Pictures for poems and galloping into the present day

This is Metamorphosis 2 and takes me back to the days when we were doing The Hidden Woman Project in Oxford. I always loved the poem Chuma wrote to go with it so I've just used it again for my 'How to write a poem' post in Hastings Online Times. It's called 'Eyes'.

What does that mean - I've 'used' it. 'Use' is a funny word. Makes me think that anything I 'use' will wear out. I can't take and take and take from it without it changing into something less. Like a dishcloth, for instance, or a broom. Or a bicycle. This digital picture should last forever but maybe it won't. The real picture will wear out. It already is doing. It's fading.

The post talks about using a picture as a stimulus for a poem. But although this picture is part of my past, it's also part of my present. A picture is not time limited like a story. Pictures just sit there and become part of any time that anyone is in when they look at them.

Stories are difficult. They are always set in some sort of time. So far, all my stories have been set in the past so I've had some idea of a backdrop even if it was only one small piece of backdrop. Time somewhere. But not the new story. The Aulani story starts in the past. Round about 2010 but soon it edges into our present time and that's when it gets hard. My character Aulani is walking out of the past to catch up with me here. She's left Papua New Guinea and is already in Melbourne.

I know she's going back to Port Moresby but I know, too, that she will go to Oxford and come to Hastings, Fact and fiction are going to get dangerously close.

Meanwhile, I'll enjoy reading the poems I put in today's post for HOT. I love 'Hang in there' by Johhn D. Robinson. It's comforting and I'm always in need of comfort. Have a look at it.
Bookchat - How to write a poem- 1

New novel set in Papua New Guinea - about the power of belief

I’m furiously writing a new novel about a young woman called Aulani who has a strange life-story. The power of belief, both hers and that of other people, plays a big part in what happens to her. It is set mainly in Papua New Guinea (where I lived and worked for 15 years, my second home) and where many people still believe in sorcery.

I’m writing it furiously because I can’t wait to get back to my Dani stories and I still have the last two novels to write in that series (the next one also set in PNG) . So why did I decide to write this one in the middle? Haven’t got a clue, it just arrived on the page i.e. on to the lappie in a google doc, possibly inspired by people’s entrenched views on Brexit that don’t seem to shift as well as by the way Cambridge Analytica has manipulated people's beliefs via their Facebook accounts.

Entrenched views and the difficulties of changing them are prevalent worldwide but what seems evil is when powerful people manipulate the views of others for their own ends. So that’s what my new novel is about – not Brexit but the way the powerful few manipulate the crowd for their own hidden agendas. There are always victims just like Aulani, but she learns how to be tough and she manages to turn her fate around.

This is an extract from my bookchat post on Hastings Online Times for Tuesday 23 July, 2019. 'You tell the stories your way - life writing as only you know how.'

What do you think of flash fiction?

Do you read flash fiction? Do you write stories of this length?

After writing a how-to do it piece in the Guardian, David Gaffney wrote a warning:
'...writing micro-fiction is for some like holidaying in a caravan – the grill may well fold out to become an extra bed, but you wouldn't sleep in a fold-out grill for the rest of your life.'

I wrote a post about flash fiction in The Hastings Online Times but I'm still wondering about it. What do you think?

for more information have a look at:
Flash fiction - kerpow! Angela J. Phillip in Hastings Online Times
Stories in your pocket: How to write flash fiction David Gaffney in the Guardian
Image from publicdomainvectors.org adapted by Paul Way-Rider

Every piece of prose should be a poem

Every piece of prose should be a poem.

I've just reread the piece I'm writing for my bookchat post in the Hastings Online Times tomorrow and I like the way it flows. It's about flash fiction. Stops and starts with satisfying rhythms. As I change it to make it better - that's what I'm trying to do. Yes, I'm putting in a new piece of information or a new idea but I'm trying to insert them in a way that makes the piece a pleasure to read/ listen to/ or to speak out loud. Even if I don't succeed (and I never do totally succeed) at least I know what I'm aiming for. And I'm enjoying writing.

