Author Topic: Author! Author! (Read 360778 times)

deems 2 · « **Reply #1480 on:** January 31, 2011, 09:02:08 AM »

The only Beatrix Potter character I remember by name is Peter Rabbit. And I am not totally sure that Peter Rabbit is a Beatrix Potter character. $:-\$ A couple years back they made a wonderful movie about the author though. It all came back to mind as you told her history. Thank you for the story.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1481 on:** January 31, 2011, 12:57:10 PM »

Deems - good guess, and Peter Rabbit most certainly is a Beatrix Potter character - the most famous - but it's not him.

And I've just realised that I should have said she married William Heelis - not remarried, as of course she never married Norman Warne owing to his untimely death.

The film was called Miss Potter and starred Renee Zelwegger; it was one of the first films my younger daughter Madeleine ever saw at the cinema, and she was absolutely overwhelmed by it, especially as she would like to be a writer and/or artist one day. The next morning I found her in her bedroom, with her long hair carefully put up like Beatrix's, painting a very tiny picture of a rabbit with a very tiny brush.

Does anyone want another clue re the character?

R

deems 2 · « **Reply #1482 on:** January 31, 2011, 02:00:14 PM »

I think that may be why I enjoyed the film so...watching the drawings and paintings come to life. I paint and I enjoy watching other people do it. That is a lovely image of your daughter.

There was a duck too - I seem to remember. Puddleduck? I am not even sure if that is a name.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1483 on:** January 31, 2011, 02:28:21 PM »

Yes Deems - you are the winner!!

It is Jemima Puddleduck, a very dim duck with a poke bonnet, who is hopeless at sitting on her eggs at the farm. She decides she wants to go off and lay them somewhere else, and is fooled by the "sandy haired gentleman" (the fox) who offers her his house (with a huge pile of duck down feathers in it) for her sitting. Luckily, the farm collie dog gets wind of this and rescues her, but not before the farm puppies have eaten her eggs. As far as I can recall, she does go on to hatch more eggs successfully.

According to Wikepedia, the story was based on Little Red Riding Hood.

Although a rather whimsical tourist industry has grown up around Potter's books (Ambleside is crawling with Potter souvenirs), she herself was far less sentimental about animals, and wrote about nature "red in tooth and claw" - hence Peter Rabbit's father has been made into a pie by Mr McGregor, the gardener.

Over to you Deems! And what do you paint? My M-in-law is a quite successful painter, but lately she has had a phase of dividing her paintings up into little squares, which we don't like but she says is some sort of special technique. She has given us lovely paintings of our cats and also of our late dog, but mostly she does Lake District scenes. They bought the house they now live in specifically for the panoramic view it has of Morecombe Bay.

Rosemary

deems 2 · « **Reply #1484 on:** January 31, 2011, 05:44:34 PM »

No. Frybabe is the winner! Yay Frybabe...(Someone tap her please.) I would never have thought of Beatrix Potter. I was just playing the "guess the character" phase. And thinking of the movie.

I paint mostly in oils or encaustics. I love encaustics. You melt wax, add pigment, stir and try to get the molten mixture to the panel before it hardens. Quite a giggle. I also paint in watercolours.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1485 on:** January 31, 2011, 06:17:32 PM »

Amazing! I thought of Beatrix Potter a day or so before, but didn't think it was correct. Now I will have to put on my thinking cap for the next quiz.

straudetwo · « **Reply #1486 on:** January 31, 2011, 07:07:02 PM »

Frybabe, Deems 2, excellent teamwork !!

Gumtree · « **Reply #1487 on:** February 01, 2011, 02:09:07 AM »

Hey Deems 2 - I always knew you were a kindred spirit - and now to know you also paint simply confirms that feeling. I mainly use oils, pastels and contes - have tried encaustic a few times with hilarious, if unpredictable results - what a hoot. I do land/sea/river/rock-scapes, large florals, portraits and still lifes etc. Love it when people buy my work - it gives me such a charge to go on. Until a year or so ago I worked on rather large canvases but since I injured my shoulder I find them too difficult to man?handle about the studio.

I have never cared for Beatrix Potter's books but always admired her as a person. I loved the movie -

thanks for that quiz Rosemary - I've seen examples of the technique you mentioned your MIL uses. It's not for me but some painters get quite amazing results with it.
So now, for Frybaby's teaser.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1488 on:** February 01, 2011, 09:08:25 AM »

Okay, I have one. Rosemarykaye has inspired me.

