One of my appearances at Can*Con was on a panel entitled Criticizing Criticism. The description of same in the (online only) programming book asked: In a world of Amazon and Goodreads reviews, is there a still a need and a place for the professional critic?
The tl;dr is Yes, of course there is*.
29 October, 2019
Bonny Blue Flag 7.7
Previous First
[Continuing chapter seven]
Cleburne turned to Patton and nodded, as if to say This is your problem. Well, Patton thought sourly, Cleburne seems to have been right about Pickett. “All right,” he said. “This is what we’re going to do. We’re going to finish riding up this slope”—he pointed behind him—“and then we’re going to dismount.” The others murmured uncertain protests, but Patton waved them down. “If we stand firm at the top of this rise, they’ll never come close to us. And they certainly won’t be expecting us to fight on foot.” He pointed to the rifle a man was holding. “You’ll be able to shoot better on foot anyway. Now come on, let’s get moving. We don’t have much time.” He turned his horse around and spurred it up the slope.
[Continuing chapter seven]
Cleburne turned to Patton and nodded, as if to say This is your problem. Well, Patton thought sourly, Cleburne seems to have been right about Pickett. “All right,” he said. “This is what we’re going to do. We’re going to finish riding up this slope”—he pointed behind him—“and then we’re going to dismount.” The others murmured uncertain protests, but Patton waved them down. “If we stand firm at the top of this rise, they’ll never come close to us. And they certainly won’t be expecting us to fight on foot.” He pointed to the rifle a man was holding. “You’ll be able to shoot better on foot anyway. Now come on, let’s get moving. We don’t have much time.” He turned his horse around and spurred it up the slope.
28 October, 2019
Bonny Blue Flag 7.6
Previous First
[Continuing chapter seven, which is a long one and will continue all this week]
“What’s the matter, Cleburne?” Patton asked. He’d contrived to place his horse beside the Irishman’s as they followed the column up a small hill. They were about two dozen all told, and, save for himself and Cleburne, a less soldierly bunch Patton had never seen. In fact, the men with whom he rode looked a lot like the mob that was pursuing them. There was one crucial difference, though: this two dozen men rode in a semblance of formation, and had the stolid, contemplative silence about them that Patton remembered Stewart telling him about sensing at Harpers Ferry. They’d had some training, that was clear. He trusted that what they’d had would be enough to give them the advantage over their pursuers.
Cleburne worried him, though. The man’s demeanor hadn’t improved on meeting their new company commander, and the expression on his face suggested that at the least he was chastising himself for having taken this journey.
[Continuing chapter seven, which is a long one and will continue all this week]
“What’s the matter, Cleburne?” Patton asked. He’d contrived to place his horse beside the Irishman’s as they followed the column up a small hill. They were about two dozen all told, and, save for himself and Cleburne, a less soldierly bunch Patton had never seen. In fact, the men with whom he rode looked a lot like the mob that was pursuing them. There was one crucial difference, though: this two dozen men rode in a semblance of formation, and had the stolid, contemplative silence about them that Patton remembered Stewart telling him about sensing at Harpers Ferry. They’d had some training, that was clear. He trusted that what they’d had would be enough to give them the advantage over their pursuers.
Cleburne worried him, though. The man’s demeanor hadn’t improved on meeting their new company commander, and the expression on his face suggested that at the least he was chastising himself for having taken this journey.
25 October, 2019
Bonny Blue Flag 7.5
Previous First
[Continuing chapter seven, which is a long one and will continue to appear next week]
Walker had pickets out, after a fashion: two men on horseback lagged well behind the rear of the column as it moved along the road. One of the men turned his head abruptly as Patton approached, then pulled his horse around while shouting something inaudible to the other man. If I’d been in less of a hurry, Patton thought, I could have killed those two without breaking stride. He wondered if Colonel Walker knew how poorly was his rear being guarded.
“Halt!” the first man shouted, raising his rifle—one of the Curries Stewart was so proud of, Patton noted. “Identify yourselves!”
“Captain Patton to see Colonel Walker,” Patton said, trying to suppress a grin and the excitement he felt. “It’s urgent.”
“We’ll see about that,” the man said. “You just set yourselves there, boys. Go and tell Cap’n Wheat about this,” he said to his companion as he leveled his rifle at Patton’s mid-section.
[Continuing chapter seven, which is a long one and will continue to appear next week]
Walker had pickets out, after a fashion: two men on horseback lagged well behind the rear of the column as it moved along the road. One of the men turned his head abruptly as Patton approached, then pulled his horse around while shouting something inaudible to the other man. If I’d been in less of a hurry, Patton thought, I could have killed those two without breaking stride. He wondered if Colonel Walker knew how poorly was his rear being guarded.
“Halt!” the first man shouted, raising his rifle—one of the Curries Stewart was so proud of, Patton noted. “Identify yourselves!”
“Captain Patton to see Colonel Walker,” Patton said, trying to suppress a grin and the excitement he felt. “It’s urgent.”
“We’ll see about that,” the man said. “You just set yourselves there, boys. Go and tell Cap’n Wheat about this,” he said to his companion as he leveled his rifle at Patton’s mid-section.
24 October, 2019
Bonny Blue Flag 7.4
Previous First
[Continuing chapter seven]
“But they’ll get to Walker first!”
