Thursday, March 30, 2017

Re-entering the World of All Souls? Here's More!

If you are indeed revisiting the All Souls Trilogy, there are so many things to explore.  A couple of weeks ago we pointed you to some tools for your re-read.  Here are some things to help re-immerse you into this world:

The US Book Covers: 


We got a hold of the cover designer and asked him a bunch of questions!  Read it here: The Daemons ask The U.S. Cover Designer!

A peek at All Souls College from the back end/Photo by Ann Daniel
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to tour Oxford?
Well, we asked our friend Ann to share her experience with us.  You can read that here:
Ann Daniel Reports on Her Trip to Oxford!

Bishop-Clairmont family tree (Diana's side)
Bishop-Clairmont family trees:
Sometimes visual aids will help with keeping the tangled family trees involving our main characters straight.  Our friend Maro designed some!   See those (and more!) here:
The Bishop-Clairmont Family Trees & More...


Here is a bit of whimsy as we examine the case of the copycat, William Shakespeare:
Examining the Case of the Magpie

And finally, let's talk about All Souls Con!
There will be one in 2017!  Save the date: 23 September, 2017 in New Orleans. Visit AllSoulsCon.org.

From ASC 2015: Jennifer Ikeda, our own Daemon (Jean/Scheming Daemon), with Laura Ventura (ASC organizer)
Can't make it to New Orleans in person? No problem!  Live streaming will be FREE!  Penguin Books will sponsor this year's live stream, so you can participate no matter what!  But you have to register.  Go to AllSoulsCon.com/tickets, and register today!  Here are some guest posts on All Souls Con 2015:

All Soul's Con: A Fan's Perspective
From Richard Armitage to ASC - A Fan Experience!
My Favorite Part of ASC
'Gallowglass' Speaks! - An ASC Perspective
We end the ASC Perspectives at the Beginning

And here was our experience:
AllSoulsCon: Our Fan-Girl Experience!

We'll be back with even more!
Til next time,

xo, ~The Daemons

Post by V. Grendell
Follow us on Facebook - Twitter - Pinterest - Tumblr - Instagram - Subscribe - Podcast

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Daemons Discuss - Podcast: Take 13! | Diving into the First Five Chapters of The All Souls Trilogy


Take 13 - The One With the First Five

Description: Time has arrived for us to start diving into these books!  Now that we've covered many of the primer subjects, it's given us sufficient foundation for the dissection of this trilogy called All Souls.  Join along as we revisit the beloved words in our favorite series!  Not so much a read along per se, but closer to an examination of the structure of the story, and the journey that takes us to the eventual establishment of the Bishop-Clairmont family.  Before we get ahead of ourselves, let's start with the first five chapters of the very first book, A Discovery of Witches!

SPOILER ALERT! We (The Daemons) approach this podcast with an assumption that the listener has read The All Souls Trilogy, including A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life.  If you haven't, and you don't mind, we certainly don't mind!  😊  Let's do this.

Listen:


1. Show notes:

For newcomers to the series:
- We'll start with the basics: The books in discussion are A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night and The Book of Life.  Together they make The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. 
- Our Daemon Guides to the All Souls Trilogy are available for download: ADOW, SON, TBOL
- If you'd like a ready-reference from the author herself, be sure to download the All Souls Real-Time Reading companion (free e-book at online booksellers via Penguin and Headline books).
- Deborah Harkness usually conducts a real-time reading on her Facebook Page (starting in September), and shares her posts across social media.  Check out her website for all of her social media links, and of course all that she has to offer her readers!
- To see what's available on the web as far as the All Souls universe fandom, check our links page.

In this episode:
* (01:26) – Thank you, Stephen for your Discusser message!  We forgive you for not leaving a review, because we really enjoy your messages!  Everyone else who has a iPhone/Apple device beyond iOS 6, if you’d like, we’d love it if you leave us a rating/review -- here’s how: On your phone or on your computer directly through iTunes.  Big shouts out to Stephen, Emrys & Clare in this episode!

a. Chapter 1:

* (03:53) – We are no longer manuscript dummies!  You can check out a few of our posts here:

* (04:58) – The Bishops/Diana's maternal lineage: Bridget Bishop

* (07:58) – We mention scholarly credentials.  Diana’s credentials/Curriculum Vitae:
  • College bound at 16 years of age (an unnamed college in Maine).  Her self-described photographic memory aided in her quick advancement.
  • Started in the theater department (we imagine as an aspiring theater major).  That ended when her magic started to creep into her work and wayward daemons started to follow her.
  • She sampled several different majors afterwards.  She also took up college athletics.
  • In her sophomore year, she was informed that she was destined to serve a fifth year of college if she didn't choose a major.  She was offered the opportunity to go to a summer study program at Oxford University; she fell in love with history and declared it as her major upon return.  She graduated with honors prior to turning 20.
  • She pursued her doctorate at Oxford University; her specialty was the history of science.
  • When we meet her, she is a professor at Yale University w/ tenure (at 33 years of age), doing research on a presentation (or "paper") at her alma mater, Oxford.