Author: This is my only novel.

Book/character: I was born on an English farm.

deems 2 · « **Reply #1489 on:** February 01, 2011, 08:39:04 PM »

Oo, I am sorry to hear that you injured your shoulder, Gumtree. I prefer working on a large canvas as well. Not large like museum scale large, but human scale - say 6' x 6'. Big enough to fill the visual field, but no so big as to be overwhelming. That's the theory at least.

I hope that your shoulder is quite healed now.

Gumtree · « **Reply #1490 on:** February 02, 2011, 03:17:27 AM »

Deems 6 x 6 feet was perfect for me - but alas, no more - have enough trouble with 4 x 4 - at least I can still puddle around and make a mess

On the quiz - Initially I thought of Oscar Wilde - one novel - but Dorian Gray doesn't fit.

- Anna Sewell only wrote one novel - Black Beauty - and where else would BB be born than on an English farm.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1491 on:** February 02, 2011, 06:14:56 AM »

Gumtree, you have beaten me to it, but that's exactly what I thought. Let's see if we're right.

Rosemary

Frybabe · « **Reply #1492 on:** February 03, 2011, 01:06:56 PM »

Gumtree, you are just too cool! You are correct with the first clue. So that make you IT!

Sorry about being slow in answering. I spent my time yesterday between the bedroom and the bathroom. I rarely get sick, let alone sick enough to keep me in bed. Glad that it's over. It was kind of a bummer. They canceled classes for yesterday, so I thought I'd have two extra days to study for a test. HAH! Well, I still have this afternoon.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1493 on:** February 03, 2011, 02:33:25 PM »

Oh dear Frybabe, hope you are feeling better now.

My doctor neighbour was told by the local hospital not to turn up to do her usual clinic - so many people there (staff and patients) had novovirus that they were only sending in one GP until it was over - I wonder if s/he got danger money?

Best wishes

Rosemary

straudetwo · « **Reply #1494 on:** February 03, 2011, 06:04:51 PM »

Frybabe,

Just cam on line -- so sorry to hear. I hope it's all over now. In this calamitous winter we seem to develop all kinds of ailments. All good wishes.

We have been digging out from masses of snow, sadly a temporary condition because more snow is on its way.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1495 on:** February 03, 2011, 06:58:39 PM »

Thanks, all. It was only a 24 hr. thing, but it was nasty.

deems 2 · « **Reply #1496 on:** February 03, 2011, 07:06:51 PM »

Glad to hear that you are feeling better, Frybabe. I had a similar virus two weeks back and it wasn't fun.

Well done, Gumtree!

roshanarose · « **Reply #1497 on:** February 03, 2011, 07:46:52 PM »

Onya Gum!

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1498 on:** February 04, 2011, 02:39:48 AM »

Straude, that is just how I felt in December - in the end I stopped bothering, got so fed up with digging and then having to do it again, so just did a narrow path for the poor postman. But I have the advantage of not having to drive anywhere - when we lived in St John's it never seemed to end, and our driveway was very long!

Take care

Rosemary

Gumtree · « **Reply #1499 on:** February 04, 2011, 09:19:01 AM »

Quote

Gumtree, you are just too cool!

Hardly that Frybabe - not in this sweltering heat.

It was the 'only novel' that gave it to me. There aren't so many one hit wonders - at least not many who are widely known - I just tried dredging them up out of what used to be a mind...Wilde, Emily Bronte, Harper Lee, Marg Mitchell, Pasternak, et al until I remembered Anna Sewell. Piece of cake.

Gumtree · « **Reply #1500 on:** February 04, 2011, 09:22:49 AM »

New Quiz:

Author: Well known and influential writer - wrote several novels.

Book: This is a biographical novel.

Character: My closest companion and I are devoted to one another.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1501 on:** February 04, 2011, 10:58:48 AM »

John Steinbeck - Travels With Charley?

Gumtree · « **Reply #1502 on:** February 04, 2011, 11:02:15 AM »

Good try, Rosemary but alas, incorrect,

if at first you don't succeed ....

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1503 on:** February 04, 2011, 01:48:45 PM »

Gertrude Stein - The Autobiography of Alice B Toklas?

I'm still trying!

Gumtree · « **Reply #1504 on:** February 05, 2011, 11:04:46 AM »

Another good guess - but you'll just have to try again Rosemary.

