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Posts Tagged ‘Deauville FIlm Festival’

Picking up the thread

July 31, 2013

Tick, tick, two years went by since the last post.  I moved my household a couple of times and traveled quite a lot to talk about the Hero’s Journey and its uses in screenwriting and life. I’m interested in the life applications these days and talk about the Hero’s Journey as a philosophy of life as much as a guide for story-telling.

In 2011 I did a true whirlwind tour of Australia, giving workshops and consulting on movie projects in Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne, and from there went to Houston for my first “Storymasters” event, a workshop conducted with my colleagues, top New York book agent Donald Maass and LA-based novelist James Scott Bell.  We’re a good team and decided to make it an annual event, meeting again in 2012 in the Seattle area, and this year (2013) we’ll run it in Minneapolis Nov. 8-10.  (Details at:  http://www.free-expressions.com/story-masters/)

In the spring of 2012 I gave a workshop on “The Essence of Story” in association with the Raindance film festival people in London, then went on to do a series of events in Poland.It’s an exciting place with great traditions and lots of youthful enthusiasm and talent.  Then I spoke at a conference in Toronto where I got to meet one of my idols, screenwriter and producer Pen Densham.

In the fall of 2012 I made a major breakthrough, giving a workshop in France for the first time, in the busy city of Lyon.  (France is not an easy market to crack for international screenwriting lecturers.)  It was a three-day “Masterclass” in which I opened up on a number of subjects including the importance of the organs of the body in processing the emotions stirred up by a story.  The event was a hit, largely because of the support of the French TV star Alexandre Astier, a young man who attended my workshop in London years ago and took it on himself to organize the Masterclass in Lyon.  He has a big Twitter following and used his influence to fill the hall with filmmakers, writers, actors and directors.  He’s made a success with a long-running series of short comedy pieces for French television, Kaamelott, based on the legends of King Arthur, and says “The Writer’s Journey” helped him organize his design.

This year’s travel is far from over and I’ve already been to Paris, Stockholm, Toronto and southern Italy.  The French publisher of my books, Dixit, arranged the Paris workshop in April which I hope will become an annual event.  It was held in the famous Balzac cinema just off the Champs Elysee, launch pad for many a New Wave masterpiece.  In Stockholm I worked with editing students at the Academy of Dramatic Arts, under the guidance of master film editor Michal Leszczylowksi.

In June I returned to Toronto, this time for a workshop sponsored by the Toronto branch of Raindance.  There is so much writing talent and sheer brainpower there.  Having a beer in a pub with some of the participants after the workshop was one of life’s great pleasures.

I’ve just returned from a pretty amazing workshop in southern Italy, the Puglia Experience 2013.  The government of Puglia, the region of southeastern Italy on the bootheel, put on this elaborate event, in which sixteen screenwriters from all over the world were invited to sample the food, drink and sight-seeing of the area, while working on screen stories based in Puglia.  The event was steered by enthusiastic screenwriter Jim V. Hart (Spielberg’s HOOK, Coppola’s BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA, and the current animated feature EPIC), aided by an outstanding Australian script consultant, Claire Dobbin.  The Italian staff put on a great show, arranging adventuresome field trips in which we learned about various aspects of Apulian life that were featured in the stories being developed.  I played the role of the guy who lays down basic screenwriting theory and inspiration.  I loved this amiable, intelligent group of writers and enjoyed sharing with them some of my more esoteric theories about the Hero’s Journey and life.  Jim Hart is a great showman and a natural cheerleader, and the fact that we both have a strong devotion to the 1958 movie THE VIKINGS with Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis meant that the three-note horn call from the movie’s soundtrack became the comical signature of the entire workshop, with Jim and I leading the group in blaring out the theme at every bus stop and in every resonant castle crypt.

And now I’m enjoying a month of NO TRAVEL before hitting the road again.  Up next is a visit to the American-themed film festival in Deauville, France in late August, where I will give a talk about last year’s prize winner, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD.  I’m back in LA Sept. 6-8 for the Story Expo, speaking about “Organic Storytelling” and engaging in a dialogue with my colleague Michael Hauge about the process of creating a hero.  (Details at http://storyexpo.com/.)

And sometime between now and the end of the year, I’m supposed to show up in Mexico City, London and Moscow!  This could be The Year of Traveling Too Much.  But I must say I’m enjoying meeting people from other cultures who are all trying to tell better stories and understand a little better how the world is made.


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A compilation of Sri Lankan literature

Hello everyone!

How have you all been? Its February 2017 guys! Where have the days gone eh? And I’m back with yet another listicle, this time with a special reason too. Today, the 4th of February is the day my country Sri Lanka formerly known as Ceylon, gained its independence from the British after centuries of colonialism back in the year 1948.

As the title clearly states, I decided to create a list of some of the best, spell binding and intriguing Lankan literature written in English. Of course there are so many more wonderful masterpieces in both Sinhala and Tamil (which are both official languages of the country) but translations of them are also widely available. I tried my best to chose from a wide range of genres including translations 🙂

Over the years I have grown some partiality towards Lankan literature and its amazing authors who never fail to enchant me with their tales. Perhaps the familiarity to the places and culture make the stories even more endearing.

I hope you guys can find at least one book to your suiting from the following. I’ll link in the reviews I’ve done for a few of em. All summaries were taken from Goodreads.  Enjoy 🙂

1. Island of a Thousand Mirrors by Nayomi Munaweera

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Island of a Thousand Mirrors follows the fate of two families, one Tamil, one Sinhala as they straddle opposite sides of the long and brutal Sri Lankan civil war. Narrated by the eldest daughter of each family, the story explores how each woman negotiates war, migration, love, exile, and belonging. At its root, it s a story of a fragmented nation struggling to find its way to a new beginning.

2. The Road From Elephant Pass by Nihal de Silva

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The Road From Elephant Pass won the 2003 Gratiaen Prize for creative writing in English “for its moving story, for its constant feel of real life, for its consistency of narrative momentum, for its descriptive power, for its dramatic use of dialogue to define social context, capture character psychology, and trace the development of a relationship, for its convincing demonstration that resolution of conflict and reconciliation of differences are feasible through mutual experience and regard, and last though not least, for its eminently civilized handling of the last degree of intimacy between a man and a woman.”

3. All Is Burning by Jean Arasanayagam

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This collection contains nineteen stories of rare power from the heart of war-ravaged Sri Lanka. In these stories Jean Arasanayagam brings us voices that are not normally heard: those of anonymous men and women searching for order and reason in the midst of a ruthless civil war: a young Sinhala man turns his back on an aimless upper-class existence and joins a group of Tamil refugees smuggling themselves into Germany; a woman goes out alone to a scene of carnage to try to find her daughter’s lover among the dead; a maid returns from the rich desert city of Doha to the green half-jungle of her village in northern Sri Lanka and rediscovers hapiness despite the uncertain future.

4. The Waiting Earth by Punyakante Wijenaike

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This is a novel about the hardships of the villagers in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka. This also exposes about an improper love story of a schoolgirl and her teacher.

5. The Hungry Ghosts by Shyam Selvadurai

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In Buddhist myth, the dead may be reborn as “hungry ghosts”—spirits with stomach so large they can never be full—if they have desired too much during their lives. It is the duty of the living relatives to free those doomed to this fate by doing kind deeds and creating good karma. In Shyam Selvadurai’s sweeping new novel, his first in more than a decade, he creates an unforgettable ghost, a powerful Sri Lankan matriarch whose wily ways, insatiable longing for land, houses, money and control, and tragic blindness to the human needs of those around her parallels the volatile political situation of her war-torn country.

The novel centres around Shivan Rassiah, the beloved grandson, who is of mixed Tamil and Sinhalese lineage, and who also—to his grandmother’s dismay—grows from beautiful boy to striking gay man. As the novel opens in the present day, Shivan, now living in Canada, is preparing to travel back to Colombo, Sri Lanka, to rescue his elderly and ailing grandmother, to remove her from the home—now fallen into disrepair—that is her pride, and bring her to Toronto to live our her final days. But throughout the night and into the early morning hours of his departure, Shivan grapples with his own insatiable hunger and is haunted by unrelenting ghosts of his own creation.

The Hungry Ghosts is a beautifully written, dazzling story of family, wealth and the long reach of the past. It shows how racial, political and sexual differences can tear apart both a country and the human heart—not just once, but many times, until the ghosts are fed and freed

6. Saree by Su Dharmapala

Nila wasn’t born beautiful and is destined to go through life unnoticed… until she becomes a saree maker. As she works, Nila weaves into the silk a pattern of love, hope and devotion, which will prove to be invaluable to more lives than her own.

From the lush beauty of Sri Lanka, ravaged by bloody civil war, to India and its eventual resting place in Australia, this is the story of a precious saree and the lives it changes forever. Nila must find peace, Mahinda yearns for his true calling, Pilar is haunted by a terrible choice, Sarojini doubts her ability to love, Madhav is a holy fraud and Marion’s understanding of the very meaning of love is challenged and transformed. Each teeters between joy and pain, and each is touched by the power and beauty of the saree.

A breathtaking story of beauty, oppression and freedom… and of an enduring love that can never be broken.

My review of it here  🙂

7. Madol Doova by Martin Wickramasinghe, Ashley Halpe (Translator)

Martin Wikramasinghe’s Madol Doova has been read, re-read and loved by generations of Sri Lankans in it’s original Sinhala as well as in other translations. During the half-century since it was published in 1947, over a million copies have been printed

My review here 🙂

8. The Hamilton Case by Michelle de Kretser

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A flamboyant beauty who once partied with the Prince of Wales and who now, in her seventh decade, has “gone native” in a Ceylonese jungle. A proud, Oxford-educated lawyer who unwittingly seals his own professional fate when he dares to solve the sensational Hamilton murder case that has rocked the upper echelons of local society. A young woman who retreats from her family and the world after her infant brother is found suffocated in his crib. These are among the linked lives compellingly portrayed in a novel everywhere hailed for its dazzling grace and savage wit.

