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Latest reading material: The Kiss, by Kathryn Harrison.
I can understand why this book raised controversy when it was first published in the 1990s. I suppose one could invoke that rather hackneyed phrase “it was a different world”, or “things were different then”, or some similar expression. I further venture to argue that this is probably true; I believe that, in many respects, the world has changed considerably since the publication of Kathryn Harrison’s autobiographical account (which relates her adult incestuous relationship with her biological father, absent for the vast majority of her childhood years, as well as her relationship with her mother and maternal grandparents). However, a truth is often susceptible to becoming a truism, and I cannot help but to remember the old French proverb, Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose (or “the more it changes, the more it’s the same thing”). Has the world really changed all that much?
Harrison was praised but also condemned at the time for telling her story, raising such questions as Did her memoir go too far? or Did she really need to tell what happened to her? I can also understand or appreciate the duality of attitudes at work here (anterior to or without entering into the literary merits of her book). The questions are not easily answered, because the issues are deeply complex, and one senses a polarity between a culture that advocates silence and one that encourages revelation. Does Harrison have the right to “tell her story”? And, if she does, should she tell her story? Once again, difficult questions, with arguments to be made for both sides. Though one may reason, on the one hand, that Harrison’s account could have devastating consequences not just for her biological father, but also for his three younger children (Harrison’s half-siblings), one also ought to consider if she should be somehow compelled to keep silent about a critical part of her life, with the concomitant implications such “self-censorship” may have not just on a personal level, but also on a broader scale. In short: does one tell or does one not? I feel that, ultimately, this is a question that each person concerned must ask themselves and answer for themselves, with all of the ramifications that may derive from the decision that they make.Â
I am reminded of two phrases that perhaps encapsulate the particular dilemma at the heart of the matter: 1) the truth will set you free, and 2) what price truth?
#Kathryn Harrison#The Kiss#Memoir#Book#Harrison#Reading#Autobiography#Incest#Taboo#Incestuous relationship#Controversy#Image#Visual
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Latest reading material: Poison, by Kathryn Harrison.
An engrossing, beautifully-told story that interweaves the lives of two women born on the same day but in very different circumstances: Francisca de Luarca, daughter of a silk grower, and MarĂa Luisa (Marie Louise de Bourbon), the French-born queen of Spanish King Carlos II. Highly recommended. Incidentally, my copy is one of countless ex-library books I own (”permanently withdrawn” as the now faded ink stamp has it).
I intend to stick with Kathryn Harrison for my next book to read. I’m curious about her memoir entitled The Kiss, which apparently caused controversy when it was published back in 1997.Â
If anyone follows or reads my posts, then I wish a Happy and Prosperous New Year for 2023 to one and all.
#Poison#Kathryn Harrison#Book#Reading#Fiction#Historical Fiction#Biographical Fiction#Spain#17th Century#Seventeenth Century#Image#Visual#Personal
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Wild Geese
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
— Mary Oliver
“Wild Geese” poem by Mary Oliver [My reading].
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Latest reading material: Dolores Claiborne, by Stephen King.
Time to reach into the box and select a new book to read.
#Stephen King#Dolores Claiborne#King#Books#Reading#Novel#Psychological Thriller#Image#Visual#Text#Personal
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Latest reading material: The Green Mile, by Stephen King.Â
I’m currently renewing my interest in Stephen King books. As with most all of the books in my possession (and trust me when I say that these run into many, many volumes) I’ve had this one for ages. I finally got round to reading it (and watching the film too!) and I found both very enjoyable. I’m sticking with King (at least for one more book, another old one); I aim to finish reading it soon. Â
#Stephen King#King#The Green Mile#Book#Reading#Latest reading#Narrative#Fiction#Novel#Serial novel#American#Dark Fantasy#Southern Gothic#Magic Realism#Magical Realism#Visual#Image#Personal
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Peter Cushing as Baron Frankenstein and Sir Christopher Lee as the creature. Brilliant performances from both actors.
