Picture books, poems and Princi. October 21, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in EA300, Instructions, Neil Gaiman, OU, The Principessa Files, books.4 comments
So I’ve just pre-ordered ‘Instructions‘ by Gaiman and Vess. Oh, how I am looking forward to getting this book. But, I shall have to wait until next June. Such a long wait. And such a pity. If it had been released in February then I would have been able to use it for the picture book essay on the kidlit course. As it is, it’s just hard luck. Ho hum. But still – eximacited!
It’s getting very stressful here. There’s still loads to do with moving things out of the back room, sorting the little bedroom out, and general decluttering, yet no matter what we do it feels like more stuff magically appears. There is just TOO MUCH STUFF! It’s even come to the point where I’ve had to start thinning down the book collection to make room, so Skidaddles dropped a big bag of books off at a charity shop the other day. *Sob* My beautiful books! But I suppose it’s better that way, I doubt I’d ever read the books I gave away again. After all, there are plenty of other unread books that need my attention.
Speaking of attention… Gaz came around last night, so that meant a climbing frame for Princi. Not an actual climbing frame, but tall, lanky Gaz! At one point she jumped on Gaz’s shoulders, grabbed under his chin, and started to lean backwards (good job Gaz happened to be sitting down). Gaz asked Princi, “Are you looking for attention?” To which Princi replied, “No, just trouble!” Little terror!
(Oh no. The postie has just delivered a box of choccies. I will have to remember to cancel that membership to the choccie club – although I thought I already had. Now I’ll have Princi begging for chocolate all day.)
Well, I should go and do some Jolly Phonics and learning to write with Princi. I may call radio silence Twitter and blog wise over the next week while I fight my way through the end of the LRRH essay and its further rewrites. I think I need to give myself some away from the internet time before it makes me feel paranoid.
The Other Mother. October 14, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in Coraline, Films, Neil Gaiman, books.1 comment so far
Last night, Princi and I snuggled under the duvet to watch the Coraline DVD on our tiny portable DVD player. That is Princi’s favourite way of watching DVDs, she is forever waking up before me, diving under my duvet and asking to watch Doctor Who. Anyway, she was all excited, bouncing on the bed exclaiming ‘Ooh, I’m so excited! I’m so excited! I can’t wait,’ in a squealy high pitched voice. Chuffed at her excitement (she’s never been so excited to watch a film before, not even when we’ve gone to the cinema), I asked if she wanted to watch the 3D version. No. She didn’t like the glasses. 2D version it is, then. I started the film, Princi rested her head on a cuddly Triceratops and she watched, completely enthralled. I have never known her to stay so quiet or still while she’s watching a film!
The Other Mother appeared on screen. I thought that would frighten her. Nope. Then the Other Mother started getting nasty. Nope, still not frightened. I asked her ,’Would you like an Other Mother?’ To which she replied with a big, squeezy hug, ‘No. I just want you, Mummy. You’re my real Mother, and Grandand is my real Grandand. I don’t ever want you to go away.’ I had to smile at that. Then the Other Mother turned into a horrible spider-type thing. Still Princi was not scared. It was only when the horrible spidery hand started chasing Coraline right at the end of the film that she was frightened. She grabbed me in a Princi bearhug and hid her head under my arm. I told her she should carry on watching because it would all be okay. She peeked out and watched the scary bits and was very relieved when Wybie helped Coraline defeat the spider hand. Then she clapped and smiled at the happy outcome of the film. She even wanted to watch it again before she went to school this morning.
I am so glad we sat down to watch it together and that I didn’t just do a Coraline’s parents thing and leave her to watch it on her own. We had lovely huggles throughout the film, some ‘wow’ moments and some giggle moments, but most of all I was glad that she was not afraid to tell me when she was scared. I’m looking forward to watching Coraline with Princi again.
As for my opinion on film versus book – I’m more a fan of the book than the film. I can see why the introduction of Wybie was necessary (no other children in the book, apart from the ghost children) – and it also seemed to show how the attitudes of the parents, particularly the mother (what a snarky bitch!), had rubbed off on Coraline. She was very terse with Wybie and wouldn’t listen to him just as her mother was with her. It was also interesting that the only time she would really listen to Wybie was when he couldn’t speak. I would have prefered that the rats stay rats and were not disguised as jerboas, although cute it took away from the distinction of mice=good, rats=bad in the book. Although the relationship with her parents seemed more rounded in the film, the book seemed more sinister – esepecially with the rhymes of the mice and rats, and the change in location from basement to garden for the escape from the Other Father felt less scary.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the film. It seemed like Little Red Riding Hood (as everything does at the moment!), Alice in Wonderland and Tom’s Midnight Garden all rolled into one. But when all is said and done, give me the book over the film any day. Probably because I’ve read or listened to it so many times before having the chance to see the film that my imaginings of the story are much stronger than the imagery – albeit fantastic and imaginitive – provided by the film.
