Writer for Young Adults
This week over at Willow and Thatch, I'm reviewing the American Girl movies for anyone interested in family-friendly period films. You could say that the American Girl dolls and books were one of my first introductions to history when I was growing up, so this post holds a special place in my heart. You can… Continue reading Guest Post: American Girl Series
I don't get out to the movies much anymore, mostly due to a combination of parenting fatigue/childcare costs/fear that the movie won't be worth the effort. But when my cousin Dan Whitener announced that his original song "We Are Gonna Be Okay," co-written with his wife Eileen Kern, was featured in Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman, I knew… Continue reading BlacKkKlansman: This is Why Historical Fiction Matters
I'm excited to share that I have another guest post up on the lovely period-drama website Willow and Thatch. "Movie vs. Book: Crooked House" is the first in an ongoing series exploring recent adaptations of Agatha Christie's novels. Crooked House, adapted in 2017, explores the dark family secrets unearthed when detective Charles Hayward begins investigating… Continue reading Guest Post: Crooked House
On Wednesday, International Women's Day, my 6th grade history class watched Mulan to celebrate the end of our unit on ancient China. They made silly comments about the villain's appearance, laughed at Mushu, and danced along to "I'll Make a Man out of You" (which is now stuck in my head for the third day in a… Continue reading I’ll Make a Man out of You
Lately I've been indulging in an orgy of Sherlock. Not just the BBC show (although we recently finished the third episode of the latest season, and MAN was that dark), but books and radio dramas, too. Modern adaptations, stories that play the Game - I'm soaking it all up. Maybe it's due to the current political… Continue reading It’s Elementary
Or: The Dark Side. Or: The Crusades as Fought by Hunksome Orlando Bloom. Last week I wrote about my admiration for the Masterpiece drama Indian Summers and the way the writers create ambiguous characters while staying fairly true to history. As we were finishing up the show's season finale, I happened to be watching a very… Continue reading When You’re On the Wrong Side of History (Part 2)
How do you get an audience to root for someone who's on the wrong side of history? When you're writing a book or screenplay, it can be a tricky business. You have to make the character seem sympathetic, while still staying true to the history. You can't shrink from portraying the brutal realities of his or… Continue reading When You’re on the Wrong Side of History (Part 1)
With Thanksgiving little more than a week away, I've had cooking on the brain. No wonder--it's the only national holiday entirely devoted to food (plus, well, giving thanks). Is there anything more wonderful? I decided to honor the holiday by investigating its historic roots.(And, as you know, I can't leave well enough alone.)The results were… Continue reading The "First" Thanksgiving (I)
A few days ago I gave an overview of PBS' miniseries Frontier House, where three modern families live for five months on Montana homesteads as though it were 1883. Here are just a few things that were fascinating about the series:the historically accurate division of labor. The men build the houses, sheds, and fences, while… Continue reading Frontier House (II)
It's 1883. You've arrived in a desolate part of Montana with your family and all your worldly belongings, ready to create a homestead and start your new life as a farmer. You have only the woods and the tools you brought with you to build your house. You have only the animals you brought with… Continue reading Frontier House
Abby Murphy 