I have snow-white skin. I drive a silver Volvo. I am a descendant from regions said to indulge in the delicacy known as "black pudding."
Am I a Vampire? Hold that thought.
Food History Trivia: Black pudding (also known as blood pudding) traces its roots to ancient sausages composed of pig's blood mixed with some thickening agent, such as cereal, and spices. In England, the Midlands and the North are the great areas of black pudding appreciation; Bury in Lancashire is often claimed as the black pudding capital.
Book 18 of Homer's Odyssey, around 1000 BC, refers to a stomach filled with blood and fat and roasted over a fire. The reason of such dishes is clear enough. When a pig is killed it is bled, and a large amount of blood becomes available. This has a very short keeping time if not preserved. Putting it into one of the vessels which the entrails of animals conveniently furnish, along with other offal with a limited keeping time, is an obvious solution.
The oldest detailed recipe for black pudding, in the compilation attributed to Apicus (material of the first few centuries AD), calls for lengths of intestine, rather than a stomach, as the container.
In medieval Europe, it was not unusual for even relatively poor families to own a pig, which was slaughtered in the autumn. Black puddings were therefore made everywhere."---
The oldest detailed recipe for black pudding, in the compilation attributed to Apicus (material of the first few centuries AD), calls for lengths of intestine, rather than a stomach, as the container.
In medieval Europe, it was not unusual for even relatively poor families to own a pig, which was slaughtered in the autumn. Black puddings were therefore made everywhere."---
Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 82)
Back to my ramblings...
It's true, I'm a little incoherent having read a 400 + page novel in one sitting! Yes, it was too good to put down and made for a great excuse to dodge dishes. Twilight by Stephanie Myer has been the buzz of Hollywood and our high school (both male and female, students and staff) for the past few weeks in anticipation of the movie release last Friday.
Our Writing Center Tutors masterfully created a display case themed on the four book series. It was hugely successful. I was consistently amazed when I asked a follow-up question after identifying who had read the books. My question was simple. May we borrow your book?
Yes, the book that you read four years ago on its debut day...and you read again last month when the release date was announced for the movie.
The answer was a resounding and unapologetic "NO."
Asking a Twilight lover to "loan" me a book was like asking them to give me a kidney, like asking them to name their first born after me, like asking them to ...worse yet... give up their cellphone - I know, NEVER GONNA HAPPEN!
I finally whined enough (and bribed a student with the promise of "extra credit") that a generous young lady took pity on me and ceremoniously presented me with her collection.
A Few Reasons Why I Liked the Book:
So - KUDOS to Stephanie Myers. You are a writer & you ROCK!
Back to my ramblings...
It's true, I'm a little incoherent having read a 400 + page novel in one sitting! Yes, it was too good to put down and made for a great excuse to dodge dishes. Twilight by Stephanie Myer has been the buzz of Hollywood and our high school (both male and female, students and staff) for the past few weeks in anticipation of the movie release last Friday.
Our Writing Center Tutors masterfully created a display case themed on the four book series. It was hugely successful. I was consistently amazed when I asked a follow-up question after identifying who had read the books. My question was simple. May we borrow your book?
Yes, the book that you read four years ago on its debut day...and you read again last month when the release date was announced for the movie.
The answer was a resounding and unapologetic "NO."
Asking a Twilight lover to "loan" me a book was like asking them to give me a kidney, like asking them to name their first born after me, like asking them to ...worse yet... give up their cellphone - I know, NEVER GONNA HAPPEN!
I finally whined enough (and bribed a student with the promise of "extra credit") that a generous young lady took pity on me and ceremoniously presented me with her collection.
A Few Reasons Why I Liked the Book:
- Having read the book, I no longer feel "clueless" when everyone else is discussing the "cold ones;"
- I'm going to insist that my husband reads the book and then recites Edward's romantic lines to me;
- I was especially intrigued the concept that Edward was so in love with Bella that although his instinct was to "thirst" for her...he resisted the natural urge to drain her of her blood - yes, that's what you call "real" love;
- I too own a silver Volvo...so obviously I, like the Cullens, have superior taste and style;
- I am no longer self-conscious about my "blinding" white Anglo-Saxon complexion - apparently all the "cool kids" are avoiding the sun.
- And finally, the fact that this author could engage me - me with an established reading preference for an autobiography, an historical narrative, a classic work; yes, I am a self-confessed "fantasy genre" snob - on a literary journey so deep that I actually posed the question, "Am I a Vampire?" on my blog...well, that's genius!
The buzz surrounding this phenomenon - well, it all makes sense now!
So - KUDOS to Stephanie Myers. You are a writer & you ROCK!
1 comment:
Very interesting, Amanda. I've been made aware of the Twilight film because the soundtrack has done so well, so I've needed to do some research on some of the songs in the movie for Songfacts.com. It's interesting to read why the original book is so popular.
Ed
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