by Roseanna White | May 14, 2012 | Word of the Week
My kiddos asked me the other week where “mayday” came from, and I finally remembered to look. I ought to have posted this one on May 1st, May Day (ha . . . ha . . . ha . . .) but didn’t think to.
Mayday, according to “The Wireless Age” from June 1923, is an aviator distress call. It was agreed that just saying the letters SOS wouldn’t do–that was the agreed upon message for telegraph, but it didn’t translate so well to spoken words. The powers that be also decided a simple “Help!” wouldn’t do. So they chose “May Day,” thinking it particularly fitting because it sounds so similar to the French m’aidez (help me).
It has since translated to any radio communication of help, be it in airplanes or boats or whatever.
I hope all you mothers out there enjoyed a wonderful Mother’s Day yesterday, and that those of you who aren’t mothers had a great day with yours. =) We had a really awesome day around here–breakfast in bed, a Xoe-made story, and even a
tea party. Better yet, no fighting between the kids–woot! LOL
by Roseanna White | May 10, 2012 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
Yesterday as my best friend Stephanie Morrill and I were chatting about my schedule, I earned a “Whoa! You’re making my head spin. Can you believe it wasn’t that long ago that you were like, ‘I need direction! I have no idea what to work on next!’?”
Definitely not a problem right now, LOL. My schedule is full (over-full, some might say), and though there’s room for some moving-around and improvising, for the first time in my life I’m writing books sold on proposal, under deadline.
Thank you, Lord, that it’s almost summer! That will at least take home school off my daily schedule. Around here we’re very much looking forward to finishing up those last couple weeks of school. =) We have an end-of-the-year party coming up with some of the other little ones from Xoe’s home school group, to make it an extra-special end.
Also this summer, we’ll be getting ready for a move. Not far, just back to the West Virginia side of our area, nearer our parents. Pretty exciting. =) And of course, I’ve got a lot of writing on my summer’s plate.
Where are you right now, as we near the end of the school year? Hard at work? Ready for a summer rest? Are you writers already planning which, if any, conferences you’ll be going to. Are you readers making a list of books to wile away the summer with? I’d love to hear what you’re getting into now!
(Sorry I’m not offering any brilliance or insight today, LOL–I’m still fighting off the cold I got almost two weeks ago, and right now my eyes are puffy and my head aching. This is about all I could manage!)
by Roseanna White | May 9, 2012 | Remember When Wednesdays, Uncategorized
I’m cheating today and posting the same thing I put up at the Colonial Quills blog last Friday. =) And don’t forget to hop over there for the Anniversary celebration! Lots of great giveaways going on!!
One of the first lessons students are taught at St. John’s College (a.k.a The Great Books School) is that there’s nothing like an original text–and that we ought not refer to anything but the texts we’ve read together when in class. And so begins an education steeped in all things classic–an education that works its way not only into my writing, but into my outlook on how to research.
I’ve been thinking about this in recent weeks because each review I’ve gotten lately on
Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland mentions my use of language and how it feels historical–something I achieved solely through reading texts from my time period. And a fellow St. John’s graduate who’d just finished it emailed me the other day to say “I have to say, when you pulled out Pascal, I thought, ‘Roseanna is
such a Johnnie!'” ‘Tis true, ’tis true. =) And in my next book,
Ring of Secrets, I draw even more on my classical education thanks to a hero who’s a professor at Yale (in 1780) in the subjects of philosophy and chemistry.
What I love about the Colonial, Revolutionary, and early Federalist periods is the rich literary culture. They not only had the ancient texts to draw on, they had more modern philosophers, political theorists, and some oh-so-fun scientific discovery happening under their very noses.
And yet, I confess, whenever I have a character reaching for a book, I have to stop and think, “What would she be reading?” I often have to do some searches to remind myself of when certain books were published, or which authors were more popular at a given time. And though I often use ones I’ve read, occasionally my characters’ literary taste diverges from my experience. No matter what I write, my characters will always find an occasion to delve into the classics–and since most people don’t have a shelf full of the books from St. John’s reading list (ahem–I know I wouldn’t had I not gone there, LOL!) I figured it would be fun to draw together a small smackerel for anyone interested. =)
Fiction Popular in the 18th Century
Don Quixote by Cervantes – a bit of a parody of the chivalric tales popular way-back-when
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift – another parody, of course
Iliad by Homer (especially the Alexander Pope translation)
Odyssey by Homer (also the Pope translation)
Gargantua and Pantagruel by Rabelais (not for ladies of delicate sensibilities! Far too much talk of cod-pieces for the gentler sex)
Anything Shakespeare, of course
The Aeneid by Virgil – did you know Caesar Augustus ordered the writing of The Aeneid solely to give the Greek version (Iliad) some competition?
