Deadlines and distraction
From lost words to the anticipation of awe. Friday, I'm in Love - Issue 3
Relatable
1 - It’s been an indoors-heavy week, full of abandoned attempts to edit (and in some cases locate) poems while fielding frequent cries of “I’m hungry!” and “I’m bored!”. With three weeks of school holidays to go here in Scotland - not that I’m counting (I am absolutely counting) - I am sifting through the debris of discarded words and wondering where in the name of all things magical the one about the phoenix has gone.
Which, of course, means I’ve been fantasy planning a writer’s retreat for one (here or here would do). While simultaneously attempting to locate accomodation in the North-west Highlands for a combined work trip / family adventure. Next week.
A bit of further rabbit-holing leads me to the conclusion that it might be easier to instead pack up and move to The Outer Hebrides, where the outstandingly-named and exceedingly beautiful Writer’s House currently awaits new owners. It’s just shy of a million pounds, but maybe if we all chip in…
2 - Last year, Rachel Yoder’s alternative take on motherhood, Nightbitch had me hooked. This week, I’ve been captivated by another tale of human becoming animal.
Shark Heart by Emily Habeck is billed as a love story, which it is in the largest sense of the word. It’s also a reflection on loss, transformation and hope. With a hybrid form including theatrical dialogue and stage directions, plus brief, poetic interludes, this debut novel resists categorisation and is all the more compelling for it.
3 - That fascinating emotion, awe (I’ll resist geeking out on the science this time, because it’s almost bedtime) will be in abundance in the next couple of weeks as the great sporting circus rolls into Paris. Every four years I set out with good intentions to catch the all-inspiring Olympics action, then completely fail to navigate the complexity of channel scheduling and end up with the boring bits.
This time I’m excited to see the women’s skate park final (August 6th) and the breaking competition at the Place de la Concorde (August 9th and 10th), plus the surfing (July 30), which is set to take place in Tahiti in what has been described as one of the most intense reef breaks in the world.
I’ll also be cheering loudly for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, while thinking of the incredible work being done by Camps Breakerz Crew, who continue to support traumatised children in Palestine in these inhumane times.
What’s on your highlight list this week?
And taking us into the weekend is Kate Bush with Cloudbusting. While I love the song, this is my first time seeing the video. And as you might expect of Kate Bush, it has a rather intriguing backstory.
Nightbitch is still on my list! Xx
Lovely to read your update Christina as you juggle school holidays. Sounds like you are a doing a pretty damn good job if you're getting some reading in too. 😊
Loved that "Writer's House" . Oh imagine!! Perhaps that's what I'll name my tiny house when I finally get to the point I can live in it. 🥰