tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50288093682854656522024-03-12T16:08:16.626-07:00Kieran's CornerDark Poet by the sea.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-31408119398578851492018-10-11T08:20:00.000-07:002018-10-11T08:20:15.746-07:00Review | A Star is Born<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4ItdiyOEzvDfp78HELPbPmXp_zZY62lbvaRLcTvr2GOWg7mJAk0mNXlWfPU9R_zfqIs_T9Tthiekx9rOB5w_fHCdfZL1wKp_hW6F4O3BJqVbxy34lHgYREigjD3GezLDvHEFQ8oIZDSo/s1600/star7.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4ItdiyOEzvDfp78HELPbPmXp_zZY62lbvaRLcTvr2GOWg7mJAk0mNXlWfPU9R_zfqIs_T9Tthiekx9rOB5w_fHCdfZL1wKp_hW6F4O3BJqVbxy34lHgYREigjD3GezLDvHEFQ8oIZDSo/s400/star7.0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'A Star is Born' is Bradley Cooper's first directorial outing, as well as acting as producer and lead role, and tells of the story of Jackson Maine, a highly successful rock/country singer who is nearing the end of his career, slowly succumbing to alcoholism and tinnitus. On the back of a show, Maine stumbles upon a drag bar and watches the outstandingly talented Ally (Lady GaGa) sing. He takes Ally under his wing of sorts, and the two begin a romantic relationship; as she flourishes into stardom, his own begins to diminish, under the emotional strain of family relationships, illness and addiction. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Baring in mind that there are three adaptions of the familiar story, this is the first I have watched start to end, so it would be unfair to compare Cooper's film to any of the other adaptations. But Cooper has delivered here a film so intimate yet so electric, a film that packs emotional punch after emotional punch. Jackson is a very talented singer but it's acknowledged from the offset that this is not his heyday. His doughy eyes and gravelly voice are dishevelled after years of drinking in great quantity, he is very much a man on a downward slope. But Cooper's direction encourages you to route for him, rather than laugh at him. By the time we meet Lady GaGa's Ally in full theatrical mode, you see Jackson's curiosity peak, and the first sign of life returning to him. She gives him a hope that has somewhat vanished in a lifetime of trauma, from his mother's death to his alcohol addiction. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Speaking of GaGa, I have never seen her looking more natural and authentic. The first half of the film strips away her 'GaGa' demeanour, looking fresh faced with her freckles and (naturally?) brown hair. She pulls of a performance of a talented young woman riddled with insecurity of how the industry may perceive her, which strikes as a very fitting commentary for GaGa herself. Her soul is bare for all to see, including Jackson, and it undergoes a heavy transformation when she is on stage. But beneath the heavy bravado of Ally on stage, is a vulnerable woman struggling to adapt to a changing world around her. When it comes to the devastating final act, she delivers an emotional knockout of a performance that doesn't feel over the top or forced.<br /> Speaking of stage presence, Cooper does an excellent job at delivering live music to a cinema screen that gives you the full experience. The intimate camerawork follows both Jackson and Ally on stage to backstage fluidly, pumping the adrenaline through your veins as if you were at a live show. Match that with the fantastic soundtrack, blending Nashville-esque country tracks with familiar 'GaGa' pop songs that fill out the latter half of the film and you have the full package.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> As the narrative takes a sharp turn in Ally's rise to stardom, so does the soundtrack. We witness Ally's moulding of the 'perfect' pop star, how she should walk, sound, to even what colour her hair should be. At first she holds her ground, defying this change but soon it becomes hard to resist. The pop songs are catchy and are more in line with GaGa's previous discography, but they are so at odds with the rest of the album, it's safe to assume they are designed to sound generic and manufactured in comparison to the songs Ally writes at the start (and end) of the film. She still sounds flawless, and the ballads toward the end are some of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard GaGa sing. Her performance as singer and actress are balanced in equal measure and earns her status as one of the best vocalists on the planet right now. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bo_efYhYU2A/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bo_efYhYU2A?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Though GaGa may be the 'star' here, the movie belongs to Cooper through and through. He delivers a beautifully pained, nuanced performance that serves no malice or threat to anyone but himself. The slight ringing of the tinnitus is dotted throughout the film, to give you the aural signifier of Jackson's plight, and is heightened by Cooper's enunciation, he mumbles and growls his way through scene after scene, to encourage you to really listen and focus on what he is saying, a deliberate ploy in order to mirror his own experience. Sam Elliot also delivers a powerful, if brief, performance as Jackson's brother Bobby, who's had to care for Jackson all his life and keep him on the straight and narrow. The shared pain between the two brothers is astonishing, and Cooper emphasises this through that intimate camera work again. Elliot's performance should be a shoe-in for Best Supporting Actor next year. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Aside from being a tad over-long, Cooper delivers a near-perfect film that is fresh, engaging and an emotional powerhouse, showcasing a career-defining performance from himself opposite an incomparable Lady GaGa, that will surely make a dent in next year's Oscars. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 32px;"> ★★★★</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-36827731144406159782018-10-07T07:11:00.000-07:002018-10-07T07:11:07.700-07:00Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) - L.C. Rosen <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0D2zZGgmVnC_RJAauFEe4924twZHqP4vU1gCo5psPIt0s0rzOrXSUArnJ_ruMUu7z1wkXS5WBfqLj4scQ3_MG13cOBr5zNwiLBw6E2ziKSe2Mo9_MXCk0-p6ks1jeH9qDE8Zs9kDi6W1/s1600/JACKOFHEARTS_FINALCOVER.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1043" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0D2zZGgmVnC_RJAauFEe4924twZHqP4vU1gCo5psPIt0s0rzOrXSUArnJ_ruMUu7z1wkXS5WBfqLj4scQ3_MG13cOBr5zNwiLBw6E2ziKSe2Mo9_MXCk0-p6ks1jeH9qDE8Zs9kDi6W1/s320/JACKOFHEARTS_FINALCOVER.JPG" width="208" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"My first time getting it in the butt was kind of weird. I think it's going to be weird for everyone's first time though."</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> </i>Jack is seventeen and loves partying, makeup and boys - sometimes all at once. His sex life makes him the talk of the school, but who cares? Until Jack starts writing an online sex column and he begins receiving creepy love letters, lusting over Jack but hates his unashamedly queer lifestyle. And if Jack won't curb his sexuality voluntarily, they'll force him, taking it to dangerous levels...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I have to give my biggest THANK you to Simon Armstrong and the team at Penguin Random for this advanced proof copy, I was gripped from page one and was up way into the early hours of the morning in order to finish it. This was truly, one of the best YA books I have ever read. Never has a book talked so frankly, honestly and hilariously about queer sex or even subjects that SHOULD be talked about in YA books. I don't think there has ever been a character like Jack depicted before, so unashamedly queer and proud to be who he is, refusing to conform to people's perceptions or stereotypes. Rather than most books on the market that tackle the traditional 'coming out' story, L.C. Rosen decides to break the mould with a story that most wouldn't want to talk about or bring up. In the first few pages, there are very explicit comments and references to foreplay, anal sex and so on. Some may find this to be too lewd and crude, but let's face it, teenagers, especially queer teenagers will start having sex at some point and books like this give a brutally honest take on the matter, more so than what you learn in school these days (i.e NOTHING). </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> If I had to compare myself to Jack, I'd say we were the complete opposites of each other. Jack is a very confident, assured young man, unafraid to wear crop tops, wear make up and be his authentic self. Seventeen year old Kieran was an introverted, shy, awkward teenager, not knowing anything about the gay world, and if this book had been published when I was Jack's age, it would have meant the world to me. Though someone like Jack would terrify seventeen year old Kieran, his story, his support and love for his family and friends is something that can resonate with millions of people around the world. He takes down the idea of what a 'good gay' or 'bad gay' is, what tribe you may be, if you want to be a tribe at all etc. The book celebrates individuality, and the message of simply 'being'. You can be you without feeling you have to what's refreshing is the advice column that Jack runs, he gives hilariously frank, sometimes brutal, but necessary advice that everyone can take something from. It's not all smut! I can imagine booksellers having conversations with concerned parents or guardians, but ultimately, this book is necessary for young queer people that maybe feel like they aren't represented in literature when they are in need of assuring who they are. Sex is topic people tend to avoid or repress, or often in literature it is gloriously romanticised when sometimes you need someone to really take you through the whole story, warts and all.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The story of Jack facing a stalker that has the potential to disrupt not only his life at school, but also his personal life with his Mum, is also highly well written, making you feel on edge and nervous for Jack, just trying to keep everything afloat. This also very cleverly encompasses the feeling of many kids at school, perhaps suffering with bullying or psychological abuse but not wanting it to branch out. Sometimes, it's okay to speak out and tell someone. Sometimes it's okay to ask for help. But despite these serious issues, the book is incredibly funny because it's real-life high school drama. Character interactions are natural and feel like you could genuinely get involved with any conversation and when it comes to the sex stories, you'll cringe and laugh out loud at the same time. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <i>Jack of Hearts </i>is an incredibly frank, bold and refreshing book that is necessary amongst YA greats. Tackling subjects of queer sex and identity may prove to be too crude and lewd for some, but all the more reason to get it out and read by the world. I just wish this book had been around for me when I was seventeen.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">⋆⋆⋆⋆</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">⋆</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Publishing by Penguin Random House; February 2019</span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-2949163670815018182018-10-01T10:44:00.002-07:002018-10-01T10:44:40.000-07:00Less - Andrew Sean Greer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mFhI0plYfTtMREtmzx6WFXfIjxnKAAO3jSeJMqUEGGlaDVkGeujRMRq41EXfDaGZH9FAMGTRowMx3xk2Hxb-bqaz77hwdaU_FLHyDpS6L6en9SLpGRv0JAUebbmH0zGf546HTSVpnN5g/s1600/LESS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mFhI0plYfTtMREtmzx6WFXfIjxnKAAO3jSeJMqUEGGlaDVkGeujRMRq41EXfDaGZH9FAMGTRowMx3xk2Hxb-bqaz77hwdaU_FLHyDpS6L6en9SLpGRv0JAUebbmH0zGf546HTSVpnN5g/s400/LESS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> <span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">“He kisses—how do I explain it? Like someone in love. Like he has nothing to lose. Like someone who has just learned a foreign language and can use only the present tense and only the second person. Only now, only you. There are some men who have never been kissed like that. There are some men who discover, after Arthur Less, that they never will be again.”</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px;"> </span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Arthur Less is a novelist about to turn fifty, and at the same time a wedding invitation pops up from his ex-boyfriend. Rather than acknowledge both of these things, Less instead accepts every literary event on his desk which takes him all across the world, from New York, to Paris, to Morocco, Less plunges himself into one hilarious situation after another and also makes some heart-breaking, cathartic realisations along the way. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This was a book that somehow slipped under my radar, and had it not been slipped to me by a bookseller at Waterstones Piccadilly, my guess is that it still wouldn't have registered with me, even with the big accolade of the novel winning the Pulitzer Prize this year. But thank goodness for that bookseller, as this was one of the most surprising, bewildering and charming books that I have read this year. Arthur Less is a brilliantly written character, utterly adorable in his baffling awkwardness and his voyage across the world. With Arthur, he becomes our viewpoint in a world of satirical award ceremonies and heavily stereotyped characters you would find in the industry. But the skewering of the literary world never feels malicious or purposeful, more rather tongue-in-cheek, as I'm sure many aspiring authors have been in Arthur's shoes. He is told that he isn't 'gay' enough or that his book isn't good enough as no one wants to feel sorry for "a white middle-aged american man walking around with his white middle-aged American sorrows". The commentary here is biting but yet seemingly affectionate, for all that he is ridiculed and speculated about, he carries on, moving forward on to the next endeavour.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Greer's humour woven throughout the novel carries a dry, bizarre tone that stays consistent throughout, measured in balance against some of the more sombre moments. From realising he is no longer as young as he remembers or reminiscing about a former lover, there is always a </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">soupçon of happiness or laughter to balance out the sadness</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> A perfect example is when Less goes to see a Broadway show and "by the end Less is in tears sobbing in his seat and the woman seated beside him says 'Honey, I don't know what happened in your life, but I am so sorry.'" Rather than dwell too long on this moment, Less's reply is a simple "Nothing happened to me. I'm just a homosexual at a Broadway show". What's interesting</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is that Less himself doesn't narrate his tale, though we do get an insight into his past relationships and his early years. The narrator never reveal themselves, hidden through a wisp of omniscient smoke, until the very last page in a very bittersweet moment, showing themselves to be someone Less has underestimated all along. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The only downside, and it's a trifling thing, is that the plot is fairly non-existent, save for Less hopping from country to country, getting himself involved in a bizarre escapade or a spontaneous love affair, sandwiched between moments of Less's past. To some, this may feel annoying, but I didn't mind it, though it did feel a little slow to begin with. The reflection on love, happiness and the art of writing are the important things to take away here, or the realisation that despite turning fifty, it's never too late to make a difference or chase a dream; this is encompassed beautifully by the ending and the grand revealing of the narrator. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> A surprisingly funny and sad novel, 'Less' never truly becomes a true pastiche of the high-brow literary world in favour of making Arthur Less one of the most affectingly charming fictional characters of the year that will hopefully make you crack on with that novel you haven't quite finished yet, or take an impromptu trip abroad, either or. A wonderful, mesmerising read.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">⋆⋆⋆⋆</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Published by Abacus, an imprint of Little Brown. </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-68063091810789848362018-08-13T08:45:00.001-07:002018-08-13T08:45:04.467-07:00In Conversation with Matt Haig<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tnaqlW12MJKNEAIP8w62cxGRM7PyPv2h-NB1fe2pHTqIFQ5igWZRHJOVQq_XHJW0MWDCpEDH1cnQ9n6VDK7Am0QLh_rRMRtudcmP_CLxLGmhlMagCH5ZyVm_m3cT_C97dHQgZE-QULkk/s1600/IMG_1544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tnaqlW12MJKNEAIP8w62cxGRM7PyPv2h-NB1fe2pHTqIFQ5igWZRHJOVQq_XHJW0MWDCpEDH1cnQ9n6VDK7Am0QLh_rRMRtudcmP_CLxLGmhlMagCH5ZyVm_m3cT_C97dHQgZE-QULkk/s320/IMG_1544.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How do you cope in a world that is increasingly louder and more technologically advanced? Is it possible to step back and just breathe without fighting the need to check your emails and endlessly scroll on Instagram? This is just a few questions Matt Haig poses in his number one bestselling book, <i>Notes on a Nervous Planet</i>, a follow up of sorts to his smash-hit <i>Reasons to Stay Alive</i>. Ahead of his sold-out event in Waterstones Reading, I catch up with Matt to talk about the book, the power of social media and how this is all intrinsically linked to mental health.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> At the time of writing, 'Notes on a Nervous Planet' has spent a staggering five weeks at the number one non-fiction hardback chart, something Matt never expected. "I've never had a hardback go in at number one. It feels great, as I was very neurotic and very worried about this book". This success comes off the back of How To Stop Time, a fiction novel about a four hundred and thirty nine year old man which has been green-lit for a film starring Benedict Cumberbatch, and 'Reasons to Stay Alive', a book that put the spot light on mental health and encouraged a conversation to create more awareness, rather than fuel the stigma. When the idea of a follow-up or 'sequel' was pitched, Matt initially put off the idea. "I didn't feel like I had anything more to say about mental health, but then I had the idea of it being extremely helpful to treat mental health the same way we treat physical health: the aspects of modern life that might affect us and trigger us and all of this coincided with me having lots of internet meltdowns on twitter and feeling stressed out".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhru2ai-TSnEJ02w2-ZhGwGg-ODL-_CGKV8-JPEzHCDLhSblKAsA26FD0Nvg6hDqXijVgijqlYGe4lRScQjfE3ddumjyirZn1w9kTXS9ZyQYtq_-0MylAHjk4oieiZI8MavPhIEW3YA8FIE/s1600/IMG_1510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhru2ai-TSnEJ02w2-ZhGwGg-ODL-_CGKV8-JPEzHCDLhSblKAsA26FD0Nvg6hDqXijVgijqlYGe4lRScQjfE3ddumjyirZn1w9kTXS9ZyQYtq_-0MylAHjk4oieiZI8MavPhIEW3YA8FIE/s320/IMG_1510.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>"<i>There was nothing left to say, and I was getting scared of being labelled as 'Mr Depression'"</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Social media plays a vital part in our day-to-day lives, that need to check, refresh, update and charge continually, and I ask Matt whether this constitutes a fear of missing out, a fear of not being part of the collective. Matt slowly nods as I explain all this, "It's become an integral part of our lives, through stealth almost. I don't remember the meeting where we all sat down and said 'shall we massively change everything we do in life and the way we communicate to each other?'. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is something that <i>has </i>happened that has changed the way we talk to each other". Matt argues that this change over the last decade lead to a technological revolution of sorts, one that may have been a factor in the Trump era and the Brexit era. "Change can be unsettling, even positive change like having a baby, moving house, getting a promotion is <i>still </i>a change, it unsettles us and make us go a bit crazy".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> We talk more about that unsettled feeling, that sense of not feeling grounded and how one can utilise that into making ourselves better whenever we seem to struggle. Matt notes an experience in a shopping centre where he had arguably one of the worst panic attacks he had ever had, but he returned to it whilst on tour. "It's cliched to say but time really is the best remedy. When I first became ill, I was depressed for a very long time and my brain would tell me things like I would be dead by the time I was twenty five, my wife Andrea would leave me, things like that.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9X8XCsSm0bdnbblgt8B9p71dyQ1qrMtMeyw5VIRjElA8UXGVs6TCg3LPxm9Vr0JGZ898Y9fjXQK056pSGAwZnEBGPGmmFX8Kjc37C2gAgef2V0xXXu68QOvtBTcds05u1fz4PnkKx6ai9/s1600/IMG_1517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9X8XCsSm0bdnbblgt8B9p71dyQ1qrMtMeyw5VIRjElA8UXGVs6TCg3LPxm9Vr0JGZ898Y9fjXQK056pSGAwZnEBGPGmmFX8Kjc37C2gAgef2V0xXXu68QOvtBTcds05u1fz4PnkKx6ai9/s320/IMG_1517.