Allow me to introduce you to a silk merchant in the market at Kuche. Yes, those materials were just as blinding to the eye as they are to the camera lens. As she was displaying her wares to us, the muzzein sounded the call to prayer. She held up a hand, laid aside her silks,…
In Turkey, I saw my first caravanserai. It was built in the time of the Seljuks, but the caravanserais in Johanna’s time would have been similar. High, thick walls all the way around–you can see why it looked like safety to Wu Li. There was running water by way of a fountain in the central…
Click here to pre-order.
Read more One of these postcards with every signed copy of Silk and Song.
It arrived with this message from Nic Cheetham, prince among editors. Which I will be signing at 2pm on December 2nd at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale, Arizona. Click here to pre-order.
I went to China in 2005 to research Silk and Song, specifically to western China or the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. It’s a very large place, Xinjiang, and we would frequently be tarryhooting off in the middle of nowhere, with no facilities. One day, I think it was outside Kuche, or maybe Kashgar, we called…
So this would be the spice market in Yarkand, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China, in October 2005. One of our group had a horrible cold, so we went inside and visited an elderly gentleman who had his shingle out as an apothecary (there was at least one in every market). He had a mortar and…
Cartographer Dr. Cherie Northon’s got your Silk and Song map for you right here. Which I will be signing at 2pm on December 2nd at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale, Arizona. Click here to pre-order.
The Head of Zeus omnibus edition of Silk and Song. Which I will be signing at 2pm on December 2nd at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale, Arizona. Click here to pre-order.
The bestselling Butterup Knife from MoMA. The top-rated Kuhn Rikon Herb Chopper from Williams-Sonoma. Back to Basics TEM4500 4-Slot Egg-and-Muffin Toaster. Meanwhile, back at the bookstore… Email sales@poisonedpen.com or call toll free (888) 560-9919 to have them mailed to you, or you could even (so retro) actually drive down and pick up a copy in…
Read more Moving on to totally unnecessary kitchen gadget Christmas presents now.
(The prices should be spoken of only in low, deferential tones.) The De Grisogono Ruby Grappoli wristwatch for women. $745,000. Put it on and walk down a dark alley for the added excitement of having it ripped off your wrist by your friendly neighborhood mugger. Also, you know, ugly. The Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita. Perfect for…
Read more Getting into weirder Christmas gift territory now.