Luscious Wound
Tales of Blood and Chocolate
06/01/09
Have watched the teensiest bit of Celebrity Big Brother - the talent show last night. Was intrigued to see Terry Christian there, another Word presenter. When are we going to see Katie Puckrick on one of these things? As for Mark Lamarr, he seems to have given up TV work, which is a shame, as we share birthdays and there are times - especially right now, when I'm as menstrual as hell, that I share his dark, bleak view of the world...
I loved the Antiques Rogue Show. It's lovely to see those great old actors. And there were some good truths in it: "art is like being a car mechanic, it's purely a matter of application, there's nothing mystical about it at all." And "tight as a nun's fanny" reminded me of "soft as a bag of tits" or "dark as a bucket of arseholes". You wouldn't expect it, but it was quite inspiring. I know all about great art, don't you know. Well, grey tarts, anyway. It's my ambition to become one - if not so already. :) Anyway, I'm off to knock out some forgeries of me own. Spot the difference:
05/01/09
Garrison Keillor's voice (he's just been on Front Row)... If you've heard him on the Honda adverts, you'll know that "rich" and "velvety" don't do it justice. How wonderful to have a voice like that. If I could just have MP3s of him reading all my books - especially the MA ones - I'd remember a whole lot more.
Christmas holidays have been and gone, the usual busy-ness. I don't know anyone who escaped illness, everyone I know suffered, including myself: a sore throat, followed by a couple of days of heavy muscular flu, with cold symptoms lingering for a couple of weeks, including dizzy spells - it must have affected my ears. My poor husband had the same but for much longer, and with toothache. Hopefully now we've built up some resistance... The proper wintry weather continues. It's felt cold enough for snow - I'm surprised there hasn't been any, although it probably feels colder here with the strong northerly winds blowing from the sea. It's bloody cold. I don't remember wrapping up so well last winter.
Things I've enjoyed over the holidays include finally seeing The Dark Knight - one of my Christmas pressies - and Hitchcock's The Wrong Man (it haunted me - Henry Fonda was just...). I also enjoyed hearing Jarvis on the Radio 4's Today programme on New Year's Eve - his voice has a similar affect on me as Garrison Keillor's, slow, languid, soothing... All the items on there are worth a listen, but I was particularly intrigued by the Alan Watts Thought for the Day: reminds me of a sort of Buddhist Lenny Bruce. I also like this clip of a young Jarvis talking about purple PVC sofas here.
What with Christmas illness and everything, this last month has flown by. It doesn't feel like my period should be due this week, but it is. I realised only yesterday when I found myself clearing out the cupboard under the stairs, before proceeding to engage manically in housework. I then did some Barbara Currie yoga stretches and rowed for 45 mins. I felt hell of a lot better, I can tell you. I think I needed those endorphins.
I am reading The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite by Beatrice Colin. It is beautiful, shimmery, glittery, gorgeous. Writing to aspire to. I'm not surprised: her lovely story Toad (which you can read on her site) was on the radio a few months ago.
On Wednesday it is my 35th birthday. I intend to celebrate with a bucket of oysters and a bottle of pink fizz.