Wossname -- January 2015 -- Second edition
News and reviews about the works of Sir Terry Pratchett
wossname at pearwood.info
Sun Feb 1 12:47:44 EST 2015
Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
January 2015 (Volume 18, Issue 1, Post 2)
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WOSSNAME is a free publication offering news, reviews, and all the other
stuff-that-fits pertaining to the works and activities of Sir Terry
Pratchett. Originally founded by the late, great Joe Schaumburger for
members of the worldwide Klatchian Foreign Legion and its affiliates,
including the North American Discworld Society and other continental
groups, Wossname is now for Discworld and Pratchett fans everywhere in
Roundworld.
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Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Wolfiekins
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff Technomancers: Jason Parlevliet, Archchancellor Neil, DJ Helpful
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)
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INDEX:
01) MORE QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) THE WOSSNAME REVIEW: PHILOSOPHY AND TERRY PRATCHETT
05) ALZHEIMER'S NEWS
06) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
07) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
08) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
09) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
10) CLOSE
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01) QUOTE OF THE MONTH
"If Pratchett is sometimes accused of literature, I hope this book makes
the case that he can be accused of philosophy as well."
– James B South, speaking of Philosophy and Terry Pratchett
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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
Here we are in the final hours of January, and here is the (very long)
Wossname review of Philosophy and Terry Pratchett as promised! See item
4. This really is a book worth having, in my opinion.
There are some very inventive fundraisers for Alzheimer's research these
days. Read about two of them in section 5.
In the Odds and Sods section, one reviewer compares Pratchett
unfavourably to Wodehouse, a vastly inferior writer – and before you
start throwing brickbats, let me tell you that I loved Wodehouse's tales
for a long time before Pratchett came along; now, when I go back to
Wodehouse, as much as I love his character creations I find him rather a
one-trick pony, his writing stilted to the point of tediousness... and
yet when I go back even to Pratchett's earliest works they still sparkle
with wit and invention.
And that's all I have time to say right now – the clock is ticking!
– Annie Mac, Editor
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03) ODDS AND SODS
3.1 DRAGONS AT CRUMBLING CASTLE!
To celebrate the USA release of Dragons at Crumbling Castle, Tor offer a
free online read of one of the stories. "The Great Speck" is great fun –
to read, go to:
http://t.co/kxphmNgt1D
Also, Dragons at Crumbling Castle is reviewed in The Guardian by an
age-appropriate reviewer:
"Throughout the book are little illustrations that help tell the
stories. Some of the pictures are quite funny and make you laugh... The
sort of language he uses is fun for younger children. He uses lots of
descriptive words in his writing and this helps with the fantasy. The
worlds he creates are crazy, like on specks of dust and in carpets. His
characters names are exciting and ridiculous, for example Jem
Stronginthearm and Christopher Pilgarlic. There is good use of different
font sizes to express extra enthusiasm into the sentence or sound
effects. This book is good to read on your own or to younger children as
a bedtime story. It is a great read and inspires you to write small
fantasy stories yourself. I have written one already myself..."
http://bit.ly/1DbHQ0g
3.2 PHILOSOPHY AND TERRY PRATCHETT!
...and to celebrate the release of Philosophy and Terry Pratchett,
publishers Palgrave Macmillan offer the first essay of the collection
for free online reading – "A Golem Is Not Born, but Rather Becomes, a
Woman", by co-editor Jacob M Held:
http://www.palgrave.com/resources/sample-chapters/9781137360151_sample.pdf
3.3 REVIEWS: NIGHT WATCH AND RAISING STEAM!
Long, thoughtful reviews/analyses from the (not individually named)
bookfoxes of the Vulpes Libris site. I have to say that the first
reviewer is so spectacularly wrong about Night Watch that it could move
certain also unnamed persons to desire finding said reviewer and
verbally tearing him/her/them a new 'un, but here it is anyway...
Night Watch:
"Terry Pratchett is an original, and there are not many of them about –
neither human personalities nor writing voices. His style gets under the
nails, bleeds into books far from his own. He does the multitudinous
texts incarnadine. I know I am not alone among writers in having, at the
bottom of my hard-drive, a story I wrote many years ago, where his style
can be found in every sentence. He is as influential as influenza; he is
catching. And there are even less influential writers around than there
are original ones. Yes, that is how good Terry Pratchett is, when he is
at his best. (And he isn't always at his best, he isn't even always
good: how could he be with the amount of books he writes? Night Watch,
for example, isn't one of his best). I think of him as a modern-day
Dickens, both light and heavy, comic and serious – a molecular cuisine
paradox, egg-yolk that tastes of peaches. We know his riff: a fantasy
world cooked up with precise logic, a satire in a pointy hat, a metaphor
led to extremes and made to drink them... Some of his strongest writing
has been about the pull, the tide, of story... Night Watch isn't his
best book. Vimes goes back in time, blah blah, if you don't know Fred
Colon and Nobby Nobbs you'll be confused. There's a curiously
unimpressive personification of pure evil (two, in fact: Carcer, who's
Begbie with brain cells; and Swing: a curiouslypunctuated Gestapo man)
The best bit is Vetinari as a young man, an assassin so far beyond the
black he's inside the pale. But that won't mean much to you if you
haven't already met the inexorable and inimitable Patrician, arguably
Pratchett's finest character (apart, of course, from the city of
Ankh-Morpork herself)... Night Watch felt slap-dash, and he's no
wordsmith. Words get him from joke to moral to joke, and he'll always
sacrifice character for comedy..."
