Asian Landscapes

These photos were sent to me from a friend, a teacher I used to work with in Russia, so I thought I would share them. A mood of serenity perhaps with a touch of melancholic wistfulness is evoked; a temporary sanctuary from the pressures of work and studies. 

Reading a Russian novel on a Spanish island

While I was reading Saturday's Guardian newspaper I came across an engaging little piece on a writer's experience of reading on a relatively remote Spanish island. It was actually Formentera, one of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean. 

"It was early summer and I'd gone on holiday to the island of Formentera, feeling particularly ragged and exhausted after a play I'd written, acted in and produced. I booked to stay in the same hotel I'd stayed in as a child, not knowing for sure if there were any other hotels, and arrived to find that it was on the top of a hill almost an hour's walk from the coast. So every day I set off with my costume, a towel and a book – Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, and spent the afternoon lying on the beach immersed in Russia, romance, philosophy and suspense. As the days passed, these worlds began to tangle together, Anna's soaring feelings for Vronsky, the white sand of the beach, Levin's discourses on nature, a quick, cold dip in the sea. I never think now about Kitty's frustrations, or the terrible suffering of Anna as she is forced to choose between her lover and her child, without remembering the long trudge up the hill to La Mola, and the sense of peace as I sat on the terrace eking out the last pages in the fading light. I arrived back in London, refreshed and restored; though I've never been back to Formentera, I've reread Anna Karenina many times."

 (Esther Freud)

To read the summer book recommendations by various writers and artists then try:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jun/17/best-holiday-reads?INTCMP=SRCH

A Real Community Spirit

On a recent trip to Canterbury, we came across these posters just outside the cathedral. It was both moving and inspiring to see people of all ages and backgrounds contributing to such a great and sacred work of heritage and architecture. 

A warming sentence starter: "I love my cathedral because ..." 

The Films of Michael Winterbottom

One of the most versatile British directors at the moment is Michael Winterbottom. I've found many of his films compelling and often moving. Apparently he enjoys filming on location preferably outside and with a hand held camera creating a sense of immediacy as well as intimacy with his cast. For instance in his film "A Mighty Heart" through continually panning to each character's facial expressions, he is able to convey their sense of tension and fear. Similarly in "Genova" again shot on location, he expresses an almost palpable sense of  loss and rootlessness as the family members attempt to come to terms with their grief. These as well as "Code 46" and "The Claim" are my preferred films and are the ones well worth watching. Admittedly some of his work doesn't really appeal to me but the films mentioned I enjoyed, largely on the basis of their exploration of character and how people could react in such unsettling circumstances. 

The director at work:

A Mighty Heart 

 Genova 

Code 46 

The Claim 

Here's a link to an engaging overview of his work:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/aug/30/michael-winterbottom-british-cinema

The Painted Cityscapes of Leonid Afremov

It's wonderful to discover something new especially when you are submerged in work and research. Here's a painter then who's originally from Belarus but now lives in Florida, USA. His work reminds me a little of Marc Chagall's, the great Belarusian painter. I remember seeing Chagall's beautiful stained glass windows in a church (the Fraumunster) when I was on a previous holiday in Zurich.  

It seems like Chagall's mozaic of colours has influenced the artist Leonid Afremov from Vitebsk, Belarus. According to the artist's web page it's the same town where Marc Chagall was born. Interestingly the same page also points out that "Leonid Afremov graduated from Vitebsk Art School in 1978 [which] was founded by Marc Chagall in 1921. Along with Malevich and Kandinsky, Leonid Afremov is one of the elite members of the famous Vitebsk art school."  

Here's some of Leonid Afremov's work I've found and would like to share:  

If you would like to see more of his work or find out more about the artist try this website:

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/leonid-afremov.html

Classical Spanish guitar

This is a lovely example of classical Spanish guitar.  

An Inspirational Storyteller

One Extra Word

I
I grew
I left home
I had no plans
I hunted round for meanings
I wrote and sang songs energetically
I reluctantly studied formal French and German
I taught English while picking up Madrileño informally
I hesitantly followed my heart back to Devon shores
I found teaching English to mixed-nationality and multicultural classes fun
I taught and acted and married and parented and taught more
I designed creative activities for fellow teachers at Isca School to use
I emerged open-eyed after the security of teaching fourteen years at one school
I banged my head against brick walls until DELTA agreed to publish Spontaneous Speaking
I kept thinking “How on earth do I support my family without a regular job?”
I have built up a freelance career storytelling, leading teacher workshops and acting alongside teaching English
I write practical pieces for magazines about student creativity in language learning, through storytelling, drama and song
I am invited all over Europe and further afield to do storytelling and storymaking workshops with English learners
I work locally with the very young and the very old, migrant worker families, young offenders and disabled people
I notice that when people are given recognition and support, there is a positive impact on their confidence, fluency and creativity
I expect to continue living in Devon with my wife, sons and my parents nearby, adapting to opportunities as they arise

Live performances on YouTube of David telling traditional tales here
David Heathfield

I've been to a number of David's workshops on storytelling and he's always worth listening too. His work continues to influence my teaching practice.

Photo Montage and Song

This is a such a superb song with a wonderful video photo montage.

A Concert Performance

This is a fascinating bird,lovely to see and an incredible mimic too. Have a look and see what you think.

