Memories or memoirs?

Recall is an interesting aspect of writing about one's own life. Dame Cath Tizard in Cat amongst the pigeons writes frequently that details "have vanished in the mists of my memory". True to the events or not, this is a very readable book covering the political life of an extremely busy woman and highlighting some major changes in New Zealand life over the last 50 years. She revels in the fact that there are now many more women in influential positions. This book is full of anecdotes, often amusing, about people she has met, from Royals to schoolchildren, and includes her outspoken comments about any unkindness, unfairness or discrimination that she met anywhere in the world. In her conclusion she quotes Aldous Huxley "it's a bit embarrassing to have been concerned with the human problem all one's life and find at the end that one has no more to offer by way of advice than - we should try to be a little kinder". Cath Tizard's kindness has had amazing repercussions in New Zealand and they are well-documented here.

Muddy metaphors

Michele Roberts is an articulate, feminist writer; how is it that I have only previously read one of her books? I met her last month at the Beverley Literature Festival and learnt about her interests in poetry, Jane Austen and French culture. All of these appear in her recent book of short stories called Mud and subtitled stories of sex and love.

Mud, the title story explores a squidgy, sensual relationship but the idea of mud is used as a metaphor in many of the other stories in various ways including how aspects of writing can be compared to mixing earth and water to make mud.
Michele Roberts writes a story in 3 weeks but takes 3 years to produce a novel. Just out is her memoir of the 70s Paper houses that has taken 30 years to think about. A metaphor she used to talk about organising her memories and creating the book is that of ironing and putting all the neatly ironed garments into a tidy cupboard.
I'll let you know if the book really is like that.

Mesostic poems

Found some wonderful poems in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park today. Arranged in a greenhouse were plant pots with labels that were poems forming the names of plants.

A mesostic poem is a vertical phrase which is
intersected by lines of horizontal text. These mesostics by Alec Finlay are composed of a name-stem and word-branches and the poems reveal something of the plant's character. The words used were very apt and described the plants charmingly. In this interview, the poet and propogator explains his approach to the project.

A unique way of bringing visual and written art together.

A Room without a view

In Room Emma Donaghue has created a novel of paradox. Room is 12 foot square and contains everything Jack needs; his whole life, 5 years, has been spent in Room and we learn how Ma has loved and nurtured him during that time. Ma is captive but has made Room a safe place for her son. The story is told by Jack with naivity and precocity. We read the words to understand how Ma and Jack cope and we read between the lines to understand the horror and deprivation. Yet when they are Outside they are still not safe and we learn more about our world through the newly opened eyes of Jack.
This novel is both terrifying and charming but decidedly uplifting. It is about the power of maternal love and the importance of storytelling. Rightly discovered and entered for the prestigious Booker prize, this amazing read could well become the book of the year.

A windy place

This is how Jackie Kay describes the aloneness of an adopted person who does not know about lines of heredity, stories of ancestors or family ties. In her latest book Red dust road, Jackie Kay tells the story of finding her birth parents and recognising her special ancestry. Many of her published poems have explored adoptive situations but this autobiography tells her very own story in a humourous and moving way.

I was very fortunate to hear her reading several passages from the book during the Beverley Literature Festival. Her presence is surprising; afro hairstyle, mid brown skin and broad Scottish accent, but so commanding. Her reading is always a performance and the message comes across loud and clear. I ventured to ask a question (I'm more used to running around with a microphone than speaking into one) as she had read about her birth father, her adopted mother and adopted brother and I wondered if the writing about her birth mother was more difficult? Indeed, she admitted that story is sadder and that she was unable to write about it with the humour that characterised the telling of Daniel's story but she agreed to read an extra short piece that the audience found very moving.

Jackie said that there are 3 families in this book which is a multivoiced memoir even allowing room for the reader to tell their own story along the way. What really struck me was the portrait of her adoptive parents as the most loving, understanding, conscientious people. The red dust road refers to the landscape of Nigeria that overwhelmed her on first arrival in the country. Her new relationship is to her ancestral land rather than to her father. And her final comment was that the story is still unfolding. Jackie Kay's ability to communicate so much through her prose and poetry is astounding. Listen to her here

Beauty in books

Beauty in Books is the title of the current display at Beverley Public Library. It refers to the bibliomania and bibliosophia of John Edward Champney, Edwardian resident, book collector and benefactor. He provided the funds to build the Library and bequeathed his art collection to found the Art Gallery. On display were illustrated books by Arthur Rackham and Walter Crane and local works about Yorkshire by the sea. There will be a lecture called "Introducing Champney's books: conserving for future generations".

On the journey over to Britain I read People of the book by Geraldine Brooks that made me think about books as pieces of art and history. Fascinating story and ideas.

Many of the comments I have received when discussing ebooks relate to books as artifacts, as beautiful containers for the stories within and how we may lose the fascinating visual element of illustrated material. Perhaps I'll go to the lecture and ask about ebooks - there's a lot to think about.

Notwithstanding the English

Louis de Bernieres, the first speaker at the Beverley Literature Festival, discussed his latest book Notwithstanding: stories from an English village and answered questions from the audience about Englishness. His previous books have all been set in more exotic places but he has realised that there is a lot of material much closer to home. In a series of linked short stories, he introduces a cast of unusual characters and gently hints at how English village life is gradually changing.

The Beverley Festival programme covers fiction, biography, poetry and politics with local authors and stages events over ten days. A Children's Literature Festival is also happening at the same time - wonder if they need another volunteer?