The Inspiratorium » History

Book Review: Confessions of a Pagan Nun

David Morton — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 05:49:36 +0000

The cover of Confessions of a Pagan Nun by Kate Horsley is arresting for someone like me — a romantic who is entranced by the mystery and ideals of early monastic life. It shows a clochan, a beehive-shaped rock hut set beside a small stream and barren, rocky hills in the distance. Built of dry [...] Related posts:

Book Review:
The Saint and the Fasting Girl

Discovering Dante’s Inferno

David Morton — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:30:13 +0000

It’s satisfying, isn’t it, when a book you read leads the way to others — where one opens your eyes to another topic, another author or another passion and off you go. I’m happy to report that the joy of discovery is still alive and well in the mind of this 50-plus reader. A few [...] Related posts:

Book Review:The Saint and the Fasting Girl

David Morton — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:04:48 +0000

It was a real honour to be asked by Anna Richenda, recently, if I would review her new self-published novel, The Saint and the Fasting Girl. As a fan of HistoryFish.net her expansive website devoted to medieval religious topics, I had been reading progress reports in her blog about the book’s publication for some time. [...] Related posts:

Those Were The Days: Finding ourselves in the Middle Ages

David Morton — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:50:57 +0000

As is so often the case, a recent New Yorker cartoon took a medieval story to heart and added a 21st century twist to great comic effect. In this case, Rapunzel* has let down her hair, as the fairy tale goes, but she has inadvertently foiled the prince’s attempt to climb her prison tower using [...] Related posts:

The Cutty Wren: A Song of Uprising

David Morton — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:37:59 +0000

History, as they say, repeats itself. The recent protests in Iran are the latest incarnation of an old story: the uprising of citizens against the perceived injustices of a political regime. Sometimes they succeed in bringing significant change, often they fail. But no matter the consequences, these rebellions are never really forgotten. They may be [...] No related posts.

A Fresh Take on the Middle Ages

David Morton — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:30:52 +0000

I’ve been reading a terrific book about the Middle Ages, recently, by an American scholar with a great sweeping view of history about the powerful influence of medievalism on the contemporary world. I’ve always found the imaginative influence of the Middle Ages captivating: Chaucer’s pilgrims, the wild behaviours of feudal lords, the gritty view of [...] Related posts:

New Medieval Fiction: The Saint and the Fasting Girl

David Morton — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:25:39 +0000

I wish I could say my recent hiatus from blog posting had resulted in a prodigious output in pages for my novel. Alas, nothing of the sort. I had taken time off work a few months ago that was a great boon to the novel, but my return to teaching has overwhelmed me. Not only [...] Related posts:

A Storm of Arrows From the English Longbow

David Morton — Sat, 09 May 2009 23:55:22 +0000

At the beginning of Andrew Davidson’s book, The Gargoyle, the main character is driving along a mountain road, high on cocaine and bourbon. He has a distinct feeling that he is about to be ambushed, for some reason, and, sure enough, he sees “a volley of flaming arrows swarming out of the woods, directly at [...] No related posts.

Food in the Middle Ages: Eight Things You Probably Didn’t Know

David Morton — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:35:19 +0000

Food is one of my favourite topics, and if I weren’t obsessing here about the Middle Ages, I’d probably be blogging about my food obsessions. Food is not really a concern in my novel (at least not at the moment), but I’ve done a little bit of reading on the topic as research. Not a [...] Related posts:

Inspiring Places: Historyfish.net

David Morton — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:00:22 +0000

“Literature is a toil and a snare, a curse that bites deep.” Or so said D.H. Lawrence. Which gives me some comfort, because I seem to be doing all I can to avoid my writing, this morning. I’ve spent the last couple of hours brewing a Shitake Beef Stew that will be consumed tonight. I’ve [...] Related posts: