My current work-in-progress, THE BLOODIEST QUEEN, is based around the key event of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre in France. More than 70,000 French Protestants (known as Huguenots) were slain by Catholics in mob violence.
It all began on August 24, 1572. August is beastly hot, even in the City of Lights, and most Parisians have the good sense to hightail it out of the city for the better part of the month.
No one thought to do that back in 1572; they'd all been invited to the wedding of Catherine de' Medici's daughter. Paris was a tinderbox that year, brutally hot, a fact which no doubt fueled the sectarian violence.
By coincidence, as I've been studying up on the details of that vicious summer, my little corner of paradise has heated up to 105 degrees today. And it's only noon. Let's just say I'm glad I don't keep weapons in the house. And that I have a don't-discuss-religion-when-it's-over-eighty-degrees rule, too.
At least I can kill people digitally. I'm off to slay a Huguenot or two as soon as I finish typing these words...
The picture? Ah, that's Django the Wonder Pup, the newest resident of the Palazzo Kalogridis. Sure, he looks all cute and innocent now, but give him a few minutes outside in the heat, and he'll turn into a slavering monster.
Comments (8)
Hmm..how quickly I've let the Ojai summer slip my mind(a defense mechanism I'm sure). I complain and lie around like a beached whale when it reaches 90 here.
Needless to say, I do NOT miss the 3-diget temps.
Super cute puppy Jeanne! And your book sounds quite appealing!
With love,
Becky
Posted by Becky | September 3, 2007 4:23 PM
Posted on September 3, 2007 16:23
Not to belabor Jeanne's STAR TREK work, but I wonder if Jeanne knows that the name Django is the name of the son that Nana Visitor and Siddig El-Fadil had. For those of you who do know TREK, they were Major Kira Nerys and Dr. Julian Bashir on DEEP SPACE NINE.
See, Jeanne? Your life does parallel TREK in ways you don't even realize...and what a cute puppy!!!
Posted by John Allen | September 3, 2007 4:57 PM
Posted on September 3, 2007 16:57
Well, John, I'll tell you who Nana and Siddig named their kid after: Django Reinhardt, a Belgian gypsy who played for the Hot Club of France along with Jackson Browne's father. Django had three fingers on his fretting hand and was one of the finest jazz guitarists ever to have lived.
I had no idea they even had a romance, much less a kid.
Posted by Jeanne Kalogridis | September 3, 2007 6:13 PM
Posted on September 3, 2007 18:13
Becky,
Aw, thanks. Django is a cute little devil, isn't he? He's been awesomely good -- probably the easiest puppy I've ever raised. Of course, right now he's doing wheelies around the living room with Sweetie Pie...
Posted by Jeanne Kalogridis | September 3, 2007 6:19 PM
Posted on September 3, 2007 18:19
Okay, Django? Is. A. Cutie.
Amusingly, Heather and I just watched Sweet and Lowdown the other night (for those who don't know, it featured Sean Penn as a 1930s guitarist who was obsessed with the playing of Django Reinhardt. He lived in terror that he would wind up in the same room as Reinhardt, as he would panic and faint dead on the spot).
Posted by Dimitri LaBarge | September 3, 2007 10:13 PM
Posted on September 3, 2007 22:13
Dimitri,
Thanks for the tip on the movie -- I adore Sean Penn, and will look for it.
Posted by Jeanne Kalogridis | September 4, 2007 6:01 AM
Posted on September 4, 2007 06:01
Hey Jeanne, I'm a fan of yours from Argentina ^_^. I came across "The burning times" five years ago, and I got absolutely astonished with the story... I sincerely loved it... I hope one day I can read the original (though I must say it seems to be a good translation).
I've been meaning to ask you a personal question... I love the way you write... so I just wanted to know.. are you Pisces or Scorpio? ^_^
yep, I looooove astrology! hahaa
Ok... once again, thanks for your writings, you are wonderful
And that is such a beautiful dog!!
Paula
Buenos Aires
Argentina
Posted by Paula | September 6, 2007 11:31 PM
Posted on September 6, 2007 23:31
Hi, Paula,
Thanks for coming by; I'm so glad you enjoyed the book!
Actually, only my Venus is in Scorpio; no Pisces to be found in the chart. I'm a Sag.
Django is a beaut, isn't he? And he's doubled in size since that picture!
Posted by Jeanne Kalogridis | September 7, 2007 5:31 AM
Posted on September 7, 2007 05:31