Cowboy Fest 2011

Yee-haw! Another ripsnorting weekend at the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival!

Even before the weekend started we took a Tour of Santa Clarita Valley film studios and sights on Thursday 28 April and on Friday evening we attended the Melody Ranch Movie Night, a fun open-air dinner on main street of a western town, followed by a screening of the film "Stagecoach".

My highlights of the weekend proper were the Behind the Scenes Tour of Melody Ranch. We found out where Al Swearengen drank his coffee, where Wu kept his pigs and lots of other fascinating facts about the history of the site.

A new event sponsored by Buckaroo Book Shop (AKA OutWest) were some literary panels. I especially loved the discussion of True Grit, comparing the two films to the book. It was chaired by C. Courtney Joyner who told us things I never knew, e.g. that Charles Portis himself wrote the alternate ending for the John Wayne version of the film!

I was there with my husband Richard and sister Jennifer. We heard some of our favorite musicans, like the Brass Band of California who are always lively, funny and accurate. (I got some tips about 1860s Music Hall traditions.) We also managed to catch Wylie and the Wild West and the Hot Club of Cowtown. I missed Sourdough Slim and his saw-playing sidekick, but Richard and Jennifer loved them.

It was great to meet re-enactors like the Buffalo Soldiers and Ann Dinsdale, (above), who was spinning and weaving on the porch next to Sheriff Bullock's house.

The merchandise was another highlight, too. I was tempted by a coyote pelt, but ended up buying a beautiful carpetbag from Jerry Tarantino. I can use it to carry my spittoon to school events and literary festivals when I promote my Western Mysteries in costume.

Food'n'drink were great, too. There's nothing like drinking coffee from a tin mug and eating peach cobbler while listening to Don Edwards over on the Main Stage.

It was great to meet some old friends and also to make new ones. I've never been anywhere as friendly and fun as the Cowboy Festival. Here Here are some pictures to give you an idea of the fun we had! Yee-haw!

Punk cowboys were in evidence!

John Hustead lassoes us!

Wild Bill Hickock got himself a Lady friend!

Scrimshaw Rick shoots, skins and makes his clothes himself!

Some people were totally authentic!

But everybody had a great time. Can't wait till 2012... Yee-haw!

Melody Ranch Movie Night 2011

Last year (2010) my faithful sidekick Richard and I had a great time at the Melody Ranch Movie Night. It's part of the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival my husband and I are attending. This is the one weekend a year you can tread the streets of Gunsmoke and HBO's Deadwood. As we're back at the festival we signed up for this year's movie night, Friday 29 April 2011. Once again, we had a great time.

Last year we got rides to and from the shuttle pick-up point thanks to the kindness of strangers. This year, too. Show cowboy John Hustead gave us a ride there in his pickup truck and Agua Dulce residents Paul and Carrie Riley gave us a lift back. Thanks, kind strangers who are now friends!

Last year we got a thrill arriving on the streets of "Deadwood" at sunset. Same thrill this year.

Last year we met some great Western movie fans. Some in costume, some not. Among them was western reporter Mark Bedor who told us to go to White Stallion Dude Ranch in Arizona. This year we were able to tell him we had followed his advice!

Last year I bought a fancy fringed buckskin jacket made by Tribe. This year I wore it and got lots of compliments. That jacket is a great ice-breaker.

Last year we ate some delicious food: salads, fried chicken, roast pork & beans, plus coffee in a souvenir mug. Same this year: the food was excellent.

Last year we watched "High Noon" after a fascinating introduction to the film. This year we saw "Stagecoach" after hearing an original ode to John Wayne, composed and recited by Larry Maurice.

Last year we enjoyed the comments, applause and laughter of a lively crowd. Same this year. Especially some of the comments offered up.

2011's Melody Ranch Movie Night was a great night out. Just like last year. Only one small fly in the ointment: it got durned chilly sitting out there on the Main Street of Deadwood. But you pays your money and you takes your chances. Next time I'll bring something to keep me warm. Now what was the cowboy version of a hot water bottle? 

Santa Clarita Films

This year the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival offered a new event - the SCV (Santa Clarita Valley) Film Tour.

Santa Clarita Valley, on the outskirts of LA, is like Hollywood's back yard. It has been used for films since the beginning of the film industry in Southern California. Some have even dubbed this area "Newhall-ywood". (Newhall is one of the several towns that make up the city of Santa Clarita.) The 55 of us who had booked the tour met at Heritage Junction, the old Railway station. There we watched a few clips from movies filmed at the station itself (e.g. Frank Sinatra in Suddenly, Charlie Chaplin in The Pilgrim and John Cusack in The Grifters) as well as scenes from the surrounding area. The most popular clip was that of Kirk fighting a Gorn at Vasquez Rocks, from a Classic Star Trek episode, Arena. After the clips, we filed out to the waiting bus, popping our tickets into a spittoon & getting a brown bag snack in return.

