The Ones Beatles show began with three questions for the Roy Thomson audience: Where were you when John F. Kennedy was shot?Where were you when man first landed on the moon?Where were you when the Beatles played the Ed Sullivan show for the first time? November 22, 1963. I have no clue, the tragedy notContinue reading “Imprints”
Tag Archives: #memoir
Keep your files thin
Alight at Freshfield and turn right onto Victoria Road.DO NOT cross the railway line.It is a 200m walk to Herbert House on the left. These are the last words of instruction on this now four and a half hour convoluted 354 km train ride from Heathrow airport involving six transfers and three different rail lines,Continue reading “Keep your files thin”
Pics or it didn’t happen
The ubiquity of digital and cell phone photography has translated into the accumulation of thousands of photographs by individual people, many shared through some form of social media, the bulk stored on the devices themselves or on terabyte size hard drives. There is no risk in continually pressing the button. Mistakes, blurriness and bad anglesContinue reading “Pics or it didn’t happen”
Looking Back, Looking Forward
December 2021 has come to an end, finishing with my monthly review of books read. The year began in a flurry, ending with a mere trickle in the remaining three months. The last book for the year was a memoir, recommended by the instructor for the writing course. For the same reasons my reading peteredContinue reading “Looking Back, Looking Forward”
Novememoir
If one is intending to write a memoir, reading other people’s version would be a logical way to improve and learn. My goal for enrolling in the memoir writing course was to enhance my writing skills. The work published in my blog seemed to me to lend themselves more to history; yet, after a fewContinue reading “Novememoir”
By definition
A section in the memoir writing course discusses structure; more specifically, whether or not adhering to a predetermined one assists or inhibits creativity and achieving the goals. Sticking to a plan can be beneficial for some while restrictive and static to others. At the same time abiding by a particular practice, like the writing ofContinue reading “By definition”
Good things come in threes
One of the exercises in my memoir writing course challenges participants to write a story using only three word sentences. There is no expectation to be grammatically correct; rather it is in an exercise in parsimony, being able to communicate your message without elaborate sentences. The exercise is part of a chapter on what toContinue reading “Good things come in threes”
The Last Breath
I remember Mom’s last breath. It was more of a heave, a bursting of air, a quick exhalation preceded by days of shallow, open mouthed panting. We had sent Dad to our house, imploring him to get some decent rest. He had held vigil for the last five days, never leaving the hospital since heContinue reading “The Last Breath”
They look like big, good, strong hands
A focused memoir in 200 words. I wipe the dribble of gravy running down his chin through the three-day stubble, his head leaning to the left. Dad’s eyes pop a little wider to acknowledge the attention, probably feeling embarrassed. He does not want to blemish the new orange soccer sweatshirt emblazoned with the Dutch flag.Continue reading “They look like big, good, strong hands”
I want to go to Miami
Last week I began an on-line writing course with Memoir Writing Ink, thinking it would provide me tips and tools to improve my work. One of my intentions with retirement was to write more, and as you can see from the posts, the material is largely in the form of a memoir. Even though IContinue reading “I want to go to Miami”
Wonderings 