“Maybe. My guess,” Cleburne said, “is that they’ll hare off like madmen, in a hurry to defend their manhood or their corrupt government of whatever it is they think they’re fighting for.” Patton turned to see Cleburne eyeing him; the Irishman’s mouth was twisted in a small, tight grin. “And they’ll blow their horses,” he concluded. He prodded the horse into a faster walk; the beast protested, but complied. “Whereas we will maintain a steady pace through these woods. If I’m right, they’ll have slowed to a walk within the next few minutes. We may even pass them before the hour’s up.”
He’s too damned sure of himself, Patton thought. But the horrible part of it was, the man probably had cause to be sure. He was a veteran of who knew how much campaigning. And he’d proved himself a good friend in New Orleans. That doesn’t make him right about everything.
[Continuing chapter seven]
“But they’ll get to Walker first!”
“Maybe. My guess,” Cleburne said, “is that they’ll hare off like madmen, in a hurry to defend their manhood or their corrupt government of whatever it is they think they’re fighting for.” Patton turned to see Cleburne eyeing him; the Irishman’s mouth was twisted in a small, tight grin. “And they’ll blow their horses,” he concluded. He prodded the horse into a faster walk; the beast protested, but complied. “Whereas we will maintain a steady pace through these woods. If I’m right, they’ll have slowed to a walk within the next few minutes. We may even pass them before the hour’s up.”
He’s too damned sure of himself, Patton thought. But the horrible part of it was, the man probably had cause to be sure. He was a veteran of who knew how much campaigning. And he’d proved himself a good friend in New Orleans. That doesn’t make him right about everything.
23 October, 2019
Bonny Blue Flag 7.3
Previous First
[Continuing chapter seven]
The sounds increased in volume—and in anger, Patton thought—as they moved among the tall, sharp-scented pines. That’s a mob building, he said to himself.
The members of that mob were gathered in a spot where the trees had been felled on either side of the road—logged for firewood, perhaps; the stumps remained, a few of them visible amid the new forest of legs, human and equine, occupying the clearing. The men were all well-armed, Patton noted; all carried rifles and some wore pistols as well—a few even had revolvers. A belligerent handful even had two rifles in addition to their pistols. Their dress ranged from some kind of buckskin to a more formal dress he wore.
Two men who looked to be related stood at the point where the clearing narrowed and the road continued westward. One of the men had mounted a tall, broad stump the better to be seen. As Patton listened, he realized that the increasingly angry shouting was in response to this man’s attempts to control things.
[Continuing chapter seven]
The sounds increased in volume—and in anger, Patton thought—as they moved among the tall, sharp-scented pines. That’s a mob building, he said to himself.
The members of that mob were gathered in a spot where the trees had been felled on either side of the road—logged for firewood, perhaps; the stumps remained, a few of them visible amid the new forest of legs, human and equine, occupying the clearing. The men were all well-armed, Patton noted; all carried rifles and some wore pistols as well—a few even had revolvers. A belligerent handful even had two rifles in addition to their pistols. Their dress ranged from some kind of buckskin to a more formal dress he wore.
Two men who looked to be related stood at the point where the clearing narrowed and the road continued westward. One of the men had mounted a tall, broad stump the better to be seen. As Patton listened, he realized that the increasingly angry shouting was in response to this man’s attempts to control things.
22 October, 2019
Bonny Blue Flag 7.2
Previous First
[Continuing chapter seven]
“Did you see them?” Bishop Polk asked. “You have to have seen them, man. You must have ridden right past them.”
“I did not.” Ben McCulloch was tired and saddle-sore. “I came up from the south, Reverend, from Crockett. If they’re following Austin’s old trail, they’re going to be due west from here until just before Buffalo, when the trail turns south.”
He turned to look at the bishop, who fairly bristled with eager bellicosity. “Besides, what does it matter? We’re not going after them until I know more about what’s going on.”
[Continuing chapter seven]
“Did you see them?” Bishop Polk asked. “You have to have seen them, man. You must have ridden right past them.”
“I did not.” Ben McCulloch was tired and saddle-sore. “I came up from the south, Reverend, from Crockett. If they’re following Austin’s old trail, they’re going to be due west from here until just before Buffalo, when the trail turns south.”
He turned to look at the bishop, who fairly bristled with eager bellicosity. “Besides, what does it matter? We’re not going after them until I know more about what’s going on.”
21 October, 2019
Bonny Blue Flag 7.1
Previous First
“I think the sun’s come out.” Cleburne tilted his head back and held it there for a long moment, staring up at the canopy of leaves and needles.
“How can you tell?” Patton asked. “I’m still getting rained on. And I can’t see anything overhead but green.”
“Yes, but it’s a brighter green than it was.” Cleburne turned to look at Patton. “I think I’ve had enough of forest now, Patton. Can you make it go away?”
“It hasn’t been that bad, Cleburne. At least we see farms from time to time.” Patton tried to remember how many hours had passed since they’d last seen human habitation.
18 MAY 1851
BOWIE COUNTY, REPUBLIC OF TEXAS
“How can you tell?” Patton asked. “I’m still getting rained on. And I can’t see anything overhead but green.”
“Yes, but it’s a brighter green than it was.” Cleburne turned to look at Patton. “I think I’ve had enough of forest now, Patton. Can you make it go away?”
“It hasn’t been that bad, Cleburne. At least we see farms from time to time.” Patton tried to remember how many hours had passed since they’d last seen human habitation.
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