out until October 1 b...Hi Karen<br /><br />The book isn't out until October 1 but I'm sure there will be ebook versions too. I was lucky enough to walk down the Vasari Corridor, as Julia does in the book. Quite something, and lined with self-portraits from several centuries.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660866510522803724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-24029955963867206912015-09-22T10:03:47.547-04:002015-09-22T10:03:47.547-04:00Having spent a week in Florence, I could never qui...Having spent a week in Florence, I could never quite verbalize what was singular about the place, but "dark" is exactly right. Even though it was mostly sunny when I was there, the ancient, narrow streets are dark and secret. The idea of a private passage along the top of the Ponte Vecchio so the prince could cross the river unseen adds another dimension to that feeling. Even the covered aspect of the bridge changes the character of the city, doesn't it? <br /><br />I tried Campari once. Do not get the appeal. <br /><br />It looks as though your new book is only available in hardcover. No e-book? At least not a Nook version. Karen in Ohionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-35628524766227663342015-09-22T09:34:38.609-04:002015-09-22T09:34:38.609-04:00I, too, am a huge fan of the Nic Costa books. Havi...I, too, am a huge fan of the Nic Costa books. Having never been to Italy, they do make me feel as though I know what it is like. I think that is a gift that many authors are able to give to readers. <br /><br />The new book sounds fascinating. Kristopherhttp://www.bolobooks.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-36098031234441113222015-09-22T09:28:36.388-04:002015-09-22T09:28:36.388-04:00I've always been more of a fan of "write ...I've always been more of a fan of "write what you want to know" not "write what you know." And yes, doing that takes a lot of work to make it "real" for the reader. Maybe someday my travel budget will allow me to do some field research outside of Southwestern PA.Liz Millironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04919409969263609919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-8255705102752854562015-09-22T08:53:36.865-04:002015-09-22T08:53:36.865-04:00Hi Hallie
Hope we run into one another again befo...Hi Hallie<br /><br />Hope we run into one another again before long. I like this restaurant a lot in Rome. It's near the Piazza Navona but it's very real and local, even down to some stupendously rude waiters on occasion.<br /><br />http://www.ristorantefiammetta.it/<br /><br />If you want to go very wild and local you need to eat offal in Testaccio here - and you will pay for it.<br /><br />http://www.checchino-dal-1887.com/<br /><br />I like a spritz Campari in Venice. Doesn't taste the same anywhere else.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660866510522803724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-33698515681337122962015-09-22T08:45:03.665-04:002015-09-22T08:45:03.665-04:00Hey, David (waving!) I got to spend time with Davi...Hey, David (waving!) I got to spend time with David at two Book Passage Mystery Conferences. I remember the first book of his I read, The Lizard's Bite - I'm still haunted by those hellish images of a Murano glass furnace. <br /><br />I'm writing a book set in Beaufort SC and realizing I need to go there (though I've visited several times) with an eye specifically to writing it. <br /><br />So, because I'm food obsessed and even though I know this is a stupid question, David, what's your favorite place to eat in Rome? What would you order? And can you stand Campari? <br /><br />And now going to order a copy of THE FLOOD.Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-74902860023241903192015-09-22T08:38:55.112-04:002015-09-22T08:38:55.112-04:00Thanks for all the interesting feedback. Of course...Thanks for all the interesting feedback. Of course I wasn't saying you have to go there to write about it. Just that<i> I</i>have to in order to write these books. If you're writing historical or science fiction you've no choice but to make it up, though I still think you have to create a multi-dimensional world that feels real in order to succeed.<br /><br />The key difference for me lies in the scope of the imagination. Mostly I think this is visual. We see dreams in the main, and other senses are either muted or absent. But I want readers for these books to be there, inside the world itself, smelling the stink of the drains and the perfume of the flowers, tasting the Negroni and the fennel salami, feeling the heat and cold, the cobbles of the stones, hear the rumble of traffic down the narrow lanes and the chatter of voices in the market. <br /><br />We don't experience the world through sight alone but through all our senses -- hearing, taste, smell, touch. If you write from imagination alone you have to work to bring these things out and not just rely on visual description alone. But if I can get the 'real thing' as background - and living in the UK Italy's just two hours from me - it's a sight easier to hop on a plane and find it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660866510522803724noreply@blogger.com