A spellbinding tale of family and duty, of legacy and identity, a novel that brilliantly probes the ultimate mystery of what makes us who we are

9. Love Marriage by V.V. Ganeshananthan

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In this globe-scattered Sri Lankan family, we speak of only two kinds of marriage. The first is the Arranged Marriage. The second is the Love Marriage. In reality, there is a whole spectrum in between, but most of us spend years running away from the first toward the second. [p. 3]

The daughter of Sri Lankan immigrants who left their collapsing country and married in America, Yalini finds herself caught between the traditions of her ancestors and the lure of her own modern world. But when she is summoned to Toronto to help care for her dying uncle, Kumaran, a former member of the militant Tamil Tigers, Yalini is forced to see that violence is not a relic of the Sri Lankan past, but very much a part of her Western present.

While Kumaran’s loved ones gather around him to say goodbye, Yalini traces her family’s roots–and the conflicts facing them as ethnic Tamils–through a series of marriages. Now, as Kumaran’s death and his daughter’s politically motivated nuptials edge closer, Yalini must decide where she stands.

Lyrical and innovative, V. V. Ganeshananthan’s novel brilliantly unfolds how generations of struggle both form and fractures families.

10. The Sweet and Simple Kind by Yasmine Gooneratne

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The Sweet and Simple Kind is an engrossing and dramatic family saga set against the backdrop of Ceylon’s turbulent evolution into Sri Lanka.

Resonant in its social insights and beautifully written, The Sweet and Simple Kind offers a richly imagined world of love, political chicanery and family turmoil in the newly independent Sri Lanka of the 1950s and 60s. As an intensely political family attempts to balance language with religion, and privilege with equity, two smart, westernised young women — cousins Tsunami and Latha — pursue their own personal freedoms. The Sweet and Simple Kind enchants us with its combination of authenticity, humour and passion.

11. Bone China by Roma Tearne

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An epic novel of love, loss and a family uprooted, set in the contrasting landscapes of war-torn Sri Lanka and immigrant London. Grace de Silva, wife of the shiftless but charming Aloysius, has five children and a crumbling marriage. Her eldest son, Jacob, wants desperately to go to England. Thornton, the most beautiful of all the children and his mother’s favourite, dreams of becoming a poet. Alicia wants to be a concert pianist. Only Frieda has no ambition, other than to remain close to her family. But civil unrest is stirring in Sri Lanka and Christopher, the youngest and the rebel of the family, is soon caught up in the tragedy that follows. As the decade unfolds against a backdrop of increasing ethnic violence, Grace watches helplessly as the life she knows begins to crumble.

Slowly, this once happy family is torn apart as four of her children each make the decision to leave their home. In London, the de Silvas are all caught in a clash between East and West …

12. Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew by Shehan Karunatilaka

Some remember his impressive career stats … others recall his on-field arrogance. Some say he fixed matches . . . others say he was dropped for being Tamil! Who exactly was Pradeep Mathew? And what became of him?

WG Karunasena, a man who spent 64 years drinking arrack and watching cricket decides to find out …If you have never seen a cricket match; or if you have and it has made you snore …If you can’t understand why anyone would watch, let alone obsess over this dull game …… then this IS the book for you

13. Reef by Romesh Gunesekera

Reef is the elegant and moving story of Triton, a talented young chef so committed to pleasing his master’s palate that he is oblivious to the political unrest threatening his Sri Lankan paradise. It is a personal story that parallels the larger movement of a country from a hopeful, young democracy to troubled island society. It is also a mature, poetic novel which the British press has compared to the works of James Joyce, Graham Greene, V.S. Naipaul, and Anton Chekhov.

Reef explores the entwined lives of Mr. Salgado, an aristocratic marine biologist and student of sea movements and the disappearing reef, and his houseboy, Triton, who learns to polish silver until it shines like molten sun; to mix a love cake with ten eggs, creamed butter, and fresh cadju nuts; to marinade tiger prawns; and to steam parrot fish. Through these characters and the forty years of political disintegration their country endures, Gunesekera tells the tragic, sometimes comic, story of a lost paradise and a young man coming to terms with his destiny.

14. It’s not in the Stars by Rizvina Morseth de Alwis

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When Sam and Pradeep hear of Minu’s death in a car crash, they struggle to understand the truth behind her death. But soon, they find themselves on a journey of their own, discovering the truth about themselves and their relationship.

Set against the backdrop of the civil conflict and political upheavals of the ’80s and ’90s in Sri Lanka, It’s not in the Stars… is about friendship, love and family ties. Minu finds herself caught between her family’s pressures to marry within her community and her desire to become independent and control her own destiny. Sam, who is more confident, feisty and unafraid to break the rules, comes into her own, but not before she experiences, love, heartache and betrayal. Pradeep, who struggles with a renewed consciousness of his identity as a Tamil is the glue that sticks them together, the thread that intertwines their lives inextricably.

What does destiny have in store for them? Can they control it and shape their own lives?

15. Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala

On the morning of December 26, 2004, on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, Sonali Deraniyagala lost her parents, her husband, and her two young sons in the tsunami she miraculously survived. In this brave and searingly frank memoir, she describes those first horrifying moments and her long journey since.

She has written an engrossing, unsentimental, beautifully poised account: as she struggles through the first months following the tragedy, furiously clenched against a reality that she cannot face and cannot deny; and then, over the ensuing years, as she emerges reluctantly, slowly allowing her memory to take her back through the rich and joyous life she’s mourning, from her family’s home in London, to the birth of her children, to the year she met her English husband at Cambridge, to her childhood in Colombo; all the while learning the difficult balance between the almost unbearable reminders of her loss and the need to keep her family, somehow, still alive within her.

16. Love in the Tsunami by Ashok Ferrey

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Love in the Tsunami brings together a selection of Ashok Ferreys short fiction with four brand new stories. Enormously wide- ranging and endlessly inventive, Ashoks pen is rib- ticklingly funny and, occasionally, scathingly acerbic. He accurately portrays Sri Lanka in all its diversity.

The title story, set against the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 describes Veena Patels all- too- brief encounter with forbidden love. ‘But Did I Tell You I Can’t Dance?’is a hilarious fable about old age, its occasional humiliations and its many heartwarming victories. And in ‘Maleeshya’Ashok himself makes a cameo appearance as a dead author who has embarrassingly come back to life.

17. The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke

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In the 22nd century visionary scientist Vannevar Morgan conceives the most grandiose engineering project of all time, and one which will revolutionize the future of humankind of space: a Space Elevator, 36,000 kilometres high, anchored to an equatorial island in the Indian Ocean.

18. Anusha of Prospect Corner by A. M. Blair  (Author), Maram Ken (Author), Samira Ken (Author)

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For Anusha Smyth, four-leaf clovers pop out of the grass like 3D optical illusions, practically begging her to pick them. She hopes they’ll bring her luck. She has big plans for 7th grade, but first she needs to convince her mom to move back to the United States.

Unfortunately, a nosy neighbor keeps getting in the way. With Mrs. Lowry on the prowl — and she isn’t the only obstacle — Anusha’s going to need more than luck to make her dreams come true

This book is a special one as it was penned by a fellow Lankan blogger living abroad along with her two young daughters. For more on this project pls visit her blog

I hope you can find a book to your liking among these wonderful titles listed above. I tried to cover as many genres as were available and as many sides to the Lankan culture as possible. In my hunt for literary gems I realized that most literature is based on either the Civil War that took place here a few decades ago which tore the country to pieces or on the recent extremely devastating tsumani that shook the nation back in 2004. I was rather disappointed to find that a solid Lankan Muslim perspective is lacking and hope this will change in the future.

If you have read any of the above or if there’s any other good recs I might have missed pls do let me know 🙂

I also have a happy piece of news!! If any of you want to get your hands on three of these books my friends over at So We Read This Book blog are conducting a giveaway for some of the books mentioned here. You should go sign up if you are interested.

I’m linking the blogs of our current family of known Sri Lankan book bloggers down below. Please do give their blog a look around and show them some love.  They are simply the best (waaaaay better than me) and the awesomest group of people you’ll ever meet! I promise \^_^/ !

Gabrielle, Shehani and Safira @ So We Read This Book

Dashie @ The Swashbuckler

Nuzaifa @ Word Contessa

Mishma and Jillian@ Chasing Faerytales

Ruzaika and Veronica @ The Regal Critiques

Ranu @ The Araliya Bookshelf

Lady Disdain @ Lady Disdain Notes

Amal @ Misfortune of Knowing

Sinead @ Huntress of Diverse Books

I also recommend making a round trip to Sri Lanka if opportunity permits ^_^

Do take care everyone!! Happy reading!

T5w | 2017 Goals? Lemme see….

I haven’t done a T5W in ages, and the week I finally decide to do one, I have a topic I was trying my best to avoid this year. *sighs* I’ll take it as a sign of fate, stop procrastinating and just do it already! Jk jk! Its high time to take a deep breath and collect my thoughts before plunging into yet another eventful year.  hthdrhddrd.png

2017 GOALS! I see so many people bunking the idea, while a few bravely set out venturable tasks for themselves. For those of you who decided to do the T5W like me, lets get through this together 🙂

In all honesty I’m having trouble getting used to the new year haha. Wah! where did 2016 go, huh? I think the general trend around the world is that 2016 was an enlightening year for everyone. We saw it all, the good, bad and ugly. Possibly in that order too. *more sighing* It was no different for me too in my nook of the world. The beginning of 2016 was pretty good. In the bookish world, I cannot be delighted enough to have discovered the book bloggers nook on WordPress. From there I went on to socialize on Twitter where I made a ton of new friends and learnt so so much! Also successfully  managed to survive year two of Uni. One more to go! *claps with all the energy I can muster* rmbrs that I have assignments to write after this hurried post. smh! and i thought it all ended with school.

