Iain Nicholas Mackenzie « Sleeping Hedgehog

Rudyard Kipling’s Fatherly Advice on Visiting London

By Iain Nicholas Mackenzie, on May 14th, 2012

On June 9th of 1908, as his youngest daughter, twelve-year-old Elsie, prepared for a visit to London, author Rudyard Kipling wrote her a letter in which the following list of rules for Life in London was included.

Dear Bird,

I send you a few simple rules for Life in London.

Wash early and often with soap . . . → Read More: Rudyard Kipling’s Fatherly Advice on Visiting London

Literary Affairs

Roger Zelazny’s A Night in Lonesome October

By Iain Nicholas Mackenzie, on May 12th, 2012

Looking for an offbeat mystery to read complete with memorable characters and a truly gothic feel to it? So imagine a novel that spans the month leading up to All Hallows Eve when either an ancient tentecled horror will be loosed up reality or it will remain imprisoned for another year. Now further imagine . . . → Read More: Roger Zelazny’s A Night in Lonesome October

Food & Drink

London Fog (A Culinary Tale)

By Iain Nicholas Mackenzie, on May 10th, 2012

I used to drink my Earl Grey tea with just a splash of cold whole milk in it but colder weather called for something warmer and perhaps a bit more hearty feeling. Asking about for ideas several years back from staff and visitors alike here at the Kinrowan Estate, Reynard not surprisingly had the . . . → Read More: London Fog (A Culinary Tale)

Literary Affairs

Maurice Sendak has Passed On

By Iain Nicholas Mackenzie, on May 8th, 2012

Maurice Sendak, author of Where the Wild Things Are, the classic illustrated children’s work is dead at 83, the New York Times reports in a just released news update. Where the Wild Things Are would later be made into a full-length film.

From the Times’ obituary: Maurice Sendak, widely considered the most important children’s . . . → Read More: Maurice Sendak has Passed On

Commentary

I’m going to tease you just a bit

By Iain Nicholas Mackenzie, on May 5th, 2012

…with a book recommendation I’m going to make as the novel I’ll be talking about won’t be out ’til after the turn of the year.

The Cats of Tanglewood Forest is based on a fairly short tale written by Charles de Lint and illustrated by Charles Vess called A Circle of Cats. This . . . → Read More: I’m going to tease you just a bit

Music of An Eclectic Nature

Beltaine (An Estate Tale)

By Iain Nicholas Mackenzie, on May 1st, 2012

What’s that? A Maypole going up in the courtyard in front of the Green Man Pub? There can be no surer sign that summer’s ‘comin in!’ It looks like the denizens of the pub’s Neverending Session have quickly been lured outside, along with staff members who were tucked away in offices in the most . . . → Read More: Beltaine (An Estate Tale)

Music of An Eclectic Nature

For English Music and Dance Fans

By Iain Nicholas Mackenzie, on April 24th, 2012

Reprinted from Green Man Review.

If you are interested in English folk music and dance and I assume that many of you stopping by here are as it is the roots of modern English folk rock in so, so many ways, there is the perfect website: Martin Nail’s site which is appropriately named the . . . → Read More: For English Music and Dance Fans

Commentary

James Hetley: Why Charles de Lint is like a Fine Whisky

By Iain Nicholas Mackenzie, on April 20th, 2012

From our special edition on that talented person…

Cat Eldridge has done a dangerous thing, asking me to talk about Charles de Lint. That’s like asking W. C. Fields to discuss his favorite whisky. Tamson House, the Newford stories, all the blendings of myth and magic into our modern world, the art and music . . . → Read More: James Hetley: Why Charles de Lint is like a Fine Whisky

Music of An Eclectic Nature

Lisa Moscatiello on Peter & Wendy

By Iain Nicholas Mackenzie, on April 19th, 2012

We’ve reviewed the recording of Peter & Wendy quite some while ago and Ellen Datlow commented on seeing the play, and here is a take on it by musician Lisa Moscatiello who gives us the perspective of one who was involved in it. This is from an interview we did with her a decade . . . → Read More: Lisa Moscatiello on Peter & Wendy

Commentary

Hard Luck Cafe

By Iain Nicholas Mackenzie, on April 11th, 2012

A passage from one of my favourite fantastic novels, Emma Bull’s Finder: A Novel of Bordertown. Will Shetterly, author of Elsewhere and Nevernever which are now available amazingly cheap on iBooks, tells us that it should be also available via iBooks within the next fortnight.

(If you’re unfamiliar with the Shetterly novels, let our . . . → Read More: Hard Luck Cafe

Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

I am the current Librarian for Kinrowan Limited, publisher of Green Man Review and Sleeping Hedgehog, not to mention Folk Tales, Mostly Folk, and Roots & Branches.

I'm a member of the Scottish Nationalist Party and am looking forward to voting for a free and sovereign Scotland in the upcoming referendum.

I like traditional English mysteries such as those penned by Agatha Christie, Jo Walton, and Dorothy Sayers, smoked teas freshly brewed, Indian take-away, single malts, a good Stout as well, and my musical tastes lean strongly to the Classical and Celtic genres.

I am the person who is chiefly responsible for mining the Archives for the older material we reprint here. Please note that reviewers not active with us at the present time rather obviously have no posting privs here and therefore I am listed as the author. See the top of such reviews for who actually wrote these reviews.

A metafictional postscript—all actual living beings referred to in the Sleeping Hedgehog grand narrative have agreed to be there. Really. Truly. Confused? Just sit back and enjoy our stories within stories. And do keep in mind that opinions expressed in the meta-narrative do not necessarily reflect the views of Kinrowan Limited. They might, they might not.

Any resemblance in Continuity to persons, places, or times of anyone or anywhere living or dead, is purely coincidental unless otherwise noted. Those who know differently are unlikely to admit their involvement.

Sleeping Hedgehog

Rudyard Kipling’s Fatherly Advice on Visiting London

Roger Zelazny’s A Night in Lonesome October

London Fog (A Culinary Tale)

Maurice Sendak has Passed On

I’m going to tease you just a bit

Beltaine (An Estate Tale)

For English Music and Dance Fans

James Hetley: Why Charles de Lint is like a Fine Whisky

Lisa Moscatiello on Peter & Wendy

Hard Luck Cafe

About the author

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A Note Regarding Meta-Narrative

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