Bianca Giaever says: “I asked a six year old what my movie should be about, and this is what he told me.”
Author: nike sulway
A walk in York
I went for a lovely ambling walk in the city of York today, with the charming, ebullient and very engaging local historian, Chris Kelly. I have to make notes for the exam he threatened, but in the meantime, here are some of the very wonderful things I discovered with his assistance (OK, look, I didn’t…
Three good things
One of my best friends in the whole world taught me about keeping a gratitude journal. It’s not something I do regularly, mostly cos this year I’m too busy keeping my four-minute diary (I learned how from the totally awesome Lynda Barry, who tumblers at The Near-Sighted Monkey). But today, I have to note three…
The first review
This morning I woke in the glorious and incredibly welcoming city of York. After a lovely breakfast in the hotel dining room I came upstairs and guess what had landed in my inbox? The first review of Rupetta. Rick Kleffel over at bookotron says: Contemporary author N. A. Sulway’s striking novel ‘Rupetta’ is a powerful,…
Going to the movies (Lincoln)
Today I headed to the movies* to see Steven Spielberg’s latest blockbuster, this time the historical film Lincoln, which concentrates on the last few months of President Abraham Lincoln’s life, and particularly the political machinations surrounding the passing of the 13th amendment (abolishing slavery) and the end of the revolution. I have no doubt that…
The literature of cycling
Today is the first day of the endurance cycling season in the Netherlands, so all around the country cycling enthusiasts are hitting the roads. In the Netherlands, endurance cycling is more than a national sport. Everyone knows that Amsterdam is the city of bicycles, that a bicycle is part of a Dutchman. As essential to…
Orphan masters and executions
Today’s little entry in the cabinet of curiosities comes from the royal palace in Amsterdam. The palace squats at the edge of the Dam – the large central plein of Amsterdam. It was built in the mid-seventeenth century as a town hall, and its history as a centre of bureaucracy is reflected in the building’s…
Surprise! You’ve got mail
At the risk of being terribly self-centred, today’s object is not one I discovered in a museum, street or gallery. Instead, it arrived by post from the United Kingdom. A box of books. My books. Not just books I own, but books I wrote. I wonder if there any moments more precious than these, for…
A sign in the window
This very ordinary little wooden plaque with tin triangle advertising the sale of watches played a role in saving hundreds of people’s lives in Haarlem during the Second World War. During the period of the nazi occupation of Holland, the Ten Boom family ran a safe house above their clock and watch store. Their modest…
Happy Birthday Lizzie!
Oops! I had this post half-written and forgot to post it on THE day. Better late than never. January 28th was the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice. One of those novels that has so strongly influenced English-speaking literature and culture that it is hard to imagine how we might think about…