Two snips from a mildly curious topographical book I am reading on London by William Macrie: In a section called What is London? this:
“The Elephant and Castle is said to be the geographical centre of London”
Who knew? Certainly not me when I lived precisely there. I always thought I was living in the deep South. There was also a description of Southwark Cathedral surrounded by Borough Potato Market insisting this gave it the “human touch”
Tomorrow I’ll give you the classic part about the healing properties of London water. (I think he’s referring to tap water, not random puddles)
Sparked cardigans
Yesterday I was listening to Spark and was fascinated by a discussion on binary. I was just thinking to myself as I listened how much I enjoy that CBC radio programme about techology, despite not being amongst the more technologically sharp. I noticed a status update today on Facebook read “Is there anything more boring than listening to people talk about the internet on the radio” and then beneath it someone had typed Spark? Not far underneath it another person had written ..yes people talking about cardigans and cited a programme last Thursday where cardigans were discussed.
I had to chuckle as cardigans are one of my favourite topics. I have so many conversations with strangers about their cardigans. They are one of the few items I would go shopping for. (Other than wood I like shopping for wood and tools and books). My granny’s cardigan is on the chair as I type this and it’s completely undefeated in terms of the wind. All these fancy coats and you’re still pulling them around you. Put on Granny’s cardigan and you’ve got instant feathers. Plus it has half of one button missing, it looks like someone chomped it.
Day of the Snowy Owl
I spent the morning viewing the Snowy Owls who are currently visiting us from the arctic. Incredible to see them, they are magnificent.
There were about 30 of them hanging out at Boundary Bay this morning, more female owls than male. Several flew, so I was able to witness their incredible wingspan. But what I admire most about them is their plummage. The downy, puff puff factor. They even have feathers on their talons and beaks.
Three owls were preening and cleaning with their heads turned backwards and dug deep into their back feathers. One of them puffed her bum up and did a bit of a stretch. The owl who was the furtherest along the dike was very restless and she shifted several times. However they all seemed happy and bright and people were respectful and did not enter the marsh. Except a couple who didn’t go near the owls and walked down to the sea (I think). Personally I would have waited to walk to the sea incase it disturbed them. There are going to be plenty months where you can walk to the sea and this influx of Snowy Owls is so incredible a sight that we don’t want to upset them.
On the way back, we saw a Peregrine Falcon sitting on a barn roof, lots of eagles hanging out at the tops of trees and swans in the fields, but it was the day of the Snowy Owls. That was the day that was in it today. Wow! Such mesmerizing creatures. Am particularly grateful to the friends who insisted I must visit them and drove me there early this morning, despite my protest that I can’t, I’ve too much work to do.
Malarky selected for Barnes & Noble Summer 2012 Discover Great New Writers program
Some wonderful, if not miraculous news for my novel Malarky (publishing March 15): Barnes & Noble have selected Malarky for their Summer 2012 Discover Great New Writers program.
Some of my favourite writers like Colum McCann, Cormac McCarthy and many more were previously been selected for this program.
I sincerely thank the committee of volunteer booksellers, who made the selection and who volunteer their time and labour to do so. I look forward to hearing from and meeting readers who may discover Malarky because of this program.
Merci encore! This is incredible news!
Readings: mobile, static and inbetween
A couple of days of most engaging reading. My mobile reading (done usually when walking, exercising or during any pause of the day) is a reread of Lawrence’s The Rainbow on my phone. I love reading ebooks. I like the palm sized paragraphs, that I digest one at a time and I like the physicality of the finger sweep — almost a bit like conducting and the rhythm it establishes.
My more static reading, a large thick hard back, is curiously currently about a motorway the M25. London Orbital by Iain Sinclair.
I have a bunch of inbetween readings that are forming a dérive.
All three types of reading are inter-informed by other texts that I’ve previously or recently read that form their own questions as I read this current crop. (Imagine a bowling alley, the questions come down the lanes usually aiming at one current text) In essence the past reading is poking through the current reading and saying hey come back here a minute and consider or come here to me a minute I want to show you something.
I maintain that ebooks are giving us new ways of reading and new ways of thinking about reading. I do not agree with Jonathan Franzen’s recent drone on the topic. Indeed I think the only thing I agree with Franzen on may be birds and I wonder what the birds make of him (and us). My friend Leannej has some indications in her Birds Hate Us — An exploration of birds in a time of Avian paranoia amongst other things.
Leanne taught me to can this summer and it was the most useful thing I learned all year, the Japanese handsaw tutorials from Peter came in a very close second it must be said.
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Today I had some very fortunate experiences with very well mannered and helpful people. It reminded me how intolerable bad manners are and that people who deliberately practice them, often as a bloodsport, should not be indulged. Artists can sometimes be very bad mannered and consciously so, perhaps they imagine it gives them an edge, a certain cache. It doesn’t. One merely ends up visualizing a granny behind them, shaking her head, disgusted. It strikes me if you cannot treat people with dignity, it’s likely that you have no dignity yourself and should probably pause to figure out why.
Anglo art vs Anglo signage
“HOPES THAT Anglo Irish Bank’s art collection could help to raise significant money for the State have been dashed by the bank’s discovery that many of the paintings “have no value” – just like its once highly rated shares.” (click for article)
The final line of the Irish Times article is about the signage and logos and I quote:
“The infamous signage which hung over Anglo’s St Stephen’s Green headquarters – ignominiously dismantled in front of media photographers and TV crews last year – has also been donated to Imma but remains in storage pending the completion of paperwork as to how it might be used by the museum. It seems destined to become an unlikely star exhibit in the future.”
Foggy names
Names of various types of fog:
radiation fog, advection fog, sea fog, evaporation fog, steaming fog, freezing fog, hail fog, garua fog, valley fog, upslope fog, precipitation (frontal) fog, and ice fog.
FOG
There’s just an incredible FOG event taking place this evening in Vancouver. It began just after the sun went down and is a stunner.
There is even a signature smell to the Fog. There was a foggy moon, a foggy City Hall and a puffing action of the fog in the street lamps. Honestly it looked the light was smoking a pipe up there.
This has to be one of my all time favourite fog events. Especially coming after such a clear sunny day. Hereafter shall be known as the surprising fog event. The photo evidence shall follow.
Adventures in sledge hockey
The wail for the coach Peggy to plod onto the ice and help me get back up. You needed longer arms for the task than I possess. However eventually I figured out a method with feet. So much fun this sport!