Hi Alphas,
Welcome to Alphaday 8. Somehow it seems to me that no sooner have I struggled hard to establish our wonderful Alpha routine, than it’s time to apologise for the monotony of it. I can offer you no fresh surprises this time, I’m afraid; the programme is the same as always.
But points on a programme are one thing; it’s quite another story if you look at the details inside. And hidden inside today’s ordinary-looking, routine agenda you will find a multitude of surprising treats… that is, if you’re interested in writing, of course.
We’ve got the following lined up for you:
- This bulletin from me
- The Log from Margie
- The results of Kim’s poetry challenge from Christine
- The collated entries for the dictionary/neologism challenge from Rosemary
- The brief for Challenge 8 from Suzanne
- The ongoing selections of show-time pieces from Clare
As I said, it looks the same as always, but that’s only on the outside. The contents of each of those items are as fresh and new this time, as is the Alpha spirit.
Don’t forget to look through the collection of show-time pieces and send out any comments you feel like making on any one of the eight contributions we’ve been treated to so far. It’s never too late for that.
I’m struck with horror at the news of a waterlogged UK that surely will sink and unite the North Sea with the Atlantic after the next heavy shower. How apocalyptic can it get? We’ve had no cry for help from any of our members there, and I can only assume that you’ve all got your noses above water and that the sensational photographs concern a miserable minority outside our ranks. But shocking it is.
We’ve had a few flurries of emails over the interlude since we last met up. Enid Blyton’s lack of political correctness and her disregard for decent punctuation spring to mind. Children’s literature can stir up interesting polemics. I remember reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin when I was a child and crying my eyes out. I was completely unaware of the furore around it and the claims that it started the American Civil War, followed subsequently by criticism of the stereotypical characterisation and other immense issues.
The time when I could read a story for the story’s sake without a thought for related issues and punctuation is now a remote memory. That’s a pity. In a way I feel duped because the writers did have those issues in mind and they put them into their stories. My innocence and ignorance made me an easy target for brainwashing. I haven’t kept up with children’s literature of late and can’t imagine what ideas tendentious writers might want to plant in the minds of today’s children… if they can get them to pick up a book, that is.
Christine.