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>"I'd watched the film 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' too many times as a teenager and all my understanding of mental illness came from that. I thought I was either mad or sane and that there was no in-between"</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I had to live through that experience in order for the fear to slightly subside, waiting for that rational part of my brain to kick in to say 'that hasn't happened yet', so maybe we should stop listening and dull the inner volume a little". Matt frequently mentions getting that perspective, which can be difficult at times but he likens a panic attack or spout of depression to a weather pattern, "It'll be horrid, but it'll eventually break through".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> We briefly touch on <i>How to Stop Time,</i> as Matt's feeling of being perceived as mad can be directly drawn to the protagonist of the novel Tom, as he visits a doctor to discuss his condition but is dismissed and told to commit himself to an asylum. "I wanted to write an entertaining adventure story that also had that feeling of long life having lost various things and reached various understandings, but that's kind of like a metaphor for my relationship with mental illness, especially with that idea of a secret condition that no one else can see yet you feel so detached to everyone else".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> This sense of detachment and loneliness and drawn upon a lot in Matt's first non-fiction book <i>Reasons to Stay Alive, </i>and with the way social media has encouraged more people to come forward and openly discuss mental illness, through all its faults, Matt says it would have been a big help for him back in 1999, as he realised that he actually wasn't alone in his feelings. "It sounds melodramatic but I literally thought I was the only person on the planet who felt like this, I had no one to describe it to me, even my mum when she went through her depression, she never talked to me about it. The hardest thing about the recovery is learning not to fear the fear and to not be depressed about the depression".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTxxZkuBsKqBcYXTDX-o6eYxnbd2jZa1Y7nYFvz2pmVC9BC9xH3QTqBcl8rmmAACqLXjZuioJuVqVUXZIXzwgstd0y9MpOrmvlrfhvsXqW6BdBLQkYNPHXv2AGZnbkAZRYz_dG3Bw3MHs/s1600/IMG_1518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTxxZkuBsKqBcYXTDX-o6eYxnbd2jZa1Y7nYFvz2pmVC9BC9xH3QTqBcl8rmmAACqLXjZuioJuVqVUXZIXzwgstd0y9MpOrmvlrfhvsXqW6BdBLQkYNPHXv2AGZnbkAZRYz_dG3Bw3MHs/s320/IMG_1518.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>"It's a sort of paradise, having known how crap life can be, it's a sort of relief"</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><i style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"> </i>In Matt's new book, there is a section entirely devoted to happiness, how it can be used as our secret weapon, as long as we make our own happiness and we don't measure our own happiness to the level of success we achieve. I ask Matt quite simply when he was the most happiest. "It's those moments of extreme gratitude, those little moments you have. Travel is my big thing, going abroad or travelling around the country is such a good way of getting perspective of who you are. We went to a few Greek islands last year and I remember on the ferry I had this feeling of being totally happy".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> Before our interview rounds up, we talk about the ideology of toxic masculinity, something that Matt discusses a lot in both <i>Notes </i>and <i>Reasons </i>but we are still a long way off of seeing things get formidably better. "Suicide statistics and addiction statistics seem to imply that there is a problem with men looking after themselves and not being toxic to themselves.</span><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> T</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">oxic masculinity affects other people and poisons
inwards as well, which is why it has all those destructive effects and I think
men haven’t really caught</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">up with women
in terms of knowing how to talk</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">about
being male</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">or even have the discussion
about it. When the discussion does happen, men can get very defensive. It exudes
the toxicity that needs to be dismantled, it’s about recognising in ourselves and
recognising the things that we were encouraged to do when were younger that are
not healthy".</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> We part ways before Matt begins his talk, but not before I show him my tattoo on my forearm that was directly inspired by </span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">How to Stop Time</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. He beams radiantly and asks to take a picture, later posting it on his </span>Instagram<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> account. What strikes me about Matt is how kind, honest and unassuming of a man he is. His words leap and dance off the page that take a spot in your heart, words that may make you see the world a little differently and maybe change your life. </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calisto MT","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Notes on a Nervous Planet £12.99<br />Canongate Books </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #777777; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.48px;"><span itemprop="isbn" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">9781786892676</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-43410537308474917472018-07-18T04:54:00.001-07:002018-07-18T04:54:47.676-07:00 If Time Were Personified <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";">Imagine if Time
were personified</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";"><div style="text-align: center;">
I picture her as woman; me her ever loyal slave</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A vision in black, her face</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
concealed</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Her torment of me is strife with misery, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
grasping her hands around my neck</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
forcing me back,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Back to one year ago, where I was standing</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
outside Birches Rise</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
talking to you on the phone.</div>
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";">She chokes me
further, adamant of squeezing every ounce of</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";"><div style="text-align: center;">
life out of my lungs,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
my lips spluttering for air</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
but she gives me a rule;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I can only inhale the oxygen of the past</div>
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">‘</span><span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";">That is your condition</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">’.</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";"><div style="text-align: center;">
Breathe the past, feel it run through your bruised-blue blood</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and let it form inside your chest</div>
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">‘</span><span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";">Embrace the past and you will learn from
it my child</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">’.</span></div>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";">And so I inhale,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter"; text-align: center;">
I inhale the words that masqueraded as bullets</div>
<div style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter"; text-align: center;">
slicing through my heart,</div>
<div style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter"; text-align: center;">
bleeding along the concrete steps.</div>
<div style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter"; text-align: center;">
I inhale the cigarette smoke that</div>
<div style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter"; text-align: center;">
always lingered on your tongue</div>
<div style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter"; text-align: center;">
mixed with a glass of Malbec,</div>
<div style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter"; text-align: center;">
I inhale the smell of hotel room service</div>
<div style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter"; text-align: center;">
grease-coated chips and leather-tough beef</div>
<div style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter"; text-align: center;">
from the day you chipped your tooth</div>
<div style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter"; text-align: center;">
and you wanted to hide away from the world,</div>
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";"><br /></span></div>
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";">I inhale the
brisk cool air of New Year</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">’</span><span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";">s Eve,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter"; text-align: center;">
as I waited alone for you to</div>
<div style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter"; text-align: center;">
wipe the stardust from your nose in the toilet cubicle,</div>
<div style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter"; text-align: center;">
I inhale the hesitant stammer</div>
<div style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter"; text-align: center;">
I inhale the honey-coated lies</div>
<div style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter"; text-align: center;">
But most importantly</div>
<div style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter"; text-align: center;">
I inhale the crystal-clear truth</div>
<div style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter"; text-align: center;">
That you said you did not love me </div>
<div style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter"; text-align: center;">
anymore.</div>
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";"><br /></span></div>
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";">But deep down I
had already known</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";">for what felt like 100 years,</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";"><div style="text-align: center;">
so I fought against it</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I vowed it not to be true,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
assimilating the lie, the make-believe </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
into reality.</div>
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";">Her hands make a
swift release</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";"><div style="text-align: center;">
And so I rise</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And so I breathe</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
No longer suffocating on</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the burdens of the past</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
No longer walking in an</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
endless starless night.</div>
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";">Imagine if Time
were personified.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Tox Typewriter";">K.P.S<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-69101132684888474892018-07-05T14:59:00.000-07:002018-07-05T15:22:43.715-07:00An Almost-But-Not-Quite-Mid-Year Review <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgERuvjb0uodnqJ4Tory5u_-_RB5gN-yba-cR6UcGBHqTZsVkfPKD8lBTRip5UJn8FnbYXagOY1YfTNlgItoyT3abqyC1bmINopDT4Q5UFGCe87e1PM16k4q1XAyUmA-CnX7NaoGyfQ86/s1600/CCB09CC0-492D-4C81-8780-6E3D7B6B9A3F.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgERuvjb0uodnqJ4Tory5u_-_RB5gN-yba-cR6UcGBHqTZsVkfPKD8lBTRip5UJn8FnbYXagOY1YfTNlgItoyT3abqyC1bmINopDT4Q5UFGCe87e1PM16k4q1XAyUmA-CnX7NaoGyfQ86/s400/CCB09CC0-492D-4C81-8780-6E3D7B6B9A3F.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">FRIENDS. ROMANS. HUNTYMEN. I have returned from my temporary hiatus (okay six months, but shhhhhh) to give you an update of my life now that we are <i>officially </i>half way through the year. Isn't that exciting? Well, I say exciting but also terrifying as I had to book my next appointment at the dentist (thrilling stuff I hear you exclaim? You would be correct dear reader!) and my next appointment is on the tenth of January. NEXT YEAR. Mentally, I'm still in March so this doesn't feel real. But I am digressing. It's now July, and we're currently in the biggest heatwave Britain has had that has lasted longer than five hours and twenty minutes, so much so that we may even have a hosepipe ban! Basically the sun is out and proud and the grass is burnt to a crisp, lovely! But what have I been up to?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> When I last blogged I was going through a bit of a difficult time of having my heart crushed and going into the year feeling deflated and devoid of optimism. Hence the influx of deep poetry on my instagram but <i>that </i>is a tale for another time. Nevertheless, I soldiered on, and focused on my job and trying to keep myself occupied in any way shape or form. The first strand of hope I clung on to was my birthday, in which I turned twenty four. Initially dreading it as my first thought was <i>"CHRIST, I'M NEARLY IN MY MID TWENTIES AND I'LL BE CLOSER TO THIRTY, SHUT UP I'M NOT CRYING THESE ARE TEARS...YOUTHFUL TEARS..." </i> but I then stumbled across an article which explained how the brain is fully formed at twenty four, and you are supposedly 'fully complete'. A somewhat terrifying notion as I still firmly place myself at the start of the 18-24 bracket, I actually began to use this as a personal mantra, to make 2018 my year, 'the year of the self'. So I did! I began to take more walks alone, go to the cinema alone, and even at one point I went for dinner in a <i>very</i> fancy restaurant all by myself. For a few weeks I even took part in a Burlesque class, which again was the most liberating thing I have ever done. No one even batted an eyelid as I walked into that studio as I sat down and strapped on my size nine heels (from Primark, I know right?!). It gave me the biggest boast in confidence and self-esteem, I started to feel like I wasn't such a let down after all. What started as a perpetual state of loneliness became a liberating and freeing experience, to relish in my own company, to be content with the singular, rather than obsessing over the collective. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Next on my agenda was work, what was I going to be doing as a career? I had an unfortunate time in February regarding my job but I was still fortunate to be working part time. It still left me feeling weightless in a way, like I had let people down and that I wasn't good enough. But more importantly, I had this constant thought in my head, when was I going to actually use my degree in English Literature? Family members vocally expressed these concerns whereas I had kept them internal, and these concerns lead to constant worry and anxiety. Desperate to shake this off, I burrowed my head into applications and applications of work experience and freelance work, anything to calm the ferocious storms of pressure in my head. By the stars, someone took a chance on me and I was invited to do a two week placement at BBC Coventry & Warwickshire, and those two weeks were some of the most valuable and important weeks I have ever experienced. At the time of writing, I have just moved into the occasional spot of freelance work for the BBC and I couldn't be happier. If anything, this affirmed that I was making the move in the right direction and that my work during my time on my placement was validated in such a way to be offered a chance to carry on with the BBC. I feel like a door has creaked open slowly, and I have <i>wedged </i>my foot in said door with no plans of letting it go, that I've actually found a sense of purpose and belonging in life. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> In-between all this, I took time off from work in order to travel about the UK and visit all my wonderful friends! Kind of like going on tour, but without the funky merch or the tour-bus. More like a delayed cross country train and a bottle of lukewarm sparkling strawberry flavoured water from M&S... but this coincides nicely with the beautiful picture that precedes this entire blogpost. I took this picture whilst along the Teignmouth coast with my good friend Leah, something about the big blue sea mirroring the sky offers such a serene sense of tranquillity and peace, something I desperately needed at the time. Radio 4 also gave me an opportunity of taking part in their 'Listening Project' segment, in which me and my best friend Ali were in conversation, talking about childhood memories and how we became friends. This segment went out LIVE on Radio 4 and will go on to be stored as an archive in the British Library, how COOL is that?! Another thing I finally got sorted this year was the podcast me and my friend Isabelle created! ABOUT BLOODY TIME. We mused over this idea years ago in a somewhat jokingly manner, but both of us actually wanted this to happen. We wanted to start-up a podcast in which we spoke about our deep love of books, but also to go off on wonderful tangents that pretty much sum our relationship up as friends (with far too many in jokes to count!). We've recorded and released two episodes and I am so bloody proud of us, and proud of her. She has a cool blog (http://isabellemarieflynn.blogspot.com/) which you should ALL check out. If you're interested in two millennials talking about the ins and outs of literature, you can check out the podcast here: https://soundcloud.com/i-s-a-b-e-l-l-e-f-l-y-n-n/back-to-the-books-episode-2-womens-prize-review</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I hear some of you ponder, but Kieran, what of your love life? What of your dating exploits? Well, to reinforce my mantra of 'year of the self', I'm not really interested in dating at the moment. In the spring I bumped into my ex-boyfriend, the one that inspired my poem 'The Lonely Traveller' (which you can find on my blog) and seeing him for the first time in the flesh in six months was strangely cathartic, considering I had just had my heart broken for the second time at Christmas. We talked without ever mentioning the break up, hugged and said goodbye. At that moment I had realised that he had given closure in a way that I didn't know I had needed. Attempting to start again, in March time, I had a few dates with a very sweet and kind guy but I couldn't give what he wanted, in terms of a relationship. I wasn't comfortable within myself, and I didn't feel fully formed in a sense, half complete. And how would it be fair to give myself to someone when I still wasn't fully complete within myself? I think I am still processing lots of emotions over the last year and it can be me and ONLY me to make sense of them. It took lots of courage to admit it to him as well as myself, but I knew it would benefit him and myself in the future. Plus, my sister is getting married next month and in-between work, freelancing and everything else, I honestly don't have the time to fit in a relationship! I do sometimes worry about being on my own and I do get scared, but like I've said, I'm getting better in my own company and intrinsically, when I feel complete within myself, however far or soon that may be, then maybe I can open up to the idea of dating again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> OH, I also read a lot of very good books. Expect a few more blog posts in the next few weeks but basically, keep reading because books are a powerhouse of imagination, creativity and inspiration. Books ground me and give me that escapism that is desperately needed in a world that can be so overbearing and loud at times. A few stray recommendations:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Call Me By Your Name - Andre Aciman</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race - Reni Eddo-Lodge</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet - Becky Chambers </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sing Unburied Sing - Jesmyn Ward</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tin Man - Sarah Winman</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">SO. What will I make up for the next half of 2018? Well, I'm going to work my proverbial arse off in every sense of the word, write more (MAKE ME WRITE GUYS PLEASE), read more books, and continue to flourish in the year of the self. I feel like I've done a lot to work on Kieran; who he is, what he wants to do and where he is going. I feel the happiest I've felt in a very long time, like I'm soaring, to quote the new Florence & The Machine album, as 'high as hope'. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-27815613402985571632017-12-26T07:33:00.000-08:002017-12-26T15:02:53.253-08:002017 in 5 Songs<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/018/848/349/46d520624be869eb2726dc41d0d07f77_original.jpg?w=680&fit=max&v=1508545000&auto=format&q=92&s=83d45946c2b3cd98f9a2384be36dac1f" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="680" height="306" src="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/018/848/349/46d520624be869eb2726dc41d0d07f77_original.jpg?w=680&fit=max&v=1508545000&auto=format&q=92&s=83d45946c2b3cd98f9a2384be36dac1f" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">As we approach the end of another year, most of us find ourselves in rather reflective moods. Gifts have been opened, food has been ravished and then we cast our minds back across the last 12 months and ponder, what did I do? What did I learn? Did I accomplish anything of significant worth? These questions cannot be answered with a simple one word reply, but rather than do a lengthy blog post weaving you amongst the months that formed my year, I instead have chosen 5 songs that sum up how I felt over the year, from when I was at my happiest to when things became darkened by a shadow that I wasn't sure would fade. Music is such an important aspect of my emotions, I find it utterly therapeutic and cathartic to listen to songs that I can pour my emotions into when I struggle to articulate them verbally, or even through the written word. So, without further ado, I present to you, dear reader, my year as told through the following 5 songs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>1) Mia & Sebastian's Theme from "La La Land" - Justin Hurwitz </i></span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gk8C7ZxsJCU/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gk8C7ZxsJCU?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The start of 2017 was dominated by the musical film <i>La La Land</i>, with its catchy songs and incredibly charming performances from Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. But the true star of the film was Justin Hurwitz, who composed every single song on the film and scored one of the most infectious, yet beautiful soundtracks of the year. In particular, 'Mia & Sebastian's Theme' which is woven so brilliantly throughout the film to connect our main characters together. From the gentle piano led opening to the crashing ending, it is a piece of music that speaks from the heart, lashings of romance and emotional intent. I had gone to see the film with my ex partner at the time, at which point I was very smitten and head over heels. Wether it be I was still in a festive mood from Christmas or the film had made me ever-so-slightly giddy, I fell in love with this piece of music. Somehow, listening to it, my feelings toward my ex partner were replicated on the screen. It made me happy, hopeful even. Hopeful that 2017 was going to be my year, that things would go my way, as much of a tired cliche that may be. Was it idealistic? Perhaps. But I liked having an idealistic image in my head of being in a relationship, going to jazz bars and drinking coffee (albeit not in Coventry but still!). <i>La La Land</i> may have divided viewers, but it won me over as it exemplified my feelings of romance, happiness and hope going in to the year. I listen to it now and it is instead tainted with an aching sadness, but the hope still flickers. I like holding on to that hope. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>2) Praying - Kesha </i></span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ut_UxOdB26o/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ut_UxOdB26o?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> As spring flourished into the early realms of summer, I found myself speaking less and less into my partner. He had gotten a new job in which he had to move, which I fully supported and even visited him a few times. But things had felt different, there was an unease in the air. Naturally I brushed it to one side and thought nothing of it. Around the same time, Kesha returned to the music scene with the outstanding ballad <i>Praying</i>, a cathartic release of anger and raw pain that she has experienced over the last 4 years, with her very publicly disputed lawsuit with Dr Luke. The song really tapped into my soul, creeping its way into my emotions and bringing them to the surface. But why? Everything was good, wasn't it?<br />The next day after listening to the song I woke up, the morning of a funeral I had to attend, to a text saying 'we need to talk'. I was then spectacularly dumped over the phone, with his reasoning being he "hadn't felt anything for over a month". Everything went dark and like a wave, all these unexpected emotions hit the surface. I had never felt more alone after 8 months of unwavering happiness. I was hurt, angry and confused. This is where <i>Praying</i> really helped me move through the storm and make it out unscathed. I listened closely to the lyrics: <i>"you brought the flames and you put me through hell/I had to learn to fight for myself", "You said that I was done/Well you were wrong the best is yet to come". </i>A newfound strength began to emerge and was eventually released from a place of raw pain and heartache, I actually began to feel like I wasn't defeated and that things could actually get better. I focused on the idea that I, too, could pray for my ex-partner, that he could find some redemption in the way in he had hurt and humiliated me. I was going to focus on bettering myself for the remainder of the year, because, as Kesha echos <i>"I'm proud of who I am".</i> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>3) Find Myself - Lucy Rose </i></span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7XEFCYYWCTM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7XEFCYYWCTM?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After said breakup, it was time to get myself back on track, more focused and galvanised than ever before. I looked around me and decided that it was time to make choices that made me happy, and let things go that were either holding me back or weighing me down. I had been fortunate by starting this off a few months prior by coming out to my Grandparents, and they had the best reaction possible. I was embraced with nothing but love, kindness and respect. So I utilised this feeling into going forward in the latter half of 2017. I was unhappy in my previous job for various reasons but there was a fear lurking within about change and the uncertainty of which direction my life was going. Somehow, having my heart broken allowed me to be brave in a way, and this bravery resonated with me further through Lucy Rose's gorgeous song <i>Find Myself</i>. Taken from her newest album, <i>Something's Changing, </i>the song speaks of rebirth through trials and tribulation, addressing an anonymous 'you', as helping Lucy find herself. The soft, delicate tones of Lucy's voice really emphasise that change of dependency, to understand your own self-worth and to be kind to yourself. After reflecting I had realised I had changed myself in parts to please others, but I had not realised it at the time. These lessons I took to heart very dearly, bestowing upon me a bravery to apply for a new job without fear or hesitation; I succeeded. Things became more clearer, and I felt more confident within myself to push past the fear and the self-doubt, aptly summarised in the final lines of the song, <i>"I just know where I'm going to go/ I know just where I'm going/ You have let me."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>4) Green Light - Lorde</i></span></h3>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dMK_npDG12Q/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dMK_npDG12Q?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With a new job under my belt and feeling more 'myself' I had expected things to get easier. But obviously there were days when I still struggled, or I had felt alone. It wasn't until the end of September at Alexandra Palace in London, where I had my final moment of catharsis and finally felt free of the burdens of the past. Me and my good friend Dom had acquired tickets to go see Lorde, after topping the charts with her spectacular album <i>Melodrama</i>. I had openly admitted that I wasn't the biggest fan of Lorde but I had really enjoyed the new record, so I went in to the concert open minded. 2 songs into the set I was eating my words. She was joyous, bouncing across the stage with such a gracefulness combined with stellar vocals and awkward dance moves that she evoked us all to join in with. But it wasn't 'till the encore, when <i>Green Light </i>was performed, that things really changed. The crowd jumped like they were flying into space, the lights flashed so brightly like a clear night sky and I had never felt more free and open. Lyrically, the song deals with the aftermath of a break-up, with Lorde pleading for <i>"that Green Light, I want it", </i> in order to move on with her life. Everytime the chorus hit, I screamed it at the top of my lungs. So much so that I actually lost my voice. But that night, seeing the (quite literal) green light, was the final release that I didn't know I needed. I wasn't scared to dance awkwardly, sing loudly or jump as high as I could. I was free.<br />Sidenote: I have read a few theories that the 'green light' is a nod to the green light that is mentioned frequently in F. Scott Fitzgerald's <i>The Great Gatsby </i>which is to be symbolised as hope of the future, but Lorde herself has dismissed this theory. However it kind of works in context of the year I was having so... *shrugs*</span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></h3>
</div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>5) Love - Lana Del Rey </i></span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3-NTv0CdFCk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3-NTv0CdFCk?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is quite a tough one to talk about. As on the surface, it is quite a literal 'love' song, but look deeper and I feel like there is actually a more transformative nature to the song that transcends expectations. Me and my ex partner had gone away for the weekend to the Cotswolds and it became an unspoken rule that this had become 'our song'. It played religiously in his car, that first strum of the guitar on the song would give me goosebumps that developed into butterflies. We drove in comfortable silence, admiring the view but deliriously happy. After the break-up I refused to listen to it. I couldn't do it. Pressing skip was far more easier than enduring seconds of a song that brought back painful memories. After the weeks faded into months, and I had become more confident in myself, I knew I couldn't avoid it forever. So I began listening to it deliberately every day. And yes, it was difficult. There were walks to work that ended in tears some days. But gradually, it became easier. Rather than associate it with anyone in particular, I made it 'my' song. It became not about being in love with someone, but rather, love for the future. <i>"To be young and in love"</i> became being young and being hopeful. That pain would fade and light would return. That things do get easier. To live in the now and not dwell on the past. Be present, and love. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I listen to it now and I smile. The pain flickers a little, but now I find myself a more assertive, braver and happier person. At the time of writing I have opened up to someone again after I thought I wouldn't be able to, it's early doors but I'm learning to open up my heart again. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Making someone happier is a feeling I wouldn't change for any riches in the world. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I realise this is quite a bleak post but I guess my point is that it can get better when you think it can't. I have no regrets this year, as I have been able to utilise my hurt and pain into my creativity and into making decisions regarding my career and my future. Here's to wishing you all a very Happy New Year! Be brave, never let anyone take away your worth or value and have hope. The smallest flicker of hope can be the spark needed to ignite a big change. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-42692006957710383132017-09-22T13:01:00.002-07:002017-09-22T13:01:07.737-07:00How Not To Be A Boy - Robert Webb<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://is4.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music127/v4/53/a0/06/53a0067d-91e0-dc22-e351-a7529e2d0759/source/1200x630bb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://is4.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music127/v4/53/a0/06/53a0067d-91e0-dc22-e351-a7529e2d0759/source/1200x630bb.jpg" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="630" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>"What are we saying to a boy when we tell him to 'man up' or 'act like a man'? More often we're effectively saying, 'Stop expressing those feelings.' And if the boy hears that often enough, it actually starts to sound uncannily like, 'Stop <b>feeling</b> those feelings.'"</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i> </i>Herein lies the main issue that surrounds Robert Webb's new book <i>How Not To Be A Boy</i>, the idea of how much damage that can be inflicted on to young boys when they are encouraged to behave in ways that supposedly befit their gender. But Webb interweaves this idea tenderly with an autobiographical tale of him growing up in 1970s Lincolnshire with a working class woodcutter for a father and a mother who was tragically taken from him when he was just seventeen. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Webb frankly admits how he never really felt like much of a 'boy', taking a dislike for sport, writing a diary, having sticky-out ribs and liking poetry. He is told how he is 'sensitive' and 'shy', attributes one normally wouldn't associate with boys. There is a heartbreaking moment when he discovers a bee on the ground that is close to death. At seven years old, he knows society has created a construct for him in which he knows what he must do, <i>"I wasn't supposed to look after it. I was meant to stamp on it." </i>Instead, Webb creates a circle of stones around the bee <i>"to offer it some protection" </i> and leaves it to its fate. Webb goes back into his house and he cries, but swears that <i>"[I'm] not going to tell anyone about this, not even Nan or Tru or Mum." </i>It's a heartbreaking moment in the book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Not all moments in the book are layered with intellectual nitpicking and seriousness. The early years of Webb's youth are told with such charm and hilarity - talking to his mother on her deathbed about him still being a virgin for example - echoes that of Adrian Mole, navigating between adolescent awkwardness and trying to process his fluctuating emotions. From this Webb wavers into the topic of sexuality, albeit briefly. He recalls his previous relationships from Sixth Form to his Cambridge days, one in particular with he best friend Will. Webb never plucks a label or a box to conform to or fit in with, he simply states <i>"I liked what I liked, and what I liked was Will." </i>There is a moment, shortly after his Mother's death, where he is sharing a bed with Will and a spark flickers between them. <i>"Will is holding my hand. He never holds my hand. [...] His curiosity - maybe his sympathy - allow him to be secretly something-or-other with me," </i>We never return to this moment, but it's enough access from Web that makes us question the lines between masculinity and sexuality and how indistinguishable they sometimes can be. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The toughest moments Webb depicts, are that which involve Webb's father. As someone who is an alcoholic and abusive husband, it could have been easy to go down the road of painting him in one particular way, but Webb balances this out with charming moments between father and son, especially in later life. Paul Webb isn't portrayed as a villain by any stretch of the imagination, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(though the occasional reference to Darth Vader crops up now and then) but his actions and lifestyle choices are painted with brutal honesty. The book jumps backwards and forwards into different parts of Webb's life, at times the present Robert talking to his seven year old self, clearly reluctant into revealing too much about the sadness to come, but still maintaining a self-composed dignity and charm to insinuate that things will get better regardless.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /> I guess the focus of the book is that there is no solution to how we should solve the 'crisis' of masculinity, nor does Webb provide a clear answer. His deconstruction of masculinity isn't the first venture into the topic, but he does provide a fresh insight. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He mentions 'the trick', an abbreviation of 'The Patriarchy' told to his two daughters as an all embracing term for gender inequality</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"makes men sad and women get rubbish jobs."</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even now as a father and husband, he still feels like he isn't being a very good adult, but he's trying his best; I guess this could apply to a lot of us.He still has work to do on getting to grips with his own masculinity, but you can sense how he has evolved over time and how writing the book has helped. I actually spat my drink out when I got to Webb's crude analogy for masculinity,</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Imagine Dr Frankenstein being constantly bum-raped by his own monster while shouting 'I'm fine everyone! I'm absolutely fine!" </i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The writing is notch for notch sincere as well as being hilarious and creates a window for Webb to truthfully bare his soul for the world to see, and it has to be commended. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Painstakingly honest and frank, 'How Not To Be A Boy' is a fascinating read into the gender conditioning of the modern man, as well as a highly personal tale that will highly resonate with others, as Webb rightly says <i>"Being male is terrific, but [it] comes with an extra baggage that is worth noticing." </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Published by Canongate Books</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-41606168584557195362017-09-08T14:41:00.000-07:002017-09-08T14:48:02.086-07:00Review | IT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn6.ihorror.com/app/uploads/17635272_1388581737828780_8411948519200049512_o-700x350.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn6.ihorror.com/app/uploads/17635272_1388581737828780_8411948519200049512_o-700x350.png" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="700" height="200" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I'm going to be honest and get this out of the way, I've never read a single Stephen King novel. E v e r. This is not to say horror isn't my thing, I just have never attempted to shift King up my reading list. Having said this, there is something ingrained with King's <i>IT </i>into popular culture, whether that be the mammoth size of the novel (a staggering 1,138 pages) or the more iconic image of Pennywise the clown, fabulously portrayed by Tim Curry in the 1990 mini series and this has always fascinated me. So, when I first saw the (record breaking) trailer for the Andy Muschetti-directed adaption, Warner Bros firmly held my attention and I couldn't wait to catch <i>IT </i>in cinemas. But does <i>IT </i>live up to the hype?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> For those who aren't familar with the novel or the mini series, <i>IT </i>follows a small group of kids living in Derry trying to uncover the mystery of why so many children are disappearing at an alarming rate. As time unfolds, the culprit points to a shape-shifting clown that is seemingly immortal and feeds off fear, and it falls to the self-styled Losers' Club to investigate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Muschetti beautifully delivers a film that meshes solid horror and suspense with crafted charm and romance. Every single member of the Losers' Club shines brightly within the film, each having their own amount of screen time to allow us access to who they are as a person, and, more importantly, what makes them scared. From Bill's harboured guilt toward the death of his younger brother to Beverly's fear of her abusive father (and puberty, shown in an extremely graphic scene that acts as a pretty unsubtle metaphor), Muschetti patiently explores the very idea of fear and that what we fear most, is fear itself. The term 'It' has connotations of something unknown or unexplainable, which again, is more terrifying that monsters or clowns (though the latter is pretty damn scary). We follow the kids being challenged by the fear that they think defines them, and how ultimately they have to learn to conquer that fear and live with it, rather than run from it. From going down this emotional route, Muschetti explores a coming-of-age story that is very tender and beautiful, that harks back to not only King's <i>Stand By Me, </i>but other films and shows such as <i>The Goonies, E.T, Stranger Things </i> and so much more. This is an authentic portrayal of transitioning from child to adult, they swear, make sexual references and struggle to cope with sudden shifts of emotion; this makes them feel like fully rounded characters. Each member is extremely likeable; you won't be able to stop yourself smiling from sheer charm. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PN8il_zxNWM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PN8il_zxNWM?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But Muschetti still understands that this is a horror film. Not only do we have Bill Skarsgård's Pennywise, carefully skirting around the edges of the film, used sparingly in the right moments but not without over-killing it, we also have the menacing presence of the adults. Adults are interestingly distant in Derry, they loom in the shadows casting eyes over the kids as if they too, are the monsters. Which brings back to the fear of the 'unknown', adults in this film have the potential to be as dangerous as Pennywise; therefore this makes the kids fully isolated as a group, which only makes you root for them even more. You also have the sociopath Henry Bowers, who seeks enjoyment in torturing the Losers' Club, both mentally and physically. Frustratingly, his descent into full blown madness and thirst for blood is never really explained or shown on screen, it feels a little glossed over but he still makes a chilling antagonist for the gang.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> What of Pennywise himself? Skarsgård fully immerses himself within the role of the child-eating clown, camping it up gleefully whilst being deeply disturbing. His make-up and scruffy Victorian attire combined with a clever dose of CGI immediately catch the eye, but it's the subtle nuances that truly make him stand out such as a trickle of drool that hangs from his mouth or his distorted body cracking into place. Clearly Stranger Things has been a HUGE influence on the film, which is not to say it's a detriment, but the similarity of Pennywise to the monster in Stranger Things was pretty much like for like. Too much of Pennywise and you spoil the film, not enough and you leave the theatre frustrated, as he is the signature piece of the puzzle and who you've paid the price of admission for. Even when he's not on screen, his presence has undeniably been made. Luckily Muschetti gets the balance just right, giving you a Pennywise that makes a memorable impression and will haunt the nightmares of many for the forseeable future. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> All of Pennywise's scares are hugely improved thanks to composer Benjamin Wallfisch's hauntingly intense score. Though most scenes pay homage to the traditional jump-scare trope, the Pyscho-esque strings really intensify the moment, making the scares extremely well executed and extraordinary claustrophobic. Combined with Muschetti's direction, the score does a brilliant job of immersing the viewer into every single scene, even if some 'scares' feel a little cliched. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Part supernatural horror, part romantic coming-of-age drama, IT is one of the best Stephen King adaptations in recent years that combines the power to scare with evoking the tumultuous emotions of childhood angst. A delightfully disturbing treat.</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span>
