Bouchercon recap

Bouchercon is the world's foremost mystery fan convention (sorry other ones, Bcon IS the cat's pjs)

I've attended many of these cons over the years and each year I learn something. The year I went to Indianapolis I learned not to take any work.  I was gone from the festivities for so long (working on a line edit) that my clients sent a recon team to make sure I was still alive.

In San Francisco we all learned to make sure the bar would be open past ten.

This year we really learned the hard way that walking uphill to the convention center from the closest hotel was a bad idea.  Several regular attendees who have limited mobility were restricted from full full participation and that's so not-cool.  Even otherwise able-bodied folks who'd had injuries and were using canes during recuperation found the back and forth to be very difficult.


And I'll probably back down on this one but right now I'm forswearing attending any Bcon that doesn't have a hotel attached to the convention center.  Not being able to run up to my room for some down time, or to drop a bag o'books, or check my email ended up being exhausting to the point I had to miss a big chunk of Saturday.


And someone always has to learn the hard way that getting drunk and trash talking an author is a fast way to land in purgatory forever.  One thing I know from attending a bunch of these is that there may be 3000 people there, but we all know each other. (This wasn't me or any of the Fabulosity)


There were some real highlights as well:

Katrina Holm moderating the "Don't Ask Me Why: my characters have a life of their own" panel was pure joy.  She'd clearly spent time doing careful preparation. She was not only familiar with the authors, she was familiar with most of their books. She asked interesting and innovative questions.  At the end of the panel I wanted to buy and read ALL the books by the authors.  That's gold for an author.

Dana Haynes doing an author choice segment on getting from start to finish in a novel was eye-opening.  I know Dana's a talented writer: he's my client!  But I'd never seen him teach a class and I'd really never heard him talk about his writing process.  At the close of the 30 minutes I'd learned more than a few things and I have made it my mission to get him in front of more writers.  He was great!  If you don't believe me, ask any of the 20 or so people who were there too.

Josh Stallings.  My pal Chris Holm plied me with liquor on the first night and mentioned Josh's memoir and his novels.  I just happened to see Josh pass by in the hall at the end of a panel the next day. I waylaid him and mentioned Chris's rave review.  Josh had a copy of his memoir which I was glad to take and read.  It gave me great pleasure to flummox him enough that he could not remember his email address.  Tormenting writers...the highlight of my day.

Laura Lippman.  One of the stars of the mystery writing community of course, but you'd never know it from hanging out with her. She's fun and approachable and genuine. I was talking to her about shoes (of course) with two other people. A fan came by, paused briefly, then turned away. Laura immediately reached out to reel her back and include her in the conversation.  I admire Laura tremendously. It doesn't hurt that she's an amazing writer to boot!


Gilbert King. Oh my dear godiva, I may have sprung a lung shrieking with delight to meet him.  Gilbert King is the author of Devil in the Grove and if you haven't read it, go buy it immediately. I think every person in America should read this book.  I may have said that so often this weekend that people think I have a stake in that book but I don't.  Farley Chase is Gil's agent and he's brilliant.


Charles Benoit.  A bunch of us were lounging on the bar couches when I spied a man who was clearly a writer but sitting by himself.  Are you here for Bouchercon I inquired. Well, yes he was.  And what is your name I asked? Charles Benoit. Well! I recognize that name and readers of this blog should too.  "Did you write a book called YOU?" I asked.  No sooner had he said yes than the estimable Brooks Sherman leaped to his feet, thrust an elbow in my path, shook Charles Benoit's hand and extolled the virtues of YOU for five minutes.  Wait! I shrieked, WAIT! I loved that book TOO!  No matter, I was roadkill on this lovefest. Those two became bosom buddies and I was left to swill my drink. 


But the moment that was utterly surreal tops it all. A total stranger walked up and hugged me.  Now, I"m not sure if blog readers know this but my friends and clients all do: Do.Not.Hug.The.Shark is a standard practice here.  I don't like it, and I don't do it.  To have a total stranger come up and embrace me was so odd that I thought perhaps she'd confused me with someone else.  Next year, I'm bringing a purse size cattle prod just in case.

