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 27th of November: sf, mysteries, and an sf mystery; Finnish light jazz and tango, plus music of a leftover nature; autumnal gardening, Oysters with June Tabor; and rhubarb wine?

Posted on 27th November 2022 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

Sometimes, she reflected, she dressed for courage, sometimes for success, and sometimes for the consolation of knowing that whatever else went wrong, at least she liked her clothes. — Eddi in Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks We’ve got our first snow here … Continue reading →

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A Kinrowan Estate story: Of Puppets and Their Masters (A Letter to Anna)

Posted on 20th November 2022 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

Dear Anna, I was lusting after a wee dram of Laphroig very late one night as I wasn’t sleeping well so I got dressed, left my sweet wife sleeping, and made my way to the Pub. As you know, it … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 13th of November: SF from G. Willow Wilson, R F Kuang, Emery Robin, Everina Maxwell, Larry Niven, and some detective fiction; Persepolis; Vonnegut-inspired jazz, English and Welsh folk music, Balkan music; truly bad candy; some Tolkieniana, and more

Posted on 13th November 2022 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

Every book tells a different story to the person who reads it. How they perceive that book will depend on who they are. A good book reflects the reader, as much as it illuminates the author’s text. — Charles de Lint’s The … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 30th of October: Spooks galore! Stephen King, Ellen Datlow, William Gibson; Halloween on screen; bad Dracula; Singing Bones, Metallica on cellos, scary chocolates and more

Posted on 30th October 2022 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

Tom Skelton shivered. Anyone could see that the wind was a special wind this night, and the darkness took on a special feel because it was All Hallows’ Eve. Everything seemed cut from soft black velvet or gold or orange … Continue reading →

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A Kinrowan Estate story: Staging Shakespeare

Posted on 9th October 2022 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

Come in! Glad you got here in time for some theatre tonight. Let’s drop your kit off in the room you’re staying in for the next fortnight before heading out. It shouldn’t surprise you at all that we do theatre … Continue reading →

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A Kinrowan Estate story: Chasing Fireflies

Posted on 25th September 2022 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

Come on in, you’re just in time! We haven’t started yet… don’t just stand there in the doorway, come in, come in! We have a contradance planned for tonight. I’m Kate, one of the assistant cooks here, but I’m also … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 21st of August: Summer Queen SJ ‘Sooj’ Tucker including her performing ‘Ravens in the Library’, Swedish folk music, Matt Wagner’s Grendel and a wee bit more.

Posted on 21st August 2022 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

One flies in to case the joint,  boldly struts around. Two fly in to make it three,  laugh a while and knock each other down. Four flies in with a frowning walk  gains a laugh from out a squawk but … Continue reading →

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A Kinrowan Estate story: Weavers and Stitchers

Posted on 17th July 2022 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

There’s been a group of stitchers here according to the Estate Journals for at least four centuries. And there’s certainly been weavers here for as well for at least that long. And certainly that’s why we’ve raised sheep here so … Continue reading →

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

Posted on 19th June 2022 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

  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, … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 15th of May: Cirque du Soleil, Steeleye Span live, A history of anime, peanut butter chocolate cups, mystery, vampires, and medieval feasts; Alison Bechdel and other queer comix; R. Crumb and old time music on film; Ojibwe Pow Wow singing, Albion Band, Springsteen, Teddy Thompson and more music

Posted on 15th May 2022 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

So… I lied. I cheated. I bribed men to cover the crimes of other men. I am an accessory to murder. But the most damning thing of all… I think I can live with it. And if I had to … Continue reading →

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