I met Jon Black in Denton, Texas while I was going to school, and I count Black a friend, though we haven’t seen each other or had a long face-to-face conversation in ages. He lives in Austin; I live in DFW. Where I was working on a Ph.D. in Shakespeare studies, Black earned a double B.A. in Political Science and History, worked for the State for a time, worked as a music journalist, as a ghostwriter, and I’m sure more. Black has always had a passion for history, for a vital engagement with world cultures on their own terms, for imagination, and for community. He has had the occasion and joy to travel far afield, and I’m certainly jealous of him in that regard.
I heard Black had written a short story for the After Avalon collection of short stories, and I acquired a copy on Kindle, but I didn’t get to it immediately. It was only after I was unable to sleep during the early morning of November 9, 2016 that I opened up “Bel Nemeton” and read the short story that inspired this new novel, Black’s first full-length foray.
“Bel Nemeton” was a blessing that night.
Accordingly, I took up the opportunity to get my hands on an advanced review copy of this novel. Black had expressed his keen interest in my opinions after the initial short story and at some point during the drafting process for Bel Nemeton, and as is my wont, I offered several opinions—at length—over Facebook Messenger.
Words, Words, Words 