Obscuriana

I've honestly never been much of a poll watcher. Granted, the public interest in my historical-fictionalized accounts of stagecoach robberies has always been tepid at best. But my latest project is sure to be more than a blip on the literary radar. I'm researching piracy along the burgeoning organza trade routes in early-19th century Manchu China. My research chronicles the myriad travails along shipping routes bringing organza from the Chinese provinces to eventually find its way to the profitable new markets in America.

Organza is a thin, plain-weave fabric made from the continuous filament of silkworms. It was a rare commodity originally woven by peasants along the Yangtze River in China. From these tiny villages it would make the treacherous river journey to Shanghai, where it was loaded on ships bound for America. The Manchus of the ruling Qing Dynasty would routinely ambush and pummel the peasants along this river route, using falsely-imprisoned Olympic athletes to perform their dirty work.

If the peasants were lucky enough to make it to the small sconce near the Yangtze delta, they would be bracketed by canon fire in an attempt to frighten them into abandoning their payload. Those who made it through this gauntlet were paid a pittance for their wares and sent off to brave their way back to the villages. Most did not survive.

In the big stewing pot known as plausibly-historical fiction, this ground-breaking new work will no doubt prove to be a sensation.

Seed words: stagecoach, athletes, stewing pot, sconce, tepid, organza, pummel, radar, poll watcher, bracket

These fine words were provided by Elizabeth Lenhard. Thanks Liz!