Tiah Beautement's Blog, page 84
January 23, 2014
On income
Whenever I am asked what kind of writing is the most lucrative, I have to say, a ransom note. - H. N. Swanson
January 22, 2014
On The Secret History
Donna Tartt, The Secret History - Does such a thing as 'the fatal flaw,' that showy dark crack running down the middle of a life, exist outside literature? - - Death is the mother of beauty. - - It seemed my whole life was composed of these disjointed fractions of time, hanging around in one public place and then another, as if I were waiting for trains that never came. - - Whenever I read about murders in the news I am struck by the dogged, almost touching assurance with which interstate stranglers, needle-happy pediatricians, the depraved and guilty of...
January 21, 2014
On #readwomen2014
I had no inkling #readwomen2014 would become so successful, but revolutions start small. You don't have to exclusively read books by women this year (you may be surprised to learn that I won't be doing so), but you might like to do a Vida count on your own bookshelf; if you find an imbalance, consider whether you might have been a victim of inequality, missing out on good writing because of a pink dust jacket. Just for a change, make sure the next book you read is by a woman. While female writers may encounter similar obstacles, their work is...
January 20, 2014
On creativity
It's a damn poor mind that can only think of one way to spell a word. - Andrew Jackson
January 17, 2014
On The Heretics
Will Storr, The Heretics - My work has taught me that the truth is always nuanced; that outrage is mostly born of misunderstanding and that, sometimes, black really can be white. - - Sin, of course, requires other people. And so it is that, over these first few days, silence makes saints of us all. - - We love to judge others. We love to categorise. We love to divide. We are the good guys, they are the bad guys. We the hero, they the demon. Why? Because it fits the model. It bolsters the ego. It makes us happy....
January 16, 2014
On writing & goldfish
Trying to write a book if you're not a reader is like trying to get a degree in marine science by studying a goldfish in a bowl. - Rachel Zadok
January 15, 2014
On The Heart of Redness
Zakes Mda, The Heart of Redness - From what they say, he must have been a jolly good fellow. But then so are all dead people, especially on the night of their wake. - - Gamagu used to see himself as a pedlar of dreams. That was when he could make things happen. Now he has lost his touch. He needs a pedlar of dreams himself, with a bagful of dreams waiting to be dreamt. - - They found it funny that the way to the white man's heaven was through trousers and dresses. - - Qukezwa sings in such...
January 14, 2014
Rapunzel is Dead paper version is out!
Short Story Day Africa is pleased to announce that Rapunzel is Dead is now available in paperback at R100 from Megabooks. E copies can still be purchased via Amazon or SMASHWORDS. Rapunzel is Dead is a vibrant collection of stories by Africa’s younger writers from ages six to seventeen. Short Story Day Africa has assembled the best seventeen stories from their 2013 competition. Illustrations by Cat Hellisen, author of When the Sea is Rising Red, with a foreword by Tiah Beautement. “Don’t look so surprised ladies. You know I love a good party. So naturally when I did not receive...
January 12, 2014
Q&A with Makhosazana Xaba
Today I've been very fortunate to have Makhosazana Xaba drop by my blog. Khosi, thanks for coming by. I read your latest short story collection Running & Other Stories and was drawn to your two retellings of ‘The Suit’. Was further intrigued by how your second retelling, ‘The Suit Continued: The Other Side’ directly engages Siphiwo Mahala who in his short story collection African Delights not only retells the story, but has Zukiswa Wanner writing a reply. Tell me about your own fasination with 'The Suit.' I first saw Can Temba’s The Suit on stage, at the Market Theatre, in...
January 9, 2014
On Unlearning to Fly
Jennifer Brice, Unlearning to Fly - There's a kind of fear that seeks to console itself with a bigger fear... Why is it, I wonder, that we who feel so safe are most willing to court death? - - Unlike their male counterparts, the women did their exploring under the guise of missionary work or teaching or nursing. - - I think nostalgia is worse than simply boring (and it's always boring). - - As I get older, I get better at reading between the lines. I don't always like what's written there. - - I learned to fly not...
