Author Topic: Author! Author! (Read 360530 times)

JoanK · « **Reply #200 on:** June 22, 2009, 02:01:26 PM »

This is a littrle conveluted. Sorry, I didn't realize it would be so hard.

The movie is an adaptation of a DIFFERENT BOOK that has the name of the character in the title. It was Peck's best known movie.

Final hint: No one said that the character had to be a person.

Now what is the book that everyone owns, doesn't read but looks at the pictures, is specific to certain geographical areas, and has characters that aren't human?

Mippy · « **Reply #201 on:** June 22, 2009, 02:08:25 PM »

Wow! the "characters" are BIRDS !

Guide to the Birds of North America, different editions for West and East
by Peterson

To Kill a Mockingbird starred Gregory Peck

JoanK · « **Reply #202 on:** June 22, 2009, 02:51:46 PM »

MIPPY: YOU GOT IT!!! HOORAH, HOORAH!!

Literally "Field guide to Eastern Birds" by Roger Tory Peterson: the character a mockingbird.

Before Peterson, people thought that the only way to study birds was to shoot them. But Peterson was a plane-spotter in WWII. He thought that if he could identify birds by their silhouettes, he could identify birds as well.

He developed a whole system of identifying and studying birds in the wild. While he claimed to be able to identify any bird by silhouette alone, most of us mortals depend on his field marks and behavioral clues. His field guide enabled studying birds to be part of the movement that was happening at the time: to study nature without disturbing it.

His field guide was followed by many others. Now tens of thousands of people all over the world studdy birds, adding to knowledge, and to their own pleasure. While I've never quite forgiven Peterson for the fact that his early guides showed the females hiding behind the males and peering out, I have to salute him.

Mippy · « **Reply #203 on:** June 22, 2009, 04:59:57 PM »

Thanks, JoanK !

May I please wait until tomorrow morning to put up my new author?
I've just chosen a tendative one, but want to re-read this evening to be sure.

BTW, I'm an avid birder, but like to watch behavior of birds, not merely to count species.
I probably have more than 4 copies of the Peterson, as I wanted updated editions over perhaps 50 years of keeping bird lists.

Frybabe · « **Reply #204 on:** June 22, 2009, 05:03:57 PM »

Hurray Mippy! Congratulations!!!!

I have the field guide. I prefer his illustrations to the photos in the Audubon bird guide. Haven't compared it to the Sibley's guide.

JoanK · « **Reply #205 on:** June 22, 2009, 06:52:13 PM »

MIPPY: I remember from the old birdwatching discussion that you fed birds. I agree with you about watching them, not merely ticking them off a list.

FRYBABE: I agree with you on that, too. Interesting that a drawing can often show more than a photograph.

GUMTREE: I'll bet you have a similiar guide, but perhaps not by Peterson. Do you know if mockingbirds are found in Australia? If not, I'll bet you have other "mimic thrushes" -- birds that sing like thrushes, but aren't, and imitate other birds.

Mockingbirds are such great mimics! Once, I was playing a piece by Mozart over and over by an open window, and my resident mockingbird started to whistle it perfectly.

Frybabe · « **Reply #206 on:** June 22, 2009, 07:00:53 PM »

Mockingbirds are CRAZY! I adore them.

We had one around for several years that would sit on our balcony and make a commotion until I let my Sammy Katz out to play with it. You know the old broken wing gambit? However, when Sammy's daddy showed up that same bird would dive bomb him mercilessly. The other thing this nut case of a bird liked to do was to sit atop my neighbor's chimney and holler down it. They had a time of it trying to figure out what was making the racket. I still miss that bird.

PatH · « **Reply #207 on:** June 22, 2009, 08:29:02 PM »

Once a friend of mine had one of those garage doors that went up and down in response to a tune played by her remote. The local mockingbird learned the tune, and started amusing itself by raising and lowering the door.

Gumtree · « **Reply #208 on:** June 23, 2009, 01:43:19 AM »

Well, I could just spit ! The first Peck movie to float into my mind was Mockingbird -but (a big BUT) I didn't know about the bird book and I didn't tumble to the character not being human - very clever of you JoanK.

Of course Australia has THE BEST of the bird mimics..The Superb Lyrebird - it's only found on the east side of the continent and is very elusive. It's been known to mimic a human so well that it has lured hikers lost in the bush - another version of the Siren's Song ?