And next year is in Long Beach, California.  Time to register, make your hotel reservations and clear your calendar!

View to a kill!

we're in Albany at Bouchercon 2013.

So far, I've managed to stay out of jail, out of most kinds of trouble, and not mortify my boon companion in crime Brooks Sherman TOOO much.

However, the event has just started.

More to come!

(The picture is the view from my hotel room)

A nicer QueryShark

My friend and colleague Sorche Fairbank is offering a query revision workshop at Grub Street (in Boston) this month. You'd be CRAZY to pass up this chance to get your query polished up.


Here are the details:
Query Clinic

Saturday, June 29th, 10:30am-5:30pm at Grub Street headquarters.

A one day intensive session on query letters. For the first half of the class, agent Sorche Fairbank of Fairbank Literary will take the class through the shelf-life of a query, dissect its four most important components, diagram the essential elements of a query’s synopsis, identify the five most common mistakes authors make in their queries, give insight and tips on how to stand out in the slushpile, and provide a review of a laundry list of query Dos and Don’ts.



After covering all the basics, the instructor will hand back students’ queries, with notes on recommended changes. Students will have time to rework their query in class, by hand or by laptop, and then the instructor will lead a group critique of each reworked query with the class. Amazing changes are expected.


NOTE: I've seen this in person and it IS amazing!



By the close of the class, students should expect to have a strong query letter that gets an agent’s attention, and will have take home notes and class handouts.


Open to all levels, all genres.

Important: Please prepare and email to [lauren at Grubstreet dot org] no later than noon on Monday, June 24th, a query letter of no more than 400 words for the instructor, who will provide comments and edits on the query for use in class, and as a take-home reference.

For Class: Bring two copies of your query, and means to work on revisions (pen and paper, or laptop).

Instructor: Sorche Fairbank


Level: For Everyone
Type: 6-Hour Intensive Class
Max Capacity: 12 students

register here: GrubStreet classes

Virginia Festival of the Book looking for authors

The 2014 Virginia Festival of the Book is looking for authors to participate in the Festival held March 19-23, 204  in Charlottesville, VA.

Applications and instructions are online at VaBook.org.  Click "how to participate" and then "Authors, Publishers, & Participants" then "apply now."

Priority is given to books published between October 2013 and March 15, 2014.  The Festival will not consider you if your book will not be published until after March 2014.

Sean Ferrell live and in person!

 Don't miss this chance to come and see Sean Ferrell, live and in-person! 

Pants optional of course.

Helllooooo Agatha!

 Nominations for  the Agatha Awards have been announced and I gotta tell ya, I'm pretty much thrilled to bits to see Stephanie Jaye Evans in the Best First category!  And what LOVELY company she has there!

Agathas are part of the Malice Domestic convention, a convention for readers of traditional mysteries. It's a wonderful event, held every year around the same time, near Washington DC.  If you love to read delicious cozies, wickedly charming procedurals, and just good books in general you'd have a good time here!  (This isn't a craft conference--no panels on how-to. It's just your favorite authors and more!)



Best First Novel: 
Faithful Unto Death by Stephanie Jaye Evans
 A Killer Read by Erika Chase
 A Scrapbook of Secrets by Mollie Cox Bryan
 Iced Chiffon by Duffy Brown
 Lowcountry Boil by Susan M. Boyer



Best Novel:
The Diva Digs Up the Dirt by Krista Davis
A Fatal Winter by G.M. Malliet
The Buzzard Table by Margaret Maron
The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny
The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan



Best Non-fiction:
Books to Die For: The World's Greatest Mystery Writers on the World's Greatest Mystery Novels by John Connolly/Declan Burke

Blood Relations: The Selected Letters of Ellery Queen, 1947-1950 by Joseph Goodrich, Editor

More Forensics and Fiction: Crime Writers Morbidly Curious Questions Expertly Answered by D.P. Lyle

Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies by Ben Macintyre

The Grand Tour: Around the World with the Queen of Mystery Agatha Christie by Mathew Prichard, Editor

