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Narrowly averted a serious computer issue this morning. Fortunately, my amazing husband knows all the tricks and promptly set it right.

This episode is a wee-bit early, as I am off to the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators national convention. I am going with Peter Linenthal, who illustrated our storybook  The Golden Necklace: A Silk Road Tale. Check out his work by clicking on the “Ready-to-go-to-Press” tab at the top of this page. He does wonderful work and is one of the finest human beings I know. Fingers crossed that we locate a publisher this weekend for our beautiful book that needs a “home” (the topic of today’s podcast)!

So…last week we met up with some sirens. Just to give you some idea of how their kind have been interpreted throughout the ages, I’ve included several cool pics. Here you see an ancient vase with flying bird-like creatures holding musical instruments. Great design! See the way Odysseus is tacked up to the mast.

Now take a look at these 19th century visions of sirens. Of course, they are wind-blown and fish-tailed and seem a whole lot more interested in the guys on the boat! Those artsy British men-of-leisure had an awful lot of time on their hands….

Today is the Homecoming of Odysseus. Oh, did I ruin the story for you? He does make it home, incredible as it may

seem, and puts a serious damper on the efforts of the suitors! Check out N.C. Wyeth’s painting below for proof. Enjoy!

Next week: The Aeneid, the story of Prince Aeneas’s back-door escape from the burning flames of Troy! Virgil wrote the epic at the request of Augustus Caesar to link the history of the people of Italy with the legendary heroes of old! Talk about revisionist history!