http://bit.ly/1yWfB6h
...and Raising Steam:
"It's a good solid novel, perfectly Pratchettian in plot, structure,
style, jokes, and blatant silliness. It's one of the longer novels, I
think, and drags a bit in the first half, picking up speed when the
train gets going on its rescue mission to Uberwald, when (at last) the
multiple plot lines finally work together to create the necessary
tension. Well-known railway-linked cultural references are not so much
nodded at as kidnapped and remodelled... But. There's something
different about this Discworld novel. Part of the change is due to
Discworld society changing so much and so fast that it now resembles our
own. The magic – in the literal and metaphorical senses – is
dissipating. The jokes are rarer, but they're still good quality. When
he's in a fury Commander Vimes goes totally librarian. A talking golem
horse, that is tireless and can navigate itself, is called NagNav...
"...in Raising Steam horrible phrases like ‘limited shelf life' or ‘the
attitude of dwarfs when it comes to gender' are used, and ignored,
without any comment, or even a joke. Which is terribly sad... I
encourage my students to study his fiction because Terry Pratchett is
the greatest living British satirical novelist. He is a genius and I
love the stories he tells. But, things have changed, and the savage,
sharp, critical voice of anger at intolerance and stupidity that used to
drive the Discworld novels has changed as well. There's also a sad sense
that many characters have only been brought into this novel for a
farewell appearance. Captain Angua, the only werewolf in the Watch, only
appears in the story to remark about the mess left after a skirmish.
Sergeant Colon and Nobby Nobbs are not favourites of mine, but their
comic potential deserves better than wasted scenes where they only tell
each other, and the reader, what's going on. We return to Uberwald, the
very frightening home of traditional vampires and werewolves, and yet we
experience none of the terror and medievalism of The Fifth Elephant...
Raising Steam is a paean to train-lovers, and the lore of the track. But
it sometimes forgets to be funny in its eagerness to be instructional.
Maybe if you read this as a trainhead, the things I grumble about won't
be so annoying. Maybe it's just me because I love Pratchett's
storytelling almost more than the stories..."
http://bit.ly/1LckU6v
3.4 REVIEW: SCIENCE OF DISCWORLD 2: THE GLOBE
By N.C Sanders on Science Fiction.com:
"With an opening involving Wizards heading to Roundworld (AKA Earth) to
investigate something called ‘humans', ‘The Globe' begins in the
delightfully absurd fashion Pratchett is known for. It doesn't take long
for the book to reveal itself as quite more than that though. In the
second chapter, the narrative shifts to a very detailed and highly
thought out explanation of the science and history behind the story,
while still maintain the breezy, fun tone that the rest of the book
holds so well. While this tonal shift between traditional narrative and
in-depth exploration of scientific ideas can be a bit of a shock to one
not expecting it, the switch also proves to be its greatest strength.
'The Globe' manages to cover everything from the origin of human life on
earth, to the birth of art, William Shakespeare, Elves, Wizards, time
travel, and altering history with such brilliant effortlessness that it
all gels into a cohesive and exciting whole..."
http://sciencefiction.com/2015/01/29/book-review-globe-terry-pratchett
3.5 THE WINTERSMITH TOUR 2015
Steeleye Span will be touring the UK tour in 2015:
"Wintersmith saw Steeleye return to the UK album charts – the resulting
concert tour was a celebration of both the past and the present. With
violinist Peter Knight making his farewell, these live shows marked a
major chapter in the band's history. On the 2015 UK tour, many fans old
and new will get to see new violinist Jessie May Smart... Another
relatively new Steeleye Span member is composer, singer-songwriter and
Steeleye lead guitarist Julian Littman, who has played and performed
with artists from Gerry Rafferty, Charlie Dore and Dexy's Midnight
Runners to Sister Sledge and Phillip Bailey..."
