“It always is Christmas Eve, in a ghost story,” asserts English author Jerome K. Jerome in the introduction to his 1891 collection “Told After Supper.” This may seem an odd quote to start a book column in the heat of July, but bear with me, because I offer a corollary statement – It always is the Middle Ages, in a fantasy story.
Fantasy novels tend towards the medieval. They echo the technology, art and politics of western Europe somewhere between the 5th and 15th centuries. This is a time of kingdoms, migrating people, fallen and rising empires, wars and exploration. A time of Gothic architecture and mystery plays. Of plagues and heresies and schisms. This is a time of swords.
And the pen.
While J.R.R. Tolkien’s massive “The Lord of the Rings” and Robert E. Howard’s mighty tales of Conan are set in distant and otherworldly pasts, Middle Earth and the hyborian age alike utilize the language of medieval technology – swords, axes and armor – to weave their magic tapestries of words.
Medieval literature encompasses missals and treatises, hagiographies and poetry. There are accounts of pilgrimages and plantings. There are troubadours’ tales of courtly love. And there are stories of mortals confronting gods and monsters, and taking up swords against men, beasts, demons and dragons.
These days, fantasies are escapist. A way of getting away from the mundanities of modern life for something a little more epic. Something heroic.
We all dream of being dragonslayers.
But there really aren’t a lot of literal dragons around anymore. There would seem to be a shortage of greedy lizards hoarding wealth, destroying lives and burning the countryside. On second thought, that behavior does sound kind of familiar. Maybe dragons do still exist? Perhaps it’s best to keep a sharpened sword at hand, just in case.
Do you value Petaluma bookstores?
The owners of Copperfield’s Books have recently announced their intention to close Petaluma’s used store and reduce the size of the new store by more than half at the end of September. According to a press release from the Copperfield’s Books Union, “The announcement came via an attorney letter addressed to union steward Robert Glover of the Copperfield’s Books Petaluma Union, representing the 18 employees of Industrial Workers of the World I.U. 660.”
If you would like to weigh in on this matter, I recommend calling the Copperfield’s main office at (707) 823-8991 and leaving a message for Paul Jaffe and R.M. Horrell.
Let’s protect our local bookstores!
This news comes right after the publication of a CNN article calling Petaluma one of “America’s Best Towns to Visit 2025,” and says, “The two floors of Copperfield’s Books are a joy to wander and chat up the friendly staff.”
Upcoming Literary Events
Events coming to Copperfield’s Petaluma (while it lasts) include Kevin Fagan, author of “The Lost and the Found: A True Story of Homelessness, Found Family and Second Chances” on Friday, July 11 at 7 p.m.
On Saturday, July 12 at 1 p.m., Copperfield’s Petaluma will host Billi Watland, author of “Friendly Yards & Landscapes: Embracing Nature’s Winged Wonders: A Celebration of Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbird.”
And the traditional search for Waldo continues downtown throughout July. Ask at Copperfield’s for your Waldo Spotter’s card.
On Saturday, July 5 from 1-3 p.m., the Word Horde Emporium will be hosting a meet-and-greet with author Matt Maxwell (“The Queen of No Tomorrows”) in support of his latest collection of weird horror/noir stories “Fake Believe: Stories from Hazeland.”
On Sunday, July 27 from 1-3 p.m., the Word Horde Emporium will host Arlo Z. Graves, author of fantasy novel “The Ice Moves for No One” and weird Western “Black Rose.”
Meanwhile, here’s what folks in Petaluma are reading this week.
Copperfield’s Fiction and Non-Fiction
1. ‘Emperor of Gladness’ by Ocean Vuong – A poetic heart-breaker of a novel from the author of “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.” Chosen family, intergenerational connections, immigrant communities, love and loss. An Oprah’s Book Club pick.
2. ‘Feeding Ghosts’ by Tessa Hulls – In this graphic memoir, Hulls traces Chinese history through three generations of women in her family, beginning with her grandmother, Sun Yi, a journalist fleeing the Chinese Civil War in 1949. Themes of love, grief, mental illness and generational trauma abound.
3. ‘Abundance’ by Derek Thompson & Ezra Klein – From New York Times columnist Ezra Klein and The Atlantic staff writer Derek Thompson comes this volume examining the political, cultural and economic barriers that trap Americans in a cycle of scarcity, consequence and regulations, and prevent forward progress, while offering a paradigm-shifting path forward.