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

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

“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

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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What’s New for the 7th of January: Robert Holdstock and other easonally appropriate books, jazz in winter, real and not-real beer, a poor comic book, cold weather music, and Gary’s music pics of 2023

  If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased. ― attributed to Katharine Hepburn Traditional Central European and Jewish comfort foods are common here in Kinrowan Hall. Mrs. Ware, our Head Cook, says ‘It’s not … Continue reading

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What’s New for the 10th of December: A mixed bag of seasonal and other Nordic, Celtic, and British music; omni reviews of late-in-the-year music

Books. Cats. Life is good. ― T.S. Eliot Yes, this Estate has cats, some very special cats. That story is told over here. And they start settling in very nicely about now, as they really don’t like the cold, wet … Continue reading

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What’s New for the 1st of the October: Horror, time travel, murder and fantasy, and comics journalism; personal Scandinavian jazz, ancient Persian songs, bluegrass, Americana, and a podcast; Johnny Cash on TV; chocolate and empanadas

Never argue with a librarian; they know too much. Carole Nelson Douglas’s Cat in a Red Hot Rage It is, as all nights are on this Scottish Estate far from the light pollution of any city, a good night for star … Continue reading

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A Kinrowan Estate Story: A Theological Anthropologist

She said she was a theological anthropologist. And I asked why she was visiting our Estate. Out of curiosity, she said, as it appeared to her that we preceded the fall of the Kirk in Scotland by many centuries as … Continue reading

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What’s New for the 9th of July: All Sorts of Good Things

Eight hours, sixteen ounces of chocolate and they’re still not right — Resident Izzie Stevens, making cupcakes in the Grey’s Anatomy, “Save Me” Yes, we love chocolate a lot around here, to the extent that Ellen Kushner once shared her hot chocolate … Continue reading

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A Kinrowan Estate story: Danse Macabre (A Letter to Anna)

Greetings Anna, You’ll be tickled to know that Jack is putting back together the medieval music group called Danse Macabre that he had here well over twenty years ago. Of course, there’ll be new musos including my wife, Catherine, joining … Continue reading

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A Kinrowan Estate story: Reading Groups (A Letter to Anna)

Dear Anna, When you were here over the Fall you asked me how reading groups got started here. As we were headed out for a contradance with your partner and me with my wife, I forgot until now. And when … Continue reading

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