For more about the lyrebird:

http://www.shamozzle.com/TheSuperbLyrebird.html

Mippy · « **Reply #209 on:** June 23, 2009, 06:04:37 AM »

What a lovely discussion of mockingbirds! Thanks, Gumtree, for the Lyrebird link ! Birds certainly bring joy to our lives!

I'm working on an author, and will put up the new game shortly.

Mippy · « **Reply #210 on:** June 23, 2009, 09:10:58 AM »

First Hints
I am the author of over a dozen novels. My last name is the same as a distant
relative who wrote even a greater number of novels.

I am one of the main characters in this novel. While the adults around me plunge into their own mishaps, my life becomes complicated as I try to find my way through adolescence.

Gumtree · « **Reply #211 on:** June 23, 2009, 12:23:16 PM »

The Trollopes come to mind - Anthony and Frances - but you'd hardly call mother and son 'distant relatives'

JoanK · « **Reply #212 on:** June 23, 2009, 03:35:50 PM »

GUMTREE: that was AMAZING!

JudeS · « **Reply #213 on:** June 23, 2009, 05:20:27 PM »

What comes to mind are L.Frank Baum (The Wizard of Oz) and Vicki Baum (The Grand Hotel).
However I don't know if they are related .
Dorothy would be the adolescent in The Wizard of Oz.

JoanK · « **Reply #214 on:** June 23, 2009, 09:00:26 PM »

WOW! I hacven't a clue!

PatH · « **Reply #215 on:** June 23, 2009, 09:02:21 PM »

Me either!

Mippy · « **Reply #216 on:** June 24, 2009, 05:56:17 AM »

Gumtree ~ you are amazing, as you did get the elder Trollope when you posted:

The Trollopes come to mind - Anthony ... and ...

and the relative ... anyone?

Day 2 Hint: The author is a British woman, who is more or less our (my) age and who also has published many historical novels under a nom d' plume.

Obviously the name of the character will be revealed later today.
Everyone agrees that Gumtree ought to do the next puzzle, right? Thanks for letting me have a turn, everyone!

Gumtree · « **Reply #217 on:** June 24, 2009, 10:23:08 AM »

You're kidding me!

It must be Joanna Trollope - haven't got a clue as to the character.

Mippy · « **Reply #218 on:** June 24, 2009, 10:32:08 AM »

Gumtree, the Winner! yes, it's Joanna Trollope

She was born in 1943 and lives in Britain; she has written about a dozen novels, and almost that many historical novels as Carolyn Harvey.

Her distant, famous relative is Anthony Trollope, whose novel count was about 55, not including short stories, plays, and travel books. I especially like his Autobiography.

Let's just reveal the book and get on with the game:
The Best of Friends: the young protagonist is named Sophie.

I'd call it beach reading, and was intending to get in the mood for summer, which has hardly arrived here at Cape Cod, where it's been record-breaking cool and rainy all month.

Gumtree · « **Reply #219 on:** June 25, 2009, 10:28:50 AM »

Oh well, hereI go again....this one is very easy

AUTHOR Though I was born into the upper-class my father was not financially well-to-do. He was a literary man and a political activist - he died young and I was raised by my maternal uncle. I was drawn to the sea and spent several years as a sailor but writing was my forte.

CHARACTER: I appear in several of my author's novels and I may be my author's alter ego . I have important roles chief of which is as narrator. This book is a literary classic.

Frybabe · « **Reply #220 on:** June 25, 2009, 10:46:33 AM »

Well, Gumtree, this doesn't fit my first thought which was Henry Dana who wrote Two Years Before the Mast. He did write several other travel journals, but his main occupation became lawyer, specializing in marine law.

Next has to be Herman Melville. I only read his Moby Dick and that was so long ago, I really can't remember the narrator's name. Since I never read any other of his works, I can't tell if any of his characters were reoccurring.

PatH · « **Reply #221 on:** June 25, 2009, 12:55:50 PM »

I vote for Joseph Conrad. The character would be Marlow, and the book is probably "Heart of Darkness", though Marlow appears in more than one book.

Mippy · « **Reply #222 on:** June 25, 2009, 05:16:47 PM »

No idea on this one.

JudeS · « **Reply #223 on:** June 25, 2009, 07:23:22 PM »

PatH
You beat me to it. It is Conrad and Marlow I'm almost certain having just read his book and biographical preface just recently.