Our guide was E.J. Stephens, a knowledgable and enthusiastic lecturer from the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society. We spent an hour at the NCIS set at Valencia Studios then another two hours driving around the hills while E.J. pointed out features of interest.

Here are fifteen fascinating facts I learned from the tour:

1. Apart from Melody Ranch (the venue of the Cowboy Festival) there are dozens of other film ranches and studios dotted around Santa Clarita: Valencia Studios, Blue Cloud Ranch, Sable Ranch, Disney's Golden Oak Ranch, Firestone Ranch, to name a few. Many residents are totally unaware of their existence.

2. NCIS is filmed at Valencia Studios. Set designer Lynn Wolverton Parker generously spent an hour showing us the sets and props, which was fun for fans of the series.

3.The final sequence in the very last silent film was shot on the Sierra Highway: Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard walking into the sunrise in the film Modern Times.

4. The hit TV series Justified is not filmed in Harlan County, Kentucky, but right here at Santa Clarita Studios.

5. The high school in Pleasantville is Valencia High School.

6. James Dean possibly ate his last meal at Tip's Restaurant (now Marie Callender's)

7. Some scenes of Twilight (those meant to be Arizona) were filmed in and around the Hyatt Valencia.

8. The Halfway House Cafe (halfway between L.A. and Palmdale) has appeared in so many films that they have a whole page of film clips and stills on their website.

9. The Birds actress Tippi Hedren has a big cat sanctuary called Shambala in the hills. Sometimes you can catch a glimpse of lions on the metrolink train just before it gets into Palmdale.

10. The famous Vasquez Rocks are named after a bandit who hid out there for a while. He was later hung.

11. The man in the Gorn suit is named Bobby Clarke and still lives in Santa Clarita.

12. There is a gibbon preserve up in the hills near Vasquez Rocks.

13. Steven Spielberg filmed most of his first movie, Duel, on the roads around Santa Clarita Valley. At the end of the film, the demon truck falls over dramatic cliff at Mystery Mesa on Agua Dulce Movie Ranch.

14. Mystery Mesa has also featured in Iron Man, Thor, etc. According to E.J., it was saved from development thanks to the presence of "sea monkeys", an amazing type of brine shrimp that can lie dormant for years until water is added and they revive. If a film-maker ever needs a handy cliff, that's the place to go.

15. Beale's Cut (above) was is a deep cut in a pass made by Phineas Banning in 1854 as part of a road he built to provide service to Fort Tejon. Originally made for real stagecoaches, it appears in the 1939 John Wayne film Stagecoach and many others. Today it is on private property. 

Thanks to E.J., his wife Kimi, Lynn Wolverton Parker, the organizers at the Cowboy Festival and the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society for a great tour!

Richard and Caroline at Valencia Studios

Lesson Plan Ideas

Great lesson plan ideas for reading the Roman Mysteries from half a dozen clever sixth grade students from Lebanon Middle School. This term they were reading Roman Mystery #3, The Pirates of Pompeii, with Mr. Klosowski.

Hi, my name is Catherine... I attend Lebanon Middle school in the small town of Lebanon, Connecticut. I just recently finished your outstanding book, "The Pirates of Pompeii". My reading teacher's name is Mr. K and he has read a little bit of another of your amazing books, "The Thieves of Ostia"... When we were assigned "The Pirates of Pompeii", we were given about six scrolls every Wednesday. On Monday when we came back from school, we would have a test on the reading that was due. These tests included about 2 to 4 questions. The tests would see if we had read over the weekend or not. Mr. K would also give us comprehension questions and vocab questions. I thought the vocab questions were very handy because some words such as brazier confused me on what they meant. We would take a good guess at what the word meant, and when we all finished, Mr. K would give us the real definition for us to fill in on the back. One thing that was due when we were all done was the character chart. It would have the names of each important character and we would have to fill in the following: physical description, personality and skills, and the character's actions. Last but not least, we would have a simile worksheet that had different similies from the story. We would have to illustrate what we thought it meant...
Catherine


Once I started reading it, I wanted to keep going from the assignment that Mr. K gave us. He set a certain amount of pages for us to read, and I found it hard that I had to stop reading at a page filled with so much creativity to put it down and do something else. We had to do certain activities along with the book that I enjoyed a lot. One of them was a vocabulary page where we had to find out the meaning of a word. I found this interesting... Seeing how Jonathan and Flavia used the word, I could really relate to it because it gives me a good visual picture in my head. Some of the words I really use today, and I prefer these words to ones I have kown, but am striding for newer and better ones... Your book was more interesting than a boring textbook... history just came alive!
Giana

