Realms like Westeros, in George R.R. Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire," or Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast are imaginary landscapes -- places that exist only in the reader's mind. Until about 80 or 90 years ago, you could have added my Southern California to the list of imaginary topographies. More than 22 million people consider my … Continue reading Ancient H2O: new in bookstores
Category: Myth — nonfiction
Works of history and other nonfiction that examine various aspects of myth, lore, the supernatural and the occult.
Relic, relique, reliquus: Part 2
Besides having a great name, Ransom Riggs is a good fellow (we once sat on a panel together at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books) who's in the habit of making relics. Sort of. As I was thinking about Umberto Eco and my personal artifacts in a previous post, Riggs came to mind. The … Continue reading Relic, relique, reliquus: Part 2
Relic, relique, reliquus: Part I
Recently, two unusual objects entered my life: an icon, and an old newspaper article. The icon, of St. Nicholas (good name), was made in Minsk -- the gift of a Belarus friend. The saint's holy image is painted on a thin slip of parchment that's been pasted to the smooth side of a piece of … Continue reading Relic, relique, reliquus: Part I
Nick Owchar 
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