* (08:59) - Sean.  Sean was the desk worker at the Bodleian.   He was the one who “broke the rules” in order for Diana to check out more than her allotted books.  Later (chapter 8), it was revealed he may have had sort of a crush on her.

* (10:40) – The Proctors/Diana's paternal lineage: John Proctor

* (11:39) – The little things with Rebecca showed us what we liked about Bewitched & I Dream of Jeannie. 

b. Chapter 2:

* (12:05) – Oxford University (where these scenes takes place).

* (12:09) – The Bodleian Library

* (12:37) – Cambridge University (Val mentions she’s visited that university, but not Oxford.  For those of you in the US, compare the Oxford/Cambridge relationship to the rivalry between Harvard & Yale)

* (13:08) – The actual balcony where Diana spots Matthew (where she retrieves Notes and Queries).  Val loves this picture and posts it on the main Facebook Page frequently:


* (13:25) – The Bridge of Sighs


* (15:12) –  Jean describes Matthew as “Mr. Darcy with fangs”  Mr. Darcy: Fitzwilliam Darcy, generally referred to as Mr. Darcy, is one of the two central characters in Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice. He is an archetype of the aloof romantic hero, and a romantic interest of Elizabeth Bennet, the novel's protagonist. The story's narration is almost exclusively from Elizabeth's perspective ; she is portrayed as the sympathetic figure, and Darcy hardly so until the later chapters of the novel—as knowledge and ironic events are revealed to Eliza (Elizabeth). Usually referred to only as "Mr. Darcy" or "Darcy" by characters and the narrator, his first name is mentioned twice in the novel.

* (16:31) – Jeremy from Switzerland - Jean called him "louche" from the description in the book, it seems quite accurate.  Louche = rakish/disreputable/sordid (in the best way!) πŸ˜†:
"The only vampire with whom I had more than a passing acquaintance worked at the nuclear particle accelerator in Switzerland. Jeremy was slight and gorgeous, with bright blond hair, blue eyes, and an infectious laugh. He’d slept with most of the women in the canton of Geneva and was now working his way through the city of Lausanne."
* (16:43) – Ironically, the Feast of St. Matthew is on the same day as Mabon.  Yes, the very day they met!  You can read our Weekly Geek on it here.  From the Gospel of Matthew 6:34 -“Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof”

* (17:34) – What Valerie’s thing with Mozart was: her theory is that Matthew took note of the music that would soothe Diana, and later utilized that knowledge in the car ride to yoga (chapter 8).  He was being a bit of a smooth operator!  😏 Queue the Sade song.

* (18:39) – Jean likened Sarah to Archie Bunker

* (19:33) – Angela mentioned the scene where Diana was causing the chairs to stack up as a teen:
"Sarah didn’t tell him about the voices, about my habit of picking up the phone a good minute before it rang, or that she had to enchant the doors and windows when there was a full moon to keep me from wandering into the woods in my sleep. Nor did she mention that when I was angry the chairs in the house rearranged themselves into a precarious pyramid before crashing to the floor once my mood lifted."
c. Chapter 3:

* (20:43) Matthew and the stalking Jean loves and Angela likes this chapter – Valerie wasn’t enamored with the thought of an unknown vampire sneaking into Diana’s rooms.

* (21:03) – Jean mentions the book Mystery Man by Kristen Ashley – the hero in that one was sort of a fan of a sneaky/creepy courtship like Matthew.  BTW, Valerie’s favorite book from the same series is Motorcycle Man.  😜  He's not so stalky.  A little rough around the edges, though.

* (23:38) – Jean compares the “shimmer” from Diana's gleam rising and falling to the tides – but she would because she’s a romantic visionary.  Val likened the effect to a Macbook…the little sleep light looks like it’s breathing/sleeping  -- but she would, though.  She’s hopelessly tech-obsessed!


Macbook Sleeping -- video by 1991scoty
d. Chapter 4:

* (25:11) – Diana’s “hangover” after Matthew’s clandestine visit.  It’s noted by Diana that she looks like her mother.  Our theory is that Diana’s coming into her powers, and on first read we don’t know this yet, but later on (chapter 30), it’s explained that her magic will be released when meeting her “shadowed man”… Ok, yeah we’re spoiling it for you, but in our defense, we posted a disclaimer on the top of this page!  Scroll up!  We did say “if you don’t mind, we don’t mind!”  Anyway, forgive us, if you missed that!

