belgianwaffle

Mostly listening


Posted in: Reading etc.

Just polished off the following 3, b’day pres from sister in law the publishing exec:

“Jude the Obscure” by Thomas Hardy – could this be more depressing?

“Jamaica Inn” by Daphne Du Maurier – enthusiastic review elsewhere

“The Mill on the Floss” by George Eliot – have a bit of difficulty with George Eliot, I did “Silas Marner” for the Leaving and frankly, learning that maudlin, depressing tome in detail when I was 17 put me right off George Eliot.  However, I met a guy at a party who convinced me that I had misjudged her and had to read “Middlemarch” which, he said was fantastic. I did and I didn’t like it much: So, I approached “The Mill on the Floss” with some trepidation. It is beautifully written (or, abridged, given that I heard it on tape) and I did actually enjoy it, but it was a bit depressing. Should I try further George Eliot? I just don’t know.

Anyway, after the “Mill on the Floss” finished, I tuned into the World Service and there was an interview with Tracey Emin which was mildly interesting as the Glam Potter knew her at college. She, Tracey Emin, was on a programme called “Masterpiece”. If I were the GP, I think I would die of envy, but she is a better person than me, so doubtless will bear it with equanimity. Is most unfair though because, if you ask me, GP is infinitely more talented.

And finally, read a mildly amusing book called “Mortification: Writers’ stories of their public shame“. The motto appears to be, if you are a writer, avoid book readings. I gather from this book, that everyone else avoids them anyway and must confess, I have never been to one myself.

And, finally, on things cultural, due to my contacts in the diplomatic underworld, I have managed to get various Irish Presidency goodies, including 2 CDs containing, allegedly, the best of up and coming Irish music.  Frankly, not as restful as you might expect…but not bad either. If anyone is interested, I might be bothered to list some of the 32 offerings that it is felt represent the best of new Irish music, since, as far as I can see, they don’t rate a mention on the Pres website.

Blog crisis


Posted in: Reading etc.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I have a crisis.  I didn’t read the rules on sweeties. I thought that you got a new supply every week. Was wondering why I hadn’t got any new ones and read the rules.  I have nothing at all interesting or sweetie worthy to post, so am sweetie bereft.  Can you get sweeties on credit?

Yours in anxious anticipation,

BW

(Jojo, wouldn’t it be a good idea to give everyone a couple every week, go on, please…)

Comments
belgianwaffleon 24 April 2004 at 15:02

You are as kind as you are (I’m sure) beautiful.

Impressed?


Posted in: Reading etc.

Thierry made me do it.

Instructions:
1.Grab the nearest book.

2. Open the book to page 23.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.

=========

Il y a l’amour bien sûr.  Et puis il y a la vie son ennemie.

“Ardèle” Jean Anouilh

No, I’Â’m not really reading a French playwright.  It’Â’s just that the “Oxford Dictionary of Quotations” was the nearest book to hand.

Comments
belgianwaffle

on 20 April 2004 at 09:28

Very appropriate. Like your responses very much.

Thierrry

(Homepage)

on 23 April 2004 at 00:01

I like it when you have nothing better to do!…

belgianwaffle

on 23 April 2004 at 09:34

Thanks Thierry…

A false dawn


Posted in: Princess

The Princess slept from seven to seven last night.  Rejoice.

Comments
Locotes

on 18 April 2004 at 02:16

Bloody hell. That birthday must have taken more out of her than we all thought. She’s hopped from attention-needing baby to bed-loving layabout like myself in the space of a day!
Now all I have to do is read a bit of that waste report and I’ll be ready for 12 hours myself…

belgianwaffle

on 19 April 2004 at 15:19

Hmm, Jack, don’t know about the Cork waste plan, a little terrifying, no?
Locotes, she woke up at 5.00 this morning so all is not entirely sorted, but definitely getting there..

jackdalton

on 19 April 2004 at 15:25

What?!? You don’t trust those nice, faceless, managerialist type people who want to incinerate things – eveything, burns baby! – and train the noble savages of the local population to reduce, recycle and reuse?
I’m shocked 🙂

belgianwaffle

on 19 April 2004 at 15:38

Dreadful, isn’t it?