Best Short Story:
"Mischief in Mesopotamia" by Dana Cameron (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
"Kept in the Dark" by Shelia Connolly (Best New England Crime Stories 2013: Blood Moon Anthology)
"The Lord is My Shamus" by Barb Goffman (Chesapeake Crimes: This Job is Murder)
"Thea's First Husband" by B.K. Stevens (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)
"When Duty Calls", by Art Taylor (Chesapeake Crimes: This Job is Murder)

Best Children's/Young Adult Novel:
Seconds Away by Harlan Coben
The Edge of Nowhere by Elizabeth George
Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead
The Code Busters Club, Case #2: The Haunted Lighthouse by Penny Warner
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Best Historical Novel:
The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen
Dandy Gilver and an Unsuitable Day for Murder by Catriona McPherson
Murder on Fifth Avenue by Victoria Thompson
An Unmarked Grave by Charles Todd
Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear

FPLM field trip: Cornelia Read

"When we first moved to Boulder, I was entirely too happy -- a state of being so rare in my experience that I found it rather terrifying."

I have been a devoted fan of Cornelia Read for years.  Her great line from FIELD OF DARKNESS "Dear Reader, I decked the bitch" is one of the few I've seriously considered getting tattooed on myself. Maybe even on the forehead.

Thus when Cornelia's fourth book was published this week, I went to her signing as did many of her other fans.  I was smart; I got there early. I was REALLY smart: I bought the book before they sold out.

If you haven't yet discovered Cornelia Read now is the time. Start with FIELD OF DARKNESS. Read the books in order. 

If you don't like them, you'll need to show me a note from your doctor verifying you've taken leave of your senses or we can't be friends any more. 

FPLM field trip: Jesse Kellerman

My intrepid cohort in crime Brooks Sherman and I found our way to Mysterious Bookshop on Thursday (departing from our new office digs, we had to take a new route--it was quite the adventure!)

Jesse Kellerman is a well  known suspense novel writer and his debut novel SUNSTROKE was one where I turned the final page and thought "yowza!"  I've been a fan ever since.

His new novel POTBOILER is a bit of a departure.  I had no clue of that until the reading but you'd have picked up on it from the first page.  Here's why:

"Of all the books I have read this year, this is one of them."--Lee Child

What??

Of course, the plot of POTBOILER revolves around a fictional novelist and his (ta daaa!) fiction novels!  These are blurbs for the character!

Here's another:

"There's no one like William de Vallee.  Every time I finish one of his books, I feel like washing the blood off my hands.  And after Fatal Deadliness, I had to take a twenty-minute shower.  Dick Stapp sends Mike Hammer to the slammer, and Jack Reacher looking for a preacher.  No mystery here; this is a thriller reader's thriller by a thrilling thriller writer." --Stephen King

As Jesse is reading these aloud, I'm in the back row cackling with laughter. (Poor Brooks was inching away from me as subtly as he could I'm sure!)

It's always interesting when a good writer takes a new path. It's a huge risk career-wise because established fans expect the same kind of book they read the last time. This is particularly true among us cackling genre fans.

I can tell you this: POTBOILER is funny as hell. And one more thing: the literary agent is called Savory.  (When Jesse read that part, cackling gave way to outright guffaws!)

Jesse Kellerman is one helluva funny guy, and just plain one helluva writer.  See so for yourself!

Writing is a solitary pursuit; publishing is not

This is a picture of the post-launch reading for FALSE MEMORY by Dan Krokos.


Among those pictured:


Jeff Somers who wrote THE ELECTRIC CHURCH that Dan read and loved long before he was a published author; and where Dan found the name of Jeff's agent.

Janet Reid (obscured) the QueryShark who found Dan's entry, posted it as "yup, that's how it's done" read his manuscript and called him on a Sunday night to sign it up straight away.


Joanna Volpe: who was one of several early readers of the YA novel that sold as FALSE MEMORY and one of the key readers who helped Dan get in touch with his inner 16 year old first person girl POV.


Suzie Townsend: who sold Dan's YA and middle-grade novels

Whitney Ross; the editor who bought Dan's middle-grade novel PLANET THIEVES.

