by Valerie | Jan 20, 2016 | art, book reviews, General interest, poetry, writing a novel
2016 is to be the year I finish the most important novel I’m ever likely to write. It’s a summation of my life’s efforts, already in the first draft but begging to be ruthlessly edited. It has been to a professional editor and returned with the partly expected... by Valerie | Jul 1, 2015 | art, General interest, history, Italy, museums, people, poetry, travel
Not long ago I was leaning against a wall warmed by the sun and reading a dog-eared copy of Keats’ poems. I have visited the house in Rome where he died – the Keats-Shelley Museum – many times, and each is profoundly moving in a different way. That is why I return... by Valerie | Mar 8, 2015 | General interest, history, poetry
A week ago I read about the documentary India’s Daughter and decided I would email my Indian friend in Delhi so we could both watch it today, International Women’s Day, and discuss it. But on the 10 o’clock news last Wednesday, I saw that Prime Minister Modi had... by Valerie | Dec 1, 2014 | 1950s, Fifties, General interest, history, poetry
It happens that we’ve been away just when films we had been planning to see came to local cinemas, and went. This week we caught two of them: The Imitation Game and Mr Turner. I thought I knew about the cracking of the Enigma Code by Alan Turing, that he was a genius,... by Valerie | Oct 10, 2014 | General interest, history, poetry, travel
It was fitfully sunny when we gathered at the 1714 structure to protect people selling butter – hence ‘butter cross’ – on the day King George I’s 1714 declaration was read out to the populace gathered in Saturday Market Place (Beverley also has a Wednesday Market... by Valerie | Aug 3, 2014 | museums, people, poetry, writing a novel
It’s not often that I’m alone and have time to spare – a great luxury. I was in London and thought I would see an exhibition. None of the ones I hadn’t seen attracted me, so I decided to wander through the National Portrait Gallery. Some time ago I asked my friend...
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