Words are about to fail me. Watch: The writer Avram Davidson (1923-1993) was one of the most inventive writers of all time. See? That sentence stinks, because it really doesn’t convey just what an incredible stylist and prose master the man was. He’s probably best known for writing short stories in the realms of science fiction and fantasy, mostly for magazines that modern readers would call the pulps. But he also wrote mystery fiction and novels.

I’m honored this month to be a guest on a podcast devoted to his work, The Avram Davidson Universe. You can check out that episode right here…

Back in 2021, a lovely company here in town crafted a special tea linked to my wife’s book, We Gather Together. The tea is back as a limited edition this fall. If you never got a chance to try it, you ought to jump on the opportunity now. I have no idea how much tea is available, or how long this short run will last.

On the surface, the book is the surprising story of Sarah Josepha Hale, a woman magazine editor who lobbied several presidents before Lincoln finally acceded to her request to make Turkey Day a national holiday. But the deeper story is one of gratitude, and gives Americans a blueprint for a more inclusive Thanksgiving, sans the mythical, problematic Pilgrim-Wampanoag encounter of 1621.

The earliest celebrations of Thanksgiving in New England were distinctly regional affairs. This tea has a South Appalachian ingredient, yaupon, that has a fascinating history in its own right…

My wife, Denise Kiernan, did a somewhat last-minute interview this AM with Eastern Panhandle Talk, the morning talk radio and TV show for WRNR in Martinsburg, WV. It was a full 30-minute chat, mostly on the topic of We Gather Together, her 2020 book about the creation of the Thanksgiving holiday through the efforts of a crusading magazine editor named Sarah Josepha Hale.

This is the second time she’s appeared on this program. The last time was back in…

If you’re thinking of getting any of my books for the holidays, it couldn’t be easier. I’ve got you covered, even for autographed books!

Three books events in the bag, more to go! My wife, Denise Kiernan, hits the road this week for another book event to promote her trio of titles about the creation of the Thanksgiving holiday. This time, her conversation partner in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, tomorrow, will be none other than yours truly. Yes, I know you’re excited. But do try to keep your cool. The interview portion will be brief. It’s billed as a family event, which means that after we talk, she’ll be showing some folks and their kids how to construct a gratitude wreath. Should be a fun event. The dates and times are all listed below…

My wife, Denise Kiernan, has an article in today’s Washington Post. It’s a review of a most excellent book about women who served in the CIA, from its WWII beginnings as the OSS to modern times. Denise really enjoyed the book, and it was a fun review to write. The text appeared online Friday, but you’ll find it in the print edition of the Sunday paper, in a story entitled:

The daring housewives and coffee fetchers behind America’s spy agency

I’ve got a post running today over at SleuthSayers on the topic of indigenous mysteries for kids. November is the start of Native American Heritage Month in the United States, and I’ve wanted to talk about some of the books I picked up when we visited Cherokee, North Carolina, back in summer. The three I’m recommending today…

I resolved to post on a regular basis, and I have done well since July or so. But the last two weeks have thrown me for a loop. Denise had three book events in town alone, then we were on the road for a few days for a combo book tour/research trip, then…sadly, the death of one of my old college friends necessitated a trip north for a funeral. Those are never fun, but in this case it was important to me to do so…

My wife, Denise Kiernan, hits the road tomorrow for what will be the first of a couple of trips to promote her trio of books about the creation of the Thanksgiving holiday. As I’ve said before, these three books—one read for three different ages, kids, little kids, and adults—are NOT the story of Pilgrims and Native Americans. It’s a way better story than that. It touches on the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, and the crusading woman editor who lobbied for a national day of gratitude…

Some years ago I told the story on this blog about the time I wrote a series of columns for the New York Times, and received as payment not money but—wait for it—pie.

No, I’m not kidding.

I’m not talking about pie in some metaphorical sense, if that were even possible. Nor am I referring to the mathematical pi.

I’m talking baked goods. A delicious pastry crust packed with fruit or savory gourds, or what-have-you.

A literal fucking pie…