<br />
⋆⋆⋆⋆Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-64950686387673666532017-09-04T14:12:00.000-07:002017-09-04T14:36:49.066-07:00Hag-Seed - Margaret Atwood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqte9ngCWO4OTK1zedye9muOoE4MvozmtjalzXhPZT-kLSrSnAKHkYbpBcWADJ9-OXo0MR_HmPP30WtT1VxLxjXU-9WaBOXm2PBJd5JRpq2Go3jpzTd2y3cvKuK25N_9l-aVv2KtSh5Uz0/s1600/IMG_1641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqte9ngCWO4OTK1zedye9muOoE4MvozmtjalzXhPZT-kLSrSnAKHkYbpBcWADJ9-OXo0MR_HmPP30WtT1VxLxjXU-9WaBOXm2PBJd5JRpq2Go3jpzTd2y3cvKuK25N_9l-aVv2KtSh5Uz0/s320/IMG_1641.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><br /></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">“You’re clear,
Mr. Duke.” Grins from both of them. What could Felix possibly be suspected of
smuggling, a harmless old thespian like him? It’s the words that should concern
you, he thinks at them. That’s the real danger. Words don’t show up on
scanners.” </span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
</span></i><span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">I picked up my copy of <i>Hag-Seed </i>many
months ago after hearing a lots of praise heaped onto Margaret Atwood for her
adaptation of Shakespeare's <i>The Tempest. </i>I naturally had my
doubts, as I adore both William Shakespeare and Margaret Atwood, but Atwood
successfully takes one of Shakespeare's most famous plays and transforms
it into truly something remarkable. The writing is deliciously dark, sharp and
extremely self-aware without ever veering into parody territory. It's also
extremely funny and exuberant, which makes this re-telling of Shakespeare an
utter joy to read.<br />
The plot follows similar strands from <i>The Tempest</i>,
which will delight many Bard lovers as there is an eclectic range of nods
and references to pick up on but it is also easy to follow for a reader that
isn't familiar with the play. We follow Felix, an artistic director of a
Canadian theatre festival, as he is cast aside into 'exile' just before he is
due to unleash his extraordinary adaptation of <i>The Tempest</i>, a move
that would reinvent his career but also acting as a mark of grieving for his
deceased daughter, Miranda. What unfolds is a revenge plot that unfolds over
twelve years, culminating with Felix staging his version of <i>The
Tempest </i>in a correctional facility with his 'actors' being juvenile criminals
that he is tutoring. To say anymore would spoil the fun Atwood has created,
just strap yourself in and enjoy the ride. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
Felix is evidently the 'Prospero' of the novel, the wronged man seeking
vengeance on those who betrayed him, but he is such a fascinating
character to behold. He has attributes of some of Shakespeare's leading men
aside from Prospero, he shares the paranoia of Richard II and questionable
'madness' of Hamlet, but he remains delightfully likeable and you still root
for him throughout. He very much is a caricature of many high-brow theatre
directors and despite being idiotic, if at times dangerous, there is still a
charming demeanour about him., without ever fully realising he is self
consciously playing out the play. What really is fascinating is the illusion of
Felix's dead daughter Miranda that lurks in the shadows, she never speaks, only
is spoken for by Felix. He is aware that she is not real and is another
creation of his vast, twisted imagination but he still indulges in his fantasy,
which creates an air of empathy and sadness for Felix.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
The humour of the novel comes from Felix's cast, the group of prisoners.
They all have street names and are strictly told they cannot curse, they can
only use curse words from the play, which is where 'hag-seed' derives from, to
which they delightfully take on, with hilarious results. The joy in which they
take on their roles and their assignments is oddly heartwarming but also
seems extremely fitting as a magical eulogy to Shakespeare himself.
Atwood combines this love for Shakespeare and love for theatre with her
observant, sharp writing, and it is evident that she is enjoying herself as
much as Felix or the prisoners. Interestingly the title of the novel is also
called 'Hag-Seed', suggesting that sole focus of the book would be Caliban, or
that of Sycorax, but alas this never happens, but it never discerns away from
the main plot. It's more about the self-referencing play within a play format,
like a literary <i>Inception</i>.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
Breathing new life into Shakespeare, Margaret Atwood potently writes a novel
that sharply makes observations of the theatre and constructs ideas of identity
and reinvention, but never takes herself too seriously.
Deliciously readable, whether you're a fan of Shakespeare or not! </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-46412828118400091952017-07-16T14:44:00.001-07:002017-07-16T15:01:32.586-07:00The Lonely Traveller <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We were travellers across worlds</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">dazzling stars and lands far beyond peripheral sight,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">the man who bore the fire of the sun </span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">in his crystalised eyes,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">the passion for eternal knowledge </span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">bristling from your vivacious heart.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You took me by the hand</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">and we danced through the cosmos,</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">jumping from burning comets to shattered moons,</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">thrusting us both</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">into the shimmering tower of light</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">that befitted you a crown,</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My King. </span></div>
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From world to world we flew,</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Botantist Gardens</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">rich with green glaciers that swam like tears,</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">the abode of Everyman</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">encompassing us in comfortable darkness,</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">the singing towers of Tortworth</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">that calmed us when we lost our way,</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Withybrook’s winding rivers encased us</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">with a profound strength</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">that determined our next steps,</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">these steps took us to the four corners of the universe</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">to unearth every secret;</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">we were happy.</span></div>
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The planets guided us,</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">moulded the foundations of our very being</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">until it was time to rest</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">our weary heads</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">amongst a blanket of stars,</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">laid out by Asteria herself</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">for she took pity on the fatigued mortals,</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">the lonely travellers.</span></div>
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Time passed</span></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">as she often does fleetingly,</span></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 115%;">
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">but something was different.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As the days fractured into months</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">you grew a shell</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">that you refused to withdraw from,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Helios’ fire had been extinguished </span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">from your eyes</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">and you could not stand the </span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">sheer touch of my hand in yours,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">let alone a fraction of a forgotten kiss.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As if I were trivial matter,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">an afterthought,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">something had slipped from my grip, gone indefinitely,</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">and the swirling shadows of doubt</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">embraced me with open arms. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Still, I pursued my dream</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">to see the stars,</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">to take a voyage to Dinah’s gazing orb</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">and watch our sleepy former world pass by from your ship.</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our Lana would lull us a lullaby</span></div>
</span>
<i style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: inherit;">‘to be young and in love’. </i></div>
</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">But you still took no notice,</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">for the travelling man longed to be </span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">alone.</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Euphorically you would gallop</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">from world to world</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">in an untarnished vision in which</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I no longer had a part to play.</span></div>
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was time to be taken home,</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">so you took the scenic route</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">as it took longer;</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">you were delaying our inescapable fate.</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We soared through the radiant Milky Way</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">and drowned in an abyss of colour</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">that brought tears to my eyes.</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I couldn’t bear to cross the threshold</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">of the house that lost its light,</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">because I knew I would never return,</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">never to return to a life among the stars.</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I turned back to you</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">my wandering traveller</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">and whispered </span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“I was going to be with you, forever.”</span></div>
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">No words fell from your lips,</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">simply a nod</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">and one lone iridescent tear </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">that watered the first flower in months,</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">and then you were</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">gone</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">scattered like dust</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">across the whole of time and space</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">never to be seen again.</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My lonely traveller.</span></div>
</span></span>
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calisto mt" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-24657923123585764082017-06-05T12:10:00.003-07:002017-06-05T12:13:44.091-07:00Simon James Green Blog Takeover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKwCTp2u9v2sZaERoSiCTDXnfnhxG_NhcEcZ40n8mqUS-DgbYu26zt6EbUmT1HhTxlVKPuDUWMlIUhAIasN47tFGSyMtrzxnKRwLyo3OGH5xSPLwXUmEM5aEOvg2sbddRFI8WeCbT9fAuM/s1600/Simon+James+Green+%25281+of+1%2529-37+copy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="364" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKwCTp2u9v2sZaERoSiCTDXnfnhxG_NhcEcZ40n8mqUS-DgbYu26zt6EbUmT1HhTxlVKPuDUWMlIUhAIasN47tFGSyMtrzxnKRwLyo3OGH5xSPLwXUmEM5aEOvg2sbddRFI8WeCbT9fAuM/s400/Simon+James+Green+%25281+of+1%2529-37+copy.jpeg" width="340" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since I reviewed <i>Noah Can't Even </i>a few weeks ago, I've been dying to get a hold of Simon James Green as I had a plethora of questions I wanted to ask and as he's so lovely I managed to bag myself an interview with him, so I hereby welcome you to Simon James Green's blog takeover! *trumpet fanfare*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: -18pt;">Noah Grimes is the new
epitome of teenage awkwardness, is there a little bit of biographical truth
deep within the character of Noah? I for one related to many of his problems at
school, such as the PE incident...</b><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thankfully,
not too much. As a rule, I was fairly socially inept as a teenager, so there is
stuff in the book that’s vaguely based on the sort of things I might do, say or
think… although I was never as extreme as Noah, honest! The thing that happens
in Sophie’s bathroom where the tap splashes his trousers and it looks
like he’s wet himself - that’s real. And I think you’d be hard-pressed (pun
intended!) to find a teenage boy who hasn’t encountered any sort of er…
boy-based awkwardness at some point in their lives! I suppose if anything,
the feelings Noah is feeling, the emotional stuff he’s going through, that’s
where the most truth lies in terms of my own time as a teenager.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
<br /><b>Did you always have the story
formulated in your mind from beginning to end, or were there last minute
additions/removals that took place in the editing process?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had an overall plan
for how the plot looked and how certain elements would tie together. There are
quite a few mysteries, clues and red herrings in the book and I find that without
planning, I can’t make them all work and tie up nicely at the end. That said,
there were a few elements that I suddenly ‘discovered’ as I was writing – and I
would then have to go back and make sure the new ideas worked throughout.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFx7hzag_dqAm9mANx0fVPor55xjoSB_cSp_4D6T9dd6yew6bQKW8vCevNb7uTtb9Z_c53zGjFYk4LXksPhUsnWzVRElr6qu1Zf50j732XULapxuJG52C34OIRuC1ZfY1EcldIu_03gGZq/s1600/Simon+James+Green+%25281+of+1%2529-37+copy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="364" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFx7hzag_dqAm9mANx0fVPor55xjoSB_cSp_4D6T9dd6yew6bQKW8vCevNb7uTtb9Z_c53zGjFYk4LXksPhUsnWzVRElr6qu1Zf50j732XULapxuJG52C34OIRuC1ZfY1EcldIu_03gGZq/s320/Simon+James+Green+%25281+of+1%2529-37+copy.jpeg" width="272" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>"For
me, writing is a mixture of planning but also the freedom to play around with
it. And, if I’m honest, I think it’s usually the unexpected stuff you don’t
plan that often ends up being most exciting." </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The actual editing process did
involve removing and adding various sections – including the final four
chapters, which were a complete re-write after I signed with Scholastic. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<br /><b>Noah Can't Even tackles many topics
in such a beautiful humane scope, which is really refreshing in the YA genre as
many novels tend to over romanticise certain things, was there any YA novels
you took particular inspiration from?<o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not really. You’re
absolutely right, some novels do over-romanticise the teen experience, and I’ve
also found some that paint a picture of teen life in a way that is completely
at odds with my own experience: teens that are more poetic, mature and sensitive
than anyone I’ve ever met before. It just doesn’t ring true, and that was
something I really wanted to address. I wanted to write teenage characters like
they were actually teenagers – not some slightly sanitized version that felt
like they were for the adult market, rather than for teenagers themselves. I
wanted it to be real and I wanted it to be messy, because that’s what life is. It’s
like in some TV shows, when they cast 30 year-olds as High School students, and
you just think “Why?!” <br />
<br /><b>Noah reminded me a lot of Adrian Mole
in terms of his fluent way of speaking and his way of approaching certain
things, was Sue Townsend in any way an inspiration to the book?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh yes, definitely! I
loved reading Adrian Mole as a teenager and I’ve always enjoyed his voice. Maybe
it’s because of my own similarities with Mole, but I’ve always found him more
authentic than a lot of other teen characters I read, and I wanted to create
something similar with Noah. Noah, like Mole, is pernickety, quite grand
(despite having no real reason to be), sometimes a snob, and is towards the
bottom of the school food chain – and I think that connects with a lot of people’s
own experiences, whether they like to admit that, or not!<br />
<br /><b>What was your main thing you wanted
to take away from writing the book?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-OJzK-CvG0YLwOBdUMRpNHweabpUCz8C1Vx9DoMfzyi7_5peKOQwG69Lu6G2zujppTfoW9Lh6Nd5K3Z0efY7ooyK032BtYPVDeFGF2yObsF6vIGtQGMxqxNHhiqAxdkXG1G8duLsl83S/s1600/NOAHcover+copy+1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="459" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-OJzK-CvG0YLwOBdUMRpNHweabpUCz8C1Vx9DoMfzyi7_5peKOQwG69Lu6G2zujppTfoW9Lh6Nd5K3Z0efY7ooyK032BtYPVDeFGF2yObsF6vIGtQGMxqxNHhiqAxdkXG1G8duLsl83S/s320/NOAHcover+copy+1.jpeg" width="229" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wanted to write a YA
book with gay characters that was <i>funny</i>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"> "I wanted to show that it didn’t always have to be angst and gloom - that coming
out can be positive, fun and happy. I really felt there weren’t enough books
that had that angle."</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In fact, I don’t think there are enough funny YA books at
all. Laughter is so important – especially with the way the world is right now.