Sean Ferrell: who along with Jeff Somers was one of the first writers Dan knew and guided his path. In other words, they showed him the best bars in NYC.

Brooks Sherman who showed Dan the bars Jeff and Sean hadn't discovered yet.

Beth Miller, Joe Volpe, Diana Fox, Sara LaPolla--all lit agents from other agencies who rallied round as fans.

Sara Seargent-an editor (but not Dan's) who also rallied as a fan.


This is just a few of the people who make up a publishing team: agent, editor, fans, colleagues. 

And that's where you come in.  No team is complete without readers! Join us!

FPLM field trip: Word Bookstore East River Soho Press Shindig

Tim Hallinan presents THE FEAR ARTIST

Jim Benn's introduces A MORTAL TERROR which will captivate his audience!

Henry Chang's third book is coming soon!

Henry Chang listening to Jim Benn

Love the Tees the authors wore!

We took the East River Ferry to the N. 7th port of call, hopped off and walked a block to the East River park for a lovely evening with Soho Press and the wonderful people from Word. Word!  If you haven't been there, get there now!

FPLM field trip: Charles Yu

Charles Yu is amazing.  Just frigging amazing.  His short story "Sorry Please Thank You" just blew me off my chair, and straight to the cash register.  Fortunately I was at McNally Jackson  so a cash register was handy.

Charles Yu has a special place in my heart because his agent used to sit across the desk from me and I was there when we got the news he'd been selected one of the 5 under 35 in 2007. I loved his first book starting with the title: THIRD CLASS SUPERHERO, and his subsequent books have all been startling and amazing.

But this one, this collection. This one just took my breath away.  Read it. See for yourself.

In the Windy City?

You need to make friends and influence people!

Here's the perfect place to start:

Awesome sauce publicist Dana Kaye (about whom not enough good things can be said) hosts the Chicago Literati Networking Event.  You should go. I would, but the crowbar needed to pry me out of NYC is broken.

When you register use this promotion code for $5 off: TheShark

(You can see just from that why I adore Dana!)

Take pictures to show me what a good time I'm missing!

A night with Unbridled Books!

I'm a devoted fan of Unbridled Books.  They are a small elegant publisher of authors like Emily St. John Mandel and Timothy Schaffert, writers I adore.


And I'm not the only one! The entire state of Kentucky appears to be a fan!

Last night Unbridled Books was the guest of Greenlight Bookstore and we did not miss the chance to see four of their authors in person.

Our posse included Brooks Sherman (seen at the far end of the row, madly finishing a book he picked up at BEA so he could give it to me for my subway ride home); FPLM author and fellow Emily St. John Mandel fan Sean Ferrell; Soho marketing goddess Meredith Barnes; Erica and Laura. If you met me at the Backspace conference you also met Erica and Laura. They're the latest volunteer minions! So far, they seem to like us!




The Unbridled lineup was stellar! We had to buy all the books of course and order the one that wasn't available.

From left to right:

Edward Falco, author of most recently THE FAMILY CORLEONE (not an Unbridled title) and also ST. JOHN OF THE FIVE BOROUGHS  (the book he read from at this event.)

Richard Kramer, author of THESE THINGS HAPPEN

Greg Michaelson, Unbridled publisher and editor

Janyce Stefan-Cole, author of HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD

Emily St. John Mandel, author of most recently THE LOLA QUARTET.

Each author read just an enticing snippet from their work then dove into the Q&A. I have such mixed feelings about Q&A: it can be great to see authors talk about different things, but I usually just want to run home and start reading their books!

Case in point from THE LOLA QUARTET:

"Anna had fallen into a routine, or as much of a routine as a seventeen-year-old can reasonably fall into when she's transient and living in hiding with an infant. ... There was a plastic shopping bag duct-taped to the underside of the stroller. It held a little under one hundred eighteen thousand dollars in cash."

I bravely stayed through the Q&A, and the trip to Habana Outpost after the event for cubano sandwiches and mojitos. I even stalwartly conversed with Mer-Bear on the train home. But let me tell you this: I dove into THE LOLA QUARTET so fast when I got home that the font spun.

