Out in the World
I sort of didn’t realize it was slipping by until suddenly tomorrow is October …
One thing I’ve been spending quite a bit of time on this month is a conference paper, which is going to have to be a post on my fashion history blog — but it’s been quite a process. My research normally focuses primarily on extant garments and visual representations of fashions in their time (that is, fashion plates, portraits, photos, etc.), but in looking for more context on a specific extant garment I’ve come across a small number of letters to and from the woman whose dress it was, ranging from one she wrote to her brother while a child at school (she didn’t like it) to one to her stepmother-in-law after her husband’s death. I’ve become very attached to her! She was a “well-behaved woman” who did not make history, which is the sort I always feel inclined to explore as individuals, in part because so many people act like they were not, in fact, individuals.
What I SHOULD have opened with is that Arrow Collar Man is now available for purchase on several platforms: Amazon/Kindle, Bookshop.org, SmashWords, Fable. The ebook is still processing on Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, Apple Books, and Overdrive/Hoopla/etc. and should be available there soon, if they’re your preference.
If you got an ARC (or if you get it now), I would love it if you could post a review on The Storygraph, GoodReads, or your ebook platform of choice. Or, hey, if you have a review blog and this is your sort of book, reach out to me for a review copy! (And if you’re one of the hosts of Right Here, Write Queer, please do get in touch …)
Over the last month, we’ve had some more updates in Mary Marchbanks:
At this point, all of the key players have been introduced, and the story begins in earnest. Every Saturday, when the newest chapter posts, I’m so excited for another part of the novel to be revealed and become real in more people’s heads than just mine.
And, of course, there’s my Ko-fi, where you can become a supporter and receive the chapters in the mail.
I rarely analyze images of men here, but I came across this one on the CatalogIt hub and it appealed to me! This is very much the style of portrait that Mary Marchbanks would draw. (Yes, this is something I now consider all the time when it comes to art of this period.)
“Captain John Downes” is written on the back of the piece, but it can’t be an identification as Capt. Downes was born in 1784, and this boy would have been born in the 1820s. Perhaps a relative? Perhaps this was intended for the captain as a gift?
His dark blue coat, embellished with a gold star and anchor on the lapel, is the uniform of a midshipman; he would have started as a middy around the age of twelve, with the intention of eventually being promoted to lieutenant and eventually captain. (I say “uniform”, but this is an undress coat, cut like a regular fashionable tailcoat or frock coat.)
He has a cravat made of silk with a blue-on-blue stripe, which makes a nice contrast with his white waistcoat and shirt collar. His hair is parted on the side and has only a slight wave; the length isn’t that unusual for the period, but you do usually see a bit more styling for fashion.
And that’s it for tonight! I’m so excited to have Arrow Collar Man out in the world along with Mary Marchbanks. If you like either of them, please let other people know. <3