A predominant feature of my 2016 was an ever extrapolating movement towards the deep end of Kdramas and Kpop  and trust me being that deep in is tiring AF. I loved every minute of it, and the more you discovered the more you wanted to know lol. I found my k counterparts Namjin (fangirl in me had to smirk) and shed blood sweat and tears with my bias groups (more smirking). I’m not complaining but it drains you a lot, kinda like the iPhone batteries. I was also delighted to come across an anime that I hadn’t loved this much in a long time in the form of Yuri!! on ice!   (ps. u really do need Yuri in your life >.>) Let me know if you want recs  🙂 psst again! you really do!

If 2016 was an enlightening year, I want to make this year the year I use the knowledge I have acquired. Actually put it to use, and regularly. I’m a sucker when it comes to sticking to a cycle, so this is a challenge in itself. Its also really frightening that I’m suddenly getting old. Its the mid twenties YIKES!! where did the years go??! Kyaaa~~ Hajima time! I’m still young at heart!

5. Learn driving. Even if I don’t get the license, I want to be confident enough to drive to the nearest grocery and back (it’s just around the corner smh) the end of the world seems hella near (mhm, incorrect choice of words) and I don’t wanna rule out a choice of survival where driving is the best option. *Ok now how do I persuade dad that I won’t hurt anyone just by pressing the ignition button*

4. Stop procrastinating!

Uhuh! I’m one of them. I really have to stop putting off assignments and posts until the last minute! Think ahead, plan ahead! ASDFGHJKL! Is it the dreamer in me that makes me wander off in to the different thoughts floating around in my head? Be it assignments, reviews that are due or even just my laundry, haha the older I grow the worse the condition is becoming. Cant anyone relate?? (pls say yes >.>)

3. Read rather than watch.

I call myself a reader, and the choice between reading and watching should be a no brainer, but I think I have gotten off the reading track for some time now. I’d like to get back on hence I’m not setting a book reading goal this year either but I intend to consciously choose to read more. (Soz. I’m just dealing with stuff in my head, hence the MIA from the blog too) Anyone else have this problem? I’d like to know. My bestie can switch between both so effortlessly, while I’m a lost cause. Only one works at a time for me.

2. Work on short stories

A good portion of my childhood was spent reading, the other bit was spent writing. Of late I feel that I let that slide using exams and just life as an excuse, so I’d like to bring that back.May be I should go out more to get that inspirometer ticking.

1. Give my blog and my followers more of my time.

I know, I know, very cliché and it’s barely a goal, but I think tis something I take for granted. This blog is the culmination of my thoughts and your response to it. I can only grow it if I am constant and frequent in posting and tending to it. I am forever thankful to those of you who follow me, and have taken the time to talk to me, I enjoy our conversations but of late I haven’t been doing that much and it eats at me everyday. Saying sorry wouldn’t suffice I know so I will get on it immediately.

Its already 4 days past the year yikes!  I wish you all the best of health, happiness, self love and all the delights that come with reading and blogging in the upcoming year and may you have the strength to pull yourselves together at any hurdles along the way! Keep motivated, keep inspired!

And, if you have watched Yuri on ice, TALK TO ME!!! I’m still in frantic fangirl phase. kekekeke!

Hold by Rachel Leigh Davidson: Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway!

Hi everyone!

I’m back with a exciting news! Not long ago I stumbled across Hold, which was in its final stages of publication, and expressed a desire to read the book, I was contacted by non other than its author, the lovely Rachel Davidson Leigh, and she was glad to have me on her book tour! The best news of all is how hyped I am for the book and for all of you to read it.

Hi! Thank you so much for having me on your blog! I’m Rachel, and my hobbies include overanalyzing television shows and pairing readers with their perfect books. My debut novel, Hold, is a story about grief, identity, and transformation. After his sister’s death, Lucas Aday can hardly drag himself back to school. He couldn’t possibly prepare himself to stop time or to fall for the only other boy who doesn’t stop moving.

Luke Aday knew that his sister’s death was imminent—she had been under hospice care for months—but that didn’t make her death any easier on him or their family. He returns to school three days after the funeral to a changed world; his best friends welcome him back with open arms, but it isn’t the same. When a charismatic new student, Eddie Sankawulo, tries to welcome Luke to his own school, something life-changing happens: In a moment of frustration, Luke runs into an empty classroom, hurls his backpack against the wall—and the backpack never lands. Luke Aday has just discovered that he can stop time.

Rachel was happy to answer some questions and I love her answers 🙂

During a time when there is a growing acceptance of LGBTQ, your book stands as a clear supporter of it. How important is it to you to show support towards the LGBTQ community?

 It’s hugely important for me personally, for the LGBTQ community, and the characters themselves. I’m bi, and I’ve always been surrounded (and supported) by an incredible cadre of queer friends. Even before I could define where I belonged, I knew that  I felt at home around people who either identified as queer or who made LGBTQ rights a priority in their lives. Hold includes characters who explicitly identify as gay, bi, queer, and asexual, in part because these characters were always inspired by the incredible people who’ve gotten me through the toughest moments in my life.

How important is it for your character to identify themselves and to let others know of their orientation?

 It’s important for all of the characters to be able to own their relationships to sexuality and gender, but it’s especially vital for characters who are bi, ace, and queer, because readers have so few opportunities to see these aspects of themselves on the page. If we factor out all the stories where queer characters meet some kind of tragic end, the picture looks even worse. I get to be surrounded by adults and young adults who are proud to be part of the LGBTQ community, but not everyone is that lucky. A lot of teens only get to see that world in fanfic or original fiction, and they deserve to see characters like them going on adventures, fighting monsters, and falling in love, while wearing their identities with pride.  (me ugly crying @ this answer! TT)

If you can recall, what do you suppose prompted you to start writing this book?

There are actually two answers to that question. If you think of inspiration as the moment when the story came to life, it began with an image. That how most of my projects start. I see a scene that won’t let me go, and then I go try to figure out what’s going on. In this case, I saw the moment when Luke first stops time. It’s his first day back at school and he’s been turned emotionally inside out by everything that’s changed while he was gone, so he ducks into a classroom, throws his backpack against a wall, and the backpack never lands. I first saw that moment, when Luke’s bag hangs in the air above his head, and he runs his hand underneath it as if looking for invisible strings.

The fantasy aspect of the story seems very interesting and I am very excited for this mix of genre. Why did you decide to have this take on your story?

I’m so glad to hear that! This story ended up as magical realism, in part, because that’s the kind of “realism” that always made the most sense in my brain. All of my favorite genres— musicals, Superhero comics, certain flavors of scifi and fantasy— take the epic emotion that underlies so many of our experiences and make it literal. This dates me, but consider how many viewers once considered Buffy the Vampire Slayer one of the most “realistic” representation of high school on television, because sometimes it takes the impossible to represent how reality feels. We could say the same thing about the artistry of The Get Down, the powers in Luke Cage, or the music in Hamilton. People don’t burst into song in real life, but the emotion rings true.

Similarly, grief can make a person feel as though the world is moving too fast, so, for Luke, time comes to a stop.   (more ugly crying TT)

Readers at some point become curious as to how much a writer puts themselves in their works, and it goes without saying that writers do use personal stories in their works. In saying this, do we see much of you in Hold?

And this is the second answer to that question about inspiration. I also lost a sibling, under similar circumstances, when I was about the same age as Luke. There are moments in Luke’s life that are drawn almost verbatim from my own experience, and yet it reads nothing like a memoir. Luke walks through some of the same places I remember, but he transforms them into something entirely new. I know some of the emotions he deals with and a lot of the reactions he comes to expect from those around him, but we rarely react the same way. Where I would have gone right, he goes left, and this time I get to follow in his wake.

Theatre, literature and the arts play an important role in Hold. Who is your favourite author and genre to read?

It really is! All of the main characters in Hold are theater kids of one kind or another and much of the action takes place either in or around theater rehearsals. The story is also filled with references to theater, comics, and geeky fiction, including The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and Ms. Marvel. As you might expect, this answer is so hard to answer! I can’t say my favorites, but I’ve recently loved titles by Yvonne Fly Onakeme Etaghene, Robin Talley, Jaye Robin Brown, and Jason Reynolds. I’m also excited for new books coming from Becky Albertalli, JC Lillis, and FT Lukens.

Last up, which character do you give a little more love to and why?

I love them all, but I do give a little extra love to Luke’s best friend, Marcos. I love his mind. It moves at these fantastic right angles and it took all I had just to keep up. He’s also the character who was most likely to mess with my careful planning. Every time he appeared in a scene, he added something that I didn’t expect and I just had to follow his lead.

Here’s the list of stops she’ll be making on her tour.

Something had made the whole world stop around him, like his own bubble in time, but it was gone. He couldn’t crawl back inside.

* * *

He broke into a weak smile with the shine again in his eyes. “You came to the game. It was a crappy game, but you were there.”

Luke inched in the door and sat on top of the desk closest to the door. The two desks between them might as well have been two miles. “Of course I came.” He didn’t say, “I came because you asked,” or “I had to go because you wanted me there,” because that didn’t make any sense at all. “I didn’t really know what I was watching, but I tried. Dee gave me a crash course in lacrosse.”

“Next time, I’ll come over and give you a tutorial,” Eddie said with a shaky grin. “You see, there’s this ball, and the whole team is trying to make sure it goes into the other team’s net.”

“Shut up” Luke rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help smiling back. Next time. He said, next time. What happened to Wes? “I’m sorry, but I can’t take lacrosse lessons from a man who looks like he’s going to the opera.”

Eddie eyed his black-on-black. “I look like I’m going to an audition,” he finally said. “I don’t know. Today, I wanted to look good.”

You do, Luke thought. You are.

