Dalrymple has written a further edition in his series of books that document the thoughts inspired by his reading. The Strut and Trade of Charms is now available at Amazon sites worldwide. Like the other books in the series, the title comes from a Dylan Thomas poem, In my craft or sullen art, that explains his desire to write not for money or fame but for the simple need to write and in the hope that someone may benefit from it.
In my craft or sullen art
by Dylan Thomas
In my craft or sullen art
Exercised in the still night
When only the moon rages
And the lovers lie abed
With all their griefs in their arms,
I labour by singing light
Not for ambition or bread
Or the strut and trade of charms
On the ivory stages
But for the common wages
Of their most secret heart.
Not for the proud man apart
From the raging moon I write
On these spindrift pages
Nor for the towering dead
With their nightingales and psalms
But for the lovers, their arms
Round the griefs of the ages,
Who pay no praise or wages
Nor heed my craft or art.
Like the rest of Dalrymple’s output, he shows in this book that he can mine meaning from what seems like the most mundane of sources.
It looks like we neglected to post about the previous book in the series, Not for Ambition or Bread. So that makes four books in the series now. Here are links to these last two:
The Strut and Trade of Charms – US
The Strut and Trade of Charms – UK
Not for Ambition or Bread – US
Not for Ambition or Bread – UK
Again, outside of these countries, you can buy it from your own local Amazon site.
I just got it, the whole series inspires me to expand my reading.
Dear Mr Daniel’s, I have read several of your books over the years and wanted to tell you that I have always found them delightful, entertaining and informative, often they have caused me to laugh out loud. I am currently reading Sweet Waist of America which has kept me away from reading the newspapers and studying Spanish.
I am a recently retired Psychiatric nurse living in Dublin and reading your books set in prisons interviewing inmates reminds me of sitting in on interviews at work, although the clientele were not similar, and marvellling at the skill on display in the questioning and general interactions.
To close, I hope you and yours are well and I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
Kind regards, Andrew Edwards
I see on Amazon US that the last three of the four books in the series are available only in paperback. While I’m not opposed to reading a paperback, I find the Kindle version much more convenient. Does anyone know if Mirabeau Press is going to make a Kindle version available of those titles, or if there is anyway to contact them to find out?
In the book (at page 48), Dalrymple mentions that he has written a short book on Agatha Christie’s novel “They Do It With Mirrors.” I look forward to reading it, although, like him, I do not consider this book to be one of Christie’s better works.