Ovid’s Metamorphosis (not to be confused with Kafka’s)
The Misanthrope and other works by Moliere
Paradise Lost etc. by Milton
Dante’s Divine Comedy – most of us found the Inferno to be far more interesting than Paradisio, LOL
Non-Fiction Popular in the 18th Century
(Since most of these fellows wrote a number of treatises, I’ll list authors and subject matter rather than particular titles.)
Pascal – this guy was a certifiable genius whose salvation led him to turn his considerable brain-power to convincing others of the logic and reason behind Christianity. Fun stuff!
Descartes – though best known for his philosophical works (such as the one with the famous “I think, therefore I am”) he also wrote scientific works that are, um, less credible when one actually experiments upon the objects he discusses.
Hobbes – a political theorist whose works played a major role in the shaping of America’s political system
Adam Smith – an economic theorist who may put you to sleep but who, again, greatly shaped America’s early systems
Montesquieu – a political theorist who first devised the separation of powers now taken for granted.
Francis Bacon – political and scientific theorist most remembered for creating the scientific method
Locke – political theorist
Hume – political theorist and skeptic
Spinoza – essays laid the foundation for the Enlightenment; a biblical critic
Rousseau – political theorist
Newton – scientific and mathematical genius
Huygens – scientist who made breakthroughs especially in the behavior of light
Lavoisier – scientist of the 1770-90s who introduced the idea of elements into chemistry which led to the periodic table
There are many more, and I didn’t even touch on the sermons and poetry that were popular, but for those curious about where the Founding Fathers got their ideas, that’ll give you a great starting place!
by Roseanna White | May 8, 2012 | Uncategorized
A little over a year ago, you may recall a post I had on here called
“Have You Heard About Sandi Rog?” detailing how my good friend Sandi was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, T-cell lymphoma, on the very day her debut book released. I am truly awed and amazed by the support that rose up for her and her family from the online community of writers and readers.
Today I’d like to give you a little update and ask for more prayer for her. After a year of huge struggle, exhaustion, and treatment upon treatment, after wondering if the Lord might call her home through this and then determining to fight on with Him, Sandi was pronounced “in remission” a few months ago. But last month she went in for a full-body MRI and they discovered more cancer. Again. She now has a new spot on her pelvis, and yet again she’s undergoing targeted radiation. The doctors consider this “not big,” but it’s big for Sandi. She’s still so exhausted. So weak.
This new round of radiation is taking its toll, and she still has another week of it. So once again, her online family is rallying. We’re declaring this week, from now until next Tuesday, to be a week of fasting and praying for our beloved sister. In one of my groups, we each signed up for a day when we would cover her and her family in prayer. If you feel so led, please consider joining us. Sandi has specifically asked for prayer for her healing (of course), strength, and pain at the site where she’s receiving radiation, which makes walking difficult. I would add to that list encouragement, peace, and fortification for her whole family. Sandi is seriously one of the sweetest women I have the pleasure of knowing, and my heart continually breaks for her and all she’s going through.
The best support we could ever ask for her is your prayers–but of course, if you want to support her family in all the costs they’ve accrued for her treatment, I do also invite you to take a look at her truly amazing, wonderful novels, if you haven’t already.
by Roseanna White | May 7, 2012 | Word of the Week
Don’t you just love the weekend? That beautiful, sanity-saving time from Friday night until we wake up for work or school on Monday. It’s lovely. It’s brilliant. It’s necessary.
Yet really, it’s kind of new!
The word “weekend” dates back to the 1600s, but it meant, literally, the
end of the week–as in, from after church on Sunday until Monday morning. Which was the only time most people took off from their labors back then. According to
etymonline.com, it took on “general” meaning in 1878. But I’ve looked this up for a story so happen to know that at that point “general” just mean all of Sunday. Folks didn’t yet consider Saturday part of the weekend.
In Downton Abbey (circa 1912) Matthew Crawley says, “And of course we always have the weekends.” To which the dowager Lady Crawley says, aghast, “Whatever is a weekend?” This is a pretty good demonstration of the time, LOL. By the early 20th century, there was more of a traditional weekend–by which I mean, professional businesses closed after half a day on Saturday, and schools had a 5-day week, I believe. But those in lower class jobs would still have only gotten one day off. It wasn’t until the mid-20th century that it took on a two-day meaning for everyone.
And as an adjective meaning “on the weekends only” (a weekend retreat, for instance, or a weekend read), dates from 1935.
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.