* (26:39) – Hint that Diana’s thinking a bit too much early on about Professor Clairmont.
"Today’s check in the mirror also revealed that my skin was pale from lack of sleep. This made my freckles, which I’d inherited from my father, stand out in apparent alarm, and the dark blue circles under my eyes made them appear lighter than usual. Fatigue also managed to lengthen my nose and render my chin more pronounced. I thought of the immaculate Professor Clairmont and wondered what he looked like first thing in the morning. Probably just as pristine as he had last night, I decided—the beast. I grimaced at my reflection."
* (26:54) – We dropped Jean in our group call unknowingly!  Yikes!  These are the hazards of recording a podcast remotely from each other.  To loosely explain to you how the sausage of Daemons Discuss! is made, we all plug into a group call (usually using the Facebook messenger calling feature – other services like Google Voice or Skype can be used depending on preference), and listen to each other with headphones while we each record our own voices into our individual computers; the result of the file is just our own voice responding to the others in the group call.  After everything is done, our separate tracks are stitched together with editing software for the best possible sound quality (we do it from our houses, btw), this is why we were able to keep going without losing the recording.  There, we've ruined any illusion that we were holed away in some fancy sound booth making magic happen! HA! Anyway, this process is called recording a "double ender" – in our case, it'd probably be more accurate calling it a "triple ender," and for us (so far) it's turned out to be the most reliable way to get good quality audio while recording remotely – anyway, a bit of podcasting trivia for you!

We also want to tell you that the month of March is #TryPod month!  If you like podcasts, and you think you have a friend/family member who’d enjoy them, recommend one to them!  There’s something for everyone out there!  Also, if you'd like to recommend us, that'd be OK too!
πŸ˜„ WE DIGRESS!  Back to the episode.

* (29:02) – The “hub bub” – Angela loved it when she first discovered that “we” (us and Diana) were going to sit next to Matthew Clairmont!
“Thanks,” I whispered, thinking of my waiting stack with relish. “Big day, huh?”
“Apparently,” he said drily, before disappearing into the locked cage that held the manuscripts overnight. He returned with my stack of treasures. “Here you go. Seat number?”
“A4.” It’s where I always sat, in the far southeastern corner of the Selden End, where the natural light was best.
Mr. Johnson came scurrying toward me. “Ah, Dr. Bishop, we’ve put Professor Clairmont in A3. You might prefer to sit in A1 or A6.” He shifted nervously from one foot to the other and pushed his glasses up, blinking at me through the thick glass.
I stared at him. “Professor Clairmont?”
* (29:53) – The human myths/creature facts
“If you’re asking whether I think you’re going to burst into flames the moment the sunlight hits you, the answer is no.” Vampires didn’t burn at the touch of sunlight, nor did they have fangs. These were human myths. “But I’ve never met . . . someone like you who liked to bask in its glow either.”
* (30:48) – The crowded library!  Creatures have taken over in the library - 5:1 creature/human
"This was the last straw. Sarah always said that one in ten beings was a creature, but in Duke Humfrey’s this morning the creatures outnumbered humans five to one. Where had they all come from?"
* (31:52) – The Black Dragon: could that be a foreshadowing of Corra? Or a future clue to Diana and Matthews blood when mixed?  Hmmmm ...
Over the next hour and a half, I read the first pages at least thirty times. I started at the beginning, reading familiar lines of poetry attributed to George Ripley that promised to reveal the secrets of the philosopher’s stone. Given the surprises of the morning, the poem’s descriptions of how to make the Green Lion, create the Black Dragon, and concoct a mystical blood from chemical ingredients were even more opaque than usual.
* (32:33) – Knox(, Peter)!  Matthew protects Diana from this other witch.
A gentle sensation of pressure on the back of my skull made it impossible to keep reading, however. The pressure flitted to my ears, growing in intensity as it wrapped around my forehead, and my stomach clenched in panic. This was no longer a silent greeting, but a threat. Why, though, would he be threatening me?
The wizard strolled toward my desk with apparent casualness. As he approached, a voice whispered in my now-throbbing head. It was too faint to distinguish the words. I was sure it was coming from this male witch, but who on earth was he?
My breath became shallow. Get the hell out of my head, I said fiercely if silently, touching my forehead.
* (33:23) – Mating behavior of falcons/hawks (shielding)


Hawks/Falcons mating -- video by AnimalMatingVideo

* (34:22) – Picture of The Seldon End (Bodleian):


* (35:39) – The rowing … more stalking

Oxford Rowing Club
e. Chapter 5:

* (37:27) – Diana cyberstalks Matthew… (we wonder if Matthew would have a profile on LinkedIn)…Gerbert would (see The Book of Life, chapter 23)!  Jean said Gerbert would definitely be on Tinder.  “Swipe left!”

* (37:43) – Matthew and the wolves:
My next few clicks showed that Clairmont’s work took a surprising turn away from the brain and toward wolves—Norwegian wolves, to be precise. He must have spent a considerable amount of time in the Scandinavian nights in the course of his research—which posed no problem for a vampire, considering their body temperature and ability to see in the dark. I tried to imagine him in a parka and grubby clothes with a notepad in the snow—and failed.
* (38:38) – Christopher Roberts – it’s our theory that this character has been the victim of retcon (retroactive continuity).  We did not get the picture that he was the friend he wound up being In the Book of Life.  Again, this is just our impression.  We may be completely wrong!  We only saw him as a work peer/friend on first read of this book.