He opened his mouth, but the words stuck in his throat. He felt the influence of their room, just like all the rehearsals before this one. Even when he couldn’t find a good direction to save his life, he eventually sank into their place, their stage and Eddie’s smile, as if he could stay here forever. As long as Eddie kept looking at him as if he were the smartest, funniest, most talented boy he’d ever known, part of him was sure the outside world would hold its breath and wait. Outside, there were secrets and questions and too many hospital beds, but in here—Luke’s stomach clenched. It would be glowing and perfect for a while, but then he had to go.

* * *

If he were a better person, he would have made Eddie stop. If he were in a movie, Luke would have said “stop” really quietly, and Eddie would have listened, because that’s how movies worked. Luke scowled. Real life needs better editing. He scooted off the desk, stuffed his sketchpad into his backpack and walked into Eddie standing perfectly static outside the doorway.

He wasn’t the only one. He’d dotted the hallway with statues in a picture so silent he could hear his shoes clip against the floor.

Luke hadn’t just stopped Eddie. He’d stopped everything and he hadn’t felt himself try. When Eddie had walked out the door, Luke had wanted him to stop and listen, but his demented mind had only managed one thing. He slid out into the hall with his back flat against the wall and his bag clenched against his stomach.

It had been less than a minute since Eddie picked up his bag. Luke couldn’t have counted to one thousand in his head, and Eddie had already turned into someone new. The sad boy from their stage had disappeared. He had his back to the door and one hand in the air, as he turned toward a cluster of students in track pants and T-shirts. The whole group stood across the hallway with their mouths open and smiling, and, in the middle, a pretty girl stood on her tiptoes to wave back. Luke stepped closer to see her face. She glowed as if she made energy in her fingertips. Her skin was darker than Eddie’s, and she had her hair piled into a ponytail that spilled from the back of her head in a high, elegant pouf. Three years at this school, and Luke couldn’t have picked her out of a lineup, but she already knew Eddie. Luke had frozen the moment when her face lit up with joy. She was so happy to see him, and he—

Luke circled around to see Eddie’s face, and he was beaming back at the girl. In the seconds it took him to step away from the classroom door, he’d been remade. Luke peered into Eddie’s happy eyes and wanted to interrogate their shine.

How? He thought. How did you learn to be everyone at the same time?

* * *

They didn’t have to say where or when they would find each other after school. Dee, Luke and Marcos met outside the south entrance by the wobbly picnic table, because that’s what they’d been doing since they were thirteen. Luke let Dee hug him, twice, and they walked toward her house as though nothing had changed in a month of absences and ignored calls.

They fell into step along the side of the road with the February wind at their backs. Neither of them said anything about the funeral, and, after days of flowers and cards promising Lizzy’s arrival in heaven with all the pretty angels, Luke was so grateful he would have let them hug him all over again. It was the kindest silence.

Five years ago, in seventh grade, the walk had begun as a two-some. Back then, Dee and Luke had bonded, in hushed, embarrassed giggles, over their shared crush on the new boy with the soft brown skin and the big, toothy smile. He was so sweet. She’d been the first person to get how the pieces of Luke fit together, before his parents and long before anyone else at school. She’d glommed onto his side like sticky tape and it all should have been a mess. By rights at least one of them should have ended up heartbroken and in tears, but by luck they’d both fallen for a boy who liked neither of them and was too dense to understand the problem.

It wasn’t until freshman year, when all three of them were connected at the hip, that Dee finally had broken down and told Marcos why she and Luke had both suddenly become obsessed with Ender’s Game. Of course it was a good book, but it was also his favorite book and at the time that’s what had mattered. They’d created a Marcos Aldama book club, for God’s sake, and they might have started on The Song of Ice and Fire series if Dee hadn’t gotten up the courage to ask if hewantedtowalkhomewiththemsometime.

When she’d explained, he’d just stared at her over the top of his ham sandwich. “But how?” He’d asked. “I looked like Manny from Modern Family.”

He hadn’t, not really. Except maybe a little in the face.

Most of all, even when he’d awkwardly clarified that no, he didn’t want to date Luke or Dee and asked if that was cool, Marcos had never said a thing about Luke being a boy. It had probably never occurred to him to care.

They walked out of the school parking lot and down West Thirty-third toward Dee’s house. As always, she marched ahead while the boys trailed behind. Marcos’s arm was slung around Luke’s neck, as if to make sure that Luke was actually, physically, there. Their hips knocked together in an uneven beat when Luke stepped forward on one side and Marcos stepped forward on the other. They couldn’t find a rhythm, but neither pulled away. Luke used to imagine that this was what a first kiss would feel like: all awkward limbs and too much feeling.

Neither of them asked questions. Instead, Dee chattered about one show she’d convinced Marcos to watch and another, which she hadn’t. Luke hadn’t heard of either of them, but that wasn’t new. Lizzy liked old TV shows, so that’s what he knew best. Luke caught every other word as she ran through the plots, but the rest flowed together like music.

* * *

As he entered the junior commons, Luke almost stepped on a pair of shoes. The girl wearing them found her way around him and scowled under her breath as Luke leaned against the nearest wall. He was going to look teary-eyed and breakable no matter what. Along the edges he couldn’t do more damage, and that’s where he caught the flash of blue. It was on the wall next to the boy’s bathroom.

The poster, held up by Scotch tape, announced the theater department’s Spring Review in the same color and font they’d used when Luke was nine. Ten years from now they would probably still perform Shakespearian tragedies and Oklahoma. This year, they were doing 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, but he didn’t care about that. He cared about the names of the tech crew written across the bottom of the poster. That was their spot, his and Marcos Aldama’s and Dee’s. For a year and a half, since they’d been trusted to not to electrocute themselves, they’d run tech for every production this school had bothered to stage. Dee was supposed to be the stage manager, Marcos was supposed to be on sound and he was supposed to be on sets.

But he wasn’t there.

He found Dee’s and Marcos’s names right where they were supposed to be, and then there was a third name. He’d been replaced by Neil Vargassi. Vargassi? Luke had last heard that name when he’d found out that “that Vargassi kid” had fallen off the stage during warm ups and had had to be sent to the emergency room.

Luke read the poster three times with his hand pressed against the wall beside it. The wall wasn’t going anywhere. He wasn’t sure about anything else.

They wouldn’t—He read it again. But of course, they would. He’d been gone a month at the beginning of the spring semester with no explanation. Of course they would have found someone to take his place, and he’d had the easiest tech job in the world. He wasn’t irreplaceable, but he’d never thought—

He turned away from the poster and made himself move, as the sickness slid into his gut. It pooled in a sludge below his navel, like a toxic spill, and his body wanted it gone, but there were people going in and out of the bathroom. There were people everywhere.

Luke clasped his hand over his mouth. On his right, the door to a dark classroom sat ajar. He threw himself inside, grabbed the trashcan by the door and gagged until his eyes watered. Nothing came up. He couldn’t even make himself puke. He couldn’t do anything but make people feel sorry for him.

Luke crouched at the closed door with his back flat against the metal kick plate, and pressed his fingers against his temples until pain blossomed under his skin. His stomach turned.

I can’t make it stop, because I shouldn’t be here anymore.

He closed his eyes against the empty classroom, the dirty book jackets and the kick marks on the legs of the chairs.

I should be gone. It should have been me.

Luke pushed himself to his feet and tasted tears. His phone rang in his backpack again and again. He had to answer it because it could have been his mom, but his hands couldn’t remember how. He pulled at the zipper on the front of his bag, but it wouldn’t give. He couldn’t make it move. He tried again and, before he knew what he was doing, he hit it. He hit the bag over and over again until it crunched under his fists. He punched grooves into the plastic lining and ripped holes in the straps.

The holes were real. He made them. The fabric tore under his hands. He made that happen. But the phone wouldn’t stop ringing—four, five, six—and, as he gasped for air, he lifted the backpack and heaved it across the room like a grenade.

Luke turned away, closed his eyes and waited for it to smash against the far wall. He waited and listened for the crunch and the snap, but it never came. His bag never hit the floor.

* * *

Beyond the trees, the road stood frozen, and, above his head, the leaves were still, but on the ground, Luke vibrated with life.

Click on the link for a Rafflecopter giveaway of HOLD by Rachel Leigh Davidson.

Purchase Links:

Interlude Press Web Store: store.interludepress.com

Barnes & Noblehttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hold-rachel-davidson-leigh/1124079244?ean=2940153117676

Apple IBookstorehttps://itunes.apple.com/us/book/hold/id1148322903?mt=11

All Romance eBookshttps://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-hold-2058760-145.html?referrer=55feb862851f8

Hold was published by Duet Books on October 20, 2016. You can reach the with author Rachel Davidson Leigh at racheldavidsonleigh.com; on Twitter @rdavidsonleigh; and on Facebook at facebook.com/rdavidsonleigh/

Review: Stained by Abda Khan

I closed my eyes. I wanted to see nothing, I  wanted to feel nothing. I just wanted darkness, blackness, but my eyes kept dragging me back to it all. And still, all I could hear was the tick tock, tick tock, tick tock. I put my hands over my ears, desperately trying to banish the incessant noise that was on repeat in my head, to no effect. How was I ever going to get that sound out of my head? Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick tock….

Stained is a story of a beautiful intelligent young British Pakistani woman whose life’s aspirations and dreams are put on hold due to the scandalous actions of a supposedly trusted member of society. This is only the surface summary of the story. The book delves into weighty and sensitive issues that those involved and those who look on, wish to sweep under the rug rather than face it head on, culling out the guilty and restoring justice and solace to the victim.

When I first read the premise of the book, what caught me was the social commentary that goes along with it. The story fit in to a category of books that we do not normally see in a library or a book store. The untold stories of victims of the rape culture we see simmering beneath the facade of what seems to be peaceful communities. What drives the actions of these misguided members of society and how the victims deal with the trauma is often unheard of. What is saddening, is to see that honour becomes more important than honesty, and the innocent in the face of society is disregarded.