And all I have to say is this: Emily St. John Mandel, please write me a note for the office cause I'm going to be late today and it's ALL YOUR FAULT.

I was very delighted to discover that Emily's agent is Katherine Fausset, whom I met at Muse in the Marketplace recently and gave me some great ideas about short stories.


And if you want to join us for our next round of festivities at Greenlight, you can bet we'll be there on Monday 6/18 for Jess Walter. Oh yes indeed!

Do NOT miss this if you're in NYC

Robert Caro is my hero.  He's a masterful biographer, skilled storyteller, and while he's earned and won every prize under the sun, some of them twice, you never get the sense he's all that full of himself.

I had the great pleasure of hearing him give the keynote address at the Biographers Int'l Organization conference in 2011. On May 2, 2012 I shelled out actual cash money to hear him at the 92YTribeca. Tonight you can hear him at Barnes and Noble Union Square at 7pm, for free.


When he spoke last week he said a couple things that I didn't even have to write down to remember.

He said the Lord Acton quote we all learned in college ("Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely") wasn't right.  He thinks power reveals character.  You see what a man (or woman, I presume, although both Mr. Caro's great subjects were men) is all about when he has power.  When LBJ became President, Mr Caro pointed out, his goal was to eradicate poverty.  That's the thing we all forget now, was that LBJ wanted to use the power of the presidency to end poverty.

And when asked about his writing habits, Mr. Caro said he outlined everything at the start of the actual writing.  He'd also get "what this book is about" down to about two paragraphs.  Those two paragraphs helped him focus; helped him remember what to put in, leave out, and what to make a footnote.  (There was an odd watery sound as the QueryShark literally leaped for joy hearing THAT let me tell you.)  Then he told us how long it took him to get the book down to those two paragraphs. Would you like to guess what he said?

Here are the choices:

1. Two hours
2. Two days
3. Two weeks
4. Two months
5. Two years

Let me know in the comments column what you think the correct answer is. No fair if you attended the event and heard the answer, ok?

I think Robert Caro is one of those writers you should hear and read no matter what you read or write.  He's very simply a master of the craft and there just aren't that many of them.

I know this is late but better than never, right?

Some of you may be looking for a class on writing novels.
Classes can be a good way to get a set of objective eyes on your work.

Here's one taught by two writers I respect a lot: Jenny Milchman and Butch Edgerton.

There are several options for how to participate so even if you're thinking "I can't do this right now" take a look and see if any of the options might work.

Looking for a way to get some attention for your work?

Bad Situations

The next installment of the innovative Tandem Reading Series will be at 5pm this Sunday, March 11. Brooks Sherman, associate agent at FinePrint Literary Management, will moderate a reading and panel of works of crime fiction. Performing, we have...

Dan Krokos, reading from his yet-unpublished adult thriller THE BETTER GUY, in which an addict ambulance driver spends his nights driving the getaway car for his uncle, a contract killer; and Jen Conley, reading about an eleven-year-old boy who ducks, hides, and tries to survive the brutal hold-up of a convenience store.

Following the panel, there will be a reception with wine and refreshments.

As ever, the Tandem Reading Series is held at the Cell Theatre, 338 West 23 St. (between 8 and 9 Ave.; take the 1, C, E to 23rd St.; www.thecelltheatre.org <http://www.thecelltheatre.org> ). 212-989-7434. Donation: $5. Or you can hand in a story; if we like it, we’ll invite you to read at a later date.

Hope to see you there!

Listening to Elmore Leonard

I swam over to the Center for Fiction last week to hear Elmore Leonard in conversation with Jonathan Santlofer.


Jonathan Santlofer was an exceptional moderator. He was concise, conversational, and didn't insert himself into every question. He should be cloned and made to moderate all panels forevermore.


Elmore Leonard told us:

"I spent 10 years writing short stories, or ten years 'getting better'."

"I started out imitating Hemingway till I found out he (Hemingway) had no sense of humor."

"I always write from the point of view of a character, major or minor."

"I never intrude. I never want to be seen telling the story."

"If it sounds like writing, rewrite."

"Outlining means you go with an idea that could be old or outdated as the novel develops"

"Not outlining allows for surprise and something else to happen."