* (40:41) – Matthew the misogynist?  Maybe?  Or maybe he just doesn't like to be questioned.  The quote:
“He gave a paper—I can’t remember the particulars—and a woman asked him a question. It was a smart question, but he was dismissive. She  was persistent. He got irritated and then mad. A friend who was there said he’d never seen anybody go from courteous to furious so fast.”
* (41:32) – What we basically learn in this chapter:
  • Diana has some stalking skills of her own
  • Matthew has studied a lot of things -- including wolves!
  • Chris is Diana’s work pal (promoted to BFF in The Book of Life), after cold calling him about what an alchemy experiment would actually look like.
  • Diana gained tenure a year after Chris.
  • Chris is a brilliant scientist.
  • Chris has heard of Matthew Clairmont and respects his work.
  • The chapter ends with a bet that Diana will go out with Matthew sometime soon.

* (46:16) – That’s it for these five!  The next chapters we’ll go over?  Chapters 6-10.  Publication date TBD.  Discussers, you’ll get a heads-up.  If you aren’t a Discusser you can become one here (short form on the page).  Or comment in the form below (scroll way down), and indicate that you’d like to be added to the list!

* (46:23) – News that’s not news; as of the 6th March, Deb was most likely not going to be at SDCC 2017:
And now, more recently (as of the 21st of March), it appears definitely not:
* (47:23) – Early Bird tix on sale for All Souls Con!  Passes: $79, virtual passes: $12 $0 (! --> thanks goes to Penguin Books for sponsoring the live stream)  Charity breakfast set for the next day (24 September, 2017); passes for that are $160 – hurry if you are interested have been SOLD OUT!  All early bird prices end the 15th of June, 2017 *EDIT* Virtual passes will remain absolutely free!  Regular passes will go up to $99. 

•    Visit AllSoulsCon.org -- You can also see 2015 All Souls Con video there.
•    Register for passes (virtual passes included - you must register to stream): AllSoulsCon.org/tickets
•    Don’t forget to join the All Souls Con Attendees Facebook group!

* (49:23) – The lovely Emrys (sorry if we butchered your name, Emrys)!  She was the winner of the Valentine’s Day giveaway at Daemons Domain.  She made this 4-part video!

A screen shot of her Instagram Post - IG wasn't allowing us to embed it properly!
* (52:34) – After Jean talked about the subject of Meyers-Briggs showing up all over her social media feeds after doing our episode (our personality episode/Take 8, The One With Personality), Angela mentioned a new book possibly coming out called the The Four Tendencies: [...]

* (53:26) – Discussers, check your spam folders for our emails!  Clare let us know in this tweet that hers wound up there:
Previous Episode
Take 12, The One With the Moments
-----

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Contact us using this form below:  Please make sure to let us know if it's OK to read your email (or a portion of it) on future podcasts.  If not, that's perfectly fine, too.  Just let us know! Also, if you sign up for our "Discuss" email list we may send you the subject matter of a future podcast ahead of time - this way your inputs may even get included while we record!

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Thanks for listening!
Until next time...



Credits/Copyright Information 
* Intro music: "Ghost Dance" (edited down to second chorus) by Kevin Macleod, licensed for use by Creative Commons.
* News intro: by AwesomeMusicVideos21; provided for fair-use/royalty-free.
*  Outro music: Rimsky-Korsakov - "Scheherazade Symphonic Suite for Orchestra Op.35 - IV. Allegro molto," Public       

domain/copyright-free.
* Cover art (+ all variations associated w/ it): © Daemons Domain 

* The term "unofficial" is explained in our disclaimer located in Terms of Use - item 14.
* The Daemons Discuss podcast is hosted and produced by the owners (Angela, Jean and Valerie) of Daemons Domain and can also be found by entering the url http://www.DaemonsDiscuss.com in your browser, (listed on the various podcast syndicates like iTunes, Stitcher, etc.) which will redirect you back to the parent site, Daemons Domain.
* This podcast is intended for personal download/consumption.  Please see our Terms of Use; item 3.

* Our episode titles are a loving tribute to the show "Friends" just 'cause we love Friends and - let's face it - it's easier! Here's how one of the show creators explains their reasoning:
Jeff Greenstein: "When Marta & David & Jeff & I did 'Dream On', we used to spend a lot of time thinking about titles, because they were on-screen at the top of each episode. On "Friends", we decided that was a waste of time. We figured, why not name each episode after the thing that people will ostensibly be talking about around the water-cooler the next day?"
This was a Daemon Production

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Thursday, March 16, 2017

Re-entering the World of All Souls? Here Are Some Tools.

