...these are a few of my favourite things...
BOOKS I enjoyed reading, and hopefully you will too, Great House by Nicole Krauss, and Louise’s first book, The History Of Love, which sat on my book shelf for a couple of years, but after reading Great House, I devoured it in one take. I can recommend both books to anyone who is looking for something that tells a wonderful story but is inventive and plays with form. The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obrecht. Tea was born in 1985, (I can’t believe it! Such a young writer and sooo talented) in the former Yugoslavia. This book is about a tiger who escapes from a local zoo. His nocturnal visits terrify the villagers, but for one boy, the tiger is a thing of magic-Shere Khan awoken from the pages of the Jungle Book. An amazing read. So was Five Bells by Gail Jones but then I have been smitten by everything this Australian writer has written. My favourites are Sixty Lights and Dreams Of Speaking.
Books for those of you who enjoy more than a story are: Tinkers by Paul Harding and Quilt by Nicholas Royle, and for readers who like a dark fairy tale spiced with romance, try The Boy With The Cuckoo-Clock Heart. I have to confess, I was seduced into buying this book by the gorgeous cover, which looked as if it was straight out of a Tim Burton film and by the blurb about its author, Mathias Malzieu: Described by Iggy Pop as: ‘Francois Truffaut with a rock ‘n’ roll band.’ How could I resist? I don’t read memoir as a rule, but in 2011 I did. I think this is due to my current preoccupation with the nature of memory-and my not having one-don’t get me started!
Anyway, hot tips include: A Million Little Piece James Frey, a tad controversial, I believe. The Party’s Got To Stop by Rupert Thomson, I read everything, with no exception, by Rupert, amazing. Try his novel Five Gates Of Hell. John Burnside: I rate his poetry big time and his memoir was compelling. And last, but not least, Jeanette Winterson’s (Come on, she had to have a mention) Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal. If you want a challenge, read anything by Jeanette; she’s a challenging writer, fantastic! Likewise Tom McCarthy, I read C, and was impressed, so much so, that after reading, David Shield’s, Reality Hunger, too, I put pen to paper and wrote a paper: Experimental Fiction: Unblock The Exits, which I gave at the Creative Writing Conference, Imperial College, London, in June. David Shield’s kindly endorsed my paper: ‘I loved it. Nice extension of the argument. Very gratifying!’ After delivering this paper, I had more to say, haven’t I always???? Anyway, to cut a long story short, I hooked a contract to write a book on experimental fiction. Which is why I am at home writing this blog-oops, avoidance technique? No, I am writing the book, honest, but I miss the banter and sharing of ideas, books, films, music, performances with students, I guess it’s why I decided to write this blog? (Thanks Freud) To me it feels like I’m writing a diary.
I have written a diary since 1976! But this is different, this is a diary to share with like-minded folk. I love diaries and notebooks. I keep several. I buy them on my travels. I love travelling too. Maybe I should call this: The Blog/diary of a travel writer? But I don’t do travel writing. Not exactly. Have you read The Diary Of Anne Frank or the Diary Of Virginia Woolf? Try them. Try: The Mission Of Art by Alex Grey too. (I bought it from the American Book Shop in Amsterdam-it’s a great bookshop. Check it out if you’re ever in Amsterdam-on a cultural visit!!!!!????) It isn’t a diary though. It’s ‘an inspirational text for artists and for anyone who has ever glimpsed art’s spiritual power.’ (Well, that’s what it says on the back cover) it ‘explores the roles of the artist’s intention and conscience and how we in the postmodern age can draw on the creative process as spiritual path.’ I see art/writing as a spiritual path. (I am such a dippy hippy)
Last year, I wrote a paper on: Spirituality, Creative Writing & Changing Perceptions Of Reality, which I delivered at the Spirituality In The Arts & Sciences conference, Nice, in June, 2011. It was a wonderful few days. I met some cool folk and shared ideas. I also took time out to visit: The Marc Chagall Museum. (I bought two notebooks there) I adore Chagall’s paintings. I also spent time wandering around a grave yard in the old town of Nice: another favourite past-time of mine!!?? A photograph of some angels I saw there (sculptures, I hasten to add! ) adorns the cover of Dream Space.
Anyway, I digress. So, speaking of kindness, I was at one point, (David Shield’s) A Sky Full Of Kindness by the artist Rob Ryan, is charming and worth a read. See his website: www. MISTERROB.CO.UK
MUSIC that captured my imagination 2011, P.J. Harvey: Let England Shake. Dark, wonderful lyrics and it’s about war. I’m currently writing about war (again!!!! After writing Mirror Cities, which I published in 2010, I thought I’d said all I wanted to say, but no, I’m back there again with the writing of my third book, but it’s also about memories, and special things...not favourite things, Special Things... My second novel: Dream Space is out end of Feb. Dream Space isn’t about war! It’s about Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison and Colette and Edgar Degas and Nijinsky and parallel lives and I could go on forever...I often do...but I won’t) Where was I? Music. George Harrison. I loved George Harrison in my youth. I guess it was all that om and Namaste and meditation. I was into it as a teenager and I still am. I studied contemporary dance for my first degree. I’m not so bouncy now (tho I like a bit of zumba occasionally-who doesn’t? ) but I can still bend and stretch a bit; I practice yoga (it keeps me sane...ha ha) Although when I saw Cirque Du Soleil: Totem, December, 2011, I was awe struck. If you ever get the chance, see them! They have reinvented and reinvigorated the circus genre and can do things with the human body that defy science!
Where was I? George Harrison. There was a series of programmes on TV about George last year. I watched them all. I bought the CD. I’m playing it now. My Sweet Lord...Next I’ll listen to Laura Marling. She’s wonderful, such insightful lyrics: My Manic & I blows me away: have you seen the YouTube film to go with the song? I’d better stop writing this blog/diary now cos I haven’t written a word of my book yet. Although I was up at the crack of dawn, lighting my wood stove, listening to the birds, drinking a cup of tea. (As if. That’s just a writer’s fantasy) I really should make a start. I have deadlines to meet.
But I haven’t talked about films yet: Tintin and Sarah’s Key and The Howl and My Week With Marilyn... I haven’t raved about Airborne Toxic Event and Kate Bush and Joanna Newsom and T Rex (only kidding. Not.) Radio 4 and travel either, my visit to Berlin & the Tacheles art community, the Postmodernism exhibition at the V & A. (Argggghhhh!!!!!!! Postmodernism, NOOOOO!!!! I hear students cry!!!!) But time is pressing on, and I really must write about the impact of ‘The New Woman’ & ‘Homosexual’ on fiction in the period of modernity. Such things entertain me, I’m odd that way. So I’d better get started... after I’ve lit the wood stove, listened to the birds, drunk a cup of tea...
