Jennifer Kloester's Blog, page 13
November 5, 2017
A Garden Thug – My Garden Odyssey
Things are progressing in the garden, though we’re still along way from any serious planting. It’s been good to get the fruit trees pruned and one small bed cleared but there’s still so much to do! Feeling overwhelmed I decide to start small. I’ll pick a spot to weed and see what it looks like once it’s cleared. I like weeding. There’s something soothing about clearing a patch of feisty invaders and wondering what might go in their place. I start with a garden thug known as Arum Italicum. There’s some great info about it here
A GARDEN THUG
It’s an attractive plant, looks a bit like an arum lily, only darker green with a cream line in its leaves. I rather liked it and had even transferred some to another garden bed. BIG mistake. HUGE! Little did I know that this innocuous looking lily was actually a noxious weed feared by gardeners everywhere. When I finally showed the plant to an experienced gardening friend, he scowled. ‘That’s Arum Italicum, commonly known as Italian arum or elephant’s ears – bloody horrible thing.’
A Garden Thug – NEVER plant Arum Italicum
‘So how do you get rid of it?’
He laughed. ‘How much have you got?’
‘It’s in most of the garden beds.’
‘You’ll need to dig it out. Make sure you lift the whole thing though. Roots, tuber, bulbs and all.’
‘Right.’
I went home, dug up an arum italicum and immediately I could see the problem. Attached to the fat brown tuber at the base of the stalk were lots of little round bulbs. I touched one gently and instantly it popped off and fell into the soil.
Huh. I looked down the bed at the mass of plants. I think this is going to take a while …
Arum Italicum with just a few tiny babies left on the tuber, each ready to grow into a whole new plant.
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November 2, 2017
Heyer Films: Mythconceptions – All Things Georgette
Why are some myths so persistent? An idea takes hold and even though it’s false it can live on in people’s minds for years. Somebody once said that Georgette Heyer never wanted her books made into films. People cite the awful 1949 film of her novel, The Reluctant Widow, as the reason. They also believe she left instructions in her will forbidding her descendants from selling film rights to her books. BUT IT’S NOT TRUE. As Georgette herself would say, it’s a bag of moonshine, a bouncer, a hum.
Georgette always wanted her books made into films.
DREAMING OF A FILM
In 1925, Georgette pressed her agent to sell the film rights to her Medieval novel, Simon the Coldheart. In 1935, she told him she thought Regency Buck would make a ‘Super film’ and in 1936 Fox considered filming The Talisman Ring. Georgette indulged in ‘pipe-dreams of film-rights’ and in 1944 sold a film option for Friday’s Child. Nothing came of it, so in 1946 she was thrilled The Reluctant Widow was actually being filmed. Unfortunately, the movie was so unlike her original story, Heyer was horrified. Yet, even after that awful version of her witty novel she still went on selling film rights to her books. In the 1950s alone she sold film options for These Old Shades, The Conqueror, Arabella and at least four other novels.
Georgette loathed the 1949 movie of The Reluctant Widow.
HEYER FILMS?
Of course, selling a film right doesn’t guarantee a film will be made. As her fans know only too well, we’re still waiting for a fabulous Heyer movie or TV series to hit the screen. Since Heyer’s death, many film options for her novels have been sold but so far none has got to ‘green light’. Now there’s news that a film of The Grand Sophy is in the works. While Heyer fans everywhere wait for a brilliant, witty, superbly acted film of one of her novels, Sara-Mae Tuson and Beth Keehn have set the ball rolling with an entertaining Georgette Heyer