Some of my colleagues doubted the incredible skills of this bird so here's an article from the Encyclopedia Britannica which I hope should reassure all those who question the validity of this video.

"lyrebird, either of two species of Australian birds (family Menuridae, order Passeriformes) named for the shape of their tail when spread in courtship display. The name also aptly suggests a musician. Inhabiting forests of southeastern Australia, lyrebirds are ground dwellers, and their brown bodies rather resemble those of chickens. In the so-called superb lyrebird (Menura superba, or M. novaehollandiae of many authors), the male’s tail consists of eight pairs of ornate feathers, which resemble a lyre when erect. There are six pairs of filmy, whitish feathers; one pair of 60–75 cm(24–30 inch) feathers that forms the arms of the “lyre” are broad and curled at the tip and are silvery on one side and marked with golden-brown crescents on the other. There are also two equally long “wires,” narrow, stiff, slightly curved feathers that correspond to a lyre’s strings; they are situated in the centre of the curved “arms.” With a total length of about 1 metre (39 inches), the male lyrebird is the longest of passerine birds.
When the male displays in small clearings, which he makes at several places in the forest, he brings his tail forward so that the white plumes form a canopy over his head and the lyrelike feathers stand out to the side. In this position he sings, while prancing in rhythm, far-carrying melodious notes interspersed with perfect mimicry of other creatures and even of mechanical sounds. Its breeding season is rainy winter, when insect food is abundant. Its nest is a large mound of sticks, usually on the ground, that contains a spacious chamber for the single egg. Nest building and incubation are done by the female, which resembles the male except in tail development.
Albert’s lyrebird (M. alberti) is a much less showy bird than the superb lyrebird, but an equally good mimic. It is rarely seen because its range is restricted to deep rain forest."

Photographs as Narratives

I was really pleased to find these photos all taken from "The Family of Man." This is effectively a photogaphy book first published by New York's Museum of Modern Art in 1955 and now in its 30th edition. Apparently every one of the 503 images displayed at the museum's exhibition have been reproduced in the book and these represent the "full gamut of life from birth to death with an emphasis on daily relationships" according to the book itself. Many of the photographs I've looked at really do echo what Montaigne once said: "every man beareth the whole stamp of the human condition." Interestingly he is aptly quoted in the book; a perfect story of mankind.

The Language of the Landscape

I discovered this poem some time ago and I keep returning to it. It's one of those voices that resonate long after the engagement with the work.

From March '79

Tired of all who came
with words, words but no language,
I went to the snow-covered island.
The wild does not have words.
The unwritten pages spread themselves
out in all directions!
I come across the marks
of roe deer's hooves in the snow.
Language but no words.

(Tomas Transtromer)

A Great Idea at a Railway Station in 1935

It's incredible to think that such a fine publishing house as Penguin Books all started in 1935 while Allen Lane was waiting for a train at Exeter station in Devon.  I actually discovered this article on the back cover of the novel I'm reading at the moment. He clearly had a great idea and was able to see a definite niche in the market. Walk into any bookshop in the UK today to see just how popular Penguin paperbacks are today.


"In 1935, if you wanted to read a good book, you needed either a lot of money or a library card. Cheap paperbacks were available, but their poor production generally tended to mirror the quality between the covers.
Penguin paperbacks were the brainchild of Allen Lane, then a director of The Bodley Head. After a weekend visiting Agatha Christie in Devon, he found himself on a platform at Exeter station searching its bookstall for something to read on his journey back to London, but discovered only popular magazines and reprints of Victorian novels.
Appalled by the selection on offer, Lane decided that good quality contemporary fiction should be made available at an attractive price and sold not just in traditional bookshops, but also in railway stations, tobacconists and chain stores.
He also wanted a 'dignified but flippant' symbol for his new business. His secretary suggested a Penguin and another employee was sent to London Zoo to make some sketches. Seventy years later Penguin is still one of the most recognizable brands in the world.
The first Penguin paperbacks appeared in the summer of 1935 and included works by Ernest Hemingway, André Maurois and Agatha Christie. They were colour coded (orange for fiction, blue for biography, green for crime) and cost just sixpence, the same price as a packet of cigarettes. The way the public thought about books changed forever - the paperback revolution had begun."

A British Car with Character

This is such a fine model of British automobile engineering and a car with a real character. It's incredible to think that Morgan Cars are still made to order from the factory in the Malvern Hills in Worcestershire. The company actually dates back to 1911. Unfortunately I think they are priced well beyond my reach. Perhaps as Edgar Allen Poe once said: "they who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream by night."

http://www.morgan-motor.co.uk/

Simon Armitage on Writing

Some engaging thoughts on poetry and writing by Simon Armitage, one of my favourite poets.

Heritage and Character in London.

Yesterday I went with the family to Greenwich Market in South East London and what a breath of fresh air it was. It's great to see the old independent market traders selling unique and generally handmade goods. It was clearly a real attraction as it was so packed with both tourists taking photos and shoppers looking for something different away from the major high street chains. Apparently the market has had a presence in Greenwich since the early eighteenth century and for the past twenty years or so it's become an arts and crafts market. There is talk though that it could be modernised and made into a mall, but we already have enough out of town malls so let's keep Greenwich as it is; a place which retains its unique heritage and character.