Of books and poems. July 2, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in EA300, Poetry, Wimbledon, books, tennis, writing.4 comments
Hmm. Swallows and Amazons. Still struggling. I really can’t find my way into the story. It feels acutely inaccessible to me and this is resulting in the story (so far) boring me to tears. I can only read a few pages at a time before my brain starts filtering it out as white noise. Not good. This revelation had me choosing to start another of the set books for EA300 (registration complete. Really need to start making headway with the reading now); Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve. What a difference! I was instantly pulled in to this story. I had read some posts on the course forum about how people had struggled with imagining the ‘moveable cities’, but no real problem here, with the description of mechanical London conjuring the image of a metallic, motorised version of Minas Tirith. So, with a story I can get my teeth into, I am looking forward to reading today.
Poems. I found a niche of productivitiy last night, scribbling down two new first drafts – although one will be for Princi’s book – and an almost decent draft of Gambling on inheritance. I’ve worked on that latter again this morning, and had my bro look it over. He seemed to like it, but are family members ever likely to give a real, unbiased opinion? I’m not sure they do, as they are probably worried about hurting feelings. But as long as it’s constructive criticism, then I’m not going to be phased by it. In fact, I’d welcome it. I’m glad I have folks whom I can send stuff to and receive this support from. I don’t think I’d be confident enough to send poems out without their input, as sometimes they see things that I have overlooked, or they offer suggestions that help in strenthening poem. Even the negative criticism is helpful, it makes me aware that the poem isn’t working on some level. So, be on the lookout, I’ll be sending you this new poem to look over!
On other writing endeavours, I have finally had the kick up the bum that I needed to motivate me to finish the final draft of Rosie. Trying to find ways to keep my attention away from the stifling heat of last night, I started thumbing through Writers’ Forum. Don’t know why I started from the back, but I did. I read through the competition poems. I skimmed some of the articles, only to be disgusted when reading an article by a kid lit publisher when she said a book about kids being chosen to go to an island to be involved it a televised survival game – to the death – was a fantastically original story; not so, it seemed a serious rip-off of the Japanese novel/film Battle Royale to me. And then, at the very front of the magazine, I found a tiny little call for submissions for paranormal stories from Rebel Books. That was when my mind was made up to get Rosie fixed. I think it would work well here. So tonight the laptop will be joining me in bed.
Looking forward to the tennis tomorrow, with Andy Murray facing off against Andy Roddick. Should be a good fight, that. I am hoping that Tommy Haas gives Roger Federer a good match in the other semi-final, though I am (no so) secretively keeping my fingers crossed for Haas to win. I’d love to see that! As for the women’s semi-finals today, I would love to see Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva win, but I think it’s a given that the Williams sisters will take the wins, making the final a replay of last year’s final. Sorry to say, but yawn! They’re great tennis players, but as with Roger Federer, it’s getting a bit boring now. Still, you never know.
One of those rare days. June 28, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in Sports, The Principessa Files, Wimbledon, books, tennis.1 comment so far
Sunday. Usually a day crammed with various sporting events – well, the ones I enjoy watching anyway. But not so today. It’s the traditional Sunday off at Wimbledon – no tennis. It is that one weekend in MotoGP when the race is scheduled for the Saturday. Assen! And there is no F1 on today neither. Holy heck! What will I do with myeslf in those moments when Princi is distracted by Nanny’s computer or by a trip out to the park with Grandand?
And talking of tennis, Andy Murray is firing aces like it’s going out of fashion! Yesterday’s match agaisnt Viktor Troicki was brutal. I found myself feeling quite sorry for the exasperated Troicki as hammered down ace after ace and picked Troicki’s game to pieces. OK, the game Murray playead against Ernests Gulbis was a demonstration of how to demolish a good player, but yesterday’s game was something else. It reminded me of the 2008 Nadal – Federer French Open final, where Nadal got into Federer’s head and turned the screws. I hope Murray can keep up this level, he should be able to now, because he’s playing some fantastic tennis and I’m loving it! And I think I might have to try to make some time to see the next Hewitt match. He seems to be on the comeback trail and when his tennis is on, boy, is he good.
