How do you pronounce author David Baldacci’s last name?  Ball-DAH-chee.  David’s advice for aspiring writers:  “Write about what interests you rather than about what you know.  Otherwise, you’ll get bored quickly.  Writing is hard; it’s easy to give up.  Stick with it!”  Writers Market and Writers Digest and Literary Marketplace are excellent resources for writers seeking agents.  Start there.  David promotes efforts to reduce illiteracy (through his Wish You Well Foundation^®) and hunger (via his Feeding Body & Mind initiative) in the United States.  From time to time, he donates character-naming opportunities to nonprofit organizations for their annual fundraisers.  The nonprofit receives 100% of the proceeds from the winning bid, and the winner gets to name a character in one of David’s upcoming novels.  While most of these auctions require bidders to attend the event (e.g., a literacy organization’s annual fundraiser, a local school’s annual gala), he also sometimes participates in online auctions (e.g., via CharityBuzz), which are available to all.  https://www.davidbaldacci.com/landing-page/david-baldacci-faq/#ten 

“A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” was Betty Smith’s debut; she wrote three more novels that evaporated into the ether.  But “Tomorrow Will Be Better,” which was published in 1948, turns out to be one of those rare cases of a forgotten novel that really does deserve to be recovered.  During World War II, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” was one of the most requested of the Armed Services Editions—specially printed books that were distributed to American servicemen and POWs.  The classic for which Smith is revered, of course, is “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” her 1943 semi-autobiographical novel about young Francie Nolan growing up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in the early years of the 20th century.  Maureen Corrigan  https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/a-tree-grows-in-brooklyn-was-a-classic-does-her-follow-up-warrant-reconsideration/2020/12/04/20698560-3316-11eb-8d38-6aea1adb3839_story.html 

The earliest form of 'derring-do' in print is found in Geoffrey Chaucer's Troylus And Criseyde, circa 1374:  "In durring don that longeth to a knight."  Chaucer was using the two words 'durring' and 'don' with their usual 14th century meanings of 'daring' and 'do'.  This line in his work translates into 20th century language as 'in daring to do what is proper for a knight'.  The poet John Lydgate, paraphrased Chaucer in The Chronicle of Troy, 1430, and his 'dorryng do' was misprinted in later versions of the work as 'derrynge do'.  In reading the above, the celebrated Tudor poet Edmund Spenser appears not to have realised that derrynge was a misprint of durring, the meaning of which he would have been familiar with, and interpreted 'derrynge do' as meaning 'brave actions'.  That was the way he used it in several of his late 16th poems, including his best-known work, The Faerie Queene, 1596:  "A man of mickle name, Renowned much in armes and derring doe."  Last, but not least, make way for that inveterate plunderer of historic language, Sir Walter Scott.  His use of 'derring-do' as a single word in the hugely popular novel Ivanhoe, 1820, cemented it into the language:  "Singular," he again muttered to himself, "if there be two who can do a deed of such derring-do!"  https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/derring-do.html

Allan Ramsay (1686-1758), was a Scottish poet and literary antiquary who maintained national poetic traditions by writing Scots poetry and by preserving the work of earlier Scottish poets at a time when most Scottish writers had been Anglicized.  He was admired by Robert Burns as a pioneer in the use of Scots in contemporary poetry.  Ramsay settled in Edinburgh about 1700 and in 1701 became an apprentice wigmaker.  In 1712, he helped found the Easy Club, a Jacobite literary society.  His pen names, first Isaac Bickerstaff and later Gawin Douglas, suggest both Augustan English and medieval Scottish influences.  He soon established a reputation as a prolific composer of verse in both English and Scots, much of it modeled on classical styles and traditional metrical patterns, sometimes uneasily adapted to suit contemporary Edinburgh Neoclassical taste.  He made considerable use of Scots in humorous and satirical verse; and, by collecting and publishing poems by Robert Henryson, William Dunbar, and other late medieval Scottish writers, Ramsay, though no scholarly respecter of texts, made certain of their survival and indirectly gave impetus to more accurate editing of Scottish poetry and song later in the century.  https://www.britannica.com/biography/Allan-Ramsay-Scottish-poet

Lewy bodies are named for Dr. Friederich Lewy, a German neurologist.  In 1912, he discovered abnormal protein deposits that disrupt the brain's normal functioning in people with Parkinson's disease.  These abnormal deposits are now called "Lewy bodies."  The precise cause of Lewy body dementia (LBD) is unknown, but scientists are learning more about its biology and genetics.  For example, we know that an accumulation of Lewy bodies is associated with a loss of certain neurons in the brain that produce two important neurotransmitters, chemicals that act as messengers between brain cells.  One of these messengers, acetylcholine, is important for memory and learning.  The other, dopamine, plays an important role in behavior, cognition, movement, motivation, sleep, and mood.  Symptoms that distinguish this form of dementia from others may include:  Visual hallucinations early in the course of dementia; Fluctuations in cognitive ability, attention, and alertness; Slowness of movement, tremor, difficulty walking, or rigidity (parkinsonism); and REM sleep behavior disorder, in which people physically act out their dreams by yelling, flailing, punching bed partners, and falling out of bed.  More trouble with mental activities such as multitasking and problem solving than with memory early in the course of the disease.  https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-lewy-body-dementia 

Noodle Kugel  “A classic kugel recipe, just the right amount of dense and rich, with a sprinkling of raisins and a slightly secret ingredient from my grandfather.”  The kugel can be baked up to 2 days before serving; reheat in a 300°F oven for 15 minutes or so.  You can also make the kugel and refrigerate it unbaked for up to a day, and then bake it right before serving.  Pair this with Beef Brisket with Wild Mushrooms or Jewish Brisket.  Katie Workman  Find recipe and link to other recipes at https://themom100.com/recipe/noodle-kugel/  

Following the success of the two recommended reading lists she released during the pandemic, the Duchess of Cornwall has launched a new literary project designed to celebrate books and their creators.  With "The Duchess of Cornwall's Reading Room," Camilla will regularly release new book selections in groups of four.  Chloe Foussianes  January 15, 2021  Find recommended books and brief descriptions at https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/g35164650/camilla-duchess-of-cornwall-reading-room-books-list/ 

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”  “Forgiveness is not an occasional act.  It is a permanent attitude.”  “I have decided to stick with love.  Hate is too great a burden to bear.”  “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”  “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”  “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.”  Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)  https://parade.com/252644/viannguyen/15-of-martin-luther-king-jr-s-most-inspiring-motivational-quotes/

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2314  January 18, 2021