Reading at Ledbury Poetry Festival

Catherine Crosswell, Sarah James, Jenny Hope and me: The Vaginellas

song that is stuck in my head today...

Jesus was a Jewish philosopher
Had a lot of nice ideas
About our existential fears
Much admired by his peers
Short and Jewish and quite political
Often hesitant and very analytical
Praise be to Jesus
Praise be to Woody Allen Jesus,
Woody Allen, Jesus

Tim Minchin

“If Jesus came back and saw what was being done in his name, he'd never stop throwing up.”

― Woody Allen, Hannah and Her Sisters

Zitkala-Ša 'Red Bird'

Zitkala-Ša (1876–1938) (Dakota: pronounced zitkála-ša, which translates to "Red Bird") also known by the missionary-given name Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, was a Sioux writer, editor, musician, teacher and political activist. She wrote several works chronicling her struggles in her youth as she was pulled back and forth between the influences of dominant American culture and her own Native American heritage, as well as books in English that brought traditional Native American stories to a widespread white readership for one of the first times.

Thesis writing is like giving birth

Dramatic post title. Yes, I admit it is but writing my dissertation has felt comparable to one metaphor: childbirth. I have nurtured and agonised over this document for 9 months or more and now the final stages of labour are upon me. It is like being in a black space where the only light and focus is that distant moment when the thing is finished and handed in. It has consumed me. I have been dreaming about different phrases and terminology. My children think I am a grumpy, desk bound misery. This last push is the most painful but then it will be finished and what will I have? Just a certificate. But also another thing ticked off on my list of life challenges. I am going to celebrate loudly on Thursday!

donkeys in a field near our house

Demri & Layne

Power

I have been writing my dissertation about Native American contemporary fiction and one of the books I really enjoyed was written by Linda Hogan: Power. It's about a 16 year old girl called Omishto and I would recommend it as an excellent read. The prose is beautiful and it deals with  important issues of identity and ecology all centered around the death of a Florida Panther. Thoughtful and vivid.