Steeleye will be playing at the Theatre Royale in Margate on 24th
February. The box office phone is 01843 792795.
www.kentnews.co.uk/leisure/steeleye_span_to_hit_road_on_full_uk_tour_1_3930922
For more information, news and tour info, go to:
www.steeleyespan.org.uk
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
04) THE TURTLE THINKS: A REVIEW OF PHILOSOPHY AND TERRY PRATCHETT, IN
TWO PARTS
By Annie Mac
Terry Pratchett is famed for his satirical portrayal of real human
behaviours, and nowhere is this more evident than in his depiction of
the Ephebian philosophers in Small Gods. While caricaturing the
unworldly and foolishly disputatious nature of many real-world
philosophers through the ages, he also reminds us that these
theory-obsessed dreamers have also come up with some of humanity's great
practical ideas. The Ephebian philosophers may have spent their days
mostly arguing about trivialities, but they were also the ones whose
investigations into the nature of the world gave Ephebe its mighty
Weapon of Mass Protection. I have long championed Pratchett's practice
of inserting "stealth philosophy" into his works as being even more
important in the long term than the brilliance of his writing; now, in
Philosophy and Terry Pratchett, professional thinkers Jacob M Held and
James B South offer the world a scholarly look at philosophical
principles and conundra through examination of characters from the
Discworld and elsewhere in the Pratchettverse.
I have always had mixed feelings about philosophy, the general thrust of
those being that while philosophy as a discipline – the profession of
thinking about thinking – is a wise and necessary one, practising
philosophers themselves are far too often pointlessly impractical. So it
was with great interest but more than a little trepidation that I
approached Jacob M. Held and James B. South's "Philosophy and Terry
Pratchett". Having read and considered the book at length, I can now
report that this is a worthwhile book, an interesting book, and an
important work to present to all readers, not just to Terry Pratchett's
ever-widening fan base.
Philosophy and Terry Pratchett is composed of thirteen essays, divided
into four sections: "Self-Perception, Narrative and Identity"; "Social
and Political Philosophy"; "Ethics and the Good Life"; and "Logic and
Metaphysics". Each essay is footnoted – as one would rightly expect,
this being not only an academic endeavour but also a study of an author
famed for his footnotes – with source notes included, and the book has
brief biographies for each of the thirteen authors at the beginning and
a proper index at the end.
I have only one strong criticism: Philosophy and Terry Pratchett seems
to me to have been written and edited with a specific audience in mind,
students of philosophy who are familiar with the works of Pratchett.
Readers out in the wider world who may not have been exposed to any
formal philosophy courses, and so probably know about Plato, Socrates
and Rene Descartes (if only from Monty Python's Philosophers Song!) but
not much more, may find themselves hitting a bump in the road and
needing to resort to Wikipedia from time to time.
All in all, Philosophy and Terry Pratchett gets a thumbs-up from this
reviewer. This book deserves its place not only on the bookshelves of
millions of Pratchett fans, but also as a worthy addition to the
Philosophy section in bookshops and libraries***. Now go buy yourself a
copy!
*
Part ye Seconde:
Here is a short description of each of the thirteen essays, in random
order, with my own opinions plainly stated. As the saying goes, your
mileage may vary – especially when it comes to the last one...
* Equality and Difference: Just Because the Disc Is Flat, Doesn't Make
It a Level Playing Field for All (Ben Saunders)
This is an well-constructed essay on the reasoning behind, and ethics
of, positive prejudice, starting from the premise that "Sometimes people
need to be treated differently in order to be treated as equals" and
interweaving Discworld examples throughout the discourse in a way that
does credit to both. Saunders tackles the concepts of equality of
wellbeing, equality of resources, and they ways in which this approach
"does have something in common with equality as sameness, namely its
blindness to group difference." He also shows a whimsical – and
Discworld-worthy – sense of fun. On the evidence presented here, I'd say
I would gladly attend his lectures.
* A Golem Is Not Born, but Rather Becomes, a Woman (Jacob M Held)
It's not often you find the opinions of Simone de Beauvoir and Gladys
the Golem sharing the same paragraphs, but the juxtaposition works well.
As Mr Held writes, "just because gender is a construct, doesn't mean it
isn't real. Constructs are real insofar as expectations are imposed and
asserted, often through punitive measures on members of a particular
group, a pressure Tiffany Aching feels when she recognizes that she
can't ever live up to the name 'Tiffany', nor does she want to follow
her cultural destiny of becoming a wife..." Held refers repeatedly to
philosopher Judith Butler and her theory of gender performativity, and
discusses Monstrous Regiment, in which "Polly and Jackrum are female
but... this doesn't mean they are also women," at length. Far from the
best essay in the collection, but nevertheless a notable one.
* Plato, the Witch, and the Cave: Granny Weatherwax and the Moral
Problem of Paternalism (Dietrich Schotte)
Schotte offers a fascinating essay on the ethics of controlling the
behaviours of other for the real or supposed sake of their safety, but I
have a quibble – not necessarily with this philosopher, but rather with
one of his terms: he constantly refers to "paternalism" where it seems
obvious, to me at any rate, that what he *means* is "parentalism" (see
what I did there? No letters were harmed in the making of this anagram);
in reality, the individual parent/guardian figure controlling the
actions of a child or (perceived) less worldly-wise person for the sake
of its safety is most often the mother, and as "paternalism" derives
from the old Latatian word for "father" – as Mr Schotte points out,
surely unnecessarily given the likely erudition of someone who's both a
Pratchett fan *and* willing to read treatises on philosophy – I do find
the term problematic. "Paternalism" also carries connotations of "Father
knows best – or rather, *thinks* he knows best". Pratchett's primary
witches, unlike "Father", know themselves well enough to know when they
do or don't know best. And let us not forget that on the Discworld only
women can be witches, just as (almost) only men can be wizards, so
paternalism is unlikely to be an issue in the world of witching there.
