Blogs

Story and Poem of the Week and Inspiration Point

Posted by Insertponceyfrenchnamehere on Fri, 06 Oct 2023

Posted by airyfairy. After much enjoyable reading the Picks for this week come from two ABC stalwarts who have both been at their very best. Story of the Week is celticman's 'Love Story 2'. It has all the hallmarks of a celticman story - brilliant characterisation, sharp humour and the ability to rip your heart out. As you may have guessed, there is first part, and I would strongly urge you to read that too, if you haven't yet, although the...

Story and Poem of the Week and Inspiration Point

Posted by airyfairy on Fri, 06 Oct 2023

After much enjoyable reading the Picks for this week come from two ABC stalwarts who have both been at their very best. Story of the Week is celticman's 'Love Story 2'. It has all the hallmarks of a celticman story - brilliant characterisation, sharp humour and the ability to rip your heart out. As you may have guessed, there is first part, and I would strongly urge you to read that too, if you haven't yet, although the second part can be read...

David Sedaris (2004) Dress Your Family in Corduroy & Denim.

Posted by celticman on Thu, 05 Oct 2023

I’d not heard of David Sedaris. After reading this book, I know there’s been a film-version of his early life. I’ve not seen it. I understand he’s a humourist (perhaps I should use the American spelling, humorist). He’s meant to be funny. Book sales are heavily influenced by the book cover. The book cover here is nothing to look at. I notice these things more than your average non-humourist because I’ve skin in the great game. This screams non-...

Resistance (2020) Film 4, written and directed by Jonathan Jakubowicz

Posted by celticman on Mon, 02 Oct 2023

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/resistance-2020 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistance_(2020_film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Marceau Jonathan Jakubowicz’s hagiography of Marcel Marceau (Jesse Eisenberg) begins in pre-war Nazi German of 1938. Elsbeth (Bella Ramsey) watches her dad and mum being arrested, beaten and shot. Their crime was being Jewish. It ends post-war in Nuremberg. General Patton (Ed Harris) asks ‘what is courage...

Story and Poem of the Month

Posted by Insertponceyfrenchnamehere on Sun, 01 Oct 2023

Our Story and Poem for the month of September have very kindly been chosen by Di_Hard It is a huge responsibility and honour to try to narrow down all the great writing from September into a shortlist. More and more fabulous work kept appearing and the choice became harder and harder. Here is a sample : highly recommended poems https://www.abctales.com/story/jane-hyphen/i-found-sea https://www.abctales.com/story/lenchenelf/hush https://www...

Don Paterson (2023) Toy Fights: A Boyhood.

Posted by celticman on Fri, 29 Sep 2023

Don Paterson is around the same age as me. But he’s won a stack of poetry and literary awards and is Professor of Poetry at St Andrew’s University. That’s the university that usually comes out near the top for all the English nobs that can’t get into Oxbridge and even a few that can. Don Paterson, like me, grew up in a council estate in Dundee. Dundee is on par with drug deaths with Glasgow, which every year wins the award for dying. That’s how...

The Castle

Posted by Kilb50 on Fri, 29 Sep 2023

My historical novel, The Castle , from which extracts were posted on AbcTales last year, is now available on Amazon in digital, paperback and hardback editions. Overview of book: Cornwall, 1646; England is in a state of civil war. In the town of Falmouth, the population awaits the arrival of General Fairfax’s Parliamentary army which is sweeping through the south west. Only Pendennis Castle remains under Royalist control, its garrison refusing...

Rhino, Film 4, written and directed by Oleh Sentsov

Posted by celticman on Thu, 28 Sep 2023

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/rhino/on-demand/74813-001 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhino_(film) Right-wing followers of the moron’s moron and former President Trump are trying to indict President Joe Biden ( https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/28/biden-impeachment-inquiry-what-to-know ) because of his son, Hunter’s, links with Ukrainian energy company Burisma. Corruption was and remains at a high levels in Ukraine. Standard...

Dinno's Adventure and Other Tales by ABCTales writer Mary-Ann Storm

Posted by Insertponceyfrenchnamehere on Wed, 27 Sep 2023

Big congratulations to Mary-Ann Storm who writes on ABCTales as Mary-Ann and has just published her first collection of children's stories' Here's what she says about it: 'Dinno's Adventure takes you on a self discovering journey, whilst it highlights the importance of family and friendships.In this fun pact adventure of short stories lessons are learned and anything is possible and can be overcome,if you just believe in yourself.' There doesn't...

Minari, Film4, written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung.

Posted by celticman on Fri, 22 Sep 2023

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/minari/on-demand/73507-001 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minari_(film) Minari is a type of planet used in cooking South Korean dishes that grows like a weed. Monica’s mother Soon-ja (Youn Yuh-jung) travels from South Korea to help look after her grandchildren. She plants minari seeds in the creek bed where it grows abundantly. There’s a metaphor there. As Jacob Yi (Steven Yeun/ Yeun Sang-yeop) explains his...

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