The reason why I think everybody likes your book so much is because you added so much suspense and action. I personally think that the book is up there with my top 10 favorite books I've read in my life. And the reason why it is my favorite book is because you added so much action. I'm sure you know that every class assignment comes with either homework to do at night, or a little bit of class work during the day. Our teacher would give us a quiz just to make sure we read that week... On these assignments I do pretty well, but sometimes I have my ups and downs with my reading homework. Most of the time I will get 90s and above... As I was reading your book, I noticed that Jonathan and Lupus have some things in common with me. Jonathan is a good shot with his sling shot. When it comes to throwing things at  animals or trees, I can do the same thing... You know how Lupus is good at diving into the water for things? I can do the same thing here at my house when I'm swimming in my pond...
Colton

The work my class has been doing on this book is comprehension questions, character charts, and simile pages. The comprehension questions are about what happened and why in the last few chapters to better understand the story. Also the character chart includes physical descriptions, actions describing the person and characteristics about the main characters. Another page we do is the simile page, where we take some of the creative similes you included in your story and talk about what they mean. On these pages I have mainly gotten 100% due to your easy to understand book. We have also watched a few of the Roman Mysteries television shows. I thought the characters looked a lot like the characters in the book. It was so interesting to see a chapter book like the Roman Mysteries, which is so vivid, become a television show... In social studies we will soon be learning about ancient Rome. "The Pirates of Pompeii" gave me a lot of background knowledge about that time in Rome. Things like the Roman beliefs, myths, and the way things were with patrons and slaves...Titus was also a character in your story that was a real person in Ancient Rome, a person who my class will be learning about soon.
Julia

I am currently reading the sixth book in the series, The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina. It is very exciting and hard to put down. I also love the way it's elaborately linked to the twelve labors of Hercules. I have not finished reading it yet, but so far my favorite part is when Jonathan and Lupus are hunting an ostrich with Aristo. I could actually imaging the story in my head because there was so much detail. When I am reading it feels like I am watching a movie in my head.
Elijah

I have many questions for you about many things. Are you working on a new book now? Is it related to The Roman Mysteries or is it a totally different book? Was it hard coming up with so many ideas for this book or do they just come to you? Do you spend a lot of time with your family while you are writing a book or do you stay at your desk a lot? Do you do much research for these books and does it take a while to gather it all? Also, what do you use to find the information? Do you get writers block or do you rarely get it? When the teacher assigns a writing assignment, I usually get a good start but then I run out of ideas. Could you give me advice like some way to get it flowing?
Olivia

For some more great letters from another class of Lebanon Middle School sixth graders, go HERE.

Sweetgrass

This is my Western decade, and I'm embracing it in every way I can. That's why my ears pricked up when I heard one of my favourite film podcasters praise a documentary about sheep farming in Montana. Then last week I went to the Renoir Cinema in Bloomsbury to watch Meek's Cutoff and they showed this charming trailer for the film that had piqued my curiosity last year: Sweetgrass.

The scenes in the trailer are the opening scenes of the film and that is what brought me back to the Renoir three days later for a screening of Sweetgrass followed by a Q&A with one of the filmmakers. Lucien Castaing-Taylor is a thoughtful, bearded Englishman now based out of Harvard. He introduces the film by warning us that we are in for two hours of sheep with no talking. In fact the film is well under two hours and there is plenty of dialogue between the two main shepherds. But yes, it is mainly watching sheep from the time of shearing through lambing through taking them up into the mountains for the summer and then bringing them back to a holding pen near the train tracks, so they can be shipped off for slaughter.

One of my favourite scenes can be seen in the trailer. In the farmyard, the shepherd rises up on the horizon and calls his sheep. They slow down, turn, one or two of the most clued-up start towards him. Soon a great, woolly, bleating, adorable mass of them flock after the shepherd. Ah. Bless. They know his voice. Just like Jesus says: "My sheep know my voice." Oh, wait. There's a tractor behind them, urging them in the right direction. Lol.

As they swarm after him, the sheep baa enthusiastically and loudly. There is something wonderful about the sound of sheep. They say "Baaa!" but they say it just like a human. It is comical and endearing.

It's no wonder that in the New Testament, 23.5% of Jesus's parables (my guestimate) have to do with sheep. We identify with them. We like them. They are woolly headed, thick and usually hungry. They like to clump together. But they can be ornery critters and spread out, when the mood takes them. Just like us.

In the Q&A after the film, Lucien is his own worst critic. He says the first 20 minutes of the film are the best. They are, but there are some gems in the following hour or so. He says the sound is too rich, dense, textured and dramatic. I think he's wrong on that score. The sound is wonderfully done. Especially when he shows us stupendous wide angle vistas but we can hear John grunting, muttering and urging his horse Jake to "watch your step". And the intense sounds put us right there in the Beartooth Mountains.