<br />
<br /><b>It's nice to see a writer paint a new
refreshing portrait of conflicted male sexuality in YA literature, do you think
there's still more to talk about in YA with issues that maybe haven't properly
addressed yet?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think there’s always
more to be talked about, and more books to be written, in terms of diverse
stuff in all its fabulous forms. But I think we should also celebrate how much
more diverse stuff there is now and how the YA community has really been at the
forefront of that. I would love to see more books with younger gay characters
and I would love it if books were able to be a bit more honest in terms of
sexual content. I’m not saying, ‘let’s write porn’, but in every other form of
media that young people consume (online, TV, movies, gaming) the material tends
to be a lot more upfront and bold in terms of sex. Publishing tends to be a
little on the reserved side when it comes to including that, and I think that’s
a shame. People bemoan the lack of young people who read, but ask yourself if
the content reflects their lives, preoccupations and experiences and I think
you’ve just found part of the problem. <br />
<br /><b>What's your biggest moment that you
'couldn't even'?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was about 13, and had
been forced to take part in the high jump at sports day. It turns out that if
you’re only wearing loose fitting boxers under your PE shorts, certain
boy-based parts of your anatomy can come free and reveal themselves to the Year
10 girls doing the judging. It was so mortifyingly awful, I just <i>couldn’t even</i>…</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A ginormous THANK YOU to Simon for agreeing to this blog takeover/interview and for kindly sending me a copy of <i>Noah Can't Even </i>to review, I look forward to meeting you in person one day for tea and cake and to talk about more moments in which we couldn't even...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Simon James Green grew up in a small town
in Lincolnshire that definitely wasn’t the inspiration for Little Fobbing – so
no-one from there can be mad with him, OK? He enjoyed a classic British
education of assorted humiliations and barbaric PE lessons before reading Law
at Queens’ College, Cambridge, where he further embarrassed himself by
accidentally joining the rowing team despite having no upper body strength and
not being able swim. When it turned out that being a lawyer was nothing like
how it looks in Suits or The Good Wife, and buoyed by the success
of his late night comedy show that involved an inflatable sheep, he travelled
to London to pursue a glamorous career in show business. Within weeks he was
working in a call centre, had been mugged, and had racked up thousands of
pounds worth of debt. Finding strength and inspiration in the lyrics of Tubthumping by Chumbawumba, he eventually ended up working on a range of West End
shows and UK tours, co-wrote a feature-length rom-com for the BBC and directed Hollyoaks for C4 / Lime Pictures. After
trying really, really hard, he also managed to write Noah Can’t Even. If you
are interested in stalking him, he still lives in London, where he spends a lot
of time telling people that Noah Can’t Even is only partly autobiographical, and his mum has definitely never done a
Beyoncé tribute act. </i></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Noah Can't Even is out now published by Scholastic.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">You can follow Simon on Twitter @simonjamesgreen or check out his fancy website www.simonjamesgreen.com</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-84846525953528147522017-05-29T12:22:00.001-07:002017-05-29T12:22:34.378-07:00How to Stop Time - Matt Haig<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1489485738i/33590076._UY1200_SS1200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1489485738i/33590076._UY1200_SS1200_.jpg" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"I suddenly realise it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter that we age differently. It doesn't matter that there is no way of resisting the laws of time. The time ahead of you is the like the land beyond the ice. You can guess what it could be like but you can never know. All you know is the moment you are in."</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Imagine, for a second, that you were different to everyone else. To others, you may seem like a rather ordinary forty year old, but the reality is you're closer to four hundred and ninety. This is the problem of Tom Hazard, the protagonist of Matt Haig's incredible new novel <i>How to Stop Time</i>. Tom suffers from a rare condition that has caused him to be alive for centuries, ageing one physical year every fifteen years. Always on the move to avoid suspicion, Tom now works in a secondary school as a history teacher, but the one rule he is told never to break keeps making itself known; never fall in love. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The joyous quality with Matt Haig is that he truly understands the human soul. He really captures the full scale of emotion that comes from living a long, and, at times, bleak life, but is written with such an <i>ordinary </i>flair, how even Tom's unusual condition is written in the most ordinary way, but that only strengthens the novel, as we, the ordinary people, can happily resonate. Tom throughout his many centuries of living, comes into contact with many famous figures of history, from Shakespeare to F.Scott Fitzgerald, but never feels like a purposeful name drop, these encounters feel so realistic and well crafted that you could believe that they may have actually happened. I was struck with awe on how well Haig gave Shakespeare a voice that was so fitting in what I thought Shakespeare may have actually been.<br /><br />The structure is told in a mixture of current day narration, with extracts from particular years spanning over centuries. It never feels confusing or disjointed, as past and present fuse together to shape the overall story Haig is telling, and is accentuated by Tom's noting of the differences in the places he has visited before. London is described as a bustling, crowd roaring circus that stinks of shit at one point before becoming noticeably absent and morbid. These descriptions only accentuate Tom's overbearing sadness and loneliness and you really capture the essence of how horrifically long his life is. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> But the beauty of this, is the deep philosophical themes that weave throughout the book, are ones we have all pondered upon at one point or another. Sometimes we question the very value of life, and whether we waste it flippantly or not, and Haig toys with this at many points in the novel. Tom openly talks about his desire at one point to commit suicide, but the thought of his missing daughter prevented him from doing so, and this is told in such lucid, beautiful prose. The meaning of life is often a question that can never truly be answered but Haig does his very best through Tom's complex, sad life; by bearing his cross of living for many years, he can still get through each day by thinking of his daughter. From this you come away from the book truly thankful for the life you have, and in wake of the awful tragedy in Manchester, makes you appreciate everything in life you have today, as it could be gone tomorrow. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Haig's writing is equally as funny as it is charming and touching, his craftsmanship of language is so admirable as he can make you laugh one moment (<i>"Every era is clogged with Martins, and they're all dickheads."</i>) to then breaking your heart within a few sentences. To reiterate, the ordinary-ness of Tom's character and his situation (though it most definitely extraordinary) makes him, and his story, so utterly believable that you feel like you have lived alongside him and his many lifetimes. I only wish the ending hadn't been so rushed, as I felt the last three chapters or so raced along a little frenetically to try and tie things up, such as the introduction to some <i>very </i>important characters, as the rest of the story flowed in such a beautiful way and it felt jarring. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Written with such fluidity, charm and heart-breaking emotion, <i>How to Stop Time </i>is a novel that will encourage you to let go from all the darkness in the world and truly appreciate the art of <i>living </i>your life. Full of wisdom, empathy and philosophical ideas, this is Matt Haig's best work yet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Preorder at £12.99<br />Due for release in July <br />Thanks to Canon Gate for the advanced proof copy. </i></span> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-38400545207168745152017-05-07T03:49:00.002-07:002017-05-07T03:49:36.459-07:00Noah Can't Even - Simon James Green<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41JC6fxLbML._SX325_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41JC6fxLbML._SX325_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can I <i>even</i>? YES I CAN. Without a doubt, Simon James Green's debut YA novel <i>Noah Can't Even</i> is one of the best books I have read this year; possibly one of my favourite YA books ever. The story follows down-on-his-luck Noah Grimes, as he navigates his way through a turbulent adolescence, filled with awkward mishaps, <i>Wuthering Heights </i>quotes and a very very VERY confusing kiss.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Five pages in and I found myself bursting out laughing, Green characterises Noah in the most brilliantly awkward yet totally endearing way. When faced with the possibility of a house party Noah asks himself <i>"Would there be nibbles? Noah hoped so.", </i>and deals with 'boy problems' atop some equipment in a PE lesson. Noah's hilarious innate Britishness is what makes the novel with his social ineptitude and it especially resonated with me as it felt like I was reading the diary of my fifteen year old self. I also shed a tear (out of pure hilarity) of how middle class Noah is with his requested food/drink choices (<i>"What if she wanted Earl Grey or Darjeeling?"</i>). It's clear Green was inspired by Sue Townsend's <i>Diary of Adrian Mole, </i>consciously or not, as the concept is pretty much identical but Noah still speaks with his own voice and his own identity. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> For all its funny moments, the book does take time to explore the more tender, poignant issues that teenagers go through. Puberty, sexuality, masculinity are just some of the topics Green writes about through Noah and his school friends, all brilliantly articulated with an accessible, yet sensible voice. Green flawlessly weaves in the idea of embracing and exploring your sexuality, particularly through the character of Noah's Gran, but without hindering the tone of the novel. If only books like this were around when I was at school, I'm actually quite jealous of the youth of today!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The other characters in the book are fully rounded and crafted too, though this is Noah's story. His best friend Harry is charming, handsome and full of mystery; to see his and Noah's relationship go through so many ups and downs really pulls on your heart strings and you just want them to work through their problems. Even the characters that may seen unlikable at first end up conveying emotional turmoil at some point, such as the school bully or even Noah's parents, which emphasises the idea that everyone, everywhere has problems that are not just restricted to school; this crafts the novel in a warm, humane way that doesn't feel too forced. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Painfully funny in its portrayal of British teenage adolescence, Simon James Green is a shining new voice in YA literature, with his Noah Grimes being the new Adrian Mole for the millennial generation. Charming, funny and extremely poignant at times, <i>Noah Can't Even </i>is a fabulous book that should be picked up by everyone.<br /><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: helvetica neue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: helvetica neue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.2px;">Published by Scholastic UK<br />£7.99<br /><br />Special thanks to Simon for sending me a copy! I really can't even.</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-50843356503112710722017-05-02T08:42:00.001-07:002017-05-02T09:00:17.359-07:00The Power - Naomi Alderman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492031819l/31195557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492031819l/31195557.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>"Jews: look to Miriam, not Moses, for what you can learn from her. Muslims: look to Fatimah, not Muhammad. Buddhists, remember Tara, the mother of liberation. Christians: pray to Mary for your salvation." </i>It is through these haunting words that Naomi Alderman creates a novel so bold and so daring in order to show us how the present structures of society need a change, and offers us a glimpse of what would happen if you flipped the gender roles in which women rule the world. What would then happen if men lived in fear of women?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <i>The Power</i> begins as teenage girls over the world discover they can release electrical jolts from their fingertips, ranging from a slight tickle to the ability to kill. Men are segregated for their own safety, countries verge on war on a day-to-day basis as more girls harness this 'power' and use it to awaken it in older women. As this all unfolds, the story weaves between four narrative voices: Roxy, daughter of a London mobster, Allie, a teenage runaway who reinvents herself under the new persona of 'Mother Eve' as she becomes a cult leader and a worldwide phenomenon. Margot is an American Politician desperate to protect her daughter through her new-found strength and Tunde is an attractive male Nigerian journalist reporting on the seismic global change. Interestingly the novel is structurally presented as a manuscript from "Neil Adam Armon" to "Naomi" as he asks her advice upon finishing reading his manuscript. These interactions bookend the novel and gives it a terrific meta twist, very much what Atwood did with the ending of <i>The Handmaid's Tale.<br /><br /> </i>I truly cannot even begin to describe how much I enjoyed this novel. It packs many punches throughout on such a rapid pace, continually reminding the reader of a countdown to some sort of a cataclysmic event, which leaves you riddled with suspense. But what struck me, as I hope will strike many readers, is how the reversal of society's structure really highlights the extremity of how women suffer in the world today. For example, there are diagrams in the novel depicting a 'curbing' procedure - also known as male genital mutilation. FMG is something that is horrifically happening in the world today and there seems to be very little awareness of it or even simple acknowledgement of the issue, so by turning things on their head, it creates the awareness that should be existing. A friend of mine rightly said how it shows the extent to which we place our own ideas of society onto historical evidence, which in itself retrospectively perpetuates sexism.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The new schematics of sexual violence and power further holds up a mirror to our current reality. Early on in the novel, a fraction of men enjoy the sensation of being hurt by the women's power, being encompassed into pornography, but this is taken to new extremes when a man is violently raped by a gang of women as Tunde watches from afar, helpless, demonstrating his new position as the 'weaker' sex. As the man climaxes, he is killed instantly by a jolt to the heart as the women laugh and seek out a new victim. Our culture often blurs this distinguishable line between consensual, if a little rough, sex and sexual domestic violence, so for Alderman to switch the positions of attacker and victim, it becomes a bold, but thought-provoking statement against our current world. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Futhermore, the idea of 'power' was something that was developed over the book. How it wasn't just about the literal power women had within them, but the power they had over men, socially and politically. Margot, for example, is corrupted by her own power to rise to the top of American Politics, which ironically is heightened during a TV debate when she loses control and accidentally jolts one of her political opponents. Roxy, inadvertently becomes the new crime boss after she is double crossed by her father and Mother Eve becomes a household name in which thousands flock to see her in the flesh. The new society which has been created for these women adds an amount of pressure, one can assume that has shifted from male to female, and we as the reader, see these women tackle this pressure head on; some succumb to it, others fare lucky. The abuse of power goes beyond gender dynamics in this novel and there is no clear answer as to why both men and women abuse this power, but that's what makes <i>The Power </i>a fantastic read. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> That is to say the book isn't perfect. Some of the sections in the book feel too long or drawn out, characters such as Roxy feel horribly stereotyped (<i>"Bleeding hell, it's only you I've been flippin' looking for!") </i>but thankfully, these things do not defer from the novel too much. I've read other reviews criticising the overtly religious aspects of the novel, but again, I think it does not defer from the main plot points. If anything, it is another signifier for the imbalance of 'power' between men and women today, especially in the church. But that is another debate for another time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A brilliant, thought-provoking novel that casts beautiful meditations on the concept of power, possibility and change, <i>The Power</i> is <i>The Handmaid's Tale </i>for a new generation wanting to explore dystopian </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">fiction; especially those who one day may want to question how the natural dominance of women over men came to be. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">Published by Penguin Books<br /><br />Special thanks to Penguin Random House for the proof copy. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-13650172955752502762017-04-18T12:59:00.000-07:002017-04-18T12:59:16.538-07:00The Bookshop Girl - Sylvia Bishop <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51n8BqenmeL._SX324_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51n8BqenmeL._SX324_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you're reading this, chances are, you probably like books. You probably would go as far to say you LOVE books, that if you chance upon a bookshop on your travels that you just HAVE to pop in for a browse and end up losing the rest of your day in there. This love for bookshops and love for reading is encapsulated perfectly in Sylvia Bishop's <i>The Bookshop Girl</i>, her follow up to <i>Erica's Elephant</i>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Perkily illustrated by my bookselling chum Ashley King, <i>The Bookshop Girl </i>follows the adventures of Property Jones, who lives in a second hand bookshop after she was left there in a cupboard when she was a baby, who wins the opportunity of a lifetime to look after the renowned Montgomery Book Emporium. But can Property save the day when a sinister Mr Pink shows up demanding a rare and valuable manuscript? And will she ever reveal her biggest secret? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> One of the biggest perks of Bishop's writing is how charming and breezy it is. The story reminded me of Dahl's 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', especially with the Wonka-esque character of Montgomery, but Bishop holds her own and tells a fresh story rich with originality and thought. Her prose flows in such a opulent way that is illuminating and hilarious simultaneously, especially in the more smaller, subtle moments (e.g. <i>"There are literally no terms and conditions")</i>. What really makes the story shine is the use of King's illustrations. Full of lavish characterization and creativity, they truly bring Bishop's words to life and really spark your imagination of how grand a 'Book Emporium' could really be.<br /><br /> Bishop also deals with Property being unable to read, though she works in a bookshop. This does not in any way hinder her from being a feisty protagonist, as she (mostly by herself) solves the mystery of Elliot Pink and often puts herself in harms way to do so. Property is brave, funny, likable and you as the reader really root for her. What's important is that it doesn't matter if Property can read or not, her family love her regardless and it's a fabulous message to raise, for those who maybe struggle with reading, no matter what age, and suffer in silence.<br /><br /> Funnily enough, Bishop has also perfectly encapsulated the feeling of working in a bookshop. Having your own sections to manage to dealing with bizarre customer requests ("<i>Do you have any books on quadratic equations with complex roots?</i>"), Bishop comically grasps the frenetic nature of bookshops and of booksellers, but does so with a loving heart. This is, after all, a story about people who love books and who love to read. I just wish we had our own cat at Waterstones like Gunther! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>The Bookshop Girl</i> is a terrific read not only for people of all ages, girls, boys, cats, dogs, mums & dads, but for anyone who just loves to read and has the biggest imagination. Charming, funny and wonderful in championing the power of literature, <i>The Bookshop Girl</i> is a true gem.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;"><i>The Bookshop Girl<br />£5.99<br />Scholastic </i></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-69648286015748712622017-04-10T13:03:00.000-07:002017-04-10T13:03:41.783-07:00Into the Water - Paula Hawkins <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibU8TLXdwz8DOisbGSzBemwFNWWU-gIo8wI5wJ-2LQsD5NmTUNb4Y7ny3mYTMD0ij_za4qQxN9RTJ1a4GpBoN66Tc2RiPM8dphthjuMmdbX7cCVySqqGjwobQyitJ2XppXxdUT8F09qH-I/s1600/IMG_0771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibU8TLXdwz8DOisbGSzBemwFNWWU-gIo8wI5wJ-2LQsD5NmTUNb4Y7ny3mYTMD0ij_za4qQxN9RTJ1a4GpBoN66Tc2RiPM8dphthjuMmdbX7cCVySqqGjwobQyitJ2XppXxdUT8F09qH-I/s320/IMG_0771.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chances are that most of you reading this will have read Paula Hawkins' <i>The Girl on the Train</i>, a book that took the world by storm and to this day has sold close to 20 million copies worldwide, hit the No.1 spot in 26 territories and has been turned into a feature film adaption that was a box office hit. But the question lingers in the air that befalls all debut authors after so high a success, can lightening strike twice? Hawkins certainly gives it her all in her new novel <i>Into the Water</i>, in which a small town is rocked by the drowning of a local woman in the bend of the river known, for centuries, as the drowning pool. The victim's sister, Jules, now has to return to the town, to the one place she swore she would never return to and care for the teenage daughter her sister left behind. But why is Jules so afraid? And what secrets are left to be uncovered?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> As someone who didn't really get on with <i>The Girl on the Train </i>I didn't have the highest of expectations going into the novel. However, I was sucked in by the simplistic yet utterly persuasive way in which Hawkins writes, ending each chapter in a cliffhanger-type fashion and scattering red herrings throughout to keep me speculating. It became like an addictive substance, and I owe that purely to the cleverness of Hawkins' writing. Much like <i>The Girl on the Train, </i>the narrative is split between multiple perspectives (this time jumping from three voices to, at times, six or seven) which can be jarring and confusing at times. Understandably, this is to create a sense of unity between the people living in the town, their story becomes part of the main narrative in one way or other, past or present. It reminded me of ITV's <i>Broadchurch</i>, in the sense of a community united in tragedy but also united in hiding secrets, which kept me thoroughly engaged.<br /><br /> In terms of hitting the standard thriller boxes, Hawkins heartily ticks most of them in a strong fashion, crafting suspense and agonising moments of heart-pounding intensity, but she got my attention most (<b>potential spoiler alert</b>) through the supernatural mythology that surrounded the drowning pool, which is at the heart of the story. Mentions of witchcraft are thrown in to the mix but never fully explained or drawn out, and I wish this was explored more as I found the idea absolutely fascinating, especially as it sat so well with the psychological thriller genre and it becomes a little more fleshed out, than say <i>The Girl on the Train </i>was.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> However, the problems that sat with <i>The Girl on the Train</i> still sit here. Hawkins still doesn't quite understand how to write female characters, with the general overview that women are "<i>troubled</i>" somehow. Whether it be a past that's haunting them, strained relationships, substance abuse, it again falls into the stereotyping bracket, which I felt hindered <i>The Girl on the Train</i> from truly being a great novel, and almost borders on to 'mad-woman-in-the-attic' territory. Why some psychological thriller writers choose to portray female characters in this 'troubled' way (which I think we can assume is a euphemism for 'insane', looking at <b>YOU </b><i>Gone Girl) </i>is uncertain but I find it problematic and stops me from fully engaging with the story. As for the ending, at first I found it extremely anti-climatic and just as I was about to go off on a very long and rage induced rant, I re-read the last two sentences and realised I had missed the biggest twist of the novel. Then, I retracted my thoughts and said aloud "<i>well played Hawkins. Well played." </i>She is brilliant at what she does, and I cannot commend her enough for providing a very entertaining story, it's just a shame the problems from <i>The Girl on the Train </i>were not ironed out in order to make this even better. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Dark, increasingly suspenseful and addictive in every way possible, Paula Hawkins crafts an entertaining story and just about carries it with an underlying mythology, though it is still let down by the same problems of stereotyping and an incohesive narrative structure. Though if you enjoyed <i>The Girl on the Train</i>, this will not disappoint. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: helvetica neue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: helvetica neue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><i>Into the Water is relased May 2nd </i><br />Transworld Publishers<br /><br />Special thanks to Penguin Random House for the advanced proof copy.</span></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-47953508760107421102017-02-19T12:28:00.001-08:002017-02-19T12:28:25.511-08:00Little Deaths - Emma Flint<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVdzgJp7CoTTJeBgX6tzUMx9HcGoTZ8l-LY9lwDreil-Uw5NxWqAeSTTQkZLbipyQTytpJc2u-AUACNF3x0aAzZuCu1QnnPg9WHI0N9RPwfB0F9vbynFCN0iBMzRTw0F6bF214qx_EgV3/s1600/IMG_0314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguVdzgJp7CoTTJeBgX6tzUMx9HcGoTZ8l-LY9lwDreil-Uw5NxWqAeSTTQkZLbipyQTytpJc2u-AUACNF3x0aAzZuCu1QnnPg9WHI0N9RPwfB0F9vbynFCN0iBMzRTw0F6bF214qx_EgV3/s320/IMG_0314.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the summer of 1965, two young children go missing in Queens while in the care of their mother. After an investigation is mounted and the search begins, both children are found dead. Neighbors speculate, whisper, that the mother, the enthralling, intoxicating yet secretive Ruth Malone is to blame. Soon the police and the press are quick to jump to convenient conclusions but is Ruth really capable of murder?<br /><br /> It's no mere coincidence that the title of the book derives from the french saying 'la petite mort', a euphemism that refers specifically to likening the sensation of orgasm to death. This is, primarily, a novel about sexuality and femininity; how women are punished for being confident in their overt sexuality told through the misty haze of a noir murder mystery. Interestingly, the novel is adapted from the real life case of two small children disappearing then being found dead later in which the mother was arrested, after two long years in the public eye. Ruth embodies this and is turned into a femme fatale monster in order to please the newspapers and the media that is dictated by a patriarchal society, she is punished for not living up to a preconceived stereotype and she is punished for being a bad mother. The streets bustle with rich imagery and descriptions, american colloquialisms dominate the language convincingly that entices the reader into the mystery; I truly felt like I could have been sat in an old fashioned American diner having fries and a root beer float. <br /><br /> Perhaps the biggest mystery of all is uncovering who Ruth Malone really is. The narrative is that of third person, an unknown 'other' observing everything from a seemingly detached position that puts the reader in a firmly neutral setting. Ruth chain smokes, flaunts her promiscuous nature, drinks excessively and never expresses grief in a way that everyone expects. She hides that part of herself and rarely does she show it. Flint uses this anonymity of character to capture the blatant misogyny of the police who are convinced she has murdered her children in order to prevent her ex-husband Frank from gaining custody of them. Ruth is placed upon a pedestal in her position of a woman and Flint exploits the horrific nature in which the media and misogyny-lead detectives are so quick to push her down. <br /><br /> Moreover the narrative alternates between Ruth and a young journalist Pete Wonicke, allowing us insight to an outsider's perspective. In true Hitchcockian style, Pete becomes obsessed with Ruth in an unnerving voyeuristic manner, following her every move, waiting outside her apartment, "<i>He watched her watching the women and children... as he gazed up at her, she stretched sideways so that she rested one shoulder and her hip against the window". </i>Ruth becomes the unattainable object of desire for Pete, who is himself a physical manifestation of male desire. She is watched and watches throughout, she is subject to the patriarchal male gaze and in return he is blinded by the sexual prowess that ultimately becomes her undoing.<br /><br /> Flint packs emotional punches throughout the novel, from the grotesque discoveries early on to the riveting trial that takes up the last third of the book, Ruth's grief is as raw and as unrestrained as one can imagine, but always she stands tall and composes herself, to be seen as strong and determined. Throughout the many accusations she is faced, she simply maintains <i>"They knew nothing of guilt. They were not mothers." </i> At times the alternating narrative can be a little distracting, such as the one sided interview answers that take place in the early chapters but it's easy to forgive when the characters, environments and dialogue are so well thought out, so cleverly researched and so rewarding. As for the ending, some may find it predictable (myself included) but it fits the formula that Flint is creating, and it acts as the final sting in the tail of Ruth's never-ending punishment.<br /><br />Like what Emma Cline did for women for 'The Girls', Emma Flint uses the mask of murder to write a phenomenal debut novel that speaks out about the performance of femininity and womanhood, how now society condemns flawed, angry women for not living up to their ideals. Haunting and thoroughly complex, Emma Flint is set for big things.<br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★<br /><br /><i>Little Deaths<br />£12.99<br />Picador</i></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-54803008979263608002017-01-15T11:40:00.000-08:002017-01-15T11:48:18.028-08:00Review | La La Land <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://brightcove04.o.brightcove.com/4221396001/4221396001_5195780524001_5195779166001-vs.jpg?pubId=4221396001" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://brightcove04.o.brightcove.com/4221396001/4221396001_5195780524001_5195779166001-vs.jpg?pubId=4221396001" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As we all know, 2016 was a pretty bad year for everyone. Celebrities dropping dead willy nilly, Brexit being an actual THING and a walking buffoon with weetabix for hair became President of the United States. Fortunately, 2017 has already gone off to a flying start thanks to the gorgeously romantic and charming musical film, 'La La Land', directed by Damien Chazelle (of 'Whiplash' fame). An ode to old Hollywood and MGM musicals, 'La La Land' follows the story of aspiring actress Mia (Emma Stone) and aspiring jazz musician Seb (Ryan Gosling) as they become entangled into a passionate relationship that threatens to hinder both of them from following their dreams.<br /><br /> This was a film that I simply could not stop smiling at. From its big opening number set on gridlocked freeway involving a flash mob to the moving epilogue at the film's end, 'La La Land' churns out buckets of charm without ever falling into the overbearingly cheesy category. The film plays out across the four seasons, starting and culminating with Winter as we follow the journey of our two leads across the breathtakingly beautiful landscape of Los Angeles, which in itself becomes a prominent character to the story. Every scene is shot with splashes of colour and vibrancy, matching the incredibly catchy and infectious nature of the songs themselves in what feels like a big snapshot pf the city of L.A, a place of dream-chasing optimism. Shot in Cinemascope, every scene is bathed in long takes and in pastel hues of blue and pink; the vibrancy of the film matches the soaring pace of the narrative following the ups and downs of Seb and Mia's relationship, and at that, it almost becomes transcendental. You are momentarily pulled into the brightly coloured world that Chazelle has created and you never wish to leave.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0pdqf4P9MB8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0pdqf4P9MB8?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Both Gosling and Stone shine individually within the film, Stone going from audition to audition with such gutso and determination before inevitably crumbling allows the audience to empathise with her - she is our guiding force throughout and our emotional connection. She's as witty, smart and vulnerable than ever, particularly in her defying 'Les Mis' moment with the ballad 'Fools Who Dream', her voice cracking with emotion by the last note. Paired with Gosling's Seb, a disgruntled jazz musician who refuses to let go of the historical breakthrough and inspiration of famous jazz artists, their chemistry bounces off the screen through moments of song, dance and even moments where they do not speak, the silence is filled with a repetitive piano theme that aligns itself with the couple; it is played at the first time they meet, and the last, and completely wraps Mia and Seb in the emotional gravitas of the film. Chazelle is clearly inspired by his own love of music and it pays off wonderfully in his direction.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> It's clear that Chazelle is a big musical fan, even a fan of old Hollywood movies. Mia works in a cafe at the Warner Brothers studio, amongst the backdrops of the classics (Mia points out the window from which Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart looked out on to Paris in 'Casablanca'), she and Seb have a spontaneous song and dance together as the sun sets over the city in true 'Singin in the Rain' style, their chemistry and dynamic alone recalling certain moments in 'A Star is Born'. This nostalgia never feels outdated or forced, it instead reinforces the charm of the film and it becomes new and fresh, much like Seb's reluctance to join a band that experiments with Jazz, bringing it to the 21st century. This could be a nodding reference to Chazelle himself, being brave enough to write and direct a modern day musical that is, quintessential, a love letter to MGM musicals and old Hollywood. It smashed the Golden Globes, and I'm hoping 'La La Land' recreates this success at the Academy Awards next month.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Deliriously romantic and nostalgically charming, 'La La Land' will undoubtedly put a smile to your face at a time when we really need to keep our chins up. Frenetic and breathtaking at the same time, this is a film that will make you want to chase your dreams, no matter how absurd they may be.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;"><i>La La Land is in cinemas everywhere now.</i></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-90968788542216646752017-01-09T12:09:00.003-08:002017-01-09T12:09:53.651-08:00The Goldfish Boy - Lisa Thompson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://53dde335a2dce2ca942c-498c68ea2e9d4fdb160dd89f86b552f2.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/v1/large/9781/4071/9781407170992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://53dde335a2dce2ca942c-498c68ea2e9d4fdb160dd89f86b552f2.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/v1/large/9781/4071/9781407170992.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a new year which means it's time to shake off your dusty wigs and get your reading glasses back on as I'm back on the old blogger! It's been a rather busy few months (what EVEN was December?!) but I'm back, with a promise to you all of at LEAST one post per week. So, let's kick things off in style with a good old fashioned book review; what better place to start than January's Book of the Month for Waterstones, Lisa Thompson's debut 'The Goldfish Boy'.