From our Tumblr
If you are like us, you love to revisit your favorite books.  There is nothing more comforting than exiting our plane of existence in this 'real world' when it gets to be a bit too much, and stepping into another time/place/point of view.  Of course, the All Souls Trilogy is no exception!  What does makes this series exceptional are the intricate details.  “The Devil is in the details” seems like a generic throwaway line to describe many things, but emphasis of the details are rather important if you are to get the most out of your re-reads from this series!  Also, to be clear … we are also promoting our foray into a reexamination of the trilogy in the next episode (coming soon!) of our podcast, Daemons Discuss!  Here’s what we have:

First, the books:
The three of us have ALL versions of the books available to us (audio/eBook/physical).  Why?  Because of our role as super-fans and promoters of this series.  It’d be safe to say that each of us have read and re-read the books easily 100 times since the release of A Discovery of Witches in 2011.  eBooks, because they are easily searchable.  Quotes & passages can be accessed in seconds!  Audio, because there is something about immersing yourself in All Souls universe via audio that will allow you to pick up nuances, turns of phrase, and the mood of the written word!  There is nothing like it!  Also, it’s a time saver.  “Reading” while commuting/cleaning/walking the dog/just walking/attempting to fall asleep, kills two birds with one stone!  Physical, well … quite simply, we are sentimental fools and there is nothing like actually having a book you can touch, feel, smell, and admire on your shelf.  Also?  It’d be hard to have Deb sign your Kindle/Nook/iPad and have the inscription last!  As a general reader, possessing all of these versions would be overkill.  Stick to what you love!  Please know that we are not telling you what to buy, but the advantages of each version. 

Sample the audiobooks here:
- Listen to clips of the Audiobooks read by Jennifer Ikeda (click the following links):
  * Clip of 'A Discovery of Witches'
  * Clip of 'Shadow of Night'
  * Clip of 'The Book of Life'

Check out the three-in-one eBook.  One file, three books!
3-in-1 eBook of the Trilogy

Now, the various offerings:
Do you enjoy the rich descriptions of the places that Ms. Harkness has set her world in?  Would you like to see pictures of these places?  Check out the following:
Manuscripts!  Nothing but manuscripts!
Ms. Angela (the Maven Daemon), loves to visit libraries and museums where these treasures are housed.  She’s also managed to curate the talents of those who know all there needs to be known about these beautiful books.  Check out the following posts:
A Guest Post that puts you smack dab in a middle of a scene!
Aly Davis treated us to a guest post that allowed us to imagine the yoga scene in real ways; ever wonder what Matthew's impossible pose looked like?  You'll see it here:
Getting your reread on:
Find fan groups: check our link page…there will be something for everyone out there, from Facebook groups, to podcasts, to different sites that cover the trilogy from different angles.

The Real-Time Reading Companion

Here's a guide straight from Deborah Harkness ---> HERE

Also, we’d be rather negligent if we didn’t mention our Weekly Geek series, which pokes holes in the surface of the story and examines some of background of the characters and overall history swirling throughout the pages!

Watch this space!  We will have more things to offer concerning your smooth (re)entry into the All Souls universe as we wait for all kinds of things to come to fruition (more books/TV production etc)!

Oh and last but certainly not least...

Our guides:
For those who are new to the series, or those who are revisiting it after putting it down for a while!  All three guides are available for your reading pleasure.  We hope that this will enhance your overall reading experiences!
Check our downloads page for the printable versions.  They are in .PDF format for accessibility.

Click to read
Click to read
Click to read


xo, ~The Daemons
Post by V. Grendell
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Thursday, March 9, 2017

Daemons Discuss - Podcast: Take 12! | Relatable Moments in The All Souls Trilogy

This quote is attributed to poet Cesare Pavese (however, he didn't contract the words 'do not' πŸ˜‰)

Take 12 - The One With the Moments

Description: Before we get into chapter discussions (now that we've done many of the primer subjects relating to this trilogy), we wanted to reflect on some of the moments throughout the Trilogy that talked to us, and how we related to them in our own lives.  There were quite a few moments, but we managed to narrow them down to snapshot selections to effectively discuss them.  If you'd ask us tomorrow, we may come up with something totally different!  A big thank you goes to our Discussers, who really delivered on sharing their moments with us.

SPOILER ALERT! We (The Daemons) approach this podcast with an assumption that the listener has read The All Souls Trilogy, including A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life.  If you haven't, and you don't mind, we certainly don't mind!  😊  Let's do this.

Listen:


1. Show notes:

For newcomers to the series:
- We'll start with the basics: The books in discussion are A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night and The Book of Life.  Together they make The All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. 
- Our Daemon Guides to the All Souls Trilogy are available for download: ADOW, SON, TBOL
- If you'd like a ready-reference from the author herself, be sure to download the All Souls Real-Time Reading companion (free e-book at online booksellers via Penguin and Headline books).
- Deborah Harkness usually conducts a real-time reading on her Facebook Page (starting in September), and shares her posts across social media.  Check out her website for all of her social media links, and of course all that she has to offer her readers!
- To see what's available on the web as far as the All Souls universe fandom, check our links page.

