13 Comments
Feb 5, 2022Liked by Ellen Kushner

I kinda wanna add '"Terrifyingly multifaceted"- Ellen Kushner' to all my publicity now. Thank you :)

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Oh lordy, I love your newsletters. Favourite bit this time: the photo of your desk. (I do so love a good working-writer's-desk photo.) And I'm incredibly envious of your travels to ICFA and Liz's play opening, while looking forward to having you two back on this side of the Atlantic soon.

I completely agree that it's shameful that Britain's great musicians, particular its folk musicians, aren't better supported. I, too, was shaped by the music of the Waterson/Carthy clan and wouldn't be the writer/folklorist I am without that formative influence. In a perfect world, there would have bells ringing and people singing all across these isles to mark her passing.

You asked for additional ways to support musicians. Here in the UK, the indie label Hudson Records does so much to support and amplify the work of folk musicians today -- plus co-founder Andy Bell is so often to be found behind the scenes of such innovative folk music projects as Jackie Morris & Robert Macfarlane's Spell Songs, Karine Polwart's brilliant stage show A Pocket of Wind Resistance, Jenny's Sturgeon's The Living Mountain (based on the classic Scottish nature book of that name by Nan Shepherd), Fay Hield's Modern Fairies project, The Transports (an updating of Peter Bellamy's folk opera), The Soundpost singing weekends near Sheffield, and so much more. For £10 a month (roughly $13.50), folk music lovers can join the "Hudson Club" to support the label and all the musicians they work with. In return, Hudson Club members are treated to exclusive music, podcasts, live streams, etc. Here's the link: https://hudsonrecords.co.uk/club/about-hudson-club

(The label was named after Andy's dog Hudson, who passed away last year. He was quite a fine little fellow.)

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Thank you for noting Norma Waterson Carthy's passing, and her family's difficult financial situation. Their music has meant a lot to me too, and I've been lucky enough to see them live. And, as you mentioned on FB, we lost another great English traditional singer, dancer, and scholar in Tony Barrand last weekend. The Morris world, especially in the US, is in mourning.

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France! My husband and I went to Paris to do research for my first novel in the steampunk series. I had tickets to train museums, Georges Sand's house, the Catacombs (the central setting), and so much more. We arrived in Paris March 13, 2020. You know what happened on March 14, 2020?

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So does the trip to France in May mean you won't be going to WisCon? (At this point I don't even know if I'm going to WisCon this year, but if I do, it would seem strange not to see you there.)

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OOOOO I'll be at ICFA but very jealous of you going to Sarasota. I love going to the grounds of the Barnum house and sitting in the giant banyan trees! Plus, the bay is lovely. Alas, I don't even get an extended time there because I need to help Nisi with the travel.

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