<br /><br /> Matthew Corbin suffers from OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and rarely does he leave his room. He washes his hands until they crack and bleed, he douses everything with antiseptic spray and he has a secret box of latex gloves under his bed. To pass the time, he observes his neighbours as they go about their daily routines and jots it down in his notepad. Everything is as regular as clockwork, until Mr Charles' grandchildren come to stay, and the youngest, Teddy, goes missing. As the cul-de-sac residents come together to look for Teddy, it becomes apparent that Matthew was the last person to see him and he finds himself slap bang in the middle of a high-stakes mystery and every single one of his neighbours are suspects. Can Matthew overcome his fears and risk exposing his biggest secret to crack the mystery?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> From the get go, I was immediately sold by the premise as it reminded me heavily of Mark Haddon's wonderful 'Curious Incident', and it follows a very similar structure, the main protagonist is isolated, views something that is vital to the plot progressing and importantly, must deal with overcoming a substantial hurdle. In Matthew's case, it is his OCD. Thompson writes about Matthew's condition with such clarity and yet such sadness, as you really get into his mindset about why he feels the need to clean and why things have to be in a certain way. His parents don't understand and they urge him to "get better" but Matthew, and now us as the reader, know it is not that easy. It's clear that Thompson feels strongly about the topic, and it really resonated with me as I spent hours researching OCD shortly after finishing the book, it is a very serious condition and should be treated as such. It never feels daunting or too heavily enforced either, the intended 9-12 demographic would easily be able to pick this book up and be able to relate to Matthew's character. He's likeable, smart and he'll probably break your heart by the last few pages; it is brave of Thompson to write about OCD in such a poignant yet realistic manner.<br /><br /> The other characters are also very well thought out and crafted, each adding their own layer of perplexity to the mystery but also remaining incredibly realistic and humane, Mr Jenkins is a PE teacher who smokes in secret, Old Nina lives in a ramshackled old home longing on to the past, and Matthew's Mum and Dad are frustrated, emotional parents who are desperate for their son to be normal. This realistic setting with realistic characters helps plod the story on nicely without ever becoming far fetched.<br /><br /> As for the main plot itself, as fantastic as the mystery of 'who took Teddy' was, I did at times think it would take a rather dark turn. Especially in one moment when Teddy's blanket is found covered in blood. I found this rather disturbing and may be unsettling for younger readers, though thankfully this is the only shred of darkness as all becomes clear when the culprit reveals themselves in an enlightening, yet heartbreaking manner. What I really enjoyed was the 'Broadchurch'-esque nature of the cul-de-sac, how closely intertwined everyone was with each other, and how events of the past affected the events of the present day. I was utterly absorbed the whole time and I really couldn't work out who had taken Teddy, even when I thought I had, it still took me by surprise. <br /><br />A touching, humane story about being brave and learning to be comfortable in your own skin mixed with a engrossing mystery, 'The Goldfish Boy' follows in the steps of 'Wonder' and 'Curious Incident' in being a thoroughly entertaining book for children and adults alike.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">★</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><i>The Goldfish Boy<br />9781407170992<br />£7,99</i></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-59278039175555600872016-08-11T11:36:00.003-07:002016-08-11T11:38:03.147-07:00Review | Suicide Squad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://static.srcdn.com/slir/w1000-h500-q90-c1000:500/wp-content/uploads/Suicide-Squad-Movie-Set-Visit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static.srcdn.com/slir/w1000-h500-q90-c1000:500/wp-content/uploads/Suicide-Squad-Movie-Set-Visit.jpg" height="200" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Picture the scene: David Ayer is pitching his idea for Suicide Squad at the Warner Bros headquarters, frantically throwing ideas together from a badly drawn together notebook. He triumphantly points to a line in the script, one that is uttered after a male character punches a female in the face, that reads "she had a mouth." "HILARIOUS RIGHT?!" Ayer shrieks unable to control his laughter as the members of Warner Bros look at each other nervously. This whole analogy basically sums up the sheer disappointment of Suicide Squad and makes me question the future of DC's planned extended universe.<br /><br />The plot, a term I'm using VERY VERY loosely, follows bad-ass Amanda Waller (played flawlessly by Viola Davis) recruiting a team of well known super-villains such as Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and others (literally they're not even worth mentioning because of how little screen time they have) to save the world from an ancient sorceress known only as Enchantress (Cara Delevigne). And that's it. Oh and Joker pops up near the end. The plot is so incredibly wafer thin you never really get a sense of what the hell is going on, you feel about as clueless as the characters walking into Midtown.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vj-tp4btV7o/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vj-tp4btV7o?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, I'm aware of how savagely critics have been tearing into the film and I honestly did walk into the cinema with an incredibly open mind, and as much as I didn't think the film was horrendously bad, it was a very very poorly made one. The pacing and tonal shifts are so frustratingly jarring and quick, you never feel like you're watching scenes, rather than video-game cut-scenes or trailers. The opening half hour should have been <i>essential </i>in giving the characters enough time to establish themselves and their back story, to which I would have happily enjoyed a film of origin stories for each member to set up something bigger. At least then we would have got decent character development. Harley and Joker's story speeds along with such fury in flashback form you never really know what's happening. Plus, if you weren't familiar with the comics, you wouldn't have had a CLUE on how Harley becomes the way she is as the flashbacks are so inconsistent in tone and lack any explanation. It's just so messy and confusing. Even the soundtrack feels horribly out of place, jumping from one song to the next, it became more intrusive than anything else.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Furthermore, considering the film is about a 'Squad', only Harley and Deadshot are given most of the screen time, heck, even Harley isn't allowed to steal the show with Margot Robbie's excellent performance. Killer Croc, Captain Boomerang, El Diablo and Katana are given next to no lines or any form of a back story except to stand around and look a little moody. Which makes it questionable when El Diablo proudly states "I've lost one family, I'm not going to lose another", YOU'VE NOT SAID A WORD TO EACH OTHER AND YET YOU'RE FAMILY?! It's just lazy writing, affirming the theory that the script was written in under six weeks. Dialogue is cheap, lazy or just downright ridiculous at times. Like would an ancient sorceress really say "You don't have the balls"?<br /> Something that really bothered me throughout the film though, and I don't think I can actually forgive Ayer for this, is how riddled the film is with misogyny. Batman (Ben Affleck, I KNOW right?) gives weirdly sexual mouth-to-mouth with Harley then punches her in the face once she is conscious, Harley is just a walking sex object with no other purpose than to depend on the Joker, and is even given a dream-sequence where is she is married, with children and even has rollers in her hair. Oh and she's in a kitchen. All she needs is to be making a sandwich and we'd be back in the 1950s, right Mr Ayer? It just devalues everything Harley's character is supposed to be and left a very horrible impression.<br /><br />You'd think I hated the film, but there were moments I did enjoy. There were some, SOME, funny moments which earned a chuckle but nothing that warranted a belting laugh out loud. As much as Cara Delevine's acting is choppy to say the least, I did enjoy her characterization as primitive Enchantress. The standout, was undoubtedly, Viola Davis's Amanda Waller. Her icy demeanour and cruelty was pitch perfect and was the perfect antithesis to the objectified women in the rest of the film. Also any scene with Robbie's Harley and Jared Leto's Joker was such a treat. Robbie nails the character, with every line, her physicality, her laugh. She gripped my attention every time she was on screen and I wanted more, it's just shame I never got it. It's just such a shame that these moments were too far few and between, as over half an hour's worth of scenes were supposedly cut in the final film. Leto's performance of Joker was impressive, considering he's following Heath Ledger, but due to his lack of screen-time I wasn't fully able to see what he could do with the character or how far he could go, to which I'm hoping he can show in a future instalment. The brief snippets of other characters in the DC universe and the mid-credits scene were mildly entertaining, but one feels that DC is just rushing to create this whole extended universe rather than think carefully about the films it's releasing. I'm not pitting DC against Marvel in any way, but Marvel <i>have </i>had a ten year gap ahead of DC, and more time to make a well crafted film. Warner Bros should just have a nice sit down and re-evaluate their upcoming schedule.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While lighter in tone than the dreadful <i>Batman vs. Superman</i>, <i>Suicide Squad</i> is just a convoluted mess of ideas and underdeveloped characters that suffer from a lazy script and poor editing. It's a shame that performances from Margot Robbie and Viola Davis are so severely undercut by Ayer's direction and unacceptable use of misogyny, for that, HE'S the real bad guy in this.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-26188896569051612852016-08-01T12:02:00.000-07:002016-08-02T10:21:25.163-07:00Lunch with Rylan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtHdv6ansnk0vnsXvbr4jChHhCTW-QZcl2zGpuyACEgJK9lLrVKF5wkoDuulfxdDuEU6xHCzGQeWIQOgucT_B_NfAybNGtbVihWuuDOlduaQJUawOl7FTwN3b_Sen86PlXyQvDS-7CpZPZ/s1600/IMG_1396.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtHdv6ansnk0vnsXvbr4jChHhCTW-QZcl2zGpuyACEgJK9lLrVKF5wkoDuulfxdDuEU6xHCzGQeWIQOgucT_B_NfAybNGtbVihWuuDOlduaQJUawOl7FTwN3b_Sen86PlXyQvDS-7CpZPZ/s400/IMG_1396.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wearing an all-black ensemble, Rylan greets us with a friendly hello and handshake, bearing that infamous grin on his face that so many know him for. He's in Waterstones' Reading today doing a signing for his new book, 'The Life of Rylan', which comes at a time where he is becoming a household name. Recently announced as the new co-host of <i>The</i> <i>X</i> <i>Factor</i>, he also presents <i>Big Brother's Bit on the Side</i> and has a segment on This Morning, which he recently co-hosted with his partner Dan. With everything going on, we ask why now to write a book, when he could have done years ago?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /> "I was offered to a book months after <i>X Factor</i> finished (being a former contestant) but I felt it was embarrassing, because I don't do <i>products</i>, but then last year I was asked again and they really wanted to know my story before X Factor, before anything really, so I agreed to do it but if I was going to do it I wanted to do it myself."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> While on the topic we bring up <i>The X Factor, </i>as Rylan tells us he had just finished filming his first day at Wembley Arena. "It's so weird being on the other side of the barrier" he laughs. "But it's so nice knowing that I can turn up and start work straight away rather than wake up at six o'clock in the morning and wait around for seven hours!" There is a certain amount of empathy Rylan emits when talking about his role as presenter for two reality shows he himself has been a part of, which makes the experience a whole lot more enjoyable and genuine, which he concurs with. "When the housemates come out in <i>Big Brother</i>, I can talk to them and relate, because I've been there y'know? It's the same with <i>X Factor, </i>and it's much more enjoyable that way, being able to impart some wise words of wisdom!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6R9dtPMXdrcJCBFUWYhPQSYYh6MnLpPjINJObIVg2RKr0u1kXjGXiPK7gzf5Dj8mczBIaZCpKlqn-gCosBYoJ5M7uLxnwdlLvm8HjjkkymRZXC-h5F0QA5y6wRT2EAbtes3PQAEEZRXMp/s1600/IMG_1408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6R9dtPMXdrcJCBFUWYhPQSYYh6MnLpPjINJObIVg2RKr0u1kXjGXiPK7gzf5Dj8mczBIaZCpKlqn-gCosBYoJ5M7uLxnwdlLvm8HjjkkymRZXC-h5F0QA5y6wRT2EAbtes3PQAEEZRXMp/s320/IMG_1408.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>"I've bumped into so many people on this book tour, it was like long lost families!"</i></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></h2>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Reading is the penultimate stop of Rylan's book tour that has been incredibly successful, so much so that he arrives into store with very good news. "The book came out two days before the start of the tour, so I had no idea on sales, whether people were buying it or not and now I'm here today and it's number one!" he beams, flashing a smile, clearly very grateful and humbled by this news. I elaborate on the figures, by explaining how in my local branch in Coventry we had sold out within a day which is meant by a gasp, then a chuckle.<br /> "That's amazing, I'm really, really grateful. It just means a lot more that I've written the book myself, so I can say I'm not just a Sunday Times Bestseller, but a Sunday Times bestselling <i>author." </i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rylan was approached by a ghostwriter in the early stages of the book process, but he ultimately turned it down, "I don't judge people at all for using ghostwriters, I actually met up with one and she was lovely, but I just knew that </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">had to do it and I </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">wanted </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">to do it. It means so much more when it's </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">my </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">number one and no-one elses."</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfKuFBQohc4JcpDxGYkB7D2Rf1BTkibuzpQhvWDCV4hU1wgU-2K8KWoM50-hmFc828GUk6MJbSZEBEvl724EhMYN1RKBiPwiqBXtf124I7vBewbEXbFtdCoKTEgiD0amYZDuwuwN0Syk2/s1600/IMG_1410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfKuFBQohc4JcpDxGYkB7D2Rf1BTkibuzpQhvWDCV4hU1wgU-2K8KWoM50-hmFc828GUk6MJbSZEBEvl724EhMYN1RKBiPwiqBXtf124I7vBewbEXbFtdCoKTEgiD0amYZDuwuwN0Syk2/s320/IMG_1410.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>"I'm literally on a forty six day stretch, I don't get a chance to relax or unwind!"</i></span></h2>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i> </i>Considering he's on a mammoth book tour, simultaneously hosting three television shows, and planning two more for ITV, I note how well he is looking which is met with another laugh. "It's a LOT of make up and fake tan! 2016 has turned out to be the year...I don't actually have a life, but y'know I'm prepared to do it and I'm really lucky to be doing it. Though having a three hour gap between shows can be strange at times."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /> I then ask Rylan about hosting a segment on <i>This Morning</i> with his partner Dan, as it was certainly a big event not just for <i>This Morning,</i> but for <i>ITV </i>and TV in general, having the first same-sex couple present a morning prime-time show. "It was really surreal, the opportunity came up, but I wasn't sure, though Dan really wanted to do it, so we did, and it went down really really well. I'm so grateful for the reaction, and even though it is a moment of history, I don't really look at it that way, I'm just glad me and Dan got to it!" I throw the term role model into the conversation, saying how potentially young people may look up to him and Dan and use that moment to help them come to terms with their identity or overcome any issues they may be facing. "The word role model scares me" Rylan laughs softly "but I get what you're saying. People on this tour come up to me and say 'My dad really likes you, he thinks you're really funny which made it easier to tell him I'm gay or bi, or whatever it may be', and if I've helped anyone in any kind of way, then I'll be completely over the moon."</span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheHKJQRvEmW1MxR5CwUBbI_Ua_TKdgD9DUA3Mzbid0XmMrES-_rbZf2oBm6XF_ghiSw49XdV_9LjiUGJfOsdO8WmHwNolgfLU21RvksqFvo0DBuW2nWzx4GwErUelojXbR5KAl8esh750e/s1600/IMG_1421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheHKJQRvEmW1MxR5CwUBbI_Ua_TKdgD9DUA3Mzbid0XmMrES-_rbZf2oBm6XF_ghiSw49XdV_9LjiUGJfOsdO8WmHwNolgfLU21RvksqFvo0DBuW2nWzx4GwErUelojXbR5KAl8esh750e/s320/IMG_1421.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> What everyone loves about Rylan, and myself included after being in his company for just over ten minutes, is how genuine and lovely he is, which was clear in the segment with Dan, they were both so genuine and warming. "I don't act and I never mean to act" he explains, "there is a lot of people in this industry that do act but I am always myself. You see it on TV, read it in the book, backstage, onstage, I am the same person all the time. I didn't do this book to sell books at the end of the day, I did this for myself, to prove I could do it and meet amazing people on the way." A pivotal question is asked next, as to which emoji Rylan feels like he most resonates with, and he bares his teeth, showing them in full, resembling the said emoji gritting its teeth. "I wanna get my own emoji!" he declares, eyes sparking with excitement. With that, we say our thank you and goodbyes and Rylan heads down to begin his signing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> In a time where reality television seems to be on the verge of an all-important comeback, it is so refreshing to see people like Rylan emulating a natural kindness and sense of humour that is, not only needed to carry such shows, but so crucial in real life. What you see with Rylan, is truly what you get, and I couldn't have asked for more polite, engaging gentleman to interview. I was even fortunate to stay with Rylan and his wonderful team for lunch before they headed on to Basingstoke, as we all just had a natter over some sandwiches; true as his word, Rylan remained as engaging, polite and as humorous as ever. Hasn't he done well?