Brian Kenneth Swain

Bibliography Burman, Edward. The Inquisition: The Hammer of Heresy. Gloucestershire, UK: Sutton Publishing Ltd., 2004. Cohen, J. M. (Editor, Translator). Christopher Columbus: The Four Voyages. New York, New York: Penguin Books, 1969. (in work) Dyson, John. Columbus: For Gold, God, and Glory. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991. Edwards, John. Inquisition. Stroud, Gloucestershire, Tempus Publishing, 1999. (done) Fernandez-Armesto, Felipe. Columbus and the Conquest of the Impossible. London, England: Phoenix Press, 1974. (done) Grant, George. The Last Crusader: The Untold Story of Christopher Columbus. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 1992. (done) Granzotto, Gianni. Christopher Columbus: The Dream and the ...

Glossary of Terms Alhambra Decree. Document expelling all Jews from Spain, issued on 31 March 1492, taking effect 3 months later. Auto da fe’. Grand trial of faith. Ceremony in which conversos were tried and sentenced for their heresy. Bachiller. Term of address signifying a man with a basic university education. Capellar. Moorish clothing. Converso. Jew or Muslim who converted to Catholicism under pain of death or persecution. Convivencia. Centuries of shared Christian, Jewish and Muslim life on the Iberian peninsula Corozas. Conical hat worn by Convictees at trial. Crypto-Jew. Those who secretly continue to practice Judaism despite being converted Christians, or conversos. Ducat. Unit of currency Fuego revolto. Garment worn by ...

Completed drafting Chapter 1, in which Morillo spends a good deal of time interrogating Lope de Triana (Rodrigo’s uncle) and at the end of which he (Morillo) is informed of Torquemada’s appointment as IG, a position he very much coveted for himself. Morillo will be even more hacked when later in the novel Torquemada sends his butt after Rodrigo as a clandestine member of Columbus’s crew. One of the many goals here, character-wise, is to ensure that Morillo has the pissiest attitude possible since he is the personification “the devil” being outrun per the title.  We move ahead in Chapter 2 to some more important developmental character work, including meeting Rodrigo and his family, and the scene in which he ...

Introduction 1492 was such a surpassingly bountiful year in world history that it’s a bit surprising more fictional stories haven’t emerged from the period. In fact the original idea for this novel sprang from the idea that Columbus departing Spain for the New World at precisely the same time and place as Isabella and Ferdinand were expelling the Jews in the midst of the Inquisition seemed positively rife with dramatic opportunity. Consider some of the events taking place at this time around the world: January 2 — Spain recaptures Granada from the Moors January 23 — “Pentateuch” (Jewish holy book) 1st printed March 31 — Queen Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon ...

Spent best part of past few days reading in Homza and Kedourie anthologies (raw docs and essays respectively) with much good new material found re. the inquisition.  I have already begun working original source docs into the manuscript, including testimony from interrogations, verdicts, etc. Much more of this sort of thing as I proceed. Once we get into the Columbus bit of the story, the same will occur except using his log entries, correspondence with the queen, etc.  All is properly sourced, though I don’t know the exact rules concerning use of lengthy quotes from other essays and source docs, especially when the docs are >500 years old. Still drafting Chapter 1, the interrogation of Lope Triana, Rodrigo’s uncle and a ...

I received a new reference a couple of days ago that ought to be quite helpful – The Spanish Inquisition, 1478-1614: An Anthology of Sources, edited by Lu Ann Homza.  It contains many original documents (though the elusive papal bull appointing Torquemada as Inquisitor General continues to evade my efforts).  Most interestingly, there are transcripts here of actual confessions, interrogations, etc., which I ought to be able to employ to great effect in supporting the veracity of the fictional accounts.  I have, as well, drafted a brief introduction to the novel, though I mean to do more with this, likely when the text is concluded.  What has already become particularly satisfying about this project is that it appears all of the ...

At last, some actual writing. Just two pages, but the story is off and running. We begin with Miguel de Morillo (one of the original two inquisitors in Seville, appointed 1480, “questioning” Rodrigo’s uncle, a local craftsman and suspected converso organizer. The goal in the opening sections is to establish a tone of general terror throughout Seville, and introduce several main characters, notably Rodrigo (14 at this time), Morillo, and Torquemada, our main inquisitors. The uncle will survive this initial treatment, but will be damaged for life as a result, a fact that will become important later when we revisit him in 1492. ...

Spent eternity searching on-line for full text version of exigit sinceras devotionis affectus, Pope Sixtus’ edict authorizing the appointment of Torquemada as Inquisitor General for all of Spain. There is some inconsistency in the literature as to whether Torq’s appointment was the Pope’s or Isabella’s and Ferdinand’s, but this distinction is minutia and not critical to my narrative. In any event I would like to locate the original bull, if only to use portions of it in the story. I located as well a new source book that looks excellent – it is now ordered on Amazon (thank goodness they had it). It’s full of original documents and trial transcripts from the period. I added more details to the flow ...

Spent much of today outside in the coolness, which is wonderful, considering this is Houston. Worked at replacing my perfectly good driveway fence which the idiots at the homeowner’s association, in their unending power, deemed too pleasant-looking (i.e. stained). I find myself a bit conflicted about the whole thing though, for while it would be easy to simply let it all be about annoyance and superiority, it is true as well that I enjoy any projects that require working with wood, besides which the cedar smells nice. Of course the whole exercise will end up costing me $200-$300, so that part of it takes me right back to the annoyance. Anyway, darkness has come again (funny how it does that about the same time each day), so I will ...

Started to read the brief Columbus bio by Peter Riviere. I’ve determined that I ought to get a copy of the original Washington Irving biography of Columbus, published in 1828 (bidding on an early copy on eBay now). This will go on my reading list for this book, along with about 25 other books, mainly concerning either Columbus, the Inquisition, or both. I could spend my life reading in preparation for writing this thing! Also spent a bit of time thinking through the full scope of the story, viz, when to start and end it. I will begin with vignettes from the life of de Torres, de Triana, and Torquemada, all authentic historical characters with whom I mean to take prodigious fictional liberties. If I begin with the appointment of ...