How chess can help you with your cursed monkey's paw

Dear All:

I have never played a good game of chess; but I have written good research-papers, and one of them is about chess.

Playing chess badly but lovingly inspired me to investigate the game's connection to (and appearance in) literature in the mid 19th century--when English boats ruled the seas and English chess-players players ruled the boards.  One of the works of literature in question will be that magnificent ghost story "The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs.

I will be delivering this talk in San Diego at a conference run by the University of Pittsburgh and hosted by UCSD.  I encourage all of you to come who live in the area.  The schedule has not been set so I cannot say for certain when I will be speaking but I will post details when I get them.  In the mean time, please let me know if you're interested!