The Curse of Frankenstein | 1957
#The Curse of Frankenstein#Peter Cushing#Sir Christopher Lee#Christopher Lee#Frankenstein#Film#Cinema#Hammer Films#Hammer Horror#Mary Shelley#Gifs#Gifset#Animated images#Visual#Reblog
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Latest reading material: The Bonesetter’s Daughter, by Amy Tan.
Recently, I had occasion to relocate several boxes, inside one of which I found the above book. I acquired this one a long while ago, and now I have finally read it. Another enjoyable narrative, exploring intergenerational relationships, interweaving the two major stories of the lives of Ruth Young, a Chinese-American woman living in San Francisco and her mother LuLing, who was born in China and later emigrated to the US. Tan reminds the reader of the vital importance of names and naming, central to signification and attesting to one’s existence. Once again, highly recommended.
#Amy Tan#The Bonesetter's Daughter#Book#Latest Reading#Reading#Literature#Novel#Narrative#Fiction#Tan#Chinese#Chinese-American#USA#Intergenerational#Name#Naming#Image#Photo#Visual#Personal
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Error 400 – 418
I miss you
400 Bad Request
I want you
403 Forbidden
I want you so much
402 Payment Required
I want to see you
404 Not Found: Page Cannot Be Displayed
(The most likely causes are that you are not connected to the
internet or that the address you entered is incorrect)
I only want to see you
415 Unsupported Media Type
I must see you!
426 Upgrade Required
I wanna bite you
423 Locked
WTF? How I’d love to lock you up
405 Method Not Allowed
I hate you more than anything
451 Redirect
O I love you
401 Unauthorized Uncommitted
Love you love you love you
403.11 You have exceeded the number of allowed attempts
I love you!!
418 I’m a teapot
— Amang Hung
"Error 400 – 418" poem by Taiwanese poet-filmmaker Amang Hung (translated by Steve Bradbury) from the collection Raised by Wolves, read by me.
#Error 400 – 418#Amang Hung#Poem#Poetry#Reading#Reciting#Recording#Internet#Technology#Error#Raised by Wolves#Steve Bradbury
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Floral Tribute
Evening will come, however determined the late afternoon,
Limes and oaks in their last green flush, pearled in September mist.
I have conjured a lily to light these hours, a token of thanks,
Zones and auras of soft glare framing the brilliant globes.
A promise made and kept for life – that was your gift –
Because of which, here is a gift in return, glovewort to some,
Each shining bonnet guarded by stern lance-like leaves.
The country loaded its whole self into your slender hands,
Hands that can rest, now, relieved of a century’s weight.
Evening has come. Rain on the black lochs and dark Munros.
Lily of the Valley, a namesake almost, a favourite flower
Interlaced with your famous bouquets, the restrained
Zeal and forceful grace of its lanterns, each inflorescence
A silent bell disguising a singular voice. A blurred new day
Breaks uncrowned on remote peaks and public parks, and
Everything turns on these luminous petals and deep roots,
This lily that thrives between spire and tree, whose brightness
Holds and glows beyond the life and border of its bloom.
— Simon Armitage
Simon Armitage’s new poem, “Floral Tribute”, marking the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. [My recording].
#Simon Armitage#Poet Laureate#Queen Elizabeth II#HM Queen Elizabeth II#Poem#Poetry#Reading#Reciting#Recording#Audio#Floral Tribute#Tribute#RIP HM Queen Elizabeth II#God bless
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RIP Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022)
I was very sad to learn of the news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She dedicated her life to the service of her country, and I believe she will be remembered as one of the greatest monarchs in history. The United Kingdom is in national mourning for Queen Elizabeth II; as an expatriate, I too mourn the passing of the Queen with a sad and heavy heart.
Thank you for seventy glorious years of dedicated service and may your soul rest in eternal peace. God bless you.