Still – good essay.
* Millennium Hand and Shrimp: On the Importance of Being in the Right
Trouser Leg of Time (Susanne E Foster)
Foster employs Aristotelian virtue ethics in her discussion of
Pratchett's ethical views as seen in Discworld characters' interactions
with the wonky space-time continuum of their universe, claiming that
"the most interesting feature of Pratchett's conception of space-time is
the moral lessons his characters draw from their encounters with it."
The essay examines the possibilities of achieving non-obvious happiness,
the power/responsibility dynamic, and the necessity of change in
personal evolution, concluding that Pratchett's characters demonstrate
that happiness is far more a personal, individual thing, based on life
experiences, than the Aristotelian view suggested. It's a comfortable
read, with a superior flow of phrasing.
* The Care of the Reaper Man: Death, the Auditors, and the Importance of
Individuality (Erica L Neely)
Any discussion of the ongoing war between Death of the Discworld and the
Auditors engages me; anyone who discusses David Hume and Jean-Jacques
Rousseau gets my full attention; Neely ticks both boxes in her essay on
individuality versus the collective: "While this may distress the
Auditors, it is fundamental to the nature of humans – we are individuals
and must e treated as such. To ignore this and attempt to deal with
humans purely collectively is to be unjust." Neely explores liberalism
and communitarianism, the strengths and weaknesses of individuality
versus conformity, and argues a good case for being deeply suspicious of
the tendency of big bureaucracies to crush populations into a
by-the-numbers conformist "normality". After all, philosophy is meant to
teach us about the way we think, and it's always important to teach
people that normal is not the same as right.
* "Nothing Like a Bit of Destiny to Get the Old Plot Rolling": A
Philosophical Reading of Wyrd Sisters (James B South)
South discourses on the Discworld's dependence on narrative causality
and the fact that "'destiny' is obvious, but it isn't true." And yet,
"there are lots of stories we tell ourselves that are obvious, but not
true, yet provide a basis for our actions... The paramount problem,
then, is to be able to distinguish between fantasies that help us live
our lives and those that keep us from living our lives."
I fear I have to award Mr South a booby prize for worst fact-checked
presentation in the bunch. This essay's gaffes include telling us that
"Home[sic] Sapiens became Homo Narrans 'Story-telling Man". Given that
the correct term, as given in the Science of Discworld series by
Pratchett, Stewart and Cohen, is Pan Narrans, the story-telling *ape*, I
admit to having let out an indignant "ook" when I read this. And given
also that South is one of the pair who collected and edited this
anthology, and a major Pratchett fan to boot, I find it egregious that
these mistakes would have been overlooked in his own essay. But with a
bit of re-editing this one would be fine.
* "Feigning to Feign": Pratchett and the Maskerade (Andrew Rayment)
Rayment, on the other hand, made a far more grievous error, basing one
of his main points on a character's name that exists only in utterly
un-canonical Discworld fan fiction. He also seems to have mysteriously
(mis)taken City Watch vampire Sally as having disguised herself as male,
confusing her apparent adolescent look as described in Thud! with the
male impersonators of Monstrous Regiment, to the point of giving the
wrong book citation in his footnotes. He also gets my personal
Bulwer-Lytton prize for Most Needlessly Convoluted and Over-long Opening
Sentence. Rayment's essay reads more like a lecture transcript than a
purpose-built treatise; he is also, for my taste, far too liberal with
his peppering of the text with the names of various philosophers less
well known to civilians – Lacan, Rivere, Zizek, Goffman – another thing
that gives it the lecture-transcript feel. But for all that, his essay
is good; like South, he addresses gender performativity, but goes more
towards exploring masks and disguises in general.
* "Knowing Things that Other People Don't Know Is a Form of Magic":
Lessons in Headology and Critical Thinking from the Lancre Witch (Thomas
W Manninen)
This essay reads even more like a lecture transcript than Rayment's, but
the content is solid: Manninen tackles the practicalities and pitfalls
of "white knowledge" – Pratchett's own term for the factual and cultural
information that people pick up unknowingly throughout their lives – and
its place in the practice of critical thinking: "Once we have our
premises, we are able to use them in an argument to draw further
conclusions. And *if* the arguments that we use are valid (or strong),
*then* we could expect that the conclusions we reach are *true*. But
this is only so if the premises themselves are true – which is something
we don't often check..." Manninen uses Granny Weatherwax's treatment of
Jarge Weaver's bad back, in Maskerade, as an example of the way people
can reach wrong conclusions even when in possession of correct facts. He
also muses on how the theories of John Stuart Mill might apply to
interactions with elves and vampires, and several other entertaining
what-ifs.
