Posted by Mick Scannell on December 03, 1997 at 07:37:38:
In Reply to: Re: Does Araminta Drink Blue Ruin? posted by Terry Doyle on December 02, 1997 at 07:29:54:
: : But who or what is Araminta?
: "Araminta" was a popular
: : female name during the 19th century, it seems.
........
: : But who is the Araminta in Jack Vance's life? Any knowledge? Any guesses?
: Roger,
: If you mean real life, who's who in Vance's life, you've got me and little enough is known about that topic. Fictionally it's at least part of a title in the Cadwal trilogy, but, if memory serves, also the name of an overbearing female in novel that escapes me at the moment. Those with more little grey cells may have other references in the fiction and I'd welcome any info on who or what Araminta might have been.
: Terry
Overbearing female? : sounds not too dissimilar to those rotund
harridans Smonny and Spanchetta ..... .
For what it's worth (not a lot, in all honesty) there's a shop
in Helsinki called Araminta, which stocks dated women's clothes for the middle-aged (and the frowsty). Perhaps the shopkeepers have a sly dig at it's own customers? Anyone else ever seen any shops or businesses with Vancian names? A bar called Cadwal's? A small industrial unit called Instagams?*
Regards,
Mick
* or whatever that bleddy company was called in Galactic Effectuator.