Me and My Big Mouth

A few years ago, historian Lucy Worsley gave a talk at the Richmond Theatre, which I had the great good fortune to attend. Early in the program, she spoke of herself as a shy person, but a show-off. This apparently explains her ability to stand on a stage all by herself and give an entertaining talk about her latest book (at the time it was Jane Austen at Home: A Biography). On my list of Favorite Things To Do, this kind of solo holding forth before an audience is somewhere near the bottom.

Still, I do have some show-off in me.

Like so many writers—and readers—I’m an introvert. Otherwise, we might be performing instead of glaring at a screen for hours at a time. But when it comes to talking about writing or research, the shyness and introversion tends to subside. Ask me questions about these topics, and I will answer with wanton abandon. (IOW, just try to shut me up.)

And so I do interviews, Zoom chats, podcasts, as long as they are Q&A in some form. The give and take can be fun. Definitely stimulating. Because one often has no idea what to expect. Oh, yes, there are some standard questions, but interviewers and/or their audience do at times ask questions that make me think hard, and I kind of love that. But the easy ones are also fun, allowing me to share excitement or amusement about this or that topic. At unnecessary length.

I’ve done a couple of these performances recently, and they are now online for your viewing/listening entertainment. That is, I hope you’ll be entertained.

Many of you may remember the Two Nerdy History Girls blog. Though Susan Holloway Scott and I retired from posting a few years ago, the blog remains and still draws readers. And so Meena Jain, of the Ashland Public Library, kindly invited us for a return engagement via Zoom. You can watch The Two Nerdy History Girls Ride Again! on YouTube.

Back in the fall, Hosts Bridget and Shani of the Romance at a Glance Podcast posed some challenging questions. The podcast recently went live, and you can listen to it here.

I retire now to my writer’s cave, until the next time somebody wants to ask a lot of questions.

Two Nerdy History Girls Return Engagement

Some of you may remember the Two Nerdy History Girls blog, which ran from 2009 through 2018. The blog is still up and available. However, author Susan Holloway Scott and I stopped posting in December 2018. This means, among other things, we can’t promise all links will work.

However, ending the blog didn’t end our mutual enthusiasm about history, primarily social history, and—let’s be honest here—fashion. We still share finds and talk about them. Susan regularly sends me all kinds of visual inspiration as well as amusing and intriguing discoveries. There’s a good deal of “Did you ever see this before?” “Did you know this?” In other words, privately, we’ve continued as friends and history nerds.

Publicly, the duo returns at the Ashland Public Library. Since this will happen via Zoom, you don’t need a mask or travel arrangements. You can enjoy a snack and a tasty beverage in the privacy of your own preferred space.

I hope you’ll join us and our terrific host, Meena Jain, for non-stop historically nerdy excitement.

13 January 2022 from 7-8 PM

You can find out more about it here.

You can register here (or via the link above).

Questions? You can contact the Ashland Public Library here.

Sponsored by Friends of the Ashland Public Library and in partnership with the Medway Public Library

Virtual Q&A & Book Sale & Signing 14 April

One thing I’ve deeply missed during the year of self-quarantine is the opportunity to get out and talk to readers. That, however, has not stopped me from talking, usually in a small rectangular box on a screen. On the plus side, these virtual events have offered opportunities for us to get together from the comfort of our homes or favorite hangouts.

Coming up is a virtual Q&A at the Cary Memorial Library.

When: Wednesday 14 April at 7PM

How: You can register via this link.

Or, if for any reason the link disobeys you or sulks or otherwise refuses to cooperate, you can click on this link, which will take you the the Cary Memorial Library Calendar, and follow these steps:

  1. Click on the program

  2. Click on Sign Up

  3. Fill in the info

  4. Click Submit

  5. Look for the email in your inbox or spam folder

You’ll receive an email confirmation with the program link, as well as reminder notices.

The program will be livestreamed via Facebook and recorded and uploaded to the library’s YouTube channel.

Signs of spring

Signs of spring

There’s also an opportunity to buy my books, with signed bookplates (while they last) via Bank Square Books, by clicking on this link.

Questions? Please contact the Cary Memorial Library at caryprograms@minilib.net.

I hope you’ll join us. It’ll be fun.