Stained, no doubt, is a voice for women, loud and clear, from highlighting the unfair treatment of daughters, to disregarding of girls rights to education and most importantly to their consent in all its forms. Selina, goes on to achieve the unthinkable in this story by fighting for her name on her own, and in the end clearing her name of the dishonor that had befallen her.

On reading the story I must stress that this is a debut novel and the writing, though it could be better, doesn’t diminish the urgency and importance of Selina’s situation and the matter at hand. It is written in first person, and is an almost diary entry like narrative. This fits well with the story and her situation and it’s almost like Selina confides to the reader what she cannot confide in anyone around her. I don’t know if it was intentional but descriptions highlighted what was deemed important in these societies, and I felt very much immersed in the lifestyle Selina led.  In addition, the author peppers the book with symbolism,  tropes and metaphors at every turn which adds to the pathos of the story. We are left feeling overwhelmed at Selina’s unfortunate turn of events and the reactions she receives when she tries to be honest.

Ms. Khan also touches on issues of identity to children of migrant individuals. Is she British, or in this case is she Pakistani? Is her label otherwise, a Muslim? The diversity of Selina’s character is in these questions she’s seeking answers to. I’m pretty sure any individual in her shoes will have a similar questioning of identity and these are issues that are not often talked about, yet something numerous people are affected by this situation.

Many thanks to Adba Khan and Harvard Square Editions for sending me a copy in exchange of an honest review. I enjoyed the book very much 🙂

You can get your copy of Stained @ Amazon

If you have read Stained, what are your thoughts on the story? Is justice restored to Selina and the other victims? Do they fully recover from such incidents?  What is the role that authors plays removing the stigma of rape culture victims? Is it more important than we think it to be?

Review: Saree by Su Dharmapala

The key phrase to this book is ‘fatefully yet surprisingly interwoven lives’. The extracting of silk and human elements and artfully weaving them into intricate patterns. The title in fact, is gleefully fitting. When I saw it on the book shelf at my local book store, I just knew and my expectations rose immediately, but I’m happy to say it delivered, plentifully. The novel wasn’t beauty and smiles all around, in fact it it makes you sit back and think of how life in the end, does come full circle.

First things first.

Definition of a saree

A saree is a garment worn by women across south Asia (from my knowledge predominantly those of south Indian and Sri Lankan origin). It is a long piece of cloth usually woven in silk or cotton, varying from 6-9 yards in length and 2-4 feet in breadth, that is wrapped around the waist, pleated, tucked and draped over one shoulder. Of course today how you drape, the designs and material all vary given the advent of fashion, but the traditional hand woven silk sarees in its customary designs and drape are highly respected. And yes it is the dress the lady on the cover of the book is wearing and a real life specimen of one is what the book is pictured on 😛

The Synopsis

One thing truly made me happy about this book. I know opinions will vary, but I whole heartedly love the blurb of the book. It gives us just enough to be intrigued but not enough to give away the whole story. So here it is for you:

Nila wasn’t born beautiful and is destined to go through life unnoticed… until she becomes a saree maker. As she works, Nila weaves into the silk a pattern of love, hope and devotion, which will prove to be invaluable to more lives than her own.

From the lush beauty of Sri Lanka, ravaged by bloody civil war, to India and its eventual resting place in Australia, this is the story of a precious saree and the lives it changes forever. Nila must find peace, Mahinda yearns for his true calling, Pilar is haunted by a terrible choice, Sarojini doubts her ability to love, Madhav is a holy fraud and Marion’s understanding of the very meaning of love is challenged and transformed. Each teeters between joy and pain, and each is touched by the power and beauty of the saree.

A breathtaking story of beauty, oppression and freedom… and of an enduring love that can never be broken.

The Review

I believe life is an art. So it only makes sense that every act therefore in living has to be an art. Passion is key in attaining perfection, and in this story there is no end for passion. Whether it is for a person,  for a craft, skill or a dream, an undying fire from within will help one find opportunities in the most surprising of places.

The story in Saree, is predominantly set in Sri Lanka, during the Ealam War. There were rifts between races, and also within races. Life seemed to be a game of who is better than who. Innocents killed, brothers divided, friends turning their backs on each other. Among all this hatred and angst, were instances of purity, love, beauty and friendship. This is an aspect the writer has been successful in capturing in her story.

There’s many things to like in Saree. One aspect is the wonderful descriptions by the author. Be it the character building, the surroundings or even the conversation which are often peppered with the mother tongue of the speakers, the story seems to leap off the pages and one feels the anger of the mobs and the pitter patter of rain as one reads.

Character development was a pleasure to see. We are presented with six very different personalities, each with a different passion in life, and are touched by this one fateful saree. Each story is well planned and each in their own way unique. Each endearing, leaving us devastated at the end.  I especially liked Pilar and her story. I was awed by the courage Pilar showed when it came to the upbringing of her son and Raju’s life long memory of his wife.

I particularly enjoyed the factual weave into the fiction. A book from which you can take away something is always good. I learnt a lot about the saree making process from  acquiring the silk to spinning it, to weaving then finishing it draping it and the final look of it. You won’t need to take any saree spinning class in your life. Kudos to Ms Dharmapala for the extensive research you must have had to undertake for this 🙂

The book has a fragmented narrative, spanning time, religion, cities and continents and in my opinion, the writer, I’m so glad, didn’t disappoint. Every perspective of the story fit in and overall made for a delightful, page turning read. In saying this I must add that it is quite a long read as well, with a whopping 560 odd pages (in my copy at least). I didn’t actually read the book at a stretch. It felt right to reflect on each chapter after I was done with it for a few days before moving on to the next. Not only were the characters engaging, but the message the writer was inevitably conveying was too hard to ignore.

The initial literary reaction to the book aside, I must stress on the social commentary that has to be spoken of regarding the story. Directly or indirectly, the war touched on the lives of all people living in the country. How does one live with the knowledge of knowing that your best friend could turn his back on you, how could your own family set fire to your fiance just because  he was of another religion? Do the emotional scars ever go away, does one ever go back to living normally once the war was over? And yet there was society being cruel even in the face of the imminent death and one young woman worries for her future because her skin is darker.

The emotions in this story are very real, very raw and at every turn there is something holding our protagonists down. Does love conquer all, or do they need to resort to rebellion? I’d recommend this book for all ages, and I, myself will definitely be re-reading this book.

So go ahead pick up Saree some time soon, and lets get talking. If you have already read it, whose story resonated the most with you? What have you heard of the war in Sri Lanka? Lets talk about how wartime literature and how it helps bring out what really matters in life. Do scars heal once its over? Or does love heal all?

Su Dharmapala is a writer, social commentator and a blogger. She released her debut novel, Wedding Season in 2012 by Simon & Schuster, and this novel, Saree was released in 2014.

Here’s a link to one of her interviews. I find it a great insight into how her books came to life.

T5W: Memorable First Sentences !

Its Top 5 Wednesday today 🙂 and its all about Favourite First sentences. I decided to interpret this as first lines I found memorable, be it the humorous ones, the ones that echo a universal truth or the ones that eventually influenced a childhood.

T5W is a meme created by Gingerreadslainey and is now hosted by Sam @ Thoughts on Tomes.

P&P is my favourite book of all time, and this line is one I cannot get out of my mind for an array of reasons.

The Victorian era truly was a period of contrasts and contradictions and Dickens so perfectly captures this.

Mr.Tolstoy sir, preach! Its wondrous to see the array of reactions one has to sadness and disappointment.

How can one leave this out. The sentence that began the frenzy. The sentence that changed our lives.

How can you forget this once you’ve read it!!!?

What are your favourite first lines?

Lets talk! Bookish and beyond @ Cinderzenblogs! #1 Does media and hype shape the way we read?

Hello everyone!

I have news! I was just having a routine check on my notifications, when I find that Wordpress says I’ve been registered to this blog for a year now! A year! What!? How time flies when one is busy reading blogs and fangirling with fellow bookworms! 😄 I have to confess that I have not been seriously blogging for the whole of these past 12 months except for the past 7. I wish I had gotten the taste / excitement of it right at the beginning, a few months definitely gone to waste 😄

First things, first! I cannot thank all those who I’ve met along the way, those who followed me out of the blue (lol), for those treasured moments where we’ve created connections and shared stories. Thank you for inspiring and motivating me to keep going on, and giving me the courage to keep at this task we all love and sometimes call a pain 😄 Its all voluntary after all, yet I  love blogging and the community here!

So, not to mark today or anything, I’ve had this idea for sometime and its long over due, I’ve decided to start on a discussion series touching on all things book related. This will include topics relating to life, interests and all things general. Or in other words, things I come across in my journey that amuse/ inspire/ and get me thinking. Maybe sometimes good, sometimes ecstatic, sometimes bad and very ugly. I’ll post up a topic every week, and with your help, we can get to see a diverse range of opinions under the topic, get excited, informed, inspired and motivated for the better ^_^ Pls do understand my possibly rocky first few discussions till I get the hang of this new venture >_<! Book-bottoms up everyone!

Enough chit chat, I’ve got questions brewing!

bookish and beyond end picture

What’s up this week @ the Cinderblog??

Today’s topic: Does media and hype shape the way we read?

We are all aware of the recent release of the eight installation of a Harry Potter story. If you do not, get your butt out from under that rock! Things have been heating up.

I haven’t read the book yet, but I have read a lot of reviews and thoughts on it. Unfortunately though, they were predominantly negative, and the Potter fangirl in me dies a bit every time I do. How can a story which our beloved JK touched on, be so lowly received? What happened? Were we too eager? Are we judging too minutely? Clearly anything HP does give everything a whole new meaning and dimension, given the love we have for it. Were we expecting a similar fully loaded book as the original seven? Was it too much expectation? Was it too much hype?

I do understand the need for hype and publicity, and a return of a much loved author with another of her works is great news, yes! but should we perhaps take into consideration what the book had to go through to come to completion. The book is itself not meant to be a novel but a play based on the original story, so one must understand the consequences of this. I say consequence because in true Potter fanaticism we will want a fully satisfying book to digest. Details will be omitted, characters will only be inspired by the original, and the plot will probably not read as a work of JK’s alone might.

