Jilli, have you read the book, Dragonfly, by Frederick S. Durbin? I'm almost done with it and it seems like something you'd like.

Nope, haven't read it. I'll add it to the list of Books to Find.

An interesting bit of literary history noted in Slate:

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Megan Marshall, author, The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism

I was lucky to be present at Authors Ridge in Concord's Sleepy Hollow Cemetery last June for the reunion of Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne—after a 142-year separation. The couple, whose happy marriage had been so powerful an example of romantic love that even marriage-skeptic Margaret Fuller envied the pair, had been buried with an ocean between them. Nathaniel died first in 1864 at age 59, borne to a grave just yards away from Henry Thoreau's by pallbearers including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Franklin Pierce, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

His grieving widow left transcendental Concord for Europe, dying in London seven years later, to be buried in Kensal Green Cemetery, where her defunct neighbors included Trollope and Thackeray. By the 21st century, that real estate was no longer good enough for her, or for the order of Dominican nuns founded by the Hawthornes' youngest daughter, Rose (now up for canonization for her good works), which had assumed responsibility for tending Sophia's grave.

When an enormous hawthorn tree, planted at the time of Sophia's burial, withered in recent years, and then collapsed on the London gravesite, the Dominican sisters took it as a sign that it was time to bring Sophia home. Her entry on Kensal Green's registry of literary luminaries now reads: "Sophia Peabody Hawthorne (1809-1871) ... remains translated to Concord, Massachusetts, USA, 2006."

And while we're on past lives—reading Robert Richardson's new biography William James in the Maelstrom of American Modernism reminded me of everything I love about the genre. In his preface, Richardson writes that "biography begins in the mysteries of temperament, lives in narrative, but aims beyond it ... to resurrection." Sophia Hawthorne literally sprung from her grave, William James resurrected literarily—it was a good year!

Oh and for P-C, from the same Slate Year in Culture review:

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Lorrie Moore, author, Birds of America

Theater! Especially the moving and ghostly last acts of Faith Healer and Grey Gardens: Ralph Fiennes' transcendent rendition of Brian Friel's soliloquy of death and Christine Ebersole singing "Another Winter in a Summer Town," Grey Gardens' one good song (which like the Friel is about the doom involved with losing one's powers, especially if those powers were capricious to begin with).

Aw, thanks, Hec, even though I have no bloomin' idea what she's talking about.

Also: OMG, I heard she had a new story! In the New Yorker or something!! Anyone know where I can find it?

I have no bloomin' idea what she's talking about.

Grey Gardens is a musical currently on Broadway starring Christine Ebersole. It's based on the documentary of the same name that was shot in the 70s. It was about two members of the Kennedy family who lived in a dilapidated mansion in a sort of goofy, camp gothic yet oddly sweet way. I think I talked about it in movies when I saw it this year.

I presume Ralph Fiennes is in the Faith Healer but I don't know anything about that production.

Yeah, Ralph Fiennes was in a production of The Faith Healer this year.

Grey Gardens is a musical currently on Broadway starring Christine Ebersole. It's based on the documentary of the same name that was shot in the 70s.

I'm seeing it in 2 weeks! Christmas tickets!

So, I'm rereading HP&TSS, and I have a theory.

It could be bunnies.

Ha. Anyway, I don't know if it was posted beyond Cindy thinking it had something to do with Harry's parents and I think it might.

Voldemort killed them on Halloween. AKA All Hallow's Eve.

Maybe things will come around full circle and the Epic Battle will be fought then? Just a thought.

Also? I rewatched the movie last night. What a cheap looking thing compared to 3 & 4, despite their problems.

That's possible, Aimee, although the structure of the books has generally been tied to the school term. So it would probably have to be the Halloween after they graduate, which is entirely possible.

I thought of that, too.

"Harry's fighting Voldemort. School's almost out!"

She just needs to send it to me. I wouldn't share it, I promise.

Well, ok I totally would.

I'm still holding out for the 7-7-07 release date even though muggle.net says it'd be too hard for WB to promote the movie AND the book.