Author Archives: Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

About Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

I'm the Librarian for the Kinrowan Estate. I do love fresh brewed teas, curling, English mysteries and will often be playing Scandinavian or Celtic  music here in the Library here in Kinrowan Hall if the Neverending Session is elsewhere. I'm a violinist too, so you'll me playing in various contradance band such as Chasing Fireflies and Mouse in the Cupboard as well as backing my wife Catherine up on yearly Christmas season tours in the Nordic countries.

What’s New for the 8th of December: Elizabeth Bear fiction; some holiday related offerings including new music from The Unthanks, Americana tinged jazz, Polar Express, and more

Posted on 8th December 2024 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

We think of forgiveness as a thing. An incident. A choice. But forgiveness is a process. A long, exhausting process. A series of choices that we have to make over, and over, and over again. — Elizabeth Bear’s Ancestral Night I … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 10th of November: a grab bag of books from our favorite authors; Richard Thompson and Stephane Grappelli on film; music from all over; and comfort food

Posted on 10th November 2024 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

He tried to reconstruct the story in his mind, but it kept getting confused, bleeding into itself like watercolors.― Catherynne M. Valente’s The Orphan’s Tales: In the Night Garden I’m in the Kitchen enjoying a very late evening snack of hot … Continue reading →

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A Kinrowan Estate story: Brandy (A Letter to Tessa)

Posted on 4th November 2024 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

A letter from Lady Alexandra Margaret Quinn, Head Gardener here in the Reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India, to Tessa, her botanist friend who … Continue reading →

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A Kinrowan Estate story: Breakfast, Korean Style

Posted on 11th August 2024 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

Now that was tasty! I was grumbling yesterday morning to Mrs. Ware, our Head Cook here at the Estate that houses us, that porridge is often boring even if many here like it as Winter breakfast fare. She smiled and said … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 7th of July: A Passel of Roger Zelazny Reviews, A Write-up of an Irish Pub, Two Pieces of Live Music by Rosanne Cash, Where Irish Coffee Originated, Irish (and a Little Welsh) Music of a Modern Sort

Posted on 7th July 2024 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

Time is never called in my recurring dream of pubs. — Ciaran Carson in Last Night’s Fun: In and Out of Time with Irish Music I’m Iain, the Librarian here at the Kinrowan Estate. I‘m settling in for a quiet day of … Continue reading →

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Whats New for the 14th of April: It’s truly Spring, so go outside and enjoy the warm weather. Really it’s worth doing.

Posted on 14th April 2024 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

Remember, pain is not a test. Knowledge is not enough. Catherynne M. Valente’s The Orphan’s Tales: In the Night Garden The tulips such as the one in the vase on my desk here in the Estate Library are the predominant flowers … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 31st of March: Foxes in fiction; new Americana, Russian folk, Persian, and Nordic music; Justice League comics; Cajun music on film, and more!

Posted on 31st March 2024 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

You think foxes only hunt with their eyes? — Tale of The Nine-Tail, a Korean serial Chilly breezes are still with us, but we’ve hit that time of year when the outside temperatures may be anywhere on the scale — … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 3rd of March: Mysteries and Murderbot; fiddles Hardanger, nyckleharpa and violin; springy music; rhubarb wine and dark chocolate mousse and a Seabiscuit, and more

Posted on 3rd March 2024 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

I hate misplaced apostrophes. Detective Sergeant James Hathaway on the Lewis series. MacKenzie here. One moment while I feed Hamish, our resident hedgehog, his live grubs. I keep trying to convince him to try woodworms, but a hedgehog is really not … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 18th of February: More Tolkieniana – non-LOTR stories, letters, references, etc.; music acknowledging Black History Month

Posted on 18th February 2024 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

“There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a … Continue reading →

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A Kinrowan Estate story: Stockpots

Posted on 28th January 2024 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

There’s always a need for a bowl of hot stockpot soup no matter what the hour, be it the Eventide meal or for a break from watching the ewes during lambing season all night long (a task I gratefully now … Continue reading →

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