jamesdmacdonald

It’s Dr. Doyle’s Question and Answer Time!

Originally posted on Dr. Doyle's Blog:
Q. Are you really a Doctor? A. Yes. I got my Ph.D. in English from the University of Pennsylvania, back in the Dark Ages 1981. My primary field was Old English, and my cognate field was Old Icelandic, which makes me the sort of person who once stayed…

Summertime, and the Living Is Sneezy….

Originally posted on Dr. Doyle's Blog:
We’re now well into the time of hot, oppressive days and high pollen counts. The cats, instead of sitting like little furry meatloafs with tails and paws neatly tucked in, are stretched out into longcats, and can be reliably used to find the spots with the best cooling…

Magic Contest

Magic Contest Granite State Magicians is hosting a New England Magic Contest! The date/time/place: Sunday the 16th of July from 1:00-4:00 pm at Diamond’s Magic, 515 Lowell St, Peabody, MA 01960. Categories of magic are: Parlor/Platform, Close-up, and Mentalism & Mystery Performing. Prizes: 1st prize; $200 gift certificate to Diamond’s Magic. 2ndContinue reading “Magic Contest”

More Sound Advice From a Bygone Day

Originally posted on Dr. Doyle's Blog:
Way back in 1890, the Scottish poet, novelist, and literary critic Andrew Lang (best known in later years for his fairy-tale collections) gave a lecture at the South Kensington Museum, in aid of the College for Working Men and Women. The title of the lecture was “How to…

Sometimes the Transmission Gets a Bit Fuzzy

Originally posted on Dr. Doyle's Blog:
As a tool for getting ideas out of one person’s head and into another’s, language (whether spoken or written) is a poor substitute for telepathy . . . but it’s the only tool we’ve got. It’s not surprising, then, that writers often have an ambiguous relationship with language.?…