No wonder Audible is doing so well - and all those stories that work when they are read out loud. Back to the beginning, I say. That's how our stories started and actually, it's how they are represented in the brain. When we read, no matter how fast, we produce an audible signal for each word. Even deaf people do that and if we haven't got an audible signal for something then we can't include it. Can't integrate or make sense of it.

And don't get me started on rhythms. If you can get your readers to synchronise with your beat then you are together. Hearts beating as one. Literally.

I want my writing to be easy to read and to sound good. I want it to be comfortable most of the time but jolty every so often. I want it to give pleasure. I want it to linger and unfold. Probably won't get there but I'll keep trying. Every piece of prose should be a poem. Even a novel. Especially a novel. What do you think? I wonder who you are and what you're thinking while you read this.

The danger is that you can get so carried away with the sound and the rhythms that you lose the meaning. Imagine a woman sitting on her doorstep wailing a song. No words. Just sounds. Words long gone so definitely a shape of something but you can't listen forever (although she might go on singing long after you've passed by).

We're back to form vs content but ideally you shouldn't be aware of either. You should be lost with me. We should be lost together.

I still think that every piece of prose should be a poem.

6 Reasons to Write and Be Cheerful

Why do you write? How would you manage without it?

Your writing will change somebody's life - yours first.

Have a look at my post in Hastings Online Times about why we write and the effects. Reasons to feel cheerful and write.

Sheer Poetry at Bookbusters on 22 June 2019

Pete Donohue hosting Sheer Poetry at Bookbusters 22.06.19

A marvellous evening with John D. Robinson, Susan Evans and Lucy Brennan-Shiel. Read my Hastings Online Times blogpost Sheer Poetry Sheer Delight.

Writing is Dangerous

Writing is dangerous - authors are being harangued and threatened from the right and having their publications withdrawn because of criticism from the left. What is the best thing to do? See my article in Hastings Online Times Bookchat blog and let me know what you think.

Apology to Subscribers

Dear Friends - I'm extremely sorry but something seems to have gone wrong and old posts are being sent out that were never intended to be sent. I'll try and fix this as soon as I can - maybe I've inadvertently pressed something?

I've been so pleased that you were kind enough to subscribe so I hope to get back in control of these settings asap. I'll keep you informed.

Thanks for your patience and kindness.

Wishing you all the very best weekend,
Angie

Really Independent Bookshop Week - Hastings & St Leonards - June 15 - 22, 2019

Come and support your local independent bookshops - the ones that can't afford the big rents. They provide us with the books we can't find in other places - and friendly chat and advice. 

Here's a link to the main post in Hastings Online Times Books, writing events and news (June 11 onwards)

Discussion of 'The Science of Fate' by Hannah Critchlow

‘The Science of Fate’ and how to grow your brain

Why did I do that? Will my child avoid drugs? How can I stop eating too much? Can I avoid Alzheimer’s? Angela J. Phillip discusses the latest findings presented by neuroscientist Hannah Critchlow in her recently released book.

Fate and Environment intertwined – can we escape our past?
Our basic brain architecture with its neural pathways and trillions of connections is already in place when we are born. Most of our behaviour patterns, including addictive ones, are hereditary but our environment and we ourselves can either promote or try to prevent these behaviours. So Hannah Critchlow’s answer to this question is – yes, but not entirely. We can change, but it’s not easy and we’ve got to work with what we’ve got – that is, our own self (body and mind) the person we are now, the product of our past (and our deep past from before we were born).

Eating too much and other addictive behaviours

70% of our food behaviour is determined by our genes so that leaves 30% due to environmental factors. Underlying that are two powerful facts:

1. We all eat because our inbuilt reward system of the pleasure hit makes sure we keep looking for food.
2. Our inbuilt braking system telling us when to stop is too slow so we keep on eating after we’re full. This didn’t matter in the earlier stages of our evolution but it does matter now because most of us have access to virtually unlimited chocolate, pizzas and chips – all of which are yummy. (My grandma used to tell me that I should always stop eating when I thought I could manage a little bit more. Turns out she was right so I should have listened.)

Studies show that a mother’s diet can influence both the appetite and the kinds of food her baby likes.  This applies, too, to foods given early in the child’s life. These effects can last a lifetime.