Well, I’m going to go sit with Princi and read books with her. I have finally given her the pop-up dinosaur book now that she has shown she can be careful with them – she has taken care of her Wizard of Oz book really well. If only she could be careful when she jumps up on my knees. My tongue is still hurting after she jumped into my chin yesterday!
The shipwreck of time. January 20, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in A215, Aussie Open, books, tennis.Tags: Poetry, writing
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Still no TMA, but at least I have a timeframe for when I should be getting it back. Around next Monday.
Lately, Princi has been carrying around this old blue hardback book. It is her favourite, or so she says. The book is titled ‘A Social History of England’. Yeah, I know, you’d think she was a proper little studious monster, but it’s a book. That’s it. Just a book. She opens it, pretends to read it, and tells you a story of her own devising. But I digress… Gaz, my bro, picked it up the other morning and started flicking through it. He stopped on this one quote by Francis Bacon and read it out:
Antiquities are history defaced, or some remnants of history which have casually escaped the shipwreck of time.
I love this! Especially the ‘casually escaped the shipwreck of time’ bit. See, to me, that is poetry. I just wish I could tread in those waters.
Speaking of poetry, my own attempts for a poem or two the TMA03 aren’t going so well. I have started looking at the imagery from the dream I mentioned yesterday, and I am working on dissecting it and rearranging it into a poem about my MD. If I can get it right it could be good. I have also started another on not being able to write a decent poem, so I am getting somewhere, but nowhere fast! I don’t think I will be sending this TMA in early. I will send it in on the day it is due, just to eke out every available minute for me to tinker.
________________________________________________________________
And now to tennis.
Elena Baltacha
The Andy Murray match last night was both disappointing and fortuitous. For me, anyway. I was looking forward to watching it, but as it went into the second set I could feel my eyes drooping. I was kicking myself that I was probably going to fall asleep before the match finished until Andrei Pavel pulled out of the match after his back started playing up. I felt bad for both him and Murray that the match couldn’t continue, but I was so glad that I could go to sleep, and go to sleep happy. And then, when I woke up, I saw that Elena Baltacha had come through her match against Anna-Lena Groenefeld, lining her up to play Amelie Maouresmo in the second round. Yay!
In awe… January 15, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in books.Tags: books, Poetry
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In an effort to try and find some inspiration for the poetry, I began reading two books last night: 52 Ways Of Looking At A Poem by Ruth Padel and The Thirteen Clocks by James Thurber. While the Padel book is great, explaining the structure and internal rhyme and rhythm of the poems analysed, I am finding more inspiration from Thurber’s book, and I am in awe of his writing.
Now, The Thirteen Clocks is a kid’s book. It is a mix of fairytales, each seamlessly integrated to give a whole new story. But that, for me, does not detract or distract from the dizzying use of assonance, alliteration and rhyme that Thurber uses in his prose. I had to put it down after the fist page and a half, just to digest the skill used in the writing. And when I say dizzying, I mean that it physically made me dizzy as my brain tried to keep up. It is fantastic.
Yes. This is a kid’s book, but I’ve never read anything quite like it. And I have read an awful lot of kid’s books over the last few years. Not just books for kids under five, but a lot of YA too, and a few for kids inbetween the under fives and YA. I wont lie, I quite like reading these books. However, nothing comes close to The Thirteen Clocks in it’s uniqueness in the use of poetic prose.
I actually can’t believe that I’m all asquee about this book. I know I can get enthusiastic about books, but usually they are somthing like Little Brother, or in years past – Geisha of Gion, Spares, Necroscope, Creed. But trust me, if you’re looking for something to spark the poet in you, you can’t go wrong with The Thirteen Clocks!
Mooch… January 12, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in Little Brother, Spares, books.Tags: Bloody books
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Today has been a bit of a moochy day. I haven’t got the inclination to write, although I did start scribbling ideas down for a poem. I tried catching up with the 24 marathon that was V-plussed last week, but only managed one episode before my brain meandered. Then I carried on reading Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. (This was when Princi and I had stopped playing Pirate Ponies.)