Here’s the big question.

I haven’t read the book yet, and when I do, will what I’ve read so far change my true opinion of it? Will my reading of everything prior to the book skew my thoughts of the story?

Will I be looking out for things that I probably wouldn’t have if I hadn’t read anything?

What happens if hype leads to a disappointing book. I say disappointing possibly due to high expectation or a widely-agreed-upon badly written book.

I know this is can also be a question of one willingly reading the reviews or not, but trust me its hard to not read them. The struggle is real and I’m too curious.

Here’s another question.

What happens when a well known person, politician or celebrity endorses a book? If they are well known and accepted by many, the book rockets to fame. I understand the dynamics of that for all parties. What happens if its reviewed negatively by them? Does this make the book a bad one.

I firmly believe that no book can be considered bad by all (perhaps a very few). This is an entirely different discussion with the factors of age, experience and maturity all differing so I believe its not ours to judge. Perhaps we should only give our opinion about, but not to shame them entirely.

This thought sprouted off a book I read back in February. I wanted so much to review the book because I felt it was a compelling story. Then I felt, will the publicity it got, be a problem for me? Would it be considered a bad read just because of all we have read about it? Was I worried about being viewed in a way due to my choice of books? There I was wondering if it was a good book enough to review when I shouldn’t have been doing so. I believe that a book should be judged on how its written, how it reads and what I can take from it. If it conveys a message that’s deep seating and something you relate to, even better. If it entertains you, wonderful.

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey was chosen by Oprah for her Book Club in September 2005. The book was released as a memoir, and Oprah was all praises about it.  It turned out that the author had exaggerated some aspects of the story  and understandably the winds turned on him, from positive reviews to negative ones. Personally I loved the writing and the contents for what it was. I wouldn’t consider myself ‘duped’ as she said she had been. Perhaps it was a badly categorized book, a book ‘inspired’ by an original story perhaps should have been the key phrase. So are we too quick to judge?

Another back story regarding the incident is that it was all publicity for the book. See what media can do? Does this seem right in view of authors from a minority background? Do they get similar shout outs?

These are just my thoughts! I’d love to know what you think!

Where do we need to put the barrier on how much exposure about a book we need before we read it? Is media skewing the way we read? Or what we read?

Review: Street Girl by Rozana McGrattan

“I hear the vibrations of the universe and I call it love.

I want to go to it; need to go to it, need to dissolve in it. It calls me home.

And real love is the shedding of old feelings, emotions, longings, wants.

And the knowledge that there will be no more turbulence.”

Rozana McGrattan

Street Girl is an autobiography of Ms. McGrattan. This book is her narration of the events of her life, one we see studded with trials and hardships, from the streets of Sao Paulo to the streets of London, from hunger and destitute poverty to owning her own business.

I received this book via a Goodreads Giveaway (YAY!!) a few weeks back. It is the first book that I’ve read that was based in Brazil and one written by a Brazilian author which gives me so many reasons to be excited about this review.

The book begins with a prologue of her narrating a story her father told her, and we are immediately taken in. The story begins with a simple yet vivid narration of Sao Paulo, where I reckon was the turning point of her life, the make it or break it stage, where her decisions were meant to be well thought out.  Thereafter she takes us back to the beginning, and then to where she is today.

I’ve never read literature from South America, so this was a first. I was excited, and as per usual the vibes that the book sent me when I signed up for the giveaway put me into high expectations. I didn’t know what sort of story it would be, but I wasn’t disappointed!  If anything I want more.  I was fascinated to learn about the workings of the country, a glimpse here and there, but that was enough to shine light onto life there.

It’s a quick read. The writing is easy flowing with no awkward breaks. The language is simple, direct, no beating round the bush, and each new chapter of the book is a new chapter of her life. A very straightforward telling of her life’s events thus far, and very compellingly told. You will read about her successes and her failures, her achievements hard earned yet admirable, her relationships; some appalling, which will leave you horror, while others endearing.

A easy read I did say, but I must stress on the contents. Some chapters are not for the lighthearted. Even the author herself warns the reader to skip ahead. I was repulsed by certain incidents she had to go through and in knowing her intentions and her strength of mind; I admire her courage to be able to free herself from these situations. We constantly find her in situations that are not in any way good, especially at her young age, but time and time again we find that she takes to good and leaves the bad aside.

I loved that she found camaraderie in those who have nothing to give her, or help her, the children from the slums. It was a warm feeling to know that kindness and humanness is not something one has to have material possession to embody.  Her position as a girl growing up, and later as a woman making her way toward bettering herself, is something to take note of. She manages to charter her way through the dangerous waters of exploitation and abuse, while keeping her sanity. She could easily have followed the route of many in her position, but she kept to her beliefs and followed her dreams.

I love how she never once blames anyone for the incidents in her life and how it began and the many shady paths it lead her to. I love that she took hold of her own destiny, in the sense that she didn’t expect from others, but worked hard to achieve her dreams.  I cannot imagine how she lived through some periods of her life, but she made it and it gave me hope! And I reckon this story will do so, even by a tiny bit, to anyone who reads it. I love that she shows you can go from poverty to living comfortably, from despair to happiness, if not ideal at least one where you are at peace with ones self if you dare to dream and keep at it.

She believes that a life without knowledge or education of any sort is to be blamed only on one’s self. We find that she snatched at every opportunity to better herself, and she firmly believes that no life experience goes to waste, but builds ones self.

Her poetry is a reflection of all her life’s experiences. Outbursts of a deeper understanding of different aspects of life. I was delighted to find that  I deeply related to a few of them.

“When I look towards the light,

do I see the glow of realization,

the purity of perception,

or just the glare of confusion,

without shadow or relief- ubiquitous and implacable?

If meaning is menacing,

If its hell,

Then is it a hell of my own making?”

Its hard to find a fault with the story. I was truly disappointed that the story ended. I would love to know more about the author, and took the liberty to do so. She is truly an incredible woman. Her endurance is admirable; her faith in painting the greater picture is inspirational. If anything this book is a humbling one, portraying not only a life of hardship but also one of holding on to hope.  From beginning to end, one thing was very clear. She always was master of her fate, not letting others tell her otherwise.

Street Girl was published on May 28th 2016 by Pen Works Media.

For more on the book or author, you can check out Goodreads and Amazon.

Lets get talking!

If you have read this book, what are your thoughts on it? Did you enjoy the read?

Do memoirs like this fare as well as works of fiction?

Do you have any recs for me based on this read? I’d love to know.

T5W: Authors I want to read more from!

Halloo lovely readers!

Its that time of the week. Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Thoughts on Tomes and this weeks topic is Authors I’m Currently Waiting On A New Book From. WhoopWhoop! Yes, we all have a handful of authors you just cannot get enough of. Here’s my five picks. I’m sure that we all have more than five, this task was excruciating lol!

Khaled Hosseini

I’d buy anything he writes with my eyes closed! I know he wont disappoint.Does anyone know of any literature in the works by him?? Pls do let me know!

I have read And the Mountains Echoed, and LOVED it. My review here will explain all. Im currently reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, and am bawling with every turn of the page. Please do chck this space in a week for its review! 🙂

Ok, I have heard a lot of negative output from the Cursed Child, and I am willing to think she was not fully in her element when she wrote (did she?) it! Her adult novels were a trying read themselves and I’d like to see where else she can take us.

Nadia Hashimi

I adore her! Her writing style, and the elements she works with are beautifully balanced. Her The Pearl  That Broke Its Shell is a wonderful piece of woman empowerment embodied. She has her debut young adult novel coming this August, so look forward to it guys. I hope she is working on more novels soon.

Cassandra Clare

Again, I adore her writing. I love her combination of magical elements and the real world. I honestly love the TMI series as well as its sister series The Infernal Devices, and so believe they are the next best series to HP, a world I’d wholeheartedly immerse myself in.

Ayisha Malik

Her debut novel Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged published in January 2016, was an instant success. I cannot wait to see what more she can do with her honest yet captivating use of words. She has said that sequels to the book are in the works!! Yippie!!

PicMonkey Collage

What Authors would you like to read more from?? Is there anyone in particular? Any one who you’d bring back from the past to spin on last work? I know it’ll be Austen for me! Hands down!

To Like or Not to Like Emma Woodhouse? (my first guest post @ PagesUnbound)

So….. I fangirled over Austen. Again! *Not something new* DO check out the Classics event going on @PagesUnbound and read more on your favourite Classics. ^_^

Pages Unbound

Classic Literature Event

This July Pages Unbound is celebrating classic literature with a collection of guest posts. We asked other readers to tell us what one of their favorite classics is and why we should read it.

See that girl in the home sewn ball gown, watching BBC’s documentary on Victorian England whilst sipping on a cuppa tea, pinky finger out and shoulders back, thats me – the classics buff. My readers know me as Cinderzena, to my friends its Zena and to my family I’m just that daughter/sister who reads too much.

Here are 8 things you should consider first…

It is a question Austenites, classic buffs and random readers alike have been asking themselves these two centuries past. Do you like Emma, or do you not? Jane Austen herself described Emma as “a character whom no one but me will much like.” Yikes! That’s a tough choice for us readers to…

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Tag Archives: whitewashing

When Is Colorblind Casting Appropriate?

In the past week, there has been much controversy about ALOHA and the controversial casting of Emma Stone as Allison Ng as well as Tilda Swinton playing a Tibetan mystic. In light of these events and the many discussions (and heated arguments) I had with my peers, these are my concluding thoughts:

In an ideal world, I fully support colorblind casting. Emma Stone should have every right to play a quarter-Chinese, quarter-Hawaiian character. Same with Tilda Swinton being a Tibetan mystic. Or Joel Edgerton and Sigourney Weaver playing Egyptians in EXODUS. Because as actors, we should be able to play whoever we want, as long as we work our butts off, do our diligent research, and play the character convincingly. Which also means that if a white actor wanted to take on the challenge of playing Martin Luther King Jr.? I say, bring it. But on that same token, I as an Asian actor (or any non-white actor) should have equal opportunity to play a white character. Or anyone we want, as long as we are the right actors for the job.