* Categorically not Cackling: The Will, Moral Fictions, and Witchcraft
(Jennifer Jill Fellows)
Fellows' essay on morality and free will throws in lashings of Kant and
Nietzsche and *still* – amazingly – manages to avoid being turgid.
Analysing Granny Weatherwax's contention that sin begins when you treat
people as things, she shows that Granny is a Kantian (or as she also
points out, perhaps Kant was a Weatherwaxian!), although "The main
thrust of the idea, of course, is older than Kant or Discworld; it is
that morality begins when one treats people *as* people, recognizing
their humanity." She looks at social competition, good and bad, via the
characters of the Lancre and Chalk witches, and explores the purpose of
cackling-checks. This is one of the best pieces in the book, in my opinion.
* Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy on the Discworld (Kevin Guilfoy)
I have to say that I found Guilfoy's effort irritating. Where the other
contributors take the Discworld as it ought to be taken, a "world and
mirror of worlds" that serves to illustrate certain theories and
principles, Guilfoy seems to be constantly on the attack, criticising
Discworld as Pratchett has drawn it because it's not sufficiently
thorough or realistic enough in its sociopolitics. Um, excuse me, sir,
have you not heard of the concept of "fantasy fiction"? For Cori
Celesti's sake, one of the great strengths of Pratchett's vision here is
that his Discworld people and societies are far *more* realistic than
any previously written ones. Here we have a fantasy world that has
sewers and bureaucrats and vast amounts of realistic detail of daily
life amongst the magic and the supernatural beings, and yet Guilfoy
complains that the "river Ankh is toxic sludge, yet there are no water
shortages or public health consequences. There are poor people, but
social and economic injustice occurs in Klatch and the Agatean Empire,
maybe a bit in Djelibeybi, but not in Ankh..." He then brings in the
work of economic theorists Adam Smith and FA Hayek and compares items to
life on the Discworld, but his criticisms put my back up so much that I
had a hard time getting anything useful out of his lessons. In fairness,
he does eventually concede that "Pratchett writes fantasy not utopian
fiction" – but two sentences later, he's back to carping that "Smith and
Hayek are' in many ways, more attuned to the social costs of a
libertarian society than Pratchett." Lighten up, dude.
* "YES, SUSAN THERE IS A HOGFATHER": Hogfather and the Existentialism of
Soren Kierkegaard (J Keeping)
In his treatise on the power and place of belief and ritual in human
lives, Keeping bravely – and, I feel, successfully – tackles the
confusion surrounding existentialism, which he rightly describes as "the
most misused and ill-understood term in the history of philosophy."
Keeping [posits] that Pratchett's "rising apes" and 'falling angels"
echo Kierkegaard's view of the temporal and the eternal. "At this point
you may be imagining Kierkegaard as some Omnian preacher railing against
the moral decline of society... Instead, he was acutely aware of how
empty and unfulfilling life often was for most modern day Europeans...
in Kierkegaard's view, the purpose of religion was to give meaning to
existence." This is another of my favourite essays in this book.
* On the Possibility of the Discworld (Martin Vacek)
According to the author descriptions, Vacek is Slovakian, and indeed
there are tiny indicators here and there that English is not his first
language. But his logic is so cleanly presented, the wording so
beautifully precise, that as I read it I began to get the sort of
reaction that we shan't mention in a family-friendly book review...
ahem. Where was I? Oh, yes. Vacek examines the potential real existence
and physical properties of the Discworld in the light of modal realism,
which is philosophy's version of the concept of the multiverse:
"...science tells us what *is* but does not inform us of what *could
be*. Nonetheless, we construct thought experiments about what science
might have looked like if the universe had been different, or if the
history of science had followed a different route." Some readers might
find this essay somewhat dry and mathematical; I found it exquisitely
artistic. YMMV, as I said at the start of this section.
* Pratchett's The Last Continent and the Act of Creation – Jay Ruud
If you have ever had to endure, in pursuit of a university degree, a
journey through the often-dreary ins and outs of epistemology, this is
the essay for you. But don't be put off by the hardcore-ness of this
examination of The Last Continent; this is a well-constructed piece,
perhaps a bit more difficult to navigate due to an abundance of jargon
but nonetheless definitely worth reading. The basic premise here goes
like this: "Epistemology is the formal study of the way one perceives
the world. Art is a physical manifestation of the artist's perception of
the world. Therefore art is a physical manifestation of epistemology."
Ruud considers how the two gods in the novel – the God of Evolution
Island ("handyman god") and the Trickster-god of Fourecks ("doodling
god") – can be seen to represent the views of mediaeval metaphysicians,
in this case the nominalists (here represented by William of Ockham) and
the realists (represented by Thomas Aquinas). I have to say that the
image of Rincewind as Knight of the Grail will stick in my mind for a
long time.