Sibling rivalry


Posted in: Siblings

I talked to my sister yesterday as she was taxiing back to the office after her trip to Canada.  She’s just moved into her new flat in Chicago and is most pleased with herself.  I asked whether she was going to finish off her unpacking this week and she said that she thought not.  Why not?  She has to go to Mexico for a couple of days tomorrow.

“It’s only work” she said.

But still, very exotic.

“You know” she said “really important people get not to travel”.

Yes, I know, but still.

“Will you be able to get a flight to get you back Friday night so’s you can finish your unpacking?”

Mild hesitation “well, yeah, probably, because I’m getting the company plane”.

I see.

“Anyway, what have YOU been doing today?”

“Well, let me see, I spent about half an hour lying on my stomach in the hall trying to fish out with a hanger the following things which the Princess had let fall into the lift shaft – a rubber ball, a plastic book and my car keys.”

“Oh, right.  Well, how’s the job hunt going?”

“I got a rejection letter today from a leading firm of consultants, it said

‘We have given your application thorough consideration, but regret to inform you that, in spite of your excellent qualifications and outstanding experience, we have no position corresponding to your particular skills.
However, we have not doubt that, with your experience and professional expertise, you will soon find the challenge you are looking for.'”

“Well,” she said gamely, “that’s quite a positive rejection”

“It was addressed to Mr., do you think that they really gave my application thorough consideration”

“Er, no, probably not then.  Reading anything good?”

“Not really, just finished ‘Jude the Obscure’ on tape in the car.  He dies but not before all his children commit suicide”

“You know, I’m just arriving, maybe talk to you at the weekend…”

Comments

jackdalton

on 17 April 2004 at 11:15

Yeah and everyone gets fungal infections from the water in Mexico city…. And the food is only middling.

belgianwaffle

on 17 April 2004 at 14:06

Thanks gentlemen. I am cheered by your comments – I am a bad sister…

jackdalton

on 18 April 2004 at 18:59

No. You are a good sister. If she were my sister, I’d block her calls.

belgianwaffle

on 19 April 2004 at 15:39

Did I mention that she’s my younger sister?

Loving publishing


Posted in: Family, Reading etc.

The sun is shining.  The works on our road are nearly finished.  The ominous looking spots which appeared on our daughter’s torso last night have faded. The paediatrician said it was probably just “un petit virus” and she is fine.  All is rosy.

Sister-in-law, the publishing executive, came to stay for Easter.  She is godmother to the Princess and came specially for her birthday, we were suitably pleased. I find the publishing exec fascinating.  She always comes bearing manuscripts. Yes, things that are going to be books. Fancy!  And you get to see her name in the acknowledgements.  And she gets to go to book launch parties and (when pressed by me to say whether she’s seen anyone glam) she says things like “Zadie Smith came too, apparently she left Alain de Botton’s “Status Anxiety” party early to be there” or “I saw Salman Rushdie and Martin Amis chatting and there’s something you don’t see often”. Yes, for a whole range of reasons.  It’s all very thrilling. Though I’m sure she really enjoyed staying in with us on Saturday night and re-watching “Bridget Jones’s Diary” on VT4. I like to think that she regards her trips to Belgium as a sort of rest cure.

Publishing is a different world.  One of the editors in their publishing house left and took an author with her. Why? Well no one else at our house really loved him.  I mean, when accountants leave firms and they take clients with them, is it because no one else in the firm really loved big biz inc.?  Really, isn’t working in publishing fantastic? You get paid to love your authors and sit around all day reading their books. In the evening you go to glittering literary events.  You get copies of books free with the words “uncorrected bound proof – not for sale or quotation” on the front.  What could be better than that?

I must say, however, that the pub. exec., is very devoted to her job and dutifully loves all her publishing house’s authors (well, almost all, they publish some authors even a mother couldn’t love). It was for this reason that, on Sunday evening, we drove to a remote and unusually unattractive Flemish hamlet which features in one of their books. It was, I concede, only slightly out of our way.  And, though it was ghastly, she was charmed. Very endearing.  Some day that girl will make a wonderful editor: she loves her authors.