I've loved ancient Egypt for as long as I can remember. The theology, the magick, the sense that the universe runs on laws both visible and hidden. It shaped me as a reader and eventually as a writer. So when I say Pauline Gedge gets it right in The Scroll of Saqqara, I say that as someone who has spent years walking those sands in books, in imagination, and in real life. So, what about this book? Amazon sez Prince Khaemwaset, son of Ramesses II and revered physician, longs f

Click on the titles to read the full articles. Are Black Cats Really Bad Luck? If you name some of the spooky symbols of Halloween, you're sure to mention witches, jack-o'-lanterns, bats, ghosts, and of course, black cats. With spiky arched backs and glowing green eyes, they certainly add to any spooky scene if they creep around your Halloween decorations. Perhaps you or someone you know truly fears black cats, but have you ever wondered why? That fear may stem from the bla

First, let me set expectations. . . . I read almost anything about ancient Egypt and everything that even remotely touches on Isis and Osiris. I call it research. :-) That being said, I'm picky about what I like, and I'm often disappointed. A whiff of a camel plodding by the newly built Pyramids? Nope. Camels came with the Persians around 700 BC, and the Pyramids were built around 2500 BC. What about descriptions of tombs as cool and shady? You lost me. OK, they ARE shady,

Since it's Valentine’s Day and I'm fascinated by lovers and Egyptology, I wanted to share a romance among the Egyptologists. A Reluctant Romance tells the story of an unlikely couple whose passion for each other equaled their passion for Egyptology. Hilda and Flinders Petrie, noted Egyptologists, shaped England's Manchester Museum Egyptology collection. So, this Valentine's Day, rest assured. Yes, you can find love in the most unexpected places and, sometimes, opposites reall

Right before the pandemic took hold, the Metropolitan Opera rebooted and released it in real time in movie theaters. Naturally, I went. These reviews are better than mine. ‘Akhnaten’ Puts You on Philip Glass Time A place in the sun Gleaming and Self-Aware, Philip Glass’s Akhnaten Is Borne to the Met