In a throwaway comment, Lucien mentions that the shearing scene is distressing for the viewer. Again, I disagree. You can clearly see that the sheep quietly submit to the firm, confident grasp of their shearers. There is something wonderful about seeing the shaggy outer layer sheared off; each swipe leaves a textured track and the sheep look like courdouroy when they're pushed out into the watery spring sunlight. Then the filmmakers poignantly cut to a shot of the newly-sheared sheep standing miserably in a spring snowstorm and the camera holds on them for several minutes. They do not complain, but one of them looks accusingly out at us. That's the distressing scene.

Some of the questions the audience put to Lucien were about the two main shepherds, craggy old John and peevish Pat. Lucien almost batted aside the question, saying he wanted the focus of film to be on the sheep, not the shepherds. I'm with the filmmaker on this one. The humans are prosaic. It's the sheep that are poetic.

People don't usually identify with cattle (unless we're on a crowded tube train) but we do identify and empathise with sheep, and this gives the whole idea of a Western "cattle drive" a new twist. Instead of identifying with the "cowboy" we identify with the critters they are herding. We are the flock being driven, trusting that our shepherd will be patient and loving like Jesus, not angry and frustrated like Pat, who at one point descends to a profane rant that would have Deadwood's Al Swearengen blushing. Pat is tired and bored and sick of sheep and his knees are giving out. At one point this middle-aged man makes a mountaintop phone call to his mother and nearly dissolves in tears. It's not pure self-pity: he's upset because his beloved sheepdog has bleeding paws and his horse is nothing but "ribs and bones".

The myth of the Western is the myth of freedom and choice and the loner riding off into the sunset. And as you watch Sweetgrass you realize that's just what it is: A MYTH. This compelling film shows us that the reality of herding cattle or sheep (or whatever) is that it is a kind of prison. You can't just take off and ride west when you're looking after a flock of critters who depend on you. Sometimes you can't even get a phone signal.

Dirty 21-Mile House

In 1852 a man named William Host built a tavern on the stage route from San Jose to Monterey. The same year he sold it to a certain William Tennant, and he became landlord of the 21-Mile House, so-called because it was 21 miles south of San Jose. You can find a marker of this historic site on the NW corner of Tennant Ave and Monterey Hwy in Morgan Hill. According to the plaque:

This famous tavern and stage stop was located 21 miles from San Jose on the road to Monterey. The 21-Mile House was built in 1852 by William Host beneath a spreading oak that later was called the Vasquez Tree. The house was sold to William Tennant in November 1852. Now destroyed, this stopping station was a place where horses could be changed, fed, and stabled, and where tired and hungry passengers could refresh themselves.

One famous visitor who refreshed himself at the 21-Mile House was William H. Brewer (right, in the chair), a California state geologist who went up and down California recording details of life and landscape between 1860 and 1864. His journal is called Up and Down California in 1860-1864; The Journal of William H. Brewer.

Brewer and his party stayed at the 21-Mile House three times, each time camping out rather than staying inside the tavern. Brewer's entry for a blistering May evening in 1864 reads:

We got to the 21-Mile House and camped under the old oak trees. We had camped there before, once in ‘61, and again in ‘62. The spot seemed familiar and awoke pleasing memories, and that night, on the ground under the trees, sweeter sleep came than had for many a long night before...

Another visitor, Alf Doten, was less impressed. Arriving one October night in 1862, he and a friend dined and slept in the tavern. The next day, Doten gave it a scathing review in his private journal:

Oct 3 1862... got there at sunset - put up there – got a dirty supper – served up in a dirty manner, on a dirty table, in a dirty house, by a dirty waiter – when bedtime came, we turned in to two dirty little beds, in a dirty little room & slept cold, not having enough bed clothes, & fleas & bedbugs giving us Jesse – waked up an hour or two before daylight from the cold – some ½ doz other travellers there, all in the same uncomfortable fix - all got to shouting to each other and "carrying on" - no more sleep...

Oct 4 1862 ... Rose very early - after dirty breakfast, paid our dirty bill of $5.00 & left - won't stop there again, I guess...

But in April of 1863 Alf was passing through again, and had no choice but to give it a second chance. Apparently his experience this time was more pleasant, probably due to the fact that his musical talents were appreciated:

April 29 1863 ... After breakfast I started for Fred Lucas's - rode Kit with banjo rolled up in my overcoat & lashed behind saddle, carpet bag ditto - led Georgie ... couldn't ride Kit very hard on account of her being heavy with foal - stopped occasionally on the road to let her have a bite of green grass & cool off - at 6 PM I arrived at the "21 Mile" house & put up for the night... after supper, at request of Mr Tennant, the landlord - I gave them some banjo and songs in bar-room...

April 30 1863 ... My bill was: horses 75¢ each - $1.50 and 2 meals $1.00 & a bed 50¢ - Total $3.00 - left about 8 1/2 oclock...

But in May of the same year he found things 'dirty' again:

May 9 1863 ... at 2 PM arrived at 21 mile house - got dirty dinner, served up in dirty manner by Miss Maggie Tennant in a dirty dress & frowsy hair - knew me - Had quite a chat together - Took me into parlor - got me to write off the words of "Open thy lattice to me" for her - I rode on... 