PatH · « **Reply #224 on:** June 25, 2009, 07:35:49 PM »

Yes, Jude, I'm sure we're right. I just reread "Heart of Darkness" for a f2f course on Edwardian Literature, and everything fits. If we are right, and you would like the honor of the next quiz, I will gladly cede it to you, though I have thought of something.

This is about the only contest I know where you get punished for winning.

PatH · « **Reply #225 on:** June 25, 2009, 07:50:21 PM »

Everyone is super impressed with "Heart of Darkness". I've read it several times over a span of many years, and for me it's a partial failure. I think I see exactly what he's trying to do, but for me, he doesn't pull it off--somehow doesn't make me feel the horror. I wondered what the expert lit teachers running the course would do with it, and they took me farther, but I'm still not quite there.

I like Conrad in general, though. My favorite is a light short story, "Youth" in which the narrator is sailing halfway around the world with an insane captain who won't admit that the cargo of coal is smoldering and about to burn up the ship. It's very funny.

Gumtree · « **Reply #226 on:** June 25, 2009, 10:57:19 PM »

Conrad it is ! -

PatH and JudeS are the WINNERS !

I'll let you decide which one of you takes the punishment

I love the Conrad biog story- earned his ticket as master mariner, wrote superb English though it was about his fourth language after Polish, Russian and French - such a fastidious, dapper man - married his secretary (good typist

) - he was always short of money but lived to the hilt - and then there's that bust by Epstein.

Heart of Darkness will always be something of an enigma to me - I think it's meant to be. It's the enigma of it that draws me back periodically to re-read it.

Mippy · « **Reply #227 on:** June 26, 2009, 07:02:49 AM »

Impressive, PatH and Jude ! I probably read Heart of Darkness in freshman year almost a lifetime ago, and had zero recall, as usual.

Very funny about being punished for winning! How did you know that's how I felt?

PatH · « **Reply #228 on:** June 26, 2009, 09:27:33 AM »

Quote from: Mippy on June 26, 2009, 07:02:49 AM

Very funny about being punished for winning! How did you know that's how I felt?

Because I feel that way too.

Don't forget, everyone, you can always put in a quiz even if you haven't won.

PatH · « **Reply #229 on:** June 26, 2009, 09:31:06 AM »

New Quiz:

Author: I first won renown in a rather obscure field, and my books didn't become popular until late in my life.

Character: In my journey, I followed the footsteps of a relative, though my purpose was more serious.

JudeS · « **Reply #230 on:** June 26, 2009, 01:40:58 PM »

PatH
Thanks for taking the honors and responsibility. I will be away for the next two weeks -and unless I somehow get access to a computer I will be returning to the site on July 13th.

Good guessing to all!

Gumtree · « **Reply #231 on:** June 27, 2009, 02:09:08 AM »

Well - you've got me foxed Pat...

Is the author someone from the scientific fields ?

Mippy · « **Reply #232 on:** June 27, 2009, 05:52:52 AM »

This is a rather wild guess:
Colleen Mccullough, an author, was a scientist for years before she started publishing her novels.

As for a character: Julius Caesar followed his distant relatives to lead the Senate. However, as in star trek, he led where others had not gone before ... and I doubt if this is correct.

Looking forward to another clue, Pat !

PatH · « **Reply #233 on:** June 27, 2009, 09:24:36 AM »

Pretty ingenious, Mippy, but not right. The author is not a scientist, and is someone I'm pretty sure you've both heard of. I'll post new clues after breakfast.

PatH · « **Reply #234 on:** June 27, 2009, 10:22:21 AM »

Author: I was born in South Africa, but left at an early age.

Character: I had a wide variety of friends to help me on my way.

JoanK · « **Reply #235 on:** June 27, 2009, 02:57:22 PM »

We'll miss you, JudeS. Have a great time and hurry back.

PatH · « **Reply #236 on:** June 27, 2009, 09:17:01 PM »

Author: My books quickly became popular, and still sell very well. Several very successful movies were made from them.

Character: I succeeded in part by being so inconspicuous my enemies paid little attention to me.

Gumtree · « **Reply #237 on:** June 28, 2009, 12:10:13 AM »

Are we talking about J. R. R. Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings

PatH · « **Reply #238 on:** June 28, 2009, 03:40:23 AM »

YES!

The character should be easy now.

Frybabe · « **Reply #239 on:** June 28, 2009, 09:12:58 AM »

Who do you want Bilbo Baggins or Frodo?

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Author Topic: Author! Author! (Read 360530 times)