Eating habits are harder to change as you get older – but it is possible. Hannah  Critchlow suggests that anything like Weight Watchers works well. It works because it’s easier to make changes together with others in the same situation. The social aspect makes a big difference.

It’s the same story with other addictive behaviours like alcohol, heroin, tobacco etc. Our predispositions are set before we’re born but the addictions need a trigger. Unfortunately, the triggers are readily available. Fighting these addictions is hard but possible. One of the best ways is through social groups like AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) or NA (Narcotics Anonymous), especially if these include people who have succeeded in kicking the addiction themselves. The brain waves of others (more of that in a minute) make a difference. It is the inter-connectedness of us all and particularly the chance to be with those who are similar and sympathetic and who can act as role models that can make a huge difference.

Changing our Minds is hard – but not impossible!

One of the hardest things to do, and it gets harder as we get older is to change our minds. Our opinions and belief systems rest first of all on the predispositions of our brain’s architecture set before we were born and then on top of that we choose (or think we choose) information from facts and life experience to build up a complex set of opinions with which we feel comfortable.

The brain’s default preference is to fit anything new into the existing structure. Making significant changes is not attractive because a) it costs a lot of energy to change some of the neural pathways, and b) our social network is usually of a similar mindset so making changes means readjusting relationships.

But change can happen. There can be positive social change where people lead by example and eventually the new behaviour becomes the norm. Look at what Extinction Rebellion has already achieved. And there is the dark side where far-right groups have manipulated Facebook feeds to stir up fear of immigrants and push people into feelings of hatred so that they change how they vote. We are all susceptible but we can all think and act and knowledge is power.

Our brains with their 100 trillion connections (!!!) always take the path of least resistance because change and growth is hard work, especially as we get older. But the brain is plastic and there are ways to make it grow. This sounds a bit like growing a cabbage and I thought of writing something like ‘making the mind expand’ but that is not quite correct. This book tells you how to make the brain grow as in – how to increase the number of neurons you have.

How to make the brain feel good, stay healthy and grow

Synchronise brain wavesA baby learns language more quickly and effectively if her mother or carer looks into her eyes while talking to her. It works for adults who are learning a new language, too. Studies have shown that if the learner looks into the eyes of the native speaker, language learning is expedited. Interestingly, this effect will not occur if the learner looks at someone on the tv or on a computer screen, for example.

Sing, laugh and hugThe best predictor of recovery from a heart attack is not how many cigarettes you smoke or what your diet is, it is the strength of your support network and friendships. These have a positive effect on your immune system and lead to a faster recovery.

When a person experiences social rejection, the effect on the brain is similar to being physically punched.

You need to laugh, hug and sing. When you laugh with others, your brain lights up with B-endorphin and also when you hug, sing or tell stories. It’s the same when you dance or do synchronous movements such as aerobic exercises with others.

Singing together is best of all. It seems to synchronise our brain waves and make us comfortable with each other. Storytelling or a community singalong is an excellent way of fighting loneliness and boosting immune systems. It’s also great for keeping our brains healthy.

If you feel like singing in Hastings, there are many possibilities. You could join a choir or go to a singalong in a pub. The Stag Inn, for example, has folk sessions every Tuesday night where people just stand up and sing and everybody joins in. On Thursdays, they frequently have song nights. It is free, friendly and everyone is welcome. Please check the website below for details.

Singalong in the Stag Inn

MoveMove, move, move! It’s the new mantra to stay healthy and it’s based on solid research findings. Every step you take, every move you make…..  increases heart and brain health. It will help new neurons to start growing in your brain. It will help ward off Alzheimer’s and slow down brain ageing.

Walks around Hastings
Saturday Walkers Club eg Hastings to Rye

Meditate!
Surprisingly, meditation which is the opposite of movement has been shown to promote brain growth, too. (Read the book to find out more.)

Aro Meditation – free internet course
Meditation Groups in and near Hastings
HuManifestation Meditation – Sat Jun 15th (a meditation organised by Extinction Rebellion)

These are just a few of the findings that Hannah Critchlow has gathered together and presented in her book. She raises important questions about what society will do with the new information. Should we edit genes? Should people be told about their health predictions? How can we prevent this knowledge being abused?

