Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Authors and Poets


Busy week, there's lots to do in the build up to Christmas - there's the obligatory making of Christmas Cakes and scramble to tidy the house and the garden, not to mention all those social event -  books, writing, books and more books - in my case ;)   

And like most people these days I'm also working - although some of it is fun -  Rona Gallery is putting on "The Santa Trap" (One of Peter Friend's and my School Journal Plays) for Christmas.   Not to mention the Christmas exhibition itself - and all the advertising.... so

So for a change I'm putting up about twenty favourite authors -  and in as few words as possible why they are so fab.  Feel free to contribute, I'm sure I've missed more than a few!


JRR Tolkein 
       for historical fiction that went the extra mythological mile
John Wyndham
        for disconcerting and surprising children     
A A Milne
         a bear however hard he tries grows tubby without exercise, 
         he gets what exercise he can by falling off the ottoman --
         and yet other authors seem to lack a certain good willed knack
         of finding love in little things, in toys and chairs - and crackpot kings.
Frances Hardinger
           the newest inductee.  Not for the prizewinning "Fly by Night,"
           but the bottomless well that is Verdigris Deep
C. J. Cherryh
          Down Below Station -  Enough said
Andre Norton
          The lady of science fiction herself   
Helen Cresswell
           There was winter, and there was birds --
            but I although I read the same words I could never read the same story twice
Roald Dahl
           Danny the Champion of the World, not to mention an abiding love of chocolate.
CS Lewis
          For opening the wardrobe door.
Terry Pratchett
           for raising a smile, and adding footnotes.
E.B White
          Thankyou for Charlotte, and your even more endearing mute swansong.
Diana Wynne Jones
           Ged
Mary Norton
           For making little people big.
Astrid Lindgren
          Two strong arms, plaits and an indomitable personality. 
Ursula K Le Guin
           Ged - and  more recently the little known Lavinia. 
Lewis Carrol
          A glimpse into madness,
Maurice Sendak
            One night Max made mischief - and the rest is history involving a boat and some very cute monsters.
Dr Seuss
           And the song of the swomee-swans rang out in space
Douglas Adams (both really I guess, but this one in particular) 
          Got towel - can travel. Don't panic.     
HG Wells
          For travelling back in time to get there first.

I hope you enjoy these authors as much as I do,
A.J. Ponder

A.J. Ponder's work is available through Rona Gallery, Amazon, and good Wellington bookstores

My very popular, Wizard's Guide to Wellington on my author webiste.

5 comments:

  1. Great idea, Alicia! Thinking of children's fiction, I've always loved 'The Wind in the Willows', particularly Toadie, and Tove Jansson's Moomins.

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  2. Great eclectic list! (But wait -- aren't poets also "authors"?!)

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  3. Thanks Elizabeth, I never cared much for the Wind in the Willows, must have read it too late, but the Moomins/Moomintrolls - now there's a blast from the past :) such fun.

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  4. Helen(and T.Clear), I have to shamefacedly admit in such august company that the closest to a literary poets I like are Robert Louis Stevenson and Kipling, and that most of my "poets" are better known for their prose. I'm not sure if that ties in to T.Clear's point that poets are authors, which is of course true - but I also like to think authors are poets too. :)

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