Category: Uncategorized
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Vivian Maier
I’m fascinated by Vivian Maier’s life. Maier was a reclusive photographer who took black and white pictures of Chicago. But her work was never found until after her death in 2009. To most, she was a nanny and a housekeeper. But she left behind a secret hoard of thousands of incredible photographs which were discovered…
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Music to dream by
I’ve been listening to the Wintercoats as I write. I like enveloping myself in a cloud of music. Not too loud, not too fast, not too many words. I helps keep away the pull of distraction, keeps me on task. I’ve listened to Josh Ritter and Isbells at other times. And I’m a bit in…
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Failure
Thoughts about failure seem to be in the breeze at the moment. I came across Malcolm Gladwell’s article The Gift of Doubt recently. And only this morning Leo Babauta’s Zen Habits email was titled I Failed. You may have seen The Guardian’s article in which seven writers reflect on failure. And, of course, there’s the…
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Goodbye Nemo
Our dog, Nemo, died yesterday. Three days ago he was, we thought, fine. Turning cartwheels at food time and ferociously defending his turf. Two days ago he didn’t eat. We thought it was probably a bin raid gone bad. But by yesterday morning there was obviously something wrong, and by the end of yesterday he…
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The Milgram experiment
Listening to psychologist Gina Perry discuss the Milgram experiment was one of the catalysts for my novel Creatures of Anise. (which exists only in ethereal form atm) io9 recently posted an article which briefly describes the controversial experiment and links to Perry’s book Behind the Shock Machine. As interesting and as troubling as the experiment…
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Something unexpectedly beautiful: nodal lines
Have you seen this? A video of sand on a vibrating plate, Brusspup’s version of the Chladini plate experiment, is fascinating. I love the Nikola Tesla quote he begins with: “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.”
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Women of Genre
I’ve just signed up for the Worlds without End Women of Genre Fiction Reading Challenge. I’m using it as a way of discovering speculative fiction written by women. There’s so much there. Huge holes in my reading to fill. I’m still fiddling with the 12 writers I will choose, but having just heard Lauren Beukes…
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Im/possible Joy: a list
Invisibility Water curling down a tree trunk Aching Sunshine A whipbird and a dark cloud A perfect, red autumn leaf Immortality Or the choice of mortality A child asleep. A prophetic dream in which a true choice is made known. Song, sunlight and cake making on a Sunday afternoon. A Tom Gauld cartoon. Anything to…
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I didn’t know your Mum was white
I’m jumping onto a very thin tightrope with quite slippery shoes to protest the curious reaction people can have to our family: my children, my husband, me. It’s nothing like discrimination, or even lack of acceptance, it’s the reminder that somehow you’re other, a little bit different. It’s not awful, it’s just … wearing. So,…
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Strandbeest
I’m a little bit in love with Theo Jansen’s Strandbeest. He describes them as a new life form, “skeletons that are able to walk on the wind”. He hopes that that will adapt to the elements to the point where he can leave them out on the beach in herds. They have names like Animaris…
DJ Daniels 