However, I do have one thing to be grateful for in as much as I had a request earlier in the week from a local university to see if I would do a year's cover work for them from September and I said no. At any other time I might have been tempted to help them out only to have regretted it later when all the preparation and marking started to mount up. But, coming as it did, just as I was really experiencing the consequences of saying yes too often, I turned them down without a second thought. Come cold winter mornings, when I would have been dragging myself out to catch an early train, I shall be so glad about that.
Anyway, now I'm taking a breather before turning my mind towards the two Summer Schools I'm organising this year. The first is the second week in August and is based round three piano concertos, one each by Beethoven, Schumann and Shostakovich. We're going to place each one in the context of other music being written at the same time, by both those composers and others and I'm really looking forward to it because, although I've done all the organisation, I'm not leading any of the sessions so I can just sit back and enjoy the music.
The other, two weeks later, is our annual literature Summer School and this year the people coming have chosen to read three books each of which is set in two different time periods: Daphne du Maurier's The House on the Strand, Emma Darwin's A Secret Alchemy and Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott. I have to do rather more where that week is concerned, because as well as leading the final discussion I also have to pull the whole week together and I want to get people thinking about why historical fiction seems to be making a comeback at the moment. I happened to catch a radio discussion some weeks back suggesting that more recent historical research, which has concentrated on the everyday life of ordinary people, as opposed to the political events, was responsible and I shall be interested to see what the others think about that idea. If any of you have any thoughts that would add to the discussion then please do let me know.
Now I'm off to put my feet up and listen to Wimbledon. I might even pick up a book and read. But then again, I might not. Have a good weekend.
I sympathise - and empathise! I know we both have a tendency to overestimate our stamina, and both pay for it... Take all the time you need to reestablish equilibrium. Those summer schools sound completely delightful and fun, but rather a lot of work.
ReplyDeleteYes Litlove, I thought I would just be able to enjoy myself pottering around and reading a bit here and a bit there, but I was amazed how tired I was when I could finally let go. A friend has bought me a year planner so that I can mark my commitments up and ensure that I never get that sort of build up again.
ReplyDeleteGood to see you back here! I'm full of admiration for your work capacity. One of the best things I've enjoyed since giving up work (over 4 years ago now) is the pleasure of being able to stay inside on cold winter mornings, so I know you've made the right decision in turning down that university cover.
ReplyDeleteAs it happens I've read those three books for the literature Summer School, so I hope you'll be writing a summary of the discussions, but no pressure ... It's the personal and the everyday lives of people that I find fascinating seeing them against the social and political background.
Welcome back, for a start! I was starting to worry when day after day passed and not a post from you. Anyhow, onto your question...
ReplyDeleteI certainly regained an interest in history - not so much historical fiction - when I started to read about ordinary lives rather than about great men and great events, albeit these latter are also important to know. I wouldn't have called myself a reader of historical fiction - and I don't seek it out as a genre - but over the years I've found I've read more and more without actually realising it - Kate Grenville, Margaret Atwood, Sarah Waters, Hilary Mantel and so on. A really fascinating book to read - even if you haven't read the book it refers to - is Kate Grenville's Searching for The secret river in which she describes how she went about writing The secret river, about how it started out as a non-fiction book and why it ended up as fiction. She covers her research and then the writing process. (Writing this at midnight while I watch Wimbledon!)
Margaret, yes, I will write about them. If last year is anything to go by, the discussions will be very interesting. There are a number of people who come who read very little at any other time of the year and they always have a very different take to those of us who are constant readers.
ReplyDeleteWG I think you've touched on an important point here. Historical fiction used to be much slighter, I think, than it has become in more recent years, when the fact that a book is set in the past has not necessarily meant it is little more than romantic fiction in a different guise. I do know that Grenville and you're right, it's an excellent book.
Welcome back and good job on saying no on filling in at the university. Even though things have calmed down a bit you still sound really busy!
ReplyDeleteStefanie, I'm not happy unless I'm busy. But sometimes I do just seem to go the extra mile!
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a very restful weekend! It's great that you said no to that one opportunity -- well done!
ReplyDeleteDorothy, I'm feeling really good about that, especially as I was able to bring the University and a friend of mine who really did need the work, together.
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of your summer schools--I'll be curious to hear what you make of the du Maurier novel--I've not read it but I have heard some people say it is her best. I love the painting by the way--everyone should have afternoons like that now and again.
ReplyDeleteDanielle, I'd just like the weather to do that, but it's been so windy here lately that even when it's been warm enough to read out the book would have been whipped out of my hands.
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