A Starbucks now stands in the place of the tavern.

10 films by age 10

The BFI recently compiled a list of the 50 films every kid should have seen by the age of 14.

Here they are in alphabetical order, with the top ten starred:

* The Adventures of Robin Hood (Michael Curtiz/William Keighley, 1938)
Au revoir les enfants (Louis Malle, 1987, France/W.Germany)
Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis, 1985, USA)
Beauty and the Beast (Gary Trousdale/Kirk Wise, 1991, USA)
Bicycle Thieves (Vittorio De Sica, 1948, Italy)
Billy Elliot (Stephen Daldry, 2000, UK/France)
A Day at the Races (Sam Wood, 1937, USA)
* E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg, 1982, USA)
Edward Scissorhands (Tim Burton, 1990, USA)
Etre et Avoir (Nicolas Philibert, 2002, France)
Finding Nemo (Andrew Stanton/Lee Unkrich, 2003, USA)
* It's a Wonderful Life (Frank Capra, 1946, USA)
Jason and the Argonauts (Don Chaffey, 1963, UK/USA)
Kes (Ken Loach, 1969, UK)
The Kid (Charles Chaplin, 1921, USA)
* King Kong (Merian C.Cooper/Ernest B.Schoedsack, 1933, USA)
Kirikou et la sorcière (Michel Ocelot, 1998, France/Belgium/Luxembourg)
La Belle et la bête (Jean Cocteau, 1946, France / Luxembourg)
Le Voyage dans la lune (Georges Melies, 1902, France)
Les Quatre cents coups (Francois Truffaut, 1959, France)
Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (Jacques Tati, 1953, France)
My Life as a Dog (Lasse Halstrom, 1985, Sweden)
My Neighbour Totoro (Hayao Miyazaki, 1988, Japan/USA)
* The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955, USA)
Oliver Twist (David Lean, 1948, UK)
The Outsiders (Francis Ford Coppola, 1983, USA)
Pather Panchali (Satyajit Ray, 1955, India)
Playtime (Jacques Tati, 1967, France/Italy)
The Princess Bride (Rob Reiner, 1987, USA)
Rabbit-Proof Fence (Phillip Noyce, 2002, Australia)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (Steven Spielberg, 1981, USA)
The Railway Children (Lionel Jeffries, 1970, UK)
The Red Balloon (Albert Lamorisse, 1956, France)
Romeo + Juliet (Baz Luhrman, 1996, USA)
The Secret Garden (Agnieszka Holland, 1993, UK/USA)
Show Me Love (Lukas Moodysson, 1998, Sweden/Denmark)
* Singin' in the Rain (Stanley Donen/Gene Kelly, 1952, USA)
* Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney, 1937, USA)
* Some Like it Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959, USA)
The Spirit of the Beehive (Victor Erice, 1973, Spain)
Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001, Japan)
* Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977, USA)
* To Kill a Mockingbird (Robert Mulligan, 1962, USA)
Toy Story (John Lasseter, 1995, USA)
Walkabout (Nicholas Roeg, 1971, UK)
Whale Rider (Niki Caro, 2002, New Zealand)
Where is the Friend's House? (Abbas Kiarostami, 1987, Iran)
Whistle Down the Wind (Bryan Forbes, 1961, UK)
The White Balloon (Jafar Panahi, 1995, Iran)
* The Wizard of Oz (Victor Fleming, 1939, USA)

And now, here are MY top ten films every kid should have seen by age 10.

1. Star Wars IV, V & VI (1977-1983) a cheat... but an epic cheat
2. WALL-E (2008)
3. Toy Story trilogy (1995-2010) a cheat... but an essential cheat
4. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
5. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
6. Back to the Future trilogy (1985-1990) a cheat... but a fabulous cheat
7. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
8. Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
9. Finding Nemo (2003)
10. The Black Stallion (1979)

Ancient Roman Chewing Gum

One of the things I love about researching the Ancient Romans is how much like us they were. Did you know Romans even had a version of chewing gum? It was called mastic or “mastiha” (in Greek: μαστίχα). Here is a story about MASTIC.

A few years ago my husband and I were spending Christmas in Athens while I researched my tenth Roman Mystery, The Fugitive from Corinth. One evening, after a delicious meal of meze and chicken, the waiter brought us a complimentary digestif. The clear liqueur was served in a tiny shot glass. At first I thought it was an Italian drink called grappa. But as soon as I tasted it I knew it was flavoured with mastic! Mastic is a resin which only grows on the Greek island of Chios. The waiter said I was the first tourist to guess what it was.

I knew what it was because I had found some mastic nuggets in a shop on the island of Kalymnos the previous summer while researching my 9th Roman Mystery, The Colossus of Rhodes. 

