Finally! Finally finally finally someone that writes about the importance of continuing, reinventing and bridging the stories of King Arthur!
I actually wrote a mythic fairytale for adults that basically begins with the elucidation but moves all the way into our time. It’s an ambitious project I am embarking on and I can only dream of one day packing it into a book but I just couldn’t help myself to at least reach out and post this here as a message of solidarity that: yes indeed we need more stories that weave a tapestry of the world after Arthur. Because mythology is our way to find meaning and the stories have changed so drastically over time so isn’t it our responsibility to change them to create our culture consciously?
(And thank you for your ever insightful and succinct posts, always a delight! Are you still planning to tour in the UK? I’m based in Glastonbury and sure we could arrange something here)
Oh I wish I could come to Glasgow, I adore Scotland. Do let me know should you find options to come south, Glastonbury is tiny but we have three fabulous bookstores on our high street :)
One of the triggers of the fall of Arthur in the Vulgate/Malory/White tradition is when Lancelot kills his unarmed protege, Sir Gareth, in the rescue of the Queen. In TH White, this causes Gareth's brother, Sir Gawaine, to revert to his "honor culture" upbringing. In all those versions, he forces Arthur to seek vengeance (which Gawaine eloquently regrets on his deathbed). The resulting war gives Mordred the opportunity to usurp the throne.
This accidental killing by a hero of an innocent is not as common a motif as you would think, but is a key point in The Acolyte.
Finished the book today before your talk in Portland (very nice to meet you briefly!). I have always loved books with lengthy epilogues, because I’m rarely ready to say goodbye to the characters I’ve become attached to when the book is over, and TBS reads in some ways as as a loving, lengthy epilogue to the entire Arthurian corpus. It’s the ‘more’ I’m always looking for and it was a feast. I feel like you’re some kind of literary death doula, as weird as that sounds (and I mean it in the most complimentary way). The ending really is a masterstroke, joining mythological past to real-world present.. it’s compassionate and bittersweet and oh-so satisfying. I felt ‘complete’ finishing it, just total contentment, in a way I can’t remember ever having felt after finishing a book since Magicians Land. So beautiful. Thank you.
Finally! Finally finally finally someone that writes about the importance of continuing, reinventing and bridging the stories of King Arthur!
I actually wrote a mythic fairytale for adults that basically begins with the elucidation but moves all the way into our time. It’s an ambitious project I am embarking on and I can only dream of one day packing it into a book but I just couldn’t help myself to at least reach out and post this here as a message of solidarity that: yes indeed we need more stories that weave a tapestry of the world after Arthur. Because mythology is our way to find meaning and the stories have changed so drastically over time so isn’t it our responsibility to change them to create our culture consciously?
(And thank you for your ever insightful and succinct posts, always a delight! Are you still planning to tour in the UK? I’m based in Glastonbury and sure we could arrange something here)
https://open.substack.com/pub/lauradurban/p/i-wrote-a-story-that-begins-where?r=1v148l&utm_medium=ios
I could not agree with more with everything you're saying here, and expressing so well!
(I am coming to the UK and would adore to come to Glastonbury, but so far I'm just speaking at a few Waterstones and then up north to Glasgow)
Oh I wish I could come to Glasgow, I adore Scotland. Do let me know should you find options to come south, Glastonbury is tiny but we have three fabulous bookstores on our high street :)
Waiting for the hard copy.
Side note after watching The Acolyte:
One of the triggers of the fall of Arthur in the Vulgate/Malory/White tradition is when Lancelot kills his unarmed protege, Sir Gareth, in the rescue of the Queen. In TH White, this causes Gareth's brother, Sir Gawaine, to revert to his "honor culture" upbringing. In all those versions, he forces Arthur to seek vengeance (which Gawaine eloquently regrets on his deathbed). The resulting war gives Mordred the opportunity to usurp the throne.
This accidental killing by a hero of an innocent is not as common a motif as you would think, but is a key point in The Acolyte.
Interesting -- I must watch The Acolyte when I get back from book tour ...
Finished the book today before your talk in Portland (very nice to meet you briefly!). I have always loved books with lengthy epilogues, because I’m rarely ready to say goodbye to the characters I’ve become attached to when the book is over, and TBS reads in some ways as as a loving, lengthy epilogue to the entire Arthurian corpus. It’s the ‘more’ I’m always looking for and it was a feast. I feel like you’re some kind of literary death doula, as weird as that sounds (and I mean it in the most complimentary way). The ending really is a masterstroke, joining mythological past to real-world present.. it’s compassionate and bittersweet and oh-so satisfying. I felt ‘complete’ finishing it, just total contentment, in a way I can’t remember ever having felt after finishing a book since Magicians Land. So beautiful. Thank you.