"Verbs other than 'said' for dialogue call attention to themselves."

"Don't muck it up with -ly words"

"I write longhand then use a typewriter. No computer. No email."

"Watch for words that don't belong in the book because they are not natural to the characters"



The event even made NY Magazine's Approval Matrix -- thankfully on the correct side of the grid!

Major Pettigrew!

It was a lovely evening here in NYC so a merry band of FPLM agents trekked down to the WIX.com office on 18th Street to hear "The Making of a Bestseller" sponsored by the good folks of the Women's National Book Association-NYC chapter.

We were glad we got there early; the place filled up fast!

The author Helen Simonson, her delightful agent Julie Barer; and amazing editor Susan Kamil were the first speakers.

These are just a few of the notes I made:

Q to Helen: How did come to write Major Pettigrew's Last Stand?

HS: I finally wrote something just for me. I had no idea if it was any good. I took it to my critique group and when they read it, they just started talking about the Major. That had never happened before--they didn't critique it, they just talked about it.

Q to Julie: How did you connect with Helen?

I agreed to judge the first chapters submitted in a contest run by a Bronx writing group. How much reading could it be, just first chapters? (howls of laughter from all the agents in the audience--and most of the editors too!)

As soon as I read Helen's chapter, I got in touch with her. "I'd love to read the rest," I said, only to learn the first chapter was all there was.

So I stayed in touch and finally it was done, and Helen emailed "you may not remember me" (here Julie gives the universal sign for 'she's GOT to be kidding, of course I remember her!') and I read it right away. And I loved it. I just loved it. I felt so happy at the end of the book. I couldn't wait to tell everyone about it.



Q to Susan Kamil: And what caught your eye?

SK: When Julie called and said she had something she knew I would like, I paid attention. (Then Susan reads the first paragraph from the book) And once I read that paragraph, I closed my door and read for the next four hours. And I loved it.

And my job is to bring the very best books to Random House, and I knew if I loved this, other people would too.

I put together my offer, and because I knew I needed to move fast, I put on my coat, walked across the street to where Gina Centrello was having lunch (thank goodness she wasn't in Istanbul like she is today!) and said "we have to buy this book right now" and Gina said yes, and we did.


Once the book was acquired, marketing, publicity and the paperback team get involved. For this book it was  Avideh Bashirrad,VP, Director of Marketing; Karen Fink Associate Director of Publicity; and Jane von Mehren, Senior VP, Publisher, Director of trade paperbacks.

Question to Avideh Bashirrad: How did you market this?

AB: We ran a traditional grass roots campaign. We got out a lot (2000!) Advanced Reader Editions. Sent to both the trade accounts (stores) and consumers (bookclubs) And they LOVED it. They loved the Major. We even ended up sending "I love the Major" stickers in kits to bookstores and bookclubs. People wrote to us telling us how much they loved the book.


Question to Karen Fink: What was the goal for publicity for the book?

We wanted an interview on NPR. We thought the book was a good fit for the NPR audience so I was hounding the producer of the Diane Rhem show (general laughter here from everyone in the audience who was a publicist or had been a publicist!)

We found out the New York Times was going to run a review in the daily paper. That of course induced major panic: what would it say? Well, it turned out Janet Maslin LOVED the book. She wrote a major love letter to Major Pettigrew. We were thrilled. And my phone rang, and it was producer of the Diane Rhem show who said "I know you've been after me to read this book, and Diane read Janet's review and we want to do it."

And all of this happened right around the publication of the book, so we decided to send Helen out on an 8 city tour. In two weeks! (The aforementioned publicity contingent in the audience all faint dead away.)

And everyone who had Helen at the store wrote to us and wanted her back again. She was enormously popular.


Q to Jane von Mehren: The paperback came out relatively quickly (not the usual year) after the hardcover. What motivated that?

JvM: We wanted to capitalize on the success of the hardcover and get the paperback in the stores for Christmas. And it worked. As of today there are 382,000 copies of Major Pettigrew out there.

This was an amazing event with people who are passionate about books, and clearly love their jobs. Let no one tell you publishing is dead. It's alive and well here tonight!

