65.Today you catch the train from Bath to Oxford, transferring your teaching self from one beautiful city to another. You haven’t done this journey for several years and you feel the anticipation of the bicycled streets and the lofty quads of University College. On your way to surprisingly ordinary classrooms, you hope to walk pastContinue reading “…trains of thought”
Category Archives: Film and TV
…in praise of dreamers
62.Sometimes, when the rain comes, you take it as a sign to let the days arrange themselves. You and your lover wake up late, drink coffee in bed, listen to the pigeons skittering against the window. You eat breakfast after noon, tear olive bread and pour red wine, you read poetry and watch old films. Continue reading “…in praise of dreamers”
Sometimes words are not enough…
I’ve always believed that words have the power to do anything you need them to do, whether it’s to tell a story, express an idea, or rouse people to support a cause. The written word is there for us to fulfil our need to communicate, a part of our biological make-up that we often takeContinue reading “Sometimes words are not enough…”
On taking risks…
A couple of weeks ago I posted about what it means to be an amateur, about pushing yourself and trying new things even when you feel out of your depth. The inspiration behind this was the lovely Justin Timberlake, who said ‘To always be the novice is exciting to me.’ Well, last week I experienced thisContinue reading “On taking risks…”
The Lure of the Unfinished Ending.
I’m having an unintentional Matthew McConaughey season at the moment (see previous post TV addiction — Food for the Creative Mind), and last night I watched Killer Joe, a dark film where McConaughey plays a deeply sleazy character with such conviction you’d be forgiven for thinking his dubious torso-stripping action/rom/com phase ever existed. His breakContinue reading “The Lure of the Unfinished Ending.”
This is not a true story
I’ve recently found myself wondering about the real truth behind stories that claim to depict actual events, and if/why it matters. Anyone who watches a lot of films and TV will have to contend with this question sooner or later, and the series Fargo is a perfect example. Every episode begins with the words This isContinue reading “This is not a true story”
What it means to be an amateur
Sometimes, if you’re listening and being open to the world around you, messages and lessons will be delivered just when you need them most. For example, a couple of weeks ago I read an interview with singer-songwriter Banks, where she said, ‘I don’t know what chords I play, but that’s liberating. I don’t have boundaries.’Continue reading “What it means to be an amateur”
TV Addiction — Food for the Creative Mind
One of the joys of the box set age of televisual viewing is that services such as Lovefilm and Netflix enable dedicated story lovers to acquire a new obsession at the touch of a button. Searching for the next spare hour when I can watch another episode makes the addiction almost drug-like, but has theContinue reading “TV Addiction — Food for the Creative Mind”
Sally Gander 