I was researching an essay on Dinosaur Footprints and I decided to include North Brother Island, which is an abandoned quarantine island between the Bronx and Queens. There is an abandoned leper colony in America, right next to NYC… If you look at it online then you can see the devastation, the trees growing through… Continue reading Research and how much of a story ought to be true?
Tag: dyslexic
How to write and live… And Happy New Year!
On the 29th December a blogger I follow called Cristian Mihai wrote a blog called You either write or live. In it Cristian quotes: “The more you write, the less you feel alive,” says Jonathan Fisher. Cristian then goes on to agree... Except I don't. If you write or you live then there would be a… Continue reading How to write and live… And Happy New Year!
A conundrum
"The more books we read, the clearer it becomes that the true function of a writer is to produce a masterpiece and that no other task is of consequence." Cyril Connolly This was posted in the Thresholds Facebook page... and it got me thinking. Is the only true function of a writer to create a… Continue reading A conundrum
Boxing day and big brown bears
It is strange when you realise just how young you were when you started to expand your vocabulary. Twas Boxing day yesterday and my sister and her tiny son (less than a year old) were round for Christmas leftovers. Well after eating she was playing with Bill and suddenly he takes off for the kitchen,… Continue reading Boxing day and big brown bears
Translation and… creative writing
28th November 2012 (yes I know this is very late - in my defence though I've been up to my eyeballs in toys as my actual job is a toymaker! Feeling very much like a christmas elf right at the moment. An overworked underpaid elf, but an elf none the less.) Yep you heard right… Continue reading Translation and… creative writing
Theatre…
Wednesday 14th November 2012 It was an odd day and I felt slightly off kilter. I'd planned on working on toys for the morning but, due to a computer glitch, ended up gazing at a screen till it was time to rush off to my lecture. So by the time I got there I was… Continue reading Theatre…
Needs Assessment
Friday 9th November 2012 Well I have had my Needs Assessment top-up which, for those of you who don't know, is when the student support analyse what you need to keep pace with everyone else. So what was the verdict? Well luckily they have upped the amount of time I get with a support worker… Continue reading Needs Assessment
The Dylan Thomas Prize
7th November 2012 Well, technically this is a reading week but we were lucky enough to have two of the Dylan Thomas Prize shortlisted authors visit and discuss their writing processes. Their books were brilliant and although I have my favourite, they both sounded great from the extracts that were read out. The first was:… Continue reading The Dylan Thomas Prize
Poetry that I can actually manage!
31st October 2012 It was Halloween and the spooks were out! Actually all that happened was that we had to close the window as the students going to the union party got a little loud. My lectures are held in the afternoon and evening, which does make for a dark walk back to the car… Continue reading Poetry that I can actually manage!
Sonnets and rhyming
24th October 2012 Rhyming - the bane of my life... Sometimes I can barely find the right word let alone get the thing to rhyme with its neighbour. So it was with a heavy heart I went into the Sonnet lesson, but I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed myself. Now I'm not saying I am… Continue reading Sonnets and rhyming
Kate Murray - Cleaver 