Welcome to Long Ago & Far Away!
Do you crave historical fiction from off the beaten path? Are you searching for stories and experiences set beyond the familiar? Let’s have some fun looking elsewhere! There’s soooo much more elsewhere!
Long Ago & Far Away explores historical fiction set in less commonly portrayed times and places. Those may include the US and Europe, but from lesser known corners or periods. Much of the focus takes us to Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Central and South America — you know, off the beaten path, at least where publishing is concerned. Certainly not for the billions of people who live there.
We will consider the historical fiction genre through discussions of history, art, archaeology, and the writing craft.
Rather than formal book reviews, I prefer to write informal responses to my reading, often making connections with other works, or taking close looks at aspects of history or craft.
My visual art springs from my passion for history and the way built spaces, and natural environments echo the memories of what has gone before; the layers that record and preserve, bursting with the silent voices of living and dying throughout time.
What I’m working on:
Fiction:
I am currently writing a novel set in Roman Syria and Sassanid Persia during Late Antiquity.
As such, I’m a low church Protestant stumbling through the world of Late Antique Christianity (with all its liturgical and confessional variations), the earliest days of Islam, and the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism. It is a land of wonder and dramatic change and yet the people struggle with many of the same challenges that we do today.
Visual Art:
I recently dug a studio out from under stacks of storage. For the first time in ten years I am returning to the visual arts that have sustained me since popping out of the womb. Rather than my life-long painting habit, I am exploring printmaking in every form I can from within my tiny space. You will see the occasional article about my explorations there, much of which will also spring from the Long Ago & Far Away.
Why subscribe?
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Nothing here is paywalled. I’ve added paid subscriptions for enthusiastic readers who want to support my work. The amounts are set to the lowest figures Substack will allow.
I aim to publish every two or three weeks. You can find prior articles in the Index pinned to the top of the main page, sections listed on the top header, or a running list via the Archive tab.
If you love reading and/or writing historical fiction set in less familiar contexts, I’d love to hear from you.
A little more about me:
I have lived on three continents and traveled in four. I have a BFA in scenery and lighting design for the stage, and a Master of Divinity. My theatre and travel experiences have given me a passion for stories and imagery set in faraway places.
I’d love to hear from you, learn what you’ve learned and loved in your own journey and what you are reading or writing that explores the Long Ago & Far Away.
Outside of late antiquity, my other interests include Central Asia (The Great Game), the history of tea, the Gilded Age and early Florida. So, you may see those ideas developed along the way.
I hope you’ll join me on this adventure!