In this episode:


* (00:40) Angela had some back issues this last week!  We are so happy she’s feeling better.

* (01:15) Angela was referring to our alchemy episode (Take 10)

* (02:14) Emails from Discussers: Aly (related to Diana’s experience with horses), Alyssa (related to Diana working with manuscripts and how it cemented her personal career decisions, and helped her through some rough times), Stephen (related to Diana’s flying up the stairs in TBOL – he compared them to his flying dreams), Aviva (related to Matthew falling while building the church to her father’s accident), Milana (related to Marcus’ meeting of Pheobe, and how exciting lust at first sight is), and last but not least, Imogen (related to Diana’s first experience with witch wind – she compared it to the anxiety and panic attacks that she’s experienced).  Thank you all, Discussers!  We really appreciate your inputs.

* (15:53) Jean’s relatable moment in A Discovery of Witches:
Baldwin’s appearance in ADOW.  Jean saw it as very lawyerly (his explaining the the mission of the Knights of Lazarus).  Jean being a lawyer, she saw it as Baldwin laying out his case.
“The Knights don’t come to their master’s aid because of a love affair gone wrong, Matthew. We fought at the Battle of Acre. We helped the Albigensian heretics resist the northerners. We survived the demise of the Templars and the English advances at CrΓ©cy and Agincourt. The Knights of Lazarus were on the ships that beat back the Ottoman Empire at Lepanto, and when we refused to fight any further, the Thirty Years’ War came to an end. The brotherhood’s purpose is to ensure that vampires survive in a world dominated by humans.”
* (18:04) Angela’s relatable moment in A Discovery of Witches:
She related to Diana being rather guarded.  Angela has a few good friends that she’s had forever, and Diana seems to be the same way (example: Chris).

* (23:13) Valerie’s relatable moment in A Discovery of Witches:
Hamish; he’s a grand observer -- throughout chapter 9, he knew what was going on with Matthew where Matthew failed to see it.  Valerie has had similar experiences with friends/acquaintances.

* (26:22) Jean’s relatable moment in Shadow of Night:
Mont Saint-Michel:

Mont Saint-Michel
 And that was the last glimpse I had of Matthew Clairmont, scientist. The man who strode toward the door was no longer an Oxford don but a Renaissance prince. It was in his bearing, the set of his shoulders, his aura of banked strength, and the cold look in his eyes. Hamish had been right to warn me that Matthew would not be the same man here. Under Matthew’s smooth surface, a profound metamorphosis was taking place. Somewhere high above, the bells tolled the hours. Scientist. Vampire. Warrior. Spy. The bells paused before the final knell.Prince.I wondered what more our journey would reveal about this complex man I had married.

* (28:00) Angela’s relatable moment in Shadow of Night:
The time travel.  Angela’s always wanted to time travel since she was a child.

An example of a child's cardboard time machine.  Source: Cardboardia comes to Skeleton Park
* (29:00) Valerie’s relatable moment in Shadow of Night:
Diana’s pregnancy.  Valerie has had some interesting pregnancy related hormone-driven experiences; her memories were hilariously triggered by this moment:
“Don’t you dare say this isn’t good for the baby. I’m not some vessel.” My temper was at full boil now. “First it was my blood you wanted for your scientific experiments, and now it’s this baby.”Matthew, damn him, stood quietly by, arms crossed and gray eyes hard.“Well?” I demanded.“Well what? Apparently my participation in this conversation isn’t required. You’re already finishing my sentences. You might as well start them, too.”“This has nothing to do with my hormones,” I said. Belatedly it occurred to me that this statement alone was probably evidence to the contrary.
* (31:30) Jean’s relatable moment in The Book of Life: Ysabeau at the Wolseley. She says it was more aspirational than relatable.  She enjoyed Ysabeau’s entrance/presence in the room.

Fernando tried to hold open the door for Ysabeau, but Adam beat him to it. My mother-in-law looked like a youthful film star, and every male head in the room turned as she entered with Phoebe in her wake. Fernando hung back, his dark coat the perfect backdrop for Ysabeau’s off-white and taupe ensemble.
            “No wonder Ysabeau prefers to stay at home,” I said. She stood out like a beacon on a foggy day.
            “Philippe always said it was easier to withstand a siege than to cross a room at Ysabeau’s side. He had to fend off her admirers with more than a stick, I can tell you.” Gallowglass rose as his grandmother approached.
* (33:14) Angela’s relatable moment in The Book of Life:
She related to the TBOL because she appreciated to the rag-tag family that was Bishop-Clairmont.  Her childhood home was often a refuge for “stray” people who needed love/care/support.
"There was a gratifying amount of agreement around the room. Despite the rocky start, we’d enjoyed a perfectly pleasant evening as a family."

