I’ve always had a soft spot for Tom Holt, the British writer of comic fantasy novels. If you’ve never read him, give one of his books a try. Expecting Someone Taller , his recasting of the Siegfried saga, is a good place to start.
I plucked a copy of his Here Comes the Sun off the shelf the other day, and there on the first page found the following—a tribute to his mother, the mystery writer Hazel Holt :
For
MY MOTHER
But for whose tireless encouragement
And selfless dedication to the furtherance
of my writing career
(To the neglect and detriment of her own
prodigious talent as a crime writer)
I would now be the son and heir
of a bestselling authoress
Instead of just another
Penniless
Author
Now that’s what a book dedication wants to be. Got examples of other classic dedications? Send them along.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
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