<br /><br /><i>The Life of Rylan<br />9781780895741</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>£18.99</i></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-15309870155713549842016-07-18T14:01:00.000-07:002016-08-11T11:29:16.845-07:00The Girls - Emma Cline<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.image.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/the-girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://www.image.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/the-girls.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Everyone has fleeting memories associated with a particular summer. Whether that be a song, a holiday, excursions with friends, you recall it perfectly and you are transported to the summer of whatever year it was like it was yesterday. For me, the memory of my summer in 2016 will be reading the phenomenal 'The Girls', Emma Cline's debut novel. Set in the hazy summer of 1969, the book depicts a fictionalised account of the Charles Manson cult and subsequent murders, all through the eyes of a young teenage girl, somewhat trapped between childhood and womanhood, who becomes captivated with the group of girls that dominate the cult. Basically, this is an incredibly compelling novel that everyone should read this summer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Cline makes it clear that this isn't about Manson, or this in case Russell, it is instead about, as the title suggests, the girls that hover throughout the novel, wearing their femininity and sexuality on their sleeve, stroking marks of independence all the while still seemingly seeking Russell's approval. Cline painfully captures the essence of being a young girl waiting to be approved by men, "<i>that was part of being a girl-</i>" Cline writes, "<i>you were resigned to whatever feedback you got", </i> but it is not Russell who captures the affections of our protagonist, Evie, it is the mysteriously seductive Suzanne, with her "<i>smile blooming in me like a firework, losing it's coloured smoke.</i>" The focus shifts on the relationships between women, not necessarily romantic or sexual, but the strong, empowering bonds they create. Evie longs for more than her dull friendship with Connie, subtle with dark stabs at jealously and female rivalry, vying for older boys attention. When she meets Suzanne, and subsequently spends time in her company, she blossoms and takes her first steps into becoming a woman, who we actually meet a many points in the story, as the narrative flips between present day (more or less) and 1969. This is by no means a hindrance, but rather more an insight into the adult Evie looking back and reflecting on the choices she did or should have made.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The complexity, sadness and fluctuating emotions are beautifully captured by Cline in exploring what it is like to be a teenage girl, who so often in literature are dismissed as shallow or emotionally unstable. Evie's exploration of sexuality are so harrowing and uncomfortable at times but it feels so much more real, and Cline allows us a true insight into the mind of a teenage girl, of how Evie feels she must change herself, mentally and physically for men, as that is the supposed priority. This, contrasted with the rural imagery of the Californian suburbs and prose so searing with the flames of summer that you can almost feel it leap from the page, makes the novel so immediate and captivating. What is more heartbreaking is the present day Evie, alone in a house that is intruded upon by a young teenage boy, Julian and his girlfriend, Sasha, recognising how these attitudes still remain. Sasha, is denied a voice when discussing her own body and her boyfriend speaks for her, "<i>'She doesn't like her tits' Julian said, pulsing the back of her neck, 'but I tell her they're nice.'</i>" It made me extremely sad, and angry that this is the reality that most teenage girls face today, who face womanhood with such extreme frailty, but Cline must be commended for voicing, I can only imagine, the thoughts of what is like to be a girl in a male driven world.<br /><br /> Which really, is the ironic thing as the novel dominates with female characters, all given a backstory and a well-crafted identity "<i>trying to campaign for her own existence</i>." The real girls that lived in Manson's shadow were most likely dismissed, or not even talked about, though they were the ones who carried out the actual murder. This is cleverly referenced toward the end of the novel, the present day Evie referring to herself as "<i>the bystander, a fugitive without a crime</i>" but notes how "<i>even toward the end, the girls had been stronger than Russell</i>". One again, Cline grasps the focus away from the man who is at the centre of the story but is superfluous to drive it forward, instead she hands that baton to the girls, and she them a voice, the girls of past and present; "<i>We all want to be seen.</i>" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Rich with scorching imagery of the summer, painfully honest in its exploration of womanhood, adolescence and sexuality and beautifully crafted with free-flowing language, 'The Girls' demands to be read in one sitting, sat under the blaze of sultry sun. Easily, my book of the summer. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;"><i>The Girls<br />£12.99<br />Vintage Publishing</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-23403002284224186062016-07-11T16:14:00.001-07:002016-07-11T16:16:33.391-07:00Review | Ghostbusters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn1-www.comingsoon.net/assets/uploads/gallery/ghostbusters-2016/ghostbusters2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn1-www.comingsoon.net/assets/uploads/gallery/ghostbusters-2016/ghostbusters2016.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As I strolled into the screening of the hotly anticipated, yet, controversial of the rebooted 'Ghostbusters', I could almost feel the apprehensions and skepticisms of people floating through the air like ghoulish apparitions themselves. The film's trailer is the most disliked video on YouTube to date, and the internet is just breeding with misogynistic haters claiming that women cannot be 'Ghostbusters' and they're simply not funny. It's easy to see why some people are reacting this way, the original film struck such a fine balance in being genuinely funny and scarily frightening at the same time and for the same reasons remains a cult classic to this day. People don't want a franchise they love so dearly skewered or distorted, which I respect but, for the most part, Paul Feig's 'Ghostbusters' delivers on the humour, the scares and the source material that paved way for this film to be made, while also proving that women have always, and will continue to be, funny.<br /><br /> The story follows physicists and engineer Erin (Kristen Wiig), Abi (Melissa McCarthy) and Jillian (Kate McKinnon) who are all laughed out of academia when an old book, written by the former pair, resurfaces claiming the existence of the paranormal. Shortly after, ghosts begin cropping up over New York thanks to a shady character known as Rowan, and so our gals team up with New York subway worker Patty (Leslie Jones) and their pretty-but-oh-so-dumb assistant Kevin (Chris Hemsworth) to try and save New York from a grisly doom. It's a little far fetched at times, but this IS a Ghostbusters film so really, the more sillier and extreme the better. The pacing at times does quicken at points so there are moments when scenes feel extremely rushed or poorly explained but you don't really mind that much. What really carries the film is the chemistry and spark between all four ladies, bouncing off each other with such vivaciousness and speed you can't help but smile, and laugh. Whats more is that each leading lady is given enough time do show off their distinct comedy style, McKinnon in particular stealing the show as entertainingly erratic Holtzmann, with her zappy one-liners or her quirky mannerisms. McCarthy and Wiig still bring the laughs, though a couple of jokes feel weak and miss the mark, though when they're on point, they're on point. Leslie Jones had me in stitches for most of the film, which knocks aside any accusations of racial stereotyping many have backlashed the film for.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JINqHA7xywE/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JINqHA7xywE?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chris Hemsworth also uses every moment he has on screen to gain the laughs. He perfectly grasps the character every one of us has met in real life of the boy who is incredibly good looking but also incredibly dumb. In a film that particularly focuses on gender subversion, it never felt cheap or in poor taste, it simply added to the humour. He acquaints himself perfectly with misunderstanding after misunderstanding. Speaking of gender subversion and the amount of hate the film had gotten pre-release, I felt like the film's enemy Rowan, a geeky, socially awkward sociopath hellbent on destruction , was the epitome of all the trolls and haters sitting on the internet whining and complaining. One brilliant scene even addresses the social media outpour, by having McCarthy directly reply to a comment that reads "Ain't no bitches gonna hunt ghosts", something that could either have been written for the film or taken from the comments section on the trailer. Who knows. Rowan even tosses casual insults at the gang, lambasting them for "shooting like girls", but the film constantly reminds you that these gals are tough, they work hard and they mean business. Heck, they even shoot a ghost in the crotch in the final scene in which I was screaming in my head SYMBOLIC CASTRATION. Albeit it never feels too much or shoved in my face, the film does have heart, stressing the values of friendship and belonging together as a group of outcasts. The balance is just right, and I hope that little girls may leave the cinema, hopes raised that they can be a Ghostbuster too. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> That being said, the film isn't perfect. It never quite lives up to its predecessor that looms over it like a mighty shadow, with the humour at times being very hit and miss or, at times, completely superfluous (looking at you, fart joke). Moreover the heavy use of CGI for the ghosts gave them a theme park look which took away from the illusion they were supposed to be giving of being frightening or intimidating. Though, the opening scene and a few moments throughout are genuinely spine-tingling, and did make me feel comfortably nostalgic toward the original. This nostalgia is heightened with brief cameos from all the cast members from the 1984 film, Bill Murray to Signourney Weaver making a visit. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Overall, 'Ghostbusters' bluntly, is just a hell of a lot of fun. Putting its fingers firmly up at the haters and showcasing new faces of comedy, 'Ghostbusters' pays homage to the 1984 classic nicely whilst empowering its female driven cast against the haters and also adding a much needed shot in the arm for the summer blockbuster. The haters may hate, but I'll definitely be calling the Ghostbusters again. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 16px;">★</span><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5028809368285465652.post-13727126964268754882016-06-15T15:30:00.002-07:002016-06-15T15:31:40.623-07:00We are Orlando<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.trbimg.com/img-57615807/turbine/os-orlando-shooting-who-we-are-scott-maxwell-20160615" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-57615807/turbine/os-orlando-shooting-who-we-are-scott-maxwell-20160615" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I've had over four days to try and attempt to dwell on the heartbreaking events that happened over the weekend. Yet I still struggle to find words. I open up every form of social network and find all manner of people exclaiming their disbelief, their anger, their pain. I wondered whether it was worth writing anything at all, whether I would be regurgitating what has already been said by others across the globe. But then, I thought, an echo of the same idea is what gets people noticed, gets people talking, gets a seed planted firmly in the brains of others. So what exactly do I have to say?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /> I say that I'm stunned, and still in shock of this viscous, uncalled for attack on the LGBT community. Clubs like Pulse have offered a place of sanctuary and shelter for those who felt shunned from the outside world, a place to feel free and unrestricted. Where you could be anyone you wanted to be. No one cared what you wore, how flamboyant or introverted you were, whether you danced or not. You were widely accepted for you. Places like Pulse opened their hearts to the LGBT community and gave them a home to freely express their identity when the outside world chose to ignore it. A safe haven, if you will. But now, thanks to a man whose institutionalised homophobia and denial of his own sexuality lead to the deaths of over fifty brothers and sisters, our sanctuary has been wrongfully taken away from us. As a gay man, I have never felt more accepted, or more welcomed than in a gay club. People who have strong presupposed ideas of a gay club or bar, truly, have no idea what it's like to walk down the street in fear. Fearing that you may walk too feminine, or fearing to hold your partner's hand, or kiss his cheek. In our many places of sanctuary, we could shed that fear like a bird shedding its feathers before it takes flight. And oh how we would soar into the night, uniting with our brothers and sisters, dancing, drinking, laughing. We felt comfortable, we felt safe. Now, I feel more scared than ever. I'm scared that rash homophobic and xenophobic attitudes still exist in the world and I'm scared that it's terrifyingly easy for people to act on them in the worst way possible. I also fear for the younger generation of the LGBT community; those who are still living in the closet, struggling to come to terms with themselves. <br /><br /> But do you know what I find more scary, and truth be told, downright exhausting? Bigots like Trump, like Firage, like Julia Hartley-Brewer, ignoring the plain, obvious facts and jumping for the "IT'S MUSLIM TERRORISTS ATTACKING PEOPLE" card. This was the worst mass killing of LGBT in the western world since the Holocaust. THE HOLOCAUST. Yet, people gloss over this blatant attack on our community, because they still choose to not acknowledge LGBT people as part of their society. Yes, we have marriage equality but it doesn't end there funnily enough. We deserve the right to be acknowledged in society, to be equal. Yet we aren't. We are still considered inferior in many ways, we deal with internalised prejudice and torrents of homophobic abuse every single day. I repressed all of my feelings during my teenage years, after suffering from countless amounts of bullying or name calling. Being gay was to be something disgusting, to be diseased and isolated. I suffered in silence for a long time, before finally coming to terms with myself, accepting who I was and being brave. I grew older, and saw a rally for change. I met more LGBT people, talked to them, listened to their stories. We united through our pain and past experiences to look forward and pave the way for social change. Sadly, cases like this prove how far we have to go to reach true equality, communities have united in grief for Orlando globally, yet I still feel like we are outcasts. Straight people, can sympathise of course, but will truly never know the grief and outrage our community is feeling at this moment. A lazy like on Facebook, or sharing one picture on Twitter isn't enough.<br /><br /> Interestingly, I wonder how long it will be before everyone stops talking about this. I noticed an awkward silence, or a pregnant pause, in the room whenever I mentioned it at work over the last few days. Yet, Paris, or the current Football riots between the England and Russian fans, were, or are topics of conversation that never seem to go away. If this was a massacre in a fairly well known state school, I feel things would certainly be different. There's always something to flesh out, or discuss. On Tuesday, only one newspaper made the shooting its front page. One. To repeat myself, the worst massacre against LGBT people in the western world since the Holocaust and it wasn't even front page news to most. I guarantee by next week, it'll have faded into the background. As <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;">Raven</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;">-</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;">Symoné beautifully pointed out, society comes together in love to grieve and for what feels like a brief moment, we are united, but how long does it last? We discuss the importance of the community, the distressing issue of Gun Control for, say, two months, before everything digresses to how it was before. People say LGBT people are their family too, but how long for exactly? How long were you Charlie? How long were you Brussels? People are forgetting that this is not the first time we have experienced a hate crime, nor I'm sure it will be the last. We have always needed your support, and to get it after such a brutal massacre feels...disappointing. Why did we have to let over fifty people, the youngest at twenty two, be slaughtered in, essentially, their home, for you to wake up and realise we have always needed your help?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"> But, I can't ignore the love and support I have seen, regardless of whether it's been ongoing or not. Seeing Old Compton Street bristling with people all tightly packed in together, was breathtaking and so, incredibly moving. A friend of mine wished how she hoped the shooter had been alive to see the thousands pouring in from all over America to donate blood to the victims of the massacre, so that he could see the overwhelming amounts of love and support going toward them. Love will always triumph over evil, hatred and bigotry. Though I know this may anger some people, or get people talking, I stand by every single point I've made. I have wrote this from the heart, because this IS personal. I have learned to fully embrace myself and embrace others, I shall never stop being joyful, or proud to be who I am and love who I love. Life is to be lived fully and fabulously, and for our fallen brothers and sisters, I mourn but I salute you. We will never forget and we will shout as loudly as we can to get our voices heard. Your lives won't have been lost for nothing when we stand united as a family, because we <i>are </i>Orlando. </span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649400871267994053noreply@blogger.com0