* (34:35) Valerie’s relatable moment in The Book of Life:
Diana’s reaction after finding out Gerbert had his hands in all of the foul doings of the congregation.  Valerie notoriously reacts similarly to such situations.
“Why didn’t the information about Gerbert go to Venice?” I demanded of Matthew when at last I found him in the kitchen making my tea. Ysabeau was with him, playing with Philip and Becca.
            “Because it’s better if the rest of the Congregation doesn’t know about Gerbert’s involvement,” Matthew said.
            “Better for whom?” I asked sharply. “I want that creature exposed and punished.”
            “But the Congregation’s punishments are so very unsatisfactory,” Ysabeau said, her eyes gleaming. “Too much talking. Not enough pain. If it is punishment you want, let me do it.”
* (37:28) News: Deb’s update for February – Her March Pinterest Inspiration BoardAll Souls Con coming in 2017

* (38:34) Jean Mentioned the Mask of RoyaltyLacey Baldwin Smith

* (42:47) We didn’t mention in this recording that All Souls Con passes will go on sale the 18th of March.  Early bird prices!!!  $79 dollars for passes (until 16 Jun 2017…will go up to $99 afterwards); virtual passes are $12 (will go up to $16 after June 15th).

Interested in going to All Souls Con (actually or virtually)?  Visit:
•    AllSoulsCon.org and
•    All Souls Con Attendees (Facebook Group)

* (47:39) πŸ˜‘πŸ˜–πŸ˜€ OUR CURSED EPISODE!!!  We have tried to put together a Daemons after Dark episode (a follow up to Episode 3).  The Goddess said NO.  After our third time, we are GIVING UP πŸ˜³πŸ˜‚!

* (49:44) Angela’s giving up walking for Lent ….  that attitude pretty much sums up ours for the months of February/early March!

Previous Episode
Take 11 - The One With Anger Management
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Thursday, March 2, 2017

Daemons Discover New Haven: New Haven Lawn Club

Hello All Souls universe Faithful! Where did we last leave you? Oh yes, it was at the Beinecke Library. Well, we decided to take a break from rare book and manuscript ogling browsing, and head over to the New Haven Lawn Club for a quick tour!

“I looked toward the door, but there was still no sign of Matthew. He was at Human Resources getting his identification badge while I waited for him in the rarefied atmosphere of the nearby New Haven Lawn Club.” 
~ The Book of Life

New Haven Lawn Club

The New Haven Lawn Club (“NHLC” or "Club") is yet another luxurious backdrop to which the de Clermonts are privy in the All Souls Trilogy – specifically, The Book of Life.  In both the All Souls universe and reality, it is a private club located on Whitney Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut close to Yale University. It is a social and athletic facility, and membership is not only required, it is exclusive.  The New Haven Lawn Club offer its members a wide range of activities and events including tennis, swimming, food, art exhibits, concerts, book clubs, and fitness classes. The Club is also a venue for many of New Haven's prestigious dances and other social events.  While there are unique member privileges, certain spaces within the NHLC can be secured by non-members for events.

The History (c'mon - you know we had to go there!)
In the late 19th century, American communities saw an explosion of athletic and country clubs for sports such as cricket, yachting and tennis to name a few.  By many accounts, tennis came to New Haven through the city's growing business and Yale connections with New York (where tennis was first played in the United States).  A group of New Haveners started a tennis club in the summer of 1884.  The organization is first mentioned in the New Haven Register on September 25, 1884.

In 1891, the New Haven Lawn Club was formally incorporated in order, as the Articles of Association state, "to promote outdoor and indoor sports in the city of New Haven, and to provide for its members means for the enjoyment of the same.” The new private club was built on a large tract of land on Whitney Avenue receiving its official charter in that same year.

“[New Haven Lawn Club] They've taken very good care of me.” [Diana said.]
“So they should.” On our way into the grand brick building, Matthew had explained that Marcus was one of the founding members of the private club and that the facility was built on land he’d once owned.” 
~ The Book of Life

Here’s where we fall into the All Souls world:  The same year that New Haven Lawn Club was incorporated, the New Haven Lawn Company was formed. The Lawn Company was formed to sell stock to raise funds.  The proceeds were used to buy land and build a clubhouse. The Lawn Company purchased an interior lot with access to Whitney Avenue, a developing upper-middle class neighborhood. A clubhouse was promptly built, and it was expanded several times in the years afterward.  Over the years, the Club gradually acquired most of the Company's stock.

