Hello Alphas,
Welcome to Alphaday 9 of Season XI. We’re still in full stride with plenty to keep us occupied between one Alphaday and the next. And that’s on top of whatever else ‘life generally’ may throw at us in our unguarded moments or during the regular routine. It all adds up, and Alpha provides a welcome opportunity for indulging in some creative tasks of a varied nature to keep our minds agile and supple. As far as I’m concerned it’s better than crosswords any time!
Our combined efforts have concocted the following menu for today:
- This bulletin from me
- The Log with your news edited by me
- The results of the 2nd person narrative challenge + oxymorons from me
- The collated entries for the “NOT A in W” challenge from Morgen
- The brief for Challenge 9 from Sue
- Some time sooner or later we may also be treated to another showcasing piece sent out by Suzanne
That’s a great spread of writerly treats. If you look at the range of writing stimuli offered by challenges 7, 8 and 9, I think you’ll agree that the palette of shades and nuances covers a lot more ground than most writers will need in the course of a long and busy career. However, versatility is not to be sneezed at as a virtue, and the surprise I often get when I succeed in tackling something that’s way out of my comfort zone is nicely morale-boosting.
As for versatility inside the group you only have to look at the Log*. All the news is interesting because it might happen to any one of us… if not exactly, then something similar. And that applies to the momentous news as well as the more private musings and everything in between. I’m pleased that so many of you take the trouble to send a note to be included in the Log.
* Or the showcasing pieces, or the challenges!
The latest showcase piece gave rise to a discussion of a literary genre of a different kind. It became clear that quite a few members share a huge common knowledge of popular song lyrics going back some decades. Fascinating!
The thirst for learning was another subject that came up. I wonder if writers are more likely than most other groups to start salivating at the thought of starting on an interesting course again… and again. It wouldn’t surprise me.
I love reading, but I’m a binge reader, so I have to be careful not to start a book unless I can leave all other chores until I’ve finished.
When I’ve read a book I always find it cropping up everywhere around me. I decided to re-read ‘Emma’ because I’d seen (most of) the film when it was shown on TV and there were things I didn’t recognise at all. Admittedly it was many decades since I read it originally, but the re-read was a wonderful experience. Would Austen have known about Pygmalion? Creating Harriet’s character was such a strong Pygmalion theme. Harriet’s wishful progress through suitable lovers, ending with the unobtainable Mr Knightley reminded me of Grimm’s fairytale ‘The Fisherman and his Wife’ where she wishes for ever greater glory until she wants to be Pope and ends up back where she came from – just like Harriet. But ‘Emma’ was written about 30 years before Grimm hit England. Could Austen have known the story from another source? Or is it coincidence?
I read Paulo Coelho’s ‘Aleph’ and then an article in which Will Self agrees with TS Eliot that ‘all time is unredeemable’ (beg. of ‘Burnt Norton’) quoting Newton and Einstein. ‘Aleph’ is about karma and how it’s possible to enter a sphere where you can confront sins committed in previous lives and redeem them. I fantasised about discussing these matters with Will Self and citing Coelho. What fun I had!
Then I read ‘Elizabeth is Missing’ by Emma Healey about a 70+ year-old woman whose grip on reality is slipping. That was a mistake! The relevance was painful as I stared into the fridge with a cup of tepid coffee in my hand. Wouldn’t it be better to put it in the microwave?
I love reading.
Christine