Philosophy and Terry Pratchett
Edited by Jacob M. Held and James B. South
Published by Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN 978-1-137-36015-1
[*** As can be seen in this photo: http://bit.ly/1JY1YHe – Ed.]
...and here be a much shorter review by Alison Flood in The Guardian:
"Philosophers looking for fresh insights into metaphysics, epistemology
and ethics can add another author to their reading list, as a study
reveals the philosophical issues explored in the work of Terry
Pratchett... Edited by philosophy professors and Pratchett fans James
South and Jacob Held, the collection of essays examines questions
including 'Plato, the Witch, and the Cave: Granny Weatherwax and the
Moral Problem of Paternalism', 'Equality and Difference: Just because
the Disc Is Flat, Doesn't Make It a Level Playing Field for All',
'Hogfather and the Existentialism of Soren Kierkegaard', and 'the
Importance of Being in the Right Trouser Leg of Time'. South, associate
professor of philosophy at Marquette University, is adamant Pratchett's
novels 'hold up to sustained philosophical reflection. Pratchett is a
very smart man, a gifted writer, and understands as well as any
philosopher the power of storytelling and the problems humans face in
making sense of their lives and the world they live in..." The book is
aimed at both fans of Pratchett and philosophers, and South hopes it
will 'enrich people's appreciation of the impressive accomplishment of
Pratchett's imagination and skill'..."
www.theguardian.com/books/2014/nov/28/terry-pratchett-philosopher-study-discworld
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
05) ALZHEIMER'S NEWS
5.1 SHOES FOR ALZHEIMER'S!
"When trainer-mad Dave Golder calculated how much money he had spent on
his extensive shoe collection, he decided to put the footwear to good
use. The sci-fi loving writer came up with the idea of wearing a
different pair of shoes every day for a year, blogging about his antics,
and using the challenge to raise money for charity. The 47-year-old also
upped the ante by adding a sci-fi twist to the daily photos – showing
his feet in every scenario from sticking out of the Tardis to
masquerading as Minions from Despicable Me and cropping up in some of
his favourite films... the 365-day challenge paid off. Dave, from
Willsbridge near Bristol, collected £2,000 for Alzheimer's Research UK
with money still coming in..."
To read the article on the Irish Examiner website, complete with some
truly imaginative – and fun! – photos of Dave and his shoes, go to
http://bit.ly/1H2FBlQ
More pictures are available on Dave's blog:
http://davegolder2005.wordpress.com/
He is still accepting donations in aid of Alzheimer's Research UK on his
sponsorship page:
http://www.sponsorme.co.uk/davegolder/sole-of-sci-fi-extra-donations.aspx
5.2 RUNNING FOR ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH: UPDATE
Speaking of running shoes, PCA sufferer Paul Bulmer, featured in this
section in the previous issue, will be running another half marathon in
mid-February, once again to raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer's
research. He has already raised £1,340.57 this year, from 48 sponsors.
The Village Bakery Half Marathon will take place on 15th February in
Wrexham:
www.cutefruitevents.com/village-bakery-half/4587273021
To sponsor Paul, visit www.justgiving.com/paul-bulmer2
For more information about Alzheimer's Research UK, or to find out more
about fundraising for the charity, call 0300 111 5555 or visit
www.alzheimersresearchuk.org
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
06) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
NEW NULLAS ANXIETAS UPDATES
On April 10-12, 2015 in beautiful Parramatta, Sydney, NSW, Australia,
you will experience the magic of MOVING PICTURES with a range of
delightful activities for all types of Discworld fans.
+++ BREAKING NEWS
We welcome our LIVE Special Guest Stars:
Rob Wilkins as "International Man of Mystery"
Colin Smythe as "Bon Vivant and Raconteur"
and
Stephen Briggs as "Debonaire Gentleman (delighted to be in Fourecks)"
All three of Sir Terry's closest friends/colleagues/confidants will be
appearing in person at Nullus Anxietas V! This is your chance to learn
what it's like working with the world's best/funniest/most intelligent
author!
+++ BROKEN NEWS[1]
* Meet the stars of the silver screen at the Gala Dinner!
* Show off your costuming and/or acting skills in the "I Wanna Be A
Star" Maskerade and XXXX Factor!
* Participate in Studio activities to ensure you make the best clickies
possible!
* Test your knowledge of Discworld and Movies and their influence on
each other in our Quiz!
* Support the Orang-utan Foundation and the Aboriginal Literacy
Foundation at the Charity Auction!
* Be crafty with chain maille, knitting, card-making and more!
* Can you sing? Dance? Handle a sword a little? Learn all these skills
and more at our workshops!
* And much much more! With one thousand elephants!