Mastic is hardened drops of sap from a type of evergreen bush called the lentisk tree found only in certain parts of Chios. The resinous nuggets are the original chewing gum. In fact, mastic is the root word of masticate meaning to chew.

When I first found a little round plastic box of them on Kalymnos, I hesitated to try one. But I bravely popped it in my mouth and began to chew. It tasted like... mastic. I can best describe it as a sweet cross between cumin and carrot. The nugget was translucent when I put it in my mouth, but after chewing it for a minute or so, I took it out and examined it in surprise: the translucent, pale yellow nugget had turned white and opaque, and looked exactly like modern chewing gum.

In Roman times, doctors recommended that patients chew mastic gum to freshen their breath and calm stomach upsets. People today chew it for the same reasons.

In ancient Rome and Greece, people did not wear deodorant and many must have had rotting teeth. We know from the 1st century AD poet poet Marcus Valerius Martialis (AKA Martial) that some Romans had such bad breath that they added perfume to their wine! Others chomped mastic gum to freshen their breath. Some Romans even used toothpicks made from slivers of mastic. Here is an epigram (a two-lined poem) which  Martial wrote about a toothpick made of a bird's feather and not of mastic, which proved some were made of mastic:

This toothpick is only made of the feather 
that helps a bird in flight, 
It’s not as good as mastic, 
but will keep your teeth clean and bright. 

Martial also wrote this short poem, about a bald man who pretends to pick his teeth with a mastic toothpick so people won't realise he is toothless:

That man who lies lowest on 
the middle couch [the place of honour] 
he of the bald head with its three strands 
of hair and dribbles of perfume, 
who picks his loose mouth 
with shaved sticks of mastic,
he is a liar, Aefulanus... 
because he has no teeth!
(Martial VI.74)

You can still buy mastic gum today in some specialty Greek or Turkish shops. I have found sugar-free packs at Greenfields on Crawford Street in London. And of course you can buy them on Amazon. But the ones in my picture up at the top of this post are the raw drops, just like the Romans would have chewed.

ELMA mastic gum from Chios via Greenfields, 35 Crawford St, W1H 1PL

See if you can find some mastic gum and chew it. Some specialist ice-cream shops occasionally sell this flavour, too. Mastic is the taste of ancient Rome!

[The Roman Mysteries are perfect for children aged 9+, especially those studying Romans as a topic in Key Stage 2. Carrying on from the Roman Mysteries, the Roman Quests series set in Roman Britain launched in May 2016 with Escape from Rome. Season One of the BBC TV series is still available on iTunes.]

Reading "Pirates"

6th grade students from Lebanon Middle School in Connecticut have been reading The Pirates of Pompeii this term. As part of their coursework, they were asked to write letters to me. I was hugely impressed by the standard of their writing. Here are a just a few of the many outstanding excerpts from their letters, a testiment to Mrs. Violette's creative lesson planning!

Hello, my name is Kayla... and I am in Mrs. Violette's sixth grade reading class. We have just recently finished your wonderful book, The Pirates of Pompeii. I loved reading this great page turner and my grades have been excellent on the tests and questions Mrs. Violette has assigned. As our final project for this novel we are writing to you about how we felt about your book and more... My favorite character was Flavia because she was a brave and intelligent girl... When I read that Flavia lurks around gathering information and got kidnapped I couldn't believe she wasn't the least bit fearful, unlike me, who would be scared out of my mind if a bunch of goons came and stole me from my family.
(from Kayla's letter)

My class has been taking quizzes on the reading as well as doing comprehension questions and character charts. I pass the quizzes easily, because your writing is deep and memorable. Everything about it is exhiliarating and flowing. The questions are easy because when I need evidence I want to go back and reread and take in everything I missed. The character chart was the hardest piece of work to do because everything you need is spread out throughout the reading.
(from Ethan's letter)

I saw that the Romans, even back then, acted similar to how people act in times of disaster. This is showed when Kuanto and the other pirates take a simple job and turn it into a money making business by taking advantage of the vulnerable and start kidnapping innocent children to sell just to make extra money. This reminds me of when New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina and the people were stealing from each other.
(from Andee's letter)

I can make two connections between my life and the novel The Pirates of Pompeii. One connection that I have with this book is that I can relate to Felix, Nubia, and Lupus's passion for playing an instrument. These three characters play beautiful music while celebrating, entertaining, and bringing joy to others. I also love playing an instrument, the clarinet. Playing the clarinet allows me to celebrate many occasions in life as well as cheer people up. Another connection between my life and your book is that I can relate to the fear and terror Leda experienced being locked in a chest. When I was five years old I climbed into a chest for fun, and my sister and her friend closed the lid and sat on top of it so that I couldn't get out. I was uncomfortable, scared, and confined in a small space just as Leda was in the story. Although we were both closed in the chest for different reasons, we were both helpless and unsure of when we were going to be set free. These two personal connections helped me to imagine myself in the lives of these characters.
(from Brandon's letter)