Unfortunately this is not the case.

The main issue at hand is that there are so many opportunities for white actors to play whoever they want. They can play Egyptians. They can play Asians. They can play anything and the script (and everyone involved in creating the film) will work towards their advantage. But the same generous opportunity is not given to non-white actors.  The playing field is so limited to non-white actors that when people get upset because a quarter-Chinese, quarter-Hawaiian character is given to an unquestionably white actress, it has merit because this would have been a great opportunity to cast an actor of ACTUAL mixed Asian descent. Or when Joel Edgerton and Sigourney Weaver actually had to go out of their way and bronze themselves up to be seen as Egyptians? That would have been the perfect opportunity to cast an actual Egyptian/Middle Eastern/black actor to play the main leads. For these large studio & TV projects in America, it becomes a worrisome trend that we are constantly seeing characters of color get cast with white actors or their cultural origins wiped out completely.

On that note, people flip the conversation and ask that if people are upset when non-white characters are played by white actors, shouldn’t the same scrutiny be applied vice versa? To that, I say yes…and no. When it does happen, it happens RARELY. And when they do happen, a lot of these times, these traditionally white characters are not based on any non-white cultural origins nor are they essential to the story.  There are exceptions however. While I’m totally down with, for example, Idris Elba playing a Norse god in THOR, I would have issues if Thor himself was played by a non-white actor. Or if you were telling the origins of Captain America and he was played by an Asian dude? That wouldn’t make any sense either. The casting of the character needs to be organic with the story and origins that he or she comes from and same can be said when you are casting an ensemble for any TV show or film.

So to reiterate, colorblind casting as an idea should be an amazing and beautiful thing in an ideal world. But we don’t live in that ideal world. Instead, we live in a rather complicated world where opportunities are more available to one group of people over others, mirred with centuries of racism, ignorance, prejudice, hate crimes, and oppression. There’s nothing quite immediate we can do about that but at the very least, we can make a change in telling stories about people that we normally don’t hear about everyday and to actually cast folks that are part of that world. That if the argument is about “we need to make money”, you can take a chance and cast that actor who isn’t white (and if you’re still concerned, you can cast white bankable actors to surround the said ‘unknown’ non-white actor playing the lead). We are so influenced by what we see and hear, to the point that it reflects the decisions and opinions we make of others so if we can’t effectively change the world overnight, we can at least portray making a start.


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30. October 2014

Max Planck Forum: When machines become too smart (Panel Discussion)

Max Planck Forum Saarbrücken image001 On November 11th, the MPI-SWS will host the Max Planck Forum on the topic “When machines become too smart How secure is our data?”.

Date 11.11.2014, 6:00 p.m.
Place Max Planck Institute for Software Systems; Campus E1 5; 66123 Saarbrücken

Mobile, digital technologies play an indispensable role in working life today and are becoming increasingly smarter. The data which they collect is a raw material of the modern-day service society. The state also has an interest, as communication data can help with the prosecution of criminal offences.

However, when data is extensively collected and analysed in a targeted way, online anonymity and user privacy are jeopardised. A person’s individual personality profile can quickly be determined on the basis of data from various sources without their knowledge. Such access is often made even easier due to the fact that many Internet users are not reluctant to make personal information available to online providers: from a Facebook account to travel and dating websites.

The forum provides information about the latest status of digital technology with special emphasis on mobile applications. What can such systems do? Furthermore, the fundamental question of how we should approach the growing possibilities of the digital world in future will also be discussed. Are the Germans too distrustful? Don’t consumers also benefit from the growing network of information through the improvement of products and services? Could data protection and data usage even be reconcilable goals?

Panel discussion with:
Prof. Dr. Michael Backes , Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems, Saarbrücken
Prof. Dr. Paul Francis , Director at the Max Planck Institute for Software Systems, Kaiserslautern
Jürgen Lennartz , State Secretary, Head of the State Chancellery and Authorised Representative of Saarland to the federal government in Berlin
Thomas Schauf , Head of Europe and International, Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW) e.V., Düsseldorf
Moderator: Reinhard Karger , M.A., company spokesperson, German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) and President of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Information und Wissen (DGI)

The Max Planck Forum is a series of events launched by the Max Planck Society. As a panel discussion, it regularly examines current political, economic and social issues against the background of the results and approaches of the cutting-edge research conducted by the Max Planck Society in over 80 institutes in Germany and abroad.
It is primarily aimed at an expert audience from the fields of politics, business and science, but also extends an invitation to the general public.


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Wheel 2 (10091)
Embossing Tool

  • £7.04
  • INC VAT   RRP £7.04   Save £0.00

This wheel embossing tool is suitable for embossing wavy lines. The wheel rides smoothly over the parchment paper leaving a wavy dotted line. This embossing wheel can be used on any of your creations without the need of a pattern. It constantly embosses an even relief, which may act as an outline or decorative line, but also as a ribbon on a flower piece, ocean waves or a clouded sky. For best results, use on grease-free parchment paper.

This 16cm long tool has been manufactured using a flexible, yet durable material and boasts a subtle style in the striking Pergamano colours. In addition, the grip is made of a specially developed dirt repellent rubber, providing a soft but firm grip. The ergonomic design and weight of our tools ensures that an even distribution of pressure is achieved.

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Big Drop In June Temperatures According To UAH

The current ~20 year global warming / climate change “hiatus/pause” set to continue (post El Niño), despite record and increasing CO2 emissions!

Global Warming theory check?

By Paul Homewood

Roy Spencer has news of a big drop in satellite temperatures last month:

NOTE: This is the fifteenth monthly update with our new Version 6.0 dataset. Differences versus the old Version 5.6 dataset are discussed here. Note we are now at “beta5” for Version 6, and the paper describing the methodology is still in peer review.

The Version 6.0 global average lower tropospheric temperature (LT) anomaly for June, 2016 is +0.34 deg. C, down 0.21 deg. C from the May value of +0.55 deg. C (click for full size version):

This gives a 2-month temperature fall of -0.37 deg. C, which is the second largest in the 37+ year satellite record…the largest was -0.43 deg. C in Feb. 1988.

In the tropics, there was a record fast 2-month cooling of -0.56 deg. C, just edging out -0.55 deg. C in June 1998 (also an El Nino…

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A Lead Management Software that Works!

Know what stage your deals are in the sales pipeline at all times. Spend your time managing leads and not the sales CRM!

sales pipeline, pipeline management, sales funnel

sales pipeline, deal management

Centralized Sales Lead Management

A lead management system should be as invisible to the users as possible. It shouldn’t take your focus away from managing leads to learning to use the sales management software. That’s the reason we designed ClinchPad to be the most intuitive lead management software in the market. Our elegant cards and columns layout ensures that you stay on top of all your leads and the entire sales cycle from a centralized location.

Collaborative Lead Management

Your focus should always be in closing deals. Bottlenecks and stumbling blocks in sales management pipeline distract your team from being productive. Use our shared todo lists and put the right persons incharge of the various stages of the sales cycle. Never let them scramble for help when it comes to managing sales pipelines ever again!

Sales Team Productivity
Sales Pipeline Filters

Organize the Sales Process with Ease

Be it small teams or multi national corporations spread across geographies, ClinchPad is the lead management solution that brings much needed sanity to sales pipeline management. Lead trackers tend to distract users with their clunky workflow. For a change, use our filters to sort leads by users, products, sources, zones, contacts or any combination of the above for faster and efficient lead management.

Build Better Relationships

The role of a sales CRM is to ensure that deals don’t slip away because of poor communication. Store your contacts and leads in one location and communicate with them without ever leaving the lead management software. Create custom stages to your sales pipeline and delegate tasks with your team. Pull custom reports and see the type of leads that are converting best, always!

Sales Reporting


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Try our beta test site
IMPORTANT: Listing of a study on this site does not reflect endorsement by the National Institutes of Health. Talk with a trusted healthcare professional before volunteering for a study. Read more...

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Handbook for Parents of Children Newly Diagnosed With Food Allergy

This study has been completed.
McMaster University
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Jennifer LeBovidge, Children's Hospital Boston Identifier:
First received: July 31, 2013
Last updated: July 28, 2015
Last verified: July 2015
The objective of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of a handbook for parents of children newly diagnosed with food allergy. The handbook was developed to provide information and strategies to support families in effectively managing food allergies while maintaining positive quality of life. Parents of children newly diagnosed with food allergy (within the past year) will be randomized into either the treatment condition (handbook) or a control condition (management of food allergy as usual). Participants will complete study questionnaires online at three time points: baseline (this will be before receiving the handbook for the treatment group), post-intervention (2-3 weeks after baseline), and follow-up (2-3 months after baseline). Data will be analyzed for change on study outcome measures and satisfaction with the handbook. Parents in the control group will receive the handbook following the conclusion of their participation in the study.