The message that we have less free will than we thought needs to be absorbed. It is not a comforting message. What this seems to mean is that we have to work harder at forging new pathways so that we can move forward. The Science of Fate presents an important collection of findings. I find that I’m currently doing what it says in the book: I’m putting together this new information and trying to fit it together with my current belief systems. This book is fascinating, readable and highly recommended.

For further information, please see:
The Science of Fate: why your future is more predictable than you think by Hannah Critchlow
Changing the way that you think is cognitively costly – Interview with Hannah Critchlow in The Observer
Review of The Science of Fate by Hannah Critchlow in The Herald, Scotland

……………………………

 - extract from my Hastings Online Times Hastings Bookchat blog 11.06.19

Afropean not Brexitean

Pigeon Thinking

Afropean not Brexitean
Labels are always dangerous. Not sure that I dare put my toe into this particular water but here goes. I was once married to a man from St Kitts, a teacher and a poet and he taught me what I should and shouldn’t say (and a lot more besides…). I mean, he (and his mother) taught me which labels I should and shouldn’t use. They explained why words I hadn’t thought about from their point of view could be offensive. And I learned, but the words which were acceptable then have changed e.g. he would have  described himself as West Indian in the 80s, but not now. If he’s anything, he’s black British or possibly just British. Definitely not BME (black and minority ethnic) or BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic). The labels are always changing and they’re drenched in emotion because it’s all about identity. Our words reflect our world but we do have the power of choice.

Labels can be comforting, insulting or aspirational and they pose a dilemma because they exclude as well as include. I can say I’m a South Derbyshire gel (comforting but limiting – it’s where I’m from but it doesn’t feel accurate) or I could say I’m now a Hastinger (aspirational because although I live here and love the place, I wasn’t born here) or I could go big and say I’m a European (which I often do because that’s what I feel I am).

So what are you? Are you English, Irish, Welsh, Scottish or are you British or European? Or  Polish, Hungarian, Finnish, German, French, Spanish etc. or European? Hopefully, you are more than one of these but if you had to choose, then what would it be? It’s not just about belonging, about which group is yours and which group is not. It’s about where you want to belong. It’s about making a group that you like. It’s about making a new world (Phew! but that is what I mean.)

And that’s what Johnny Pitts thinks. He has a vision. He wants to be “Afropean” and he’s written a book about it. Me, too, I think it sounds good. Read the book review in The Guardian and see what you think. Or buy it – Afropean: Notes from Black Europe – out on June 6, 2019

Umi Sinha wrote a novel called Belonging. It’s about love and loss, past and present and moving worlds from India to the UK. I read this book a few years ago and was enthralled.

Pigeons At Home

I could go on. We were talking at lunch yesterday about homing pigeons and whether it’s an instinct that we all have. Apparently, it is. Even sparrows can do it. So what happens when we move house, move to another place or another country? Is it the land we are attached to or the people? Do we get so confused that we don’t know where we belong or is it good for us? Have your wings stretched wide? I think mine are flapping all over the place (but I like it).



extract from my Hastings Online Times blogpost 'Best Bookshops: The Bookkeeper Bookshop, St Leonards' 04/06/2019

The Bookkeeper Bookshop (1A Kings Rd, St Leonards) - little picture blog

Yes, it's Carol Dennard of The Bookkeeper Bookshop and here we are.

You can smell the sea (only two streets away - run down and you're there - run back and you're here!)

Someone is knocking

I open the door of my big safe house. Oh no, it's somebody collecting. What is it this time? Young person with big wide smile all set to talk to me but no, I'm busy. Lost in a tune and I can't bear to go through the spiel. Sorry I'm busy. Close the door. Go back inside.

***

I've been on the boat for weeks. Too many of us but already some dead and gone. More space on the boat but not much. Still crowded. Can't move. I'm thirsty, barely alive. I need a drink. Desperate for a drink. Water. Mouth dry. Throat cracked. I dream of water. One child left. I'm holding her and she's not crying.

I lost her. Just me crawling on to the beach without her. Lots of us. Crawling on to the beach watching men in uniforms coming towards us.

***

There is a tree overhanging my veranda with a small bird singing. Brown. Small. Ordinary. No special markings. Nice chirping. Flies away.