Out of all the characters, Lupus is my favorite. He reminds me of a little monkey climbing trees and looking for adventure. The part of the book that made me laugh is when Lupus stood on top of the rock and held up the wax-tablet saying "let's go find Nubia ourselves". That made me laugh becuase in my mind Lupus looked like a little superman saving the day... I also relate to Flavia. I love adventures and climbing trees. I actually climbed a tree and fell down and this kid I didn't even know caught me and now we are best friends. I also make good plans like Flavia. The plan of going to Felix's was genius. I came up with a plan to sneak into my grandpa's house one day to throw him a surprise birthday party which is not easy because he has dogs that bark a lot and he basically stays inside all day.
(from D'Lanie's letter)

When we read a book in reading class, we have a certain schedule to follow so we read a few chapters at a time. We had a week to read chapters 1 to 7. In addition to our reading assignments we had comprehension questions and a "reading check" to make sure we read the book and understand what we read. My grades on the comprehension and "reading checks" ranged from 90 to 100. I think by my grades you can tell I enjoyed the book immensely... I learned the names for different rooms of the household and public areas. A triclinium is a dining room and a solarium is a room in public baths used for resting, reading and beauty treatments. Finally, the most interesting piece of information that I learned is what it was like for the people and slaves of Pompeii after the eruption of Vesuvius.
(from Ally's letter)

When I read The Pirates of Pompeii I felt like I was really experiencing the mystery and was solving it with Flavia, Jonathan, Nubia and Lupus. I felt like I was kidnapped and was experiencing the life after a huge volcanic eruption, and living in a tent with lots of other survivors and being able to enjoy it through music and friendliness... You write your books so well! I loved your book The Pirates of Pompeii! It will always be one of my favorite books. It was my favorite book to read this year in class. I will read the other books in your series... I hope you have a great 2011!
(from Katy's letter)

Rango Cheatsheet

Impress your friends and family by identifying these film references in the animated Western film Rango!

It starts off by breaking the 4th wall. Various characters use their forefinger to draw a square (the "fourth wall") no less than three times in the film. There are also lots of self-conscious screenwriting terms and phrases like "Every story needs a hero", "What our story needs is conflict", "It is metaphor", etc.

Here are the film references I spotted starting from the beginning:

Cat Ballou/Blazing Saddles: musicians singing story are visible to us and to the players in the film.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: when Rango is flung against a windscreen

Big Lebowski: Chameleon/rock creature sounds like Jesus Quintana ("dios mio!")

Sergio Leone's "No Name" Trilogy:
(Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and GB&U)
Spirit of the West = The "Man with No Name" i.e. Clint Eastwood
Rattlesnake Jake = Lee van Cleef
Good, Bad and Ugly (GB&U) = bird's cry used to bleep swear word
Once Upon a Time in the West = squeaky windmill from opening sequence

Django: the gattling gun in Rattlesnake Jake's tail

Star Wars IV: visual echoes of Mos Eisley Cantina in the Saloon
ALSO the fight in canyon is like final Death Star canyon sequence

Jabba the Hut (Star Wars IV) & Buford the Barkeep (Rango)

True Grit: Rango calls little girl Priscilla "Little Sister"

Jurassic Park: dinosaur/bird uncovers someone on the toilet

Chinatown: Ned "The Mayor" Beatty mimics John Huston's villain AND
Chinatown: theme of water in desert, drowned man in desert, etc...

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: hero is a fraud

High Noon: hero discards badge/star

Apocalypse Now: bats/helicopters fly out to Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries"

There are also references to Ghostbusters, Planet of the Apes and Deliverance. (See the comments below... and add your own!) 

"The Peacock Buckle Mystery"

Golden Sponge Stick 2010

Short Story Competition Results

Bryony from The Red Maid's School won third prize in the over 11-13 category for this
brilliant bath-house murder mystery set in the past and the future

An excerpt from "The Peacock Buckle Mystery"

...And Claudia, after the reassurance, slid into the pool and leant against the warm pool sides. The steam was gradually clogging up the room, the rays of golden sunlight blindingly bright against the misty air. Amica was appreciating the room, it's near silence, only the lapping of water and light splashing of Claudia's body gliding around.

Then there was a loud slapping sound that echoed about the steam pool. A footstep. A shadow formed in the steam, but it was so faint Amica couldn't even see if it was male or female. Claudia climbed out of the pool and slung a wet arm across her shoulder, lifting her dripping lips to Arnica's ear.

"The peacock belt."

Then the figure lunged out of the mist.

Screams were heard across the baths and Romans rushed about, following the sound of sheer pain. In the steam rooms, a crowd gathered. Lying on the floor was a young, naked woman and an even younger slave girl - who was ignored. They were lying in a pool of blood. Everybody knew the woman, she was Flavius' wife. Flavius was the friendly merchant but now his dear wife was lying, dead, on the floor.

