AN EDWARDIAN DINNER PARTY

DEBORAH CROMBIE: I promised you an Edwardian dinner menu. How I wish I could present it in person--or at least if I had a kitchen and household staff to rival Downton Abbey!

According to a PBS page about the fictional Cazalet family, weekend life at an English country house was regimented by four meals, whose menus were determined by the lady of the house and the cook. Breakfast, served at 9:30 a.m., was considered a major meal. Lunch, served in the dining-room at one o'clock or after the servants had eaten, was usually an egg dish to start, followed by a main course, cold meats on the sideboard if anybody wanted them, pudding, cheeses, and dessert. Lunch was an informal meal, with guests and family often helping themselves. In the summer, picnics on the estate's grounds were popular not only with the guests but also with the staff left behind. Afternoon tea was served in the dining room or, less often, in the drawing room. The practice of women changing for tea died out in most houses before World War I.

And then, the dinner! This description, somewhat abbreviated, is from the Brighton Pavilion and Museums website:

A typical Edwardian dinner party would start with soup accompanied by sherry. This would be followed by fish served with a good white wine. After the fish came the entrée, which might consist of vol-au-vent, mutton cutlets or sweetbreads served with champagne or claret. The next course was known as the remove or relevé. This was the most substantial part of the dinner and might include a joint of meat, poultry or a substantial meat pie served in burgundy. Potatoes and vegetables in season always accompanied the ‘remove’. The potatoes were cut to the size of matches (as testified by Dorothy Fuller, a scullerymaid at Preston Manor from 1923-26. Interview March 1999.)

Next came the roast course of game such as field fares (a small bird), snipe, wild duck or pheasant served with game chips. These were disc shaped potato chips; at Preston Manor they were so thinly sliced that they could be seen through. Claret would normally be drunk with this course. Then followed a series of dishes known as the entremêts. This course was divided into three and usually consisted of a dressed vegetable, dishes such as cherry tart or savarin of peaches and a savoury of, for instance, devilled sardines or cheese.

The table would then be cleared, a new set of wine glasses put out, and the guests were provided with dessert plates with ice-plates on top of which were set finger bowls and silver-gilt dessert cutlery. The finger bowls were then set to the left, ices brought in and served on the ice-plates; these were often removed, leaving the dessert plates for the fruit and nuts. Port or madeira would then circulate.

At this stage the ladies would retire in exactly the same order as they entered – the lady of the highest rank first. The gentleman could now smoke. Coffee would be served separately; in the drawing room for the ladies and in the dining room for the gentleman.

So, readers and REDS, now that you know what was in all those dishes that Carson and the footmen schlepped to the table, I ask you, how on earth did the ladies eat all that every day AND fit into those scrumptious clothes??? And drink all that! My goodness, I like a cocktail or a glass or two of wine, but you'd think they'd have been pickled! Apparently they played lots of tennis, and went on long, damp walks in the estate grounds, but still...

(Oh, and the housemaids woke the guests at 9 a.m with a cup of tea. Being a night person, that sounds extremely civilized to me.)

I would love to stay in an English country house and have these meals, if only for one fantasy day. But I suppose I'll just have to watch Downton Abbey instead.

How about you, REDS and readers? Would you like to try the Edwardian upstairs lifestyle for a day? Shall we dress for dinner?

JR'S LOVE YOUR LIBRARIAN DAY

DEBORAH CROMBIE: In honor of the ALA (that's American Library Association) Midwinter meeting this weekend in Dallas, Texas, one of JR's own favorite librarians, Lesa Holstine, is visiting us on Jungle Red.

Lesa Holstine has been a librarian for over thirty years, so she has the opportunity to share all kinds of stories with other readers. She discusses books and authors on her award-winning blog, Lesa's Book Critiques, where she emphasizes mysteries. Lesa regularly hosts authors at the Velma Teague Library in Glendale, Arizona, for the Authors @ The Teague series of programs.

I've been privileged to give programs at Lesa's library, and I will be there on February 10th. Can't wait!

We wish Lesa was in Dallas for ALA Mystery Day, as four of your very own Jungle Reds will be there: Rosemary Harris, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Lucy Burdette, and yours truly. (And loads of other really great writers, too, including Cara Black, Denise Hamilton, Charles (Caroline) Todd, Bill Crider, and many more.)

But since Lesa is in sunny AZ, we'll let her tell us what meeting authors is like from a librarian's point of view.