I cannot rate Little Brother high enough. It is one of those books that is just blowing me away as I read it. It is fiction, but it is jam packed with tons of non-fiction elements that bring the plot to life. I nearly put the book down and didn’t pick it up again after a particularly heavy bit of techtalk, but then I found myself giggling when two of the characters went to a demo gig on some tennis courts… That brought back memories of studying the French Revolution. I had an image in my head of the Woodstock banner across the top of David’s Tennis Court Oath! The recap of the Sixties also brought back memories. At least A103 was good for something! But OU stuff aside, Little Brother is fantastic. I think Spares was the last fiction book that made me think as much as this book has, and think in a good way. The only problem? I stayed up late reading it last night, I didn’t want to put the damn thing down, only to find that when I did put it down my brain wouldn’t switch off and I didn’t get much sleep. Grrr, not good with Princi having to be up early for school. Nevertheless, it’s fan-bloody-tastic, and everyone should read it. And while you’re at it, pick up Spares and read that too!
And it’s 2009. January 1, 2009
Posted by phoenixaeon in A215, Goals for the year, Happy learning Principessa, New year was only slightly more alive than a dead spider, books.1 comment so far
And here it is, welcomed in with all the glamour of a wet squib! Princi toddled off upstairs to bug Nanny at about 7.30pm, leaving Grandand and I to veg out in front of the TV. Our NY celebrations consisted of The Bourne Ultimatum and catching up with the BBC remake of The 39 Steps. And you know, that’s all well and good for me. Princi woke up this morning and demanded the biggest tickle huggle, and that is the best welcome into the NY I could have wanted. Her giggle is the best in the world, especially when she decides that the duvet is the Gruffalo’s cave and she tries to jump out and scare me!
So, it is list time. What is on the cards for this year?
- As ever, lose more weight.
- Decide what OU course to take next – will it be English language or English literature?
- Ummm, after that, I’ve not really thought. Maybe do some more thinking.
As for writing?
- Get going with the poetry TMA.
- Complete A215 to the best of my ability, and hope for some divine inspiration to complete it better than that!
- Start a new poetry book. I miss collecting all my poetry into one disorganised, almost diary-like but not because I don’t necessarily write on consecutive pages, book.
- Look over two short stories I have started and work out what’s not working, fix it, then finish them.
- Start preparing TMA05 and the ECA.
- Dig out Trees of Buckland, work out what went wrong, fix and continue. Let’s see if I can get it written.
And the fiction reading list for the start of the year?
- Cybermancy and Codespell by Kelly McCullough
- The first 3 trade paperbacks of Buffy Season 8.
- Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham
- Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
And that is that. There are other books, but they are the books first and foremost on my mind.
Anyways. Stuff to do. Poetry to poetise (compose is far too correct. Poetise is much better!). A Principessa to make a fuss over and read stuff to and teach to read and write. A Nanny with wrists to slap for allowing Principessa to watch too much TV. And a computer to switch off.
Guilt. December 4, 2008
Posted by phoenixaeon in books.Tags: Bloody books
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I have updated so much recently that not posting now suddenly fills me with pangs of guilt. Guilt that I am not feeding my newly acquired posting addiction. Bum!
For once, a blog not about writing. I think I’ve done that to death recently while getting the last two stories down in painful, tooth-pulling style. No, today I blog about reading. It’d be about Watchmen, but such a hefty graphic novel I have never encountered before, and it does not make for good bedtime reading. Far too involved. Instead, I picked up Twilight by Stephenie Meyer last night. What can I say. I am strangely compelled to read it, although there is something about it that irks me. There is a definite pull to the story, but not to the characters. I don’t actually understand how that works. I really don’t care for Bella, but Edward has some attraction, and his is the more compelling story. One thing that is really annoying me though, is the constant references to Edward’s marble-white skin and velvety voice. Argh! It’s almost every other page. Far too much saturation with appearance. Other than that, it’s an enjoyable read. And I have to read it before I see the film. I need to know what I’m missing, as there are always inevitable little intracacies that are missed in the transfer from book to film. (Or glaring, huge inaccuracies/restructuring of story, that virtually kill the original story.)
Hah! I can breathe now that I have that out of my system. Back to the reading.
Persistent pain in the arse! May 6, 2008
Posted by phoenixaeon in OU, books.4 comments
Still struggling with TMA05, though I think I have had a little bit of inspiration after giving the question and additional info another read through. I might even attempt a first draft today. I’ve got to get on with it, I only have another two weeks to get it done. Argh!
Still reading Un Lun Dun and enjoying it. It’s taking a long time to read it because I am reading it after studying to help me relax and get to sleep. I just wish I could write the essay while I sleep so that I could sit and read some more fiction!
Well, I’m going into caffeine withdrawal (stopped drinking coffee again. Back to the fennel tea), so I’m off to fizzle out.