Another set of clues:

Author: 1. Well known and influential writer - wrote several novels.
2. My novels were highly experimental and focussed on a narrow world.

Book: 1.This is a biographical novel.
2. Ranges across such topics as the environment, feminism, class conflict.

Character: 1. My closest companion and I are devoted to one another.
2. I was born in the country, lived in the city until finally moving to live abroad.

Extra clue: This biog-novel may not be as well known as some of my fiction.

PatH · « **Reply #1505 on:** February 05, 2011, 11:44:50 AM »

This is very tantalizing.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1506 on:** February 05, 2011, 02:33:20 PM »

Iris Murdoch?

straudetwo · « **Reply #1507 on:** February 05, 2011, 05:20:41 PM »

Gumtree, your clues are masterful, as always. But the mists have yet to clear for me.

PatH · « **Reply #1508 on:** February 05, 2011, 06:50:49 PM »

Gumtree is a master of giving clues that tell you a lot in such a way that you don't realizw what you're seeing.

pedln · « **Reply #1509 on:** February 05, 2011, 07:25:45 PM »

This looks like a really fun game. I love your Author, Book and Character clues, Gumtree.

Gumtree · « **Reply #1510 on:** February 06, 2011, 03:57:51 AM »

- spare my blushes ladies... I always think my clues are way too obvious for such talented and well read contestants...

It's not Iris Murdoch but I can see you're trying.

Author: 1. Well known and influential writer - wrote several novels.
2. My novels were highly experimental and focussed on a narrow world.
3. My marriage was good and lasting but I had affairs as well.

Book: 1.This is a biographical novel.
2. Ranges across such topics as the environment, feminism, class conflict.
3. Focussed on the lives of well known literary figures as seen from an unusual perspective.

Character: 1. My closest companion and I are devoted to one another.
2. I was born in the country, lived in the city until finally moving to live abroad.
3. Whilst living in the city I was kidnapped but my dear companion paid the ransom to rescue me.

Extra clues: 1. This biog-novel may not be as well known as some of my fiction.
2. In his day, the author's father was a well known biographer, historian, critic and mountaineer. His work is well regarded today.

Tantalizing huh? Goody!

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1511 on:** February 06, 2011, 12:46:50 PM »

Virginia Woolf - Orlando?

Gumtree · « **Reply #1512 on:** February 07, 2011, 11:04:13 AM »

Hurray! Rosemary got the author

But the book is not Orlando .... think again

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1513 on:** February 07, 2011, 02:01:48 PM »

Flush?

Gumtree · « **Reply #1514 on:** February 08, 2011, 05:38:11 AM »

YIPPEE !! NOW ROSEMARY'S GOT THE BOOK AS WELL

If anyone hasn't read Flush it's about Elizabeth Barrett & Robert Browning seen through the eyes of Elizabeth's cocker spaniel named Flush. Poor Flush was actually kidnapped and rescued several times. Both he and Elizabeth took on a new lease of life once they settled in Italy.
Woolf based her story on Eliz Barrett Browning's poems, letters and diaries.
One odd thing is that this book has rarely been reprinted.

I don't think I need say anything more about Virginia W.

Now, over to Rosemary for the next brain teaser...

roshanarose · « **Reply #1515 on:** February 08, 2011, 08:36:30 AM »

Rosemary - You are such a clever bean

deems 2 · « **Reply #1516 on:** February 08, 2011, 10:20:39 PM »

Great job, Rosemary.

My JR terriers think that a story told by a four-legged soul is probably a very fine story indeed.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1517 on:** February 09, 2011, 02:15:41 AM »

Thanks Roshanarose and Deems, and thank you to Gumtree for a great quiz.

I am thinking as I pack, and will be back to you asap. I have got a new Apple Mac - at last! - the man in John Lewis was v helpful and thought this would be better than an i-pad for what I need. They don't get commission so I trusted him. So far it's great, so easy to use and so fast compared to our clunky old computer. One disadvantage - the clock on it is all too easy to see, so I had better get out of bed right now!

R

pedln · « **Reply #1518 on:** February 09, 2011, 03:13:27 PM »

So, Rosemary, do you have a lapdesk for your new computer when you're working in bed?

JoanK · « **Reply #1519 on:** February 09, 2011, 04:59:43 PM »

I was thinking of Flush, but, stupid me, thought it was written by Elizabeth Barrett browning. Is it a "should read" book?

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Author Topic: Author! Author! (Read 360778 times)