LESA HOLSTINE: There’s something ironic about the fact that some of you are off to ALA, the American Library Association’s mid-winter convention while many librarians are at home because our libraries can no longer afford to send us to conferences. When Deborah asked me to write about ALA, librarians, and what it means to meet authors at the conferences, I told her it has been so long since I’ve been to a library convention that I’d have to write about mystery conferences instead.

But, I can talk a little about my first ALA convention. I was twenty-five, a young library director, when I attended my first one in Philadelphia. It was overwhelming. I didn’t know anyone there, and so many of the panels didn’t have anything to do with a small public library in Ohio. ALA is an enormous convention, and they cram programs for public libraries, academic libraries, and special libraries all into that conference, along with all kinds of exhibits. The exhibits are from publishing companies and companies supplying everything for libraries; book shelves, furniture, and, now, all kinds of automation systems.

But, other than a feeling of being lost, I remember one thing from that conference. I had the chance to meet Lloyd Alexander. Lloyd Alexander specialized in children’s fantasy books, and won the Newbery Award, the highest award given for children’s literature for his book, The High King. It was part of a five book series, The Chronicles of Prydain. And, I remember thinking when I met him, he looks just like the bard in his books, Fflewddur Fflam.

When I met Lloyd Alexander, I felt as if there was magic at the convention. And, maybe it’s because the first authors I ever met were fantasy authors, Madeleine L’Engle when I was in Washington, D.C., and then Lloyd Alexander in Philadelphia, that I’ve always associated authors with magic.

I can only speak for myself as a librarian, but authors bring magic to conventions. Many of us became public and school librarians because of the magic of books, and the hope that we could share those books with other people. When we get the chance to meet authors, it brings our hopes to life. We’re standing in front of those people who have the ability to put words down, words that can somehow change lives. Those words may entertain us, inform us, intrigue us, or keep us riveted to the page. But, storytelling is the magic that has endured since man first gathered together. And, it doesn’t matter what format those stories take, if they’re on paper or on some wireless device. The written word is still powerful, and it’s still magic.

I haven’t attended a library convention in years. Some of that is by choice, and some is because of economics. As I said, libraries have cut back on the number of people who go to conferences, because many libraries don’t have the money to send staff any more. Often, we can’t even afford to send many people to our state conferences.

When I have to spend my own money to go to a conference, I usually choose a conference that is more closely related to books, and even mysteries, than ALA is. I’ve been to Book Expo America (BEA) twice. The first time I attended that, my job was to meet authors. And, I had the chance to see The Rock Bottom Remainders perform, the cover band made up of authors such as Stephen King, Mitch Albom, and Amy Tan. Now that’s magic! Last year, I went to Left Coast Crime in Santa Fe, and this year, I’m going to Bouchercon in Cleveland. And, I go to the Tucson Festival of the Book, a festival that celebrates books and authors. For five years, I chaired the Authors Programming for the Lee County Reading Festival, and I brought in authors to speak to readers. Those are the places where I’ll get to meet magicians, the people who put their thoughts and hearts into books.

When I went to Left Coast Crime, I finally met Donna Andrews, Beth Groundwater, Camille Minichino, Gar Anthony Haywood. I had breakfast with Zoë Sharp, lunch with Kathryn Casey, dinner with Craig Johnson, drinks with Avery Aames, Rebecca Cantrell, and my friends from Desert Sleuths Chapter of Sisters in Crime. I have hopes of meeting Hank Phillippi Ryan and Brad Parks at Bouchercon. Those conferences give me the chance to meet people who have a talent that I want to bring to the people I work for, readers.

Authors bring magic to our lives. Librarians recognize that, and when we have the chance to meet authors at our library conventions or at mystery conventions, it reminds us why we became librarians. Librarians and authors share a dream. We want to bring the magic of storytelling to other people. Librarians hand books to people every day, hoping to find readers that will be as excited about a book or an author as we are.

In a sense, librarians and authors all live in fantasy worlds. Authors spin stories, share dreams, share their own imaginings with other people, all the time hoping that someone will recognize the magic in their words. Librarians hope those words can change lives, so we encourage people to pick up books, to talk about books, to share books.

So I hope the authors who attend ALA, the authors who meet librarians at conferences and bookstores recognize that librarians truly honor you as storytellers. When we show up to meet you, to buy your books for ourselves or our libraries, we are there to recognize the magic and dreams you bring to the world. Every time a librarian stands in line to meet an author, we’re honoring something we share with you. Where would the world be without storytellers, without magic? And, where is the world going if we let libraries disappear, the one place where everyone can go to find the magic and dreams of stories?

