The older I’ve grown, the more difficult I’ve found it to deal with long books. In my early twenties, I can remember reading T. H. White’s The Once and Future King from cover to cover (that’s 677 pages in my faded hardcover edition), and A. S. Byatt’s wonderful Possession was a bagatelle at 555 pagesContinue reading “Gripped by a Great (Big) Book”
Author Archives: Kim Hays
Switzerland’s Golden Girls—and Boys
The Beijing Winter Games ended Sunday night, and just when you thought you wouldn’t have to hear the word “Olympics” again until July 2024, you’re confronted with a post about Swiss skiing medalists. And I can’t even ski! Ah, but I’m Swiss, which explains it all. Okay, I’m a double citizen, Swiss/US, but when itContinue reading “Switzerland’s Golden Girls—and Boys”
Take Me Out to the Race Track
I reread books. Although I know several people who can’t see the point of reading a novel a second time, I have favorite novels that I read not twice but over and over. There are times, especially if my mind is crowded with to-do lists, when picking up a lighthearted book that I’ve read beforeContinue reading “Take Me Out to the Race Track”
Beauty in Black and White
It has been at least twenty-five years since I discovered a Swiss art-form called paper-cutting or Scherenschnitte. And now I’ve discovered a new Swiss paper-cutter, Marc Schweizer, who’s about to have a show of his work in the Alps. Although the Chinese had already been making paper-cuts for at least 1500 years, the craft didn’tContinue reading “Beauty in Black and White”
Thou and I Will See Him Dine
One of my favorite Christmas carols is “Good King Wenceslas.” It has a rousing, easy-to-sing melody and tells a dramatic story. I especially like the verse in which, with each step, the king’s feet heat the ground, melting the snow and leaving a warm place where his page can walk. But what I could neverContinue reading “Thou and I Will See Him Dine”
What Do We Mean By Old?
When I was fourteen, my family moved from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to West Vancouver, British Columbia. In those days, Gastown, the historic district of Vancouver, was starting to fill with interesting shops and hip restaurants, and my parents sometimes took my sister and me there for dinner. Although I found Gastown fun, I couldContinue reading “What Do We Mean By Old?”
The Queen Investigates
When I was about twelve years old, I wanted to marry Charles, Prince of Wales, who was eighteen. I wrote him a letter, telling him about my plans for his future, and received a signed picture in return, which I stuck in a drawer. It wasn’t that I had a crush on him—as far asContinue reading “The Queen Investigates”
The Land of the Free
A swashbuckling Swiss is hard to imagine. After all, the Swiss haven’t fought a war against a foreign country since 1515, except when Napoleon attacked—and then Switzerland was conquered (although Swiss forces did win one battle against Napoleon’s troops; there’s a large monument near Bern to prove it.) If the Swiss are known for anything,Continue reading “The Land of the Free”
Hunting (and Eating) Game
In Bern, as in many parts of the world, autumn is the season of cool, crisp air, golden light, falling leaves—and hunting. But here it isn’t just the hunters who get to enjoy the meat they bring down: venison steaks are for sale in local grocery stores. As far as I’m concerned, though, the bestContinue reading “Hunting (and Eating) Game”
What Makes a Mystery “Traditional”?
My debut police procedural, Pesticide, won’t go on sale until April 2022, but already I’ve been busy combing the page proofs for typos. I’ve also drafted text for the book’s back cover. Trying to come up with the best way to describe Pesticide made me ask myself: What does it mean to call a bookContinue reading “What Makes a Mystery “Traditional”?”
Kim Hays 