Things that make you go hmmm . . .
  • Selling stock? Raising money? Buying/selling real estate? Some of Marcus’ land? If only there was someone in the de Clermont family with such expertise! That's right folks, we smell the financial counsel and brokering of shrewd Uncle Baldwin, but that’s probably another story for another day!
  • The time period (late 1800s): Perhaps the campaign that Matthew waged to bring Marcus (and his "boisterous and charming" family) to heel in New Orleans in the earlier 1800s exorcised a good portion of the hell-raising out of him, and Marcus headed back north to lead a more discreet yet refined life surrounded by more enterprising creatures.
  • Matthew was a stone's throw away in New York around the turn of the century as the quote below suggests.  Your guess is as good as ours how long he was in New York and what that secretive vampire was up to, but our flight of fancy says (albeit anti-climatically) he could have been periodically checking in on his young son --- who he recently (in vampire-time anyway) got out of hot water.
“I must learn from my mistakes—Gerbert’s been saying so since you abandoned me in New York.” Juliette focused on Matthew with an avidity that made my flesh crawl."
“That was more than a hundred years ago."

~ A Discovery of Witches 

And so concludes our All Souls game of "what if" -- one of our favorite Daemon past-times, if you haven't already guessed by now!

Alas, let's get back to the original topic at hand - the founding and development of the Club. It represented the Gilded Age enthusiasm for clubs for athletic and social activities. As was common with private clubs during that era, the Lawn Club not only provided athletic facilities and activities, it was also a social center where members could be assured of meeting carefully chosen social peers.  The New Haven Lawn Club has played an important role in the social life of upper-class New Haven for well over 100 years.  (Sounds like a de Clermont job well-done! :D)


“The hushed confines of the main building dampened the distinctive plonk of tennis balls and the screaming children enjoying the pool during the last week of summer vacation.”
 ~ The Book of Life

The Layout
The Lawn Club mansion is rich with architectural details. Visitors enter the foyer through a vaulted portico, archways, and columns made of the local red brick.


NHLC foyer
A Lalique crystal chandelier is a stunning centerpiece in the foyer.  (You can see *just* a sliver of it above, and a closer view here).  There are also working fireplaces to be found throughout the building.

One hall leading to event rooms

The New Haven Lawn Club is home to several event rooms.  Let's take a look at some of them, shall we?

The Ballroom
This grand room is the NHLC ’s original social gathering room. It is a stunning space that envelopes you in "era gone by" glamour. The room has a 25-foot barrel-vaulted ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows that meet pristine hardwood floors. The ballroom - fit for a de Clermont - is decorated with star accents, a large wood-burning fireplace, four Austrian Art Deco crystal chandeliers, crystal wall sconces, a built-in stage, and a terrace overlooking the tennis courts.


The Main Dining Room
This is the original members' dining room.  It is a bright, airy space with two wood-burning fireplaces (one at each end of the room) and three glorious Waterford crystal chandeliers in addition to the natural light. Regency columns frame the main dining area perfectly, but to complement this area, there is a sizeable gallery on the opposite side of the columns.  It is just as striking with its black and ochre checkered terrazzo floor and floor-to-ceiling windows which also overlook Club grounds.

The Main Dining room is pictured above, and the opposing gallery can be viewed here

The Lounge
The Lounge is the Club's original living room.  It a wood-paneled room with Art Deco sconces, Chinoiserie drapes, Oriental rugs, a wood-burning fireplace, and French doors that open out onto a terrace.


The Private Dining Room
The Club’s original informal dining room is a classically decorated room with toile drapes, a wood-burning fireplace, and antique buffet.


The Lower Card Room
This is the last remaining original Club card room.  It is adorned with an antique mahogany dinning set, a wood-burning fireplace, a Chesterfield sofa and an Oriental rug.


The Architecture
The architecture of the clubhouse is primarily Colonial Revival. (We wonder if Marcus had any influence on the design. You can take the man out of the Colonial Era, but you can't take the Colonial Era out of the man!)

Fun fact:  All Souls dreaming aside, and in all fairness, the Colonial Revival Movement and the resurgence of the eponymous architectural style became popular after the Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair in the United States, was held in Philadelphia. It commemorated the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. Both, the movement and the architecture style, gained momentum by the 1880s and continued well into the 20th century.

The current clubhouse, built in 1931 to replace the former clubhouse that had burned in 1929, is credited to architect Douglas W. Orr, but much of the detail design is by William Douglas.

While not quite as ancient as some of the other places mentioned in the All Souls Trilogy, the Club does have the distinction of being listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Its noted areas of significance are its Architecture and Social History.  (If walls could talk, right?)



So there you have it!  A quick glimpse at a long distinguished yet exclusive and historic New Haven institution -- with de Clermont ties no less.  We wouldn't have expected anything less, and it's why we love them so -- dabbling and shaping history around the world throughout the centuries.

Until next time, friends, #FeedYourDaemons!

xo, ~The Daemons

P.S.  To see the complete photo gallery of our New Haven Lawn Club excursion, visit us on Flickr, here!

Sources:
National Park Service
Wikipedia
New Haven Lawn Club website

Post by A. Hutter
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