For information on all of the above in a lot more detail, head over to
our website at http://ausdwcon.org
Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Ausdwcon or follow us on
Twitter @NullusAnxietasV
You can even get a lovely NAV t-shirt and coffee cup too! (Shipping to
Australia and the UK): http://ausdwcon.org/shop/souvenirs/
[1] Repairs in progress
www.facebook.com/Ausdwcon
https://twitter.com/NullusAnxietasV
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
07) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
7.1 WYRD SISTERS IN EYNSFORD, KENT
The Riverside Players will be staging their comedy-centric production of
Wyrd Sisters in May 2015 (). Of course the first step in putting on a
play is finding a cast. Riverside's Rob Tizzard writes:
"We will be having a read-through on 6th at 8pm at Eynsford Village
Hall, (North Kent, UK) in prep for the open auditions. This is to be a
slick new take on this often performed tale with the emphasis very much
on comedy, incorporating projection backdrops, special effects and live
music. I need you to come and make me laugh on Sunday 8th February at
2pm! Don't worry, it isn't hard to do. Audition pieces are below and
there is many a colourful character to choose from:
www.riversideplayers.co.uk/this-season/wyrd-sisters-auditions
"If you are interested in joining but cannot commit much time, I am keen
to have some people in character for front of house and possibly popping
up in the show. Or you might just want to audition for one of the
smaller roles.
"If you are not familiar with Terry Pratchett, have a read of the novel;
you won't regret it. I'm open to all ideas so bring them all with you to
your audition.
"If you have any problems with audition dates or any other queries,
contact Rob via robtizzard at hotmail.co.uk"
When: 8th, 9th, 15th & 16th May 2015
Venue: Eynsford Village Hall, High Street, Eynsford, Kent DA4 0AA
Time: Friday 8th & 15th – 7.45pm; Saturday 9th & 16th – 3.00pm & 7.45pm
Tickets: Adult £11, Concessions £9 (under 16s, over 60s and students
with NUS card), Family £35 (2 adults and 2 concessions). There is a
Discount Code for buying advance tickets: 'ESME15' until 23rd April 2015
www.riversideplayers.co.uk
email: enquiries at riversideplayers.co.uk
telephone 07704279948
7.2 ...AND WYRD SISTERS IN UPPINGHAM, RUTLAND
The Uppingham Theatre Company Wyrd Sisters will present their production
of Wyrd Sisters in October (25th to 31st). But first, it's audition time
for Uppingham Theatre as well. Director Vikki Shelton will preside over
auditions and read-throughs in May.
When: 4th, 6th, 11th and 13th May 2015
Venue: Don't Paddy's, Market Place, Uppingham (upstairs front room)
Time: 7:00pm on all days
Casting will be for Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, Magrat Garlick,
Verence (late king of Lancre), Felmet, Lady Felmet, Vitoller, Mrs
Vitoller, the Fool, Tomjon, Hwel, Sergeant, Demon, Robbers, Players,
Guests, Guards, and Peasants.
Vikki writes:
"If you would like to be considered but cannot make any of the above
dates please e mail us, [at] info at uppinghamtheatrecompany.org.uk
"We also need people to help with front of house. Please remember that
this is a public page if you wish to leave any contact details please do
so via our email address."
Uppingham Theatre's Facebook page is now active:
www.facebook.com/pages/Uppingham-Theatre-Company/215743641793859
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
08) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
The latest from the Cunning Artificers of the Discworld Emporium:
"After a sell-out release, our award-winning metal smiths have been hard
at work to bring you more of our exquisite miniature replicas of Death's
Sword!"
www.discworldemporium.com/DeathSword
"Perennial bestseller Gimlet's Hole Food Deli Teatowel makes a welcome
return, along with the gorgeous Gollancz Hardback edition of Good Omens!"
www.discworldemporium.com/cunning-creations/home%20and%20hearth/Gimlets%20Hole%20Food%20Deli%20Teatowel
http://www.discworldemporium.com/books/Discworld%20Collector%27s%20Library/Good%20Omens%20Hardback
"Treefrog have supplied us with some of the last remaining Collector's
Editions of The Witches Board Game. Including pewter playing pieces,
larger game board and giant pull-out poster, this is a special edition
to treasure!"
www.discworldemporium.com/cunning-creations/games-and-activities/The%20Witches%20Collector%27s%20Edition
And not forgetting The Compleat Ankh-Morpork city guide, as wildly
recommended by Wossname, priced at £23.00:
www.discworldemporium.com/books/non-fiction?product_id=325
http://www.discworldemporium.com/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
09) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
Updated as necessary...
The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld
Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), meets on the first Monday of every
month at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London W2 1JQ: "We
welcome anyone and everyone who enjoys Sir Terry's works, or quite likes
them or wants to find out more. We have had many visitors from overseas
who have enjoyed themselves and made new friends. The discussions do not
only concern the works of Sir Terry Pratchett but wander and meander
through other genres and authors and also leaping to TV and Film
production. We also find time for a quiz. The prize is superb. The
chance to set the quiz the following month. If you enter via the beer
garden, you will find us at the opposite end of the pub. If you have any
problems, the staff can direct you."