DEBS: We talk endlessly about paper vs e-books in the future of publishing, and I think we give our librarians short shrift. How many were introduced to a lifetime love of books and reading by a dedicated librarian at your school or local library? I know I was.

Readers, say "hi" to Lesa, and tell us who you'd choose to honor on our Love Your Librarian Day.

CONFERENCES, COCKTAILS, AND COFFEE

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Our guest today is Nancy J. Cohen, an award-winning author who writes romance and mysteries. Her popular Bad Hair Day series features hairdresser Marla Shore, who solves crimes with wit and style under the sultry Florida sun. Several titles in this series have made the IMBA bestseller list, while Nancy’s imaginative sci-fi romances have garnered rave reviews. Her latest book, and tenth in her mystery series, is Shear Murder from Five Star.

Who knew weddings could be murder? Hairstylist Marla Shore is weeks away from becoming a bride herself when she walks down the aisle as a bridesmaid at her friend Jill’s ceremony. Things take a turn for the worse when the matron of honor ends up dead, the cake knife in her chest. Now what will they use to cut the cake?

DEBS: I attended my first Bouchercon (Pasadena) as an unpublished writer, in 1991. Eeeekkk! I can't believe it's been that long! And I wish I'd had the advice given by our guest today, Nancy J. Cohen. I did eventually work out how to get the most out of a conference, but it would have been easier with help. And looking back on twenty years, thinking about all the wonderful friends I've made in the writing/reading business, Nancy is spot on.

(Especially about the cocktails. As most of us know, all the real business at conferences is done in the bar.)

NANCY COHEN: When you attend a writer’s conference, do you set goals ahead of time? If not, get in the habit of doing so. What is it you hope to achieve? Do you wish to further your skills by attending writing craft workshops? Or maybe you’d like to be updated on industry news and business issues? Perhaps you want to meet authors who might be willing to endorse your work. Or you could be hoping to hang out at the bar and make new friends. And don’t forget the important editor/agent appointments and the casual meets with them at cocktail parties. This means you’ll have to prepare your elevator pitch before you leave home and be ready with your log lines.

Attending workshops is a valid goal. You might focus on serious craft sessions or prefer published author seminars on marketing and promotion and career survival. Or you could check out the alternate paths to publishing by listening in on sessions about self-publishing, e-book conversion, small press, and digital first imprints. If you’re already published, any information you glean on the markets, social networking, and innovative opportunities can only be helpful.

But you don’t want to be stuck in classrooms all day. Most of the benefit at a conference comes from the people you meet. Editors and agents aside, meeting other seasoned authors should be one of your prime goals. You can learn so much from each other. Industry personnel, such as booksellers, librarians, and reviewers can be another target to approach. And if it’s a fan conference, by all means target your readers. Exchange business cards and add names to your mailing list. Offer a raffle, if the conference has one, wherein you collect the entries. Add those people to your newsletter list. And just chat up everyone you meet in line for meals, sitting next to you in a classroom, or at the bar. This is not the time to be shy. Be brave, and sit at a table with strangers for lunch or at an evening party. You’ll make new friends! A word of warning, though: Don’t brag about yourself or push your work to the exclusion of all else. Be gracious, professional, and interested in others.

Some conferences have a room with tables where you can hang out, drink coffee, and chat with fans. Frequent this place and come prepared with bookmarks and flyers. Present a friendly face and start a conversation, not so much about your books but perhaps about the conference city, your favorite sub genre, or what you’ve learned so far.

It’s wonderful to immerse yourself in an environment where you have so much in common with everyone there. Take advantage of this opportunity. Don’t know what to say? How about, “Is this your first time at XYZ Conference?” Or, “What do you write?” Here’s another: “What sessions have you attended? Did you learn anything new?” And if you’re talking to fans, “What do you like to read? Who are some of your favorite authors?” And remember, writers are readers, too.

So get out there and schmooze. You’ll make new friends, meet readers, and gain lifelong fans. You’ll get the scoop on the publishing biz and learn new techniques to promote your work. Be eager to learn. Be open to new relationships. Be yourself and relax, and you’ll have a great time.

(Leave a comment during Nancy’s blog tour and enter to win a set of Paua shell jewelry and a signed copy of Shear Murder.)

And be sure to stop in here on Jungle Red, say "hi", and tell us what you like most about conferences!