Happy Badass Birthday to one of my favorite authors, the indomitable James Clavell.  Born on October 10, 1924, Clavell, an Aussie-born Brit, wasn’t just another writer; he was the architect of some of the most epic sagas of the 20th century.  The legendary stories he crafted were of dramatic worlds filled with intrigue and cultural clashes.  His books actually made me take a more active approach to my history classes in high school.

When we were assigned “Shōgun” at the beginning of sophomore year, I confess I was a bit daunted…it was, at the time, a very thick book.  But I quickly got lost (in the best of ways) in those endless pages.  I actually considered changing my career aspirations to include “samurai.”  The following semester, we were assigned “Tai-Pan” were we learned about the art trading like a genius, armed with nothing but a sharp wit and charisma.  That year, “bad joss” became part of our regular vocabulary.

The plots he was able to come up with were tight, dear reader…tighter than any fictive thing I’ve ever been able to do.  His characters had surprising, compelling depth, and his eye for detail often made his historical fiction feel like documentary.

I of course recommend his “Asian Saga.”  If you caught this summer’s release of Shogun on Hulu, you have James Clavell to thank.

So today we pour some out for James, then drink the rest: cheers!

N.P.: “Sacrilegious” – Marilyn Manson