Where to be on Friday 10/21 in NYC

Hutchins Consort to Perform at Historic Upper East Side Church

Ensemble Celebrates 100^th Birthday of Famed Violin Maker

with a performance at Park Avenue Christian Church

The famed violinmaker Carleen Maley Hutchins (May 24, 1911-August 7, 2009) was called the “female Stradivari” by her mentor Harvard physicist Frederick A. Saunders.  Her contribution stems from her efforts to harvest technology to improve on the centuries old string instruments and her invention of a new “family” of musical instruments to give new expression to music both ancient and modern.

The new palette of sounds originates with the Hutchins Consort of San Diego, CA—the only ensemble named for an American luthier and the only ensemble in the world that performs on a Hutchins Violin Octet. The Hutchins Consort will embark on its Debut East Coast Tour in October, 2011, in honor of the 100th Anniversary of Hutchins’ birth and will be honoring Dr. Hutchins’ memory throughout their 2011-2012 season. The full schedule is here and the first NYC event is:

Friday, October 21  

8 p.m.

Park Avenue Christian Church, 

1010 Park Avenue (at 85th Street)

New York, NY 10028. 

$20 Adults, $15 Students/Seniors 

tickets at the door.

Former Boston Globe arts journalist and Carleen Hutchins biographer, D. Quincy Whitney, will tour with the Hutchins Consort. Whitney will give a short pre-concert talk about how she met Hutchins and came to write her biography.

Hutchins was a most unlikely pioneer—a biologist and trumpet player who taught herself acoustical physics by making violins. Hutchins and Saunders performed more than 100 acoustical experiments on violas and violins made by Hutchins. Hutchins eventually created a louder, more resonant violin via plate tuning and modal analysis. In addition, Hutchins created a forum for an international community devoted to violin acoustics through the Catgut Acoustical Society and its scientific journal that she published for more than thirty years. 

Despite the fact that she was a lone female in two male-dominated fields of acoustical physics and violinmaking, Hutchins was the only woman to be awarded the Honorary Fellowship of the Acoustical Society of America – whose very short list of recipients includes Thomas Edison. Hutchins was also the recipient of four honorary doctorates, a Guggenheim Fellowship and was considered the foremost authority on violin acoustics. From 2002 to 2003, Mrs. Hutchins’s octet was the subject of an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Titled “The New Violin Family: Augmenting the String Section.”

But the most exciting Hutchins legacy is the Violin Octet and the Hutchins Consort—a chamber music ensemble like no other—with a dynamic range and palette of sounds never heard before from a string ensemble. The Hutchins Consort performs a wide repertoire ranging from Medieval, Baroque and Renaissance to jazz, blues and modern, including new works written specifically for these instruments. The Consort is used to performing for audiences of all ages and tastes, and also shines in their concerts for young audiences, as they are very familiar with performing in educational settings.

ABOUT THE HUTCHINS CONSORT

The Hutchins Consort, founded by Artistic Director Joe McNalley, plays on the eight scaled violins designed and built by famed luthier Dr. Carleen Hutchins. The instruments are the first successful attempt to create an acoustically balanced set of instruments that can truly sound like violins across the entire range of written music. A Violin Octet is a true consort of violins composed of eight violins across the range of a piano—treble, soprano, mezzo, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, and contrabass violins—a tuned set of violins from an 11” treble to a seven-foot contrabass. The Hutchins Consort, based in Southern California, is the only professional ensemble in the world performing on this octet of the New Violin Family instruments.

The Consort brings together a group of extraordinary musicians to play music from the Middle Ages and Renaissance to the music of the modern masters and new works written specifically for these instruments. They display a breadth and depth that few traditional groups match, and a sound that is truly unique.

What prompted this email?

Knowing a picture is worth a thousand words, I sometimes only send images in my email.

To editors who have completely lost all their senses rejected a project:

To people I am reminding (again!) about something past due:

My auto-responder when I'm "working from home"

Today, it was this particular image.  Can you guess what I heard about that prompted this reply?

Answer: it was finding out I was too late to get tickets for THIS.