The crowd was dumb-struck for a moment until another piercing scream filled the air. They turned as one to see the slave-girl lying on the floor, a stab wound in her arm. It was bleeding furiously, oozing out, delighted to be free of the containment of her small body.

Plantanius, one of Flavius'close friends, ran over to help her, "What's your name?" he asked.

"I... I am Amica," the small girl squealed, her breath ragged and uneven.

"What happened?" the man pressed, shaking her shoulders urgently, "Tell us what you saw, girl!"

"I saw..." images flashed past her eyes, too fast to make sense, but she needed to help her mistress before she died. Only one image lingered, "The... the peacock belt."

by Bryony Salter (12)

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"The Waking"

Golden Sponge Stick 2010

Short Story Competition Results

Lataetia from Oxford High School won third prize in the over 14 category for this
evocative story about tragedy in Roman Britain

An excerpt from "The Waking"

My feet began to slap the ground, as I shook the thoughts from my head. Searching. Searching for my wife, my son. My child, my love. My heart, and my soul, through the fire.

Huts were ablaze around me. Men, women, children, slumped on the ground, sometimes their faces cupped in the light of the fire, as it splashed the world orange, yellow, red.

There were shouts for help, everywhere.

I passed screams, I passed sobs.

I passed a woman clinging to a dead child, wailing, "Quintus est mortuus! Quintus, Quintus, Quintus." His name she crooned, as she held his body. 

My thoughts pulsed through my blood:

Julius, Julius, Julius...

I passed a bloody girl, sobbing in fright.

And I passed a child, clinging to a dead man, pretending to sleep too.

I was lost. Alone.

Julius, Julius, Julius...

Drowning in the hungry flames. I fell to the floor, remembering the gardens. Now all I could picture was a fountain, blood bubbling from its lips.

Julius, Julius, Julius...

I fell to the floor.

by Lataetia Mcevilly-Duncan

"Untitled"

Golden Sponge Stick 2010
Short Story Competition Results

Anastasia from Sancton Wood School won second prize in the 11 - 13 category for this
untitled story about a visit to the underworld with a blood-curdling twist at the end

An excerpt from "Untitled"

The horse reared high on its hind legs then crashed to the ground, with me under it. My vision was clouding, my mind slipping into a dark abyss and my last thought was that I knew I was falling into an eternal slumber. As I lay there listening to the muffled voices, a feeling of utter still washed over me and I heard my heart drumming in my ears. The beat was getting feeble. I was dying.

I awoke on a dirty riverbank. I was face down in the mud, and it was smeared on my face. I picked myself up and wiped most of the mud off with the back of my hand. The air around me was a thick mist, and I struggled to peer through the gloom. I stumbled forward, hands stretched out so not to walk into anything, when my toes just touched what felt like cold water. I fell to my knees and stared at the water, at my shimmering reflection. As I bent forward, my shoulder length blond hair skimmed the surface and as I watched the ripples dance before me a smell hit me like a fist to the face. I leapt back, crawling on my elbows away from the water. The smell terrified me; for it was the foreboding smell of death...

Anastasia Maseychik (12)

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"The Signifer"

Golden Sponge Stick 2010
Short Story Competition Results

Lucie from Sancton Wood School won second prize in the over 14 category
with a superb story in the tradition of Rosemary Sutcliffe's Eagle of the Ninth

An excerpt from "The Signifer"

Rain fell like tears from a blackened sky, as the troops marched out onto the field, awaiting the centurions' commands. The Signifer strode out in front of his expectant men, leading the line, with his standard flying high in the wind.

"It would be an honour," his mother had said when the recruiting cohorts came, "an honour to fight in the legions, for the Eagle and the Emperor." The young boy had studied her face as she made the comment, looking for the lie. Some how he didn't notice the tears in her eyes, or the silent pleas that she'd made to the legionary, as she handed over her14 year-old son, her beloved boy. He was given no choice, they had to go. The families of the new recruits waved them off, proud shouts and cheers ringed the air, giving both the families and the boys' false hope of returning, of coming home to their village one day.

The Signifer's hands stiffened as he heard the Cavalry line up on the west wing, the horses' chinking bridles invisible in the pelting rain and early morning mist. The horses grew restless within minutes, stamping their hooves and snorting. The unforgiving weather grew in velocity, hammering down on the Eagle's army. The unease was reflected in the faces of the men, the brave Legio II Augusta, Signifer's legion. The Signifer could just make out the features of the Legate, sat on his immaculate horse to the left of the large standard, dancing in the grey sky; tall, muscular and battle hardened, the Legate's face was set in a grimace as he peered through the unremitting rain. The Legate of Legio II Augusta was called Titus Flavius Vespasianus, known to the legion as Vespasian, one of the cruelest men, Signifer had encountered.

Lucie Meggitt (15)