Next meeting: Monday 2nd February 2015
For more information, go to http://brokendrummers.org/ or email
BrokenDrummers at gmail.com or nicholls.helen at yahoo.co.uk
*
The Pratchett Partisans are a new fan group who meet monthly at either
Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things
Pratchett". Forthcoming events include a dinner and games night on the
29th of January. For more info about their next meetup, go to
www.meetup.com/Pratchett-Partisans/ or contact Ula directly at
uwilmott at yahoo.com.au
*
The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South
Australia: "We have regular monthly dinner and games nights, longer
games days, plus play outings, craft-y workshops, and fun social
activities throughout the year. For more info and to join our mailing
list, visit http://cityofsmallgods.org.au"
*
The Broken Vectis Drummers meet on the first Thursday of every month
from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight.
Next meeting: Thursday 5th February 2015, probably, but do email to check.
All new members and curious passersby are very welcome! For more info
and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers at yahoo.co.uk
*
The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets on the first Friday
of every month at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards.
"Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"
Next meeting: Friday 6th February 2015 (probably).
*
The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of
Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis
since 2005 but is now looking to take in some new blood (presumably not
in the non-reformed Uberwald manner). The Flatalists normally meet at
The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, to
discuss "all things Pratchett" as well as having quizzes and raffles.
Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the
Discworld Stamps forum:
http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/
*
Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet on the first Monday
of every month in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney,2000.
Next meeting: Monday 2nd February at 6.30pm (probably). For more
information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys at yahoo.co.uk
*
The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meet
on the first Monday of the month (subject to holidays) at the
child-friendly Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia.
Next meeting: from 5.30pm on Monday 2nd February 2015 (probably).
For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers and
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – otherwise
message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware at gmail.com>
*
Western Drummers, also based in Sydney, meet at The Rowers, Nepean
Rowing Club, Bruce Neal Drive, Penrith at 6.30-7.30pm for food, 7.30pm
for games, quizzes and chat: "If you have never been, please come on
down. You would be very welcome. We eat, have a drink, talk Discworld
and play board games. Starts kind of 6 – 6.30ish and finishes kind of
9pm ish."
Next meeting: probably be in mid-February. For more information, contact
Nanny Ogg – lewis_oz at bigpond.com – or visit their Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/westerndrummers
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
10) CLOSE
Pursuant to last issues Roundworld Tales about a "real Polly Perks", an
Australian online women's magazine called Daily Life features an article
about some other disguised women warriors of note:
Christian Davies (born Christian 'Kit' Cavanagh 1667 in Dublin) "had no
desire to join the Army as a youngster, but disguised herself as a man
to do so after her husband disappeared, apparently to Holland with the
British Army. After 13 years of searching, and having fought in battles,
been wounded, captured, discharged and then having re-enlisted, she
finally found Richard. Sadly, he was in a new relationship with another
woman. Davies' secret was revealed after she suffered a fractured skull
in combat, and she was discharged once again. She died in 1739 and was
buried with full military honours."
Dorothy Lawrence "was an ambitious cub reporter with aspirations of
becoming a war correspondent. Living in Paris when war was declared, she
contacted numerous British newspapers offering her services but was
turned down by them all, on account of her being a woman. The following
year, and aged just 20, she flattened her figure using a corset, cut off
her hair and used a razor blade on her face in the hope of giving
herself razor burn. She learned how to move like a man and joined the
ranks of the Royal Engineers under the name Denis Smith. She served for
10 days on the Western Front before her real identity was discovered.
Lawrence's thinking had been that by going 'undercover' as a Tommy she
would secure the access the editors doubted she could get as a female
journalist. In 1919, though heavily censored by the War Office, Lawrence
published Sapper Dorothy Lawrence: The Only English Woman Soldier, an
account of her experience in France."
http://bit.ly/1wysk9A
...and finally, here be a blogpost by the ever-lovely Emily Whitten,
legendary Pratchett superfan, all-around hawt comics geek and excellent
person. It's about snow, but what it's really about is how authors take
inspiration from real-life events and individuals when writing fiction.
Well worth a read:
www.comicmix.com/2015/01/27/emily-s-whittens-snow-stories/
...and slightly, no, even more on-topic, here is a link to Emily's
in-depth Pterry interview at the 2008 Discworld convention:
http://www.sfrevu.com/php/Review-id.php?id=9475
And that's the lot for now. See you in late February!
– Annie Mac
Remember, the mirror version of this issue can be viewed at
http://wossname.dreamwidth.org/7373.html
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The End. If you have any questions or requests, write: wossname-owner
(at) pearwood (dot) info
———————————————————————————————————
Copyright (c) 2015 by Klatchian Foreign Legion
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