#RIP Queen Elizabeth II#Queen Elizabeth II#United Kingdom#Monarchy#Royalty#Image#Photo#Photograph#Visual
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RIP Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-2022).
To honour the memory of former Soviet Union leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, who passed away recently, a photograph with the late Sir Christopher Lee. The image is from a ceremony which was held in Vienna in 2003 where Sir Christopher was awarded the World Awards Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to him by Mikhail Gorbachev.Â
#RIP Mikhail Gorbachev#Mikhail Gorbachev#Gorbachev#Russia#Soviet Union#Sir Christopher Lee#Christopher Lee#Image#Photo#Photograph#Visual#Award#Vienna
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MCMXIV
Those long uneven lines
Standing as patiently
As if they were stretched outside
The Oval or Villa Park,
The crowns of hats, the sun
On moustached archaic faces
Grinning as if it were all
An August Bank Holiday lark;
And the shut shops, the bleached
Established names on the sunblinds,
The farthings and sovereigns,
And dark-clothed children at play
Called after kings and queens,
The tin advertisements
For cocoa and twist, and the pubs
Wide open all day;
And the countryside not caring:
The place-names all hazed over
With flowering grasses, and fields
Shadowing Domesday lines
Under wheat’s restless silence;
The differently-dressed servants
With tiny rooms in huge houses,
The dust behind limousines;
Never such innocence,
Never before or since,
As changed itself to past
Without a word – the men
Leaving the gardens tidy,
The thousands of marriages,
Lasting a little while longer:
Never such innocence again.
— Philip Larkin (Pub. 1964)
“MCMXIV” poem by Philip Larkin, read by me. In honour of the centenary year of the birth of English poet Philip Larkin (1922-1985).Â
#Philip Larkin#Larkin#MCMXIV#Poem#Poetry#Philip Larkin Centenary#Spoken Word#Recording#Reciting#Audio
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Happy 59th Birthday to Johnny Depp! Following recent and much-publicised events, I hope that he can finally regain control of his life and career and move forward to a brand new chapter and better times ahead.Â
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Love this gif/artwork of Gran Moff Tarkin and Count Dooku sharing a galactic moment of reflection.
"I now understand why you left the Jedi Order."
"Mm-hm."
#Grand Moff Tarkin#Count Dooku#Jedi#Star Wars#Gif#Artwork#Visual#George Lucas#Peter Cushing#Sir Christopher Lee#Reblog
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Today marks the seventh anniversary of the sad passing of British actor Sir Christopher Lee (1922-2015). Though you are no longer present here physically, your spirit and memory live on through your vast and rich body of work ensuring that you are not forgotten. Legends never die.
RIP Sir Christopher Lee (1922-2015). Thank you for all the joy and pleasure you brought to so many generations all over the world. You remain very greatly missed. May God bless you wherever you may be.
#Sir Christopher Lee#Christopher Lee#Actor#Film#Cinema#Passing#Remembering#Anniversary#7th Anniversary#RIP Sir Christopher Lee#Photo#Photograph#Image#Visual#God bless
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Remembering the late actor Edward Woodward on the 92nd anniversary of his birth.Â
RIP Edward Woodward (1930-2009). God bless you.
#Edward Woodward#Actor#Film#Cinema#Television#The Equalizer#The Wicker Man#Sergeant Neil Howie#Robert McCall#Photo#Photograph#Image#Visual#Remembering#Anniversary
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Remembering the late and legendary Sir Christopher Lee on the 100th anniversary of his birth. On this your centenary year, your presence is still very greatly missed.Â
Here is a selection of images of Sir Christopher Lee to commemorate the special occasion.Â
RIP Sir Christopher Lee (1922-2015). May God bless you wherever you are.
#Sir Christopher Lee#Christopher Lee#Actor#Film#Cinema#Photo#Photograph#Visual#Remembering#Centenary
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