Upcoming Events & Archaeological Cats and Dogs

From My Fantasy Writing Desk

Calendar of Author Events February-April 2020

I hope you’ll join me for one or more of these events:

Feb 21-22 Desert Nights, Rising Stars Conference, Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing 

“Making the Fantastical Real with Judith Starkston” Saturday, 2/22, 4:15 pm. For my conference session, I delved into the masterful models provided by Tolkien, Le Guin, Jemisin and Martin—great fun. Here for conference website. And here for my session.

March 12-15 Left Coast Crime

One of the premier mystery author/reader conferences, this year in San Diego

This conference is all about readers interacting with their favorite authors. In that spirit, I’m participating in a range of activities, including a panel on Sat. 10:15, “Historical mysteries: Prehistoric to Renaissance,” with four excellent writers, Priscilla Royal, Kaye George, Susanna Calkins and Mary Lawrence. I’m pairing up with author Karen Odden for two activities. First, in a wild morning of talking with a lot of readers, we are participating in what is dubbed “author speed-dating.” Also, we are hosting a table at the banquet for more extended conversation and, as party favors, we are offering samples of our wares, both literary and baking, I suspect, knowing us. You’ll love Karen’s dazzling and enthralling Victorian mysteries. I also volunteered for a reading and a structured “author-reader” connection event, but my favorite part is always the casual meetings with readers that spring up during the conference, as well as catching up with many author friends from around the country. Here for conference website.

March 23, 6-7:30 pm, Write Here, Write Now Workshop, “Writing from Another Time and Place,” Changing Hands Bookstore Phoenix

A hands-on workshop, using historical primary sources, such as letters, for insights to build deep, well-rounded characters and engaging worlds. Info & tickets. 

April 2-16, Thursdays, 5:30-7:30 pm Writing Historical Fiction, Craft class at the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing

3 session deep-dive class, focused on reworking specific aspects of students’ manuscripts. Here to register.

Archaeology I Enjoyed

Feline Mummies

It turns out there were lion mummies also in the recent Egyptian find announced in October. That discovery was the largest coffin find since 1891. From Nature Magazine:

“The unveiling of five ancient feline mummies, including at least two lion cubs, and a host of other artefacts from the Bubasteion necropolis in Saqqara, south of Cairo, has left Egyptologists buzzing. It is only the second time that lion mummies have been found; the first was reported in 2004. The latest announcement, on 23 November, follows last month’s revelation that 30 sealed coffins and their mummified human contents had been discovered at the Assasif necropolis near Luxor, some 500 kilometres south of Saqqara.”

“This is an extremely exciting and important find, as it sheds new light on the relationship between wild and dangerous animals and the ancient Egyptians,” says Salima Ikram, an archaeologist at the American University in Cairo who is working with the Egyptian government to identify the discoveries. “It is possible that this hints at areas where lions were kept within Egypt, which we have seen [depicted] in images,” she says, adding that mummified lions of this age are very rare. Click here for Nature Magazine, “Rare mummified lions add to Egyptology buzz”

Good Old Dogs

Dogs will be dogs—apparently as far back as the Pre-Pottery Neolithic, spanning 11,600 to 10,600 years ago. Archaeologists studying the Shubayqa sites in Jordan found evidence that these early domesticated dogs raided the garbage and chased rabbits and birds.

Such behaviors were actually doggy virtues that made them good companions to these hunter people. The dogs helped by catching swift, small prey and by being “cheap” to feed. Snuggles and emotional support don’t leave evidence, but even these scientists suggest “source of comfort” probably played into this relationship. Nothing like a warm pup at your side. Click here for Ancient Near East Today, “Our Early Neolithic Canine Companions”