29/11/2012 Modern timesI found that fantastic extract in The Crimson Petal and The White. This is supposed to be a medical pamphlet the main character, Sugar, finds in the public library's reading room (in 1875). This reminds me of why I am who I am. I am not "healthy wife material", THANKFULLY! No woman can be a serious thinker, without injury to her function as the conceiver and mother of children. Too often, the female "intellectual" is a youthful invalid or virtual hermaphrodite, who might otherwise have been a healthy wife. Oh, and another one: There is no more sombre enemy of good art than the pram in the hall. Cyril Connolly
28/11/2012 The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet TheatreIt was love at first sight... Honest... It makes me laugh, which is no mean feat as I am pretty rubbish with comedy.
Go to their website and watch the little videos. And laugh, and cry of laughter. I did! THE SCOTTISH FALSETTO SOCK PUPPET THEATRE 27/11/2012 Enchanted CastleMy little sister works at Crathes Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Last week was their yearly Enchanted Castle extravaganza: Themed 'Fantasia' this years Enchanted Castle brings you spectacular and dramatic new light and sound effects plus an extended trail into Crathes beautiful Woodland Garden. This nocturnal adventure is a rare opportunity for only five nights a year to see Crathes Castle bathed in light and stunning projections combined with an enchanted walkway of illuminated trees and musical surprises that will entertain set in this wonderful landscape with an abundant variety of plants ancient trees and lawns. Go to the GALLERY to see the wonderful pictures of the event. It is really incredible!
Maybe we can go next year... 26/11/2012 The Secret of Crickley HallI am watching The Secret of Crickley Hall at the moment, which I like very much, apart from the irritating mother character - the actress is very good, don't get me wrong. I just personally don't like "whimpering mother" characters.
The location is great and I love the 1940s bits. I am concentrating very hard on the details of how the makers of the show have managed to convey the atmosphere of sadness and the presence of ghosts in an isolated house, as I am writing something vaguely similar at the moment (ghosts in an isolated manor house, my house being much bigger than the one in the programme). Thankfully, there is no hysterical over-motherly character in my story - quite the opposite. The mother in the novel is at the other end of the "mothering scale", think more of Agnes in The Crimson Petal and the White. 23/11/2012 The Big Essex Vintage WeekenderAfter quite a productive week on the book front (I have added around 4,000 words to The Book of Thoth), I will be turning into a stall holder for the entire weekend as I will be helping my boy on his stall at The Big Essex Vintage Weekender. Music, fashion shows, dancing, pin-up beauty contest (oh, yes!), tea, cakes, classic cars, and a big vintage market! Back to the book on Monday, I have a ballroom scene to write - but not the Jane Austen type...
I have become addicted to my book, Michel Faber's fabulous The Crimson Petal and The White. It is the best book I've read in years - such an incredible, unflinching prose! I really wish I could write like that... 20/11/2012 The HourI watch very little TV, but when I do, I make sure it's quality stuff (and yes, I'm a snob, so what?).
I loved the first series of The Hour last year, and after having watched episode 1 of the second series, I can say it's going to be even better. Terrific cast, wonderful characters, incredibly witty lines, beautifully shot, excellent music. LOVE I have blogged about it on this blog (HERE) before, but Metal have just posted some more pictures and (gulp) videos on their website.
You can go and watch (in my case very, very short, I was ultra nervous!) interviews with the participants and everyone's readings... Thank you again to Christopher Fowler, Julie Myerson and Cathi Unsworth for talking to us, it was such a privilege to have you there! And thank you to everyone at Metal. I am looking forward to meeting with my fellow participants in the Spring to prepare for next year's Shorelines: Literature Festival of the Sea. I am thrilled to have been given the opportunity to participate in the second edition of this thrilling event, which will take place in the autumn of 2013. CULTURE LAB PHOTOS AND VIDEOS Scroll down to ARCHIVE. 13/11/2012 Halt...Writing activity has come to a halt, I need to work to pay the bills!
Hopefully, I don't need all those things above to work... And I can do it all form my very own, warm desk! It looks like my search for a printer will have to wait until 2013 as we are hitting that silly billy time of year again... Freelance work falls on my head and people are thinking about the Christmas holidays and rushing to finish everything off before then. So I don't think it would be the right time to push too much on the printing side... Let's see what happens. |
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January 2025
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