Book Review – Pamela Colman Smith and Madge Gill
I recently received a copy of this delightful new book on Pamela Colman Smith (and Madge Gill) by Andrea Miles. The author's unique conceptual approach is a concise biography of Smith and Gill, coupled with an interpretation of each woman's birth chart, effectively...
Immersion in Firenze
"You may have the universe, if I may have Italy." - Guiseppe Verdi From the dazzling but functional gleaming white washing-machines adorning the balconies of small suburban apartments, to Michelangelo's hugely sublime pristine white marble statue of David,...
Loss and grief
In 2015/16, I lost nine people from my life, from my big brother to my good friend's daughter, and many friends somewhere in between, some close. People asked how I coped. My answer probably came across as flippant but wasn't meant that way: "Well, it wasn't me...
More evidence that Pamela’s bi-racial status is a myth …
This looks an interesting book if only I could afford it. This is the abstract: This essay seeks to disprove the myth that the illustrator of the iconic Rider-Waite Tarot, Pamela Colman Smith, was bi-racial and Black-identified. Smith was the descendant of two...
Parc Garland update
As any reader of my book will know, Parc Garland on The Lizard, was the home of Pamela Colman Smith for around 20 years. When I first visited, it was dilapidated but also a creamy buttermilk colour, rather striking, but never seen by Cornwall Council as an house of...
Pamela gets a plaque!
Well, it's been a while coming. Over the last few years, many people from other countries have asked why Pamela Colman Smith, the subject of my book, who died in Bude, has no plaque or indeed any reference to her life in the town. Pamela first moved to Upton near...
Pamela Colman Smith reviews:
The reviews are quite an interesting mix, some positive, some less so. It strikes me that people review books based upon their personal preferences and I thank everyone who has taken the time to review my book publicly because it helps others to decide whether it...
Investigating Pamela …
When commissioned by Amberley Publishing to write my third book on the beautiful Cornish coastal town of Bude, Secret Bude, I never imagined it would lead me to travel around Cornwall and Devon in search of clues about the world-famous tarot artist, Pamela Colman...
Covid contentment?
During the Covid-19 'lockdown', you could say I have been content. I haven’t written much but I have also had no real demands on my time to concern myself with, other than freelance work, of course. 'Content' is not a word I usually associate with. Usually, I am...
Being published during a pandemic …
While a lot of the world is on pause, book publishing goes on. Schedules are created but with bookshop closures and shipping delays, it can be hard to get hold of them. Mine is one of them. As Lionel Shriver says in this article: Q: How do you feel about your new...