Condition Intervention
Hypersensitivity, Food
Other: Food allergy handbook for parents
Other: Food allergy treatment as usual

Study Type: Interventional
Study Design: Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Open Label
Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
Official Title: Living Confidently With Food Allergy: Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Handbook for the Newly Diagnosed

Resource links provided by NLM:

Further study details as provided by Boston Children’s Hospital:

Primary Outcome Measures:
  • Change in food allergy-specific quality of life score [ Time Frame: 2 week and 2-month follow-up ]
    Food Allergy-specific quality of life measured on the Food Allergy Quality of Life-Parental Burden Questionnaire (total score)

Secondary Outcome Measures:
  • Changes in food allergy knowledge score [ Time Frame: 2-week and 2-month follow-up ]
    Food allergy knowledge questions will include a subset of questions from the Chicago Food Allergy Research Survey for Parents of Children with Food Allergy (CFAR-PRNT) and questions developed by the investigators

  • Change in confidence in allergy management skills score [ Time Frame: 2-week and 2-month follow-up ]
    This questionnaire was developed for the current study, to assess parent's level of confidence in various allergy management skills (e.g., understanding food labels, knowing the symptoms of an allergic reaction, teaching babysitters, relatives and other caregivers how to take care of your child's allergies, etc)

  • Change in food allergy outcome expectations score [ Time Frame: 2-week and 2-month follow-up ]
    The Food Allergy Independent Measure (FAIM) consists of four questions assessing the parents' expectations of outcomes related to a child's food allergy (i.e., likelihood of the child accidentally ingesting an allergenic food, experiencing a severe reaction, dying following accidental ingestion, and receiving effective treatment in the event of accidental ingestion), which have been associated with health-related quality of life associated with food allergy.

  • Parent satisfaction with study handbook (study intervention) [ Time Frame: 2-week follow-up ]
    Defined by at least 80% of parents indicating positive ratings of usefulness, novelty of content, clarity of content, and [lack of] distress associated with content, [lack of] distress associated with content, and [lack of] barriers to use of the handbook.

Estimated Enrollment: 180
Study Start Date: July 2013
Study Completion Date: November 2014
Primary Completion Date: November 2014 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Arms Assigned Interventions
Experimental: Handbook
Food allergy handbook for parents
Other: Food allergy handbook for parents
The food allergy handbook was designed to be a reliable resource to supplement physician management of food allergy, addressing key topics central to effective allergy management and maintenance of positive quality of life. The handbook includes evidence-based information about food allergies and their management, practical strategies for transferring allergy management skills into daily life, strategies for educating others about allergies, strategies for coping with common emotional challenges associated with food allergy, and strategies for teaching children and involving them in allergy management.
Placebo Comparator: Treatment as usual
Food allergy treatment as usual
Other: Food allergy treatment as usual

Ages Eligible for Study:   18 Years and older   (Adult, Senior)
Sexes Eligible for Study:   All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   No

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Parents of children ages 0 to 18 years newly diagnosed with food allergy (within the past 12 months)
  • Child's food allergy has been diagnosed by a physician
  • Child has been prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Non-English speakers, as the handbook (study intervention) is only available in English at this time.
  Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its identifier: NCT01914978

United States, Massachusetts
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
Sponsors and Collaborators
Boston Children’s Hospital
McMaster University
Principal Investigator: Jennifer S LeBovidge, PhD Boston Children’s Hospital
  More Information

Publications automatically indexed to this study by Identifier (NCT Number):
Responsible Party: Jennifer LeBovidge, Psychologist, Children's Hospital Boston Identifier: NCT01914978     History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers: IRB-P00007167
Study First Received: July 31, 2013
Last Updated: July 28, 2015

Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Food Hypersensitivity
Immune System Diseases
Hypersensitivity, Immediate processed this record on April 28, 2017


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Try our beta test site
IMPORTANT: Listing of a study on this site does not reflect endorsement by the National Institutes of Health. Talk with a trusted healthcare professional before volunteering for a study. Read more...

ShuntCheck-Micro-Pumper Pediatric Clinical Outcomes Study

This study is currently recruiting participants. (see Contacts and Locations)
Verified June 2015 by NeuroDx Development
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
NeuroDx Development Identifier:
First received: June 13, 2013
Last updated: June 22, 2015
Last verified: June 2015
No Study Results Posted on for this Study
  Study Status: This study is currently recruiting participants.
  Estimated Study Completion Date: September 2015
  Estimated Primary Completion Date: June 2015 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)


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Try our beta test site
IMPORTANT: Listing of a study on this site does not reflect endorsement by the National Institutes of Health. Talk with a trusted healthcare professional before volunteering for a study. Read more...
1 study found for:    14961191 [PUBMED-IDS]
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Rank Status Study
1 Completed Prospective Clinical Trials on Skin Wound Healing in Young and Aged Individuals
Conditions: Age;   Cicatrix, Hypertrophic;   Fibrosis;   Diabetes Mellitus
Interventions: Other: Skin sample;   Other: Skin biopsy;   Other: Blood taking

Study has passed its completion date and status has not been verified in more than two years.


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Try our beta test site
IMPORTANT: Listing of a study on this site does not reflect endorsement by the National Institutes of Health. Talk with a trusted healthcare professional before volunteering for a study. Read more...
2 studies found for:    19416838 [PUBMED-IDS]
Show Display Options

Study has passed its completion date and status has not been verified in more than two years.


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Wednesday, October 17 • 5:45pm - 6:10pm
Luke Rathbone

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Wednesday October 17, 2012 5:45pm - 6:10pm
Marlin Room At Webster Hall 125 East 11th St. Manhattan, NY 10003

Attendees (7)


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Choirs and cantors help soothe the souls that grieve

Betty Sjoquist, center, and Marian LeBrun, members of the Resurrection Schola, rehearsed Oct. 18 at Epiphany in Coon Rapids. Photo by Dianne Towalski/The Catholic SpiritThe Catholic Spirit in St. Paul-Minneapolis has a nice story on parish funeral choirs that might serve as a model for others who want to explore this ministry. Reporter Pat Norby explains, “Those who sing for parish funerals say they receive as much as they give during their participation in a funeral Mass.” Click here for the full story.

This entry was posted in clients. Bookmark the permalink.


text: id summary reporter owner description type status component version severity resolution keywords cc stage has_patch needs_docs needs_tests needs_better_patch easy ui_ux 19616 QuerySet.__contains__ tries to check the length of a None kalugny@… nobody "This is the code from QuerySet (version 1.42). As you can see by the lines I've bolded, although _result_cache might be None, it is still being checked for len() {{{ def __contains__(self, val): # The 'in' operator works without this method, due to __iter__. This # implementation exists only to shortcut the creation of Model # instances, by bailing out early if we find a matching element. pos = 0 if self._result_cache is not None: if val in self._result_cache: return True elif self._iter is None: # iterator is exhausted, so we have our answer return False # remember not to check these again: pos = len(self._result_cache) else: # We need to start filling the result cache out. The following # ensures that self._iter is not None and self._result_cache is not # None it = iter(self) # Carry on, one result at a time. while True: if len(self._result_cache) <= pos: self._fill_cache(num=1) }}}" Bug closed Database layer (models, ORM) 1.4 Normal needsinfo Unreviewed 0 0 0 0 1 0


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Alexandria Alexandria - 6 months ago 30
SQL Question

if statement in Stored procedure

I am trying to work out the best way to do this problem.

I have a database table for teaching activities done in a university, the university has a few campuses were teaching occurs I am trying to show a gridview for each campus based on a drop down list. I have to update the activities table field CampusOccurred based on the room. Rooms are EMG12, OG114, DS15.

If room start with:-

E - Earn Campus

O - Oden Campus

D - Donen Campus

My idea at the moment is:-
For each row in Activites
If Room MyString.ToCharArray()[0] = E
Then Update CampusOccurred = Earn
Else If Room MyString.ToCharArray()[0] = O
Then Update CampusOccurred = Odean

I can do the rest myself displaying drop down list and gridview but I'm just not sure the best way of going about the above. Is it possible to do If statements in SQL?

If I understand your request correctly, you want a case statement in update:

update Activities
set CampusOccured = case left(Room,1)
                        when 'E' then 'Earn'
                        when 'O' then 'Oden'
                        when 'D' then 'Donen'


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NCS Video Showcases Examples of Work

Posted: 4/5/2013

NCS has produced a video to explain our services and exhibit some wonderful examples of coins before and after conservation.

Learn more about how Numismatic Conservation Services can improve the look of your rare coins. NCS provides expert professional conservation services for public and private collections of coins, tokens and medals. Coin conservation can help remove harmful residues and stabilize the surface of your coin, revealing the beauty of your most cherished possessions. For more information on NCS conservation services, watch the video.

NCS is an independent member of the Certified Collectibles Group.

News Archive >

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Learning & Teaching GCSE Mathematics

Following my post, Learning Mathematicsthe following is the slide set used for the Learning & Teaching GCSE Mathematics session at the  excellent Somerset Professional Development Proramme February 2017.

Lots of pages, but if you are interested then the best way to view is via these files:
Learning & Teaching GCSE Mathematics PowerPoint and Learning & Teaching GCSE Mathematics for the pdf file. The pdf version seems much faster to operate if you wish to use all the embedded hyperlinks to the various resources. Note the table of contents which allows for navigation through the various pages.

On Slideshare – you can see the slides – hyperlinks will lead you to all the resources but for slide to slide navgation use the files above.

There have been several updates since this was first published, including:

  • Easier navigation via the Contents page
  • Additional resources, note the oustanding Diagnostic Questions with all its examination questions also the ability to assign your students to one of the streams so they will receive just two questions a day in the run up to the exams. The Insights provided are so valuable. Edexcel have like AQA provided some great Topic Tests. For further very helpful Edexcel Resources see the Edexcel GCSE page.
  • A reminder of some of the many very useful revision resources including this post for students. (Something I will update further over shortly).

Mathsbot – Revision Grid

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Just in time or just in case?

Metasearch vs. harvesting & indexing The other day I gave a presentation for the Assembly of members of the local Amsterdam Libraries Association “Adamnet“, about the Amsterdam Digital Library search portal that we host at the Library of the University of Amsterdam. This portal is built with our MetaLib metasearch tool and offers simultaneous access to, at the moment, 20 local library catalogues. A large part of this presentation was dedicated to all possible (and […]


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White Paper - Remedy Application Data Security – Risks & Mitigations v1.0.pdf

Version 2

    This White Paper discusses some of the Web Security risks on Remedy Apps while accessing from Web. It also discusses on highlevel cauase and customization that could be done to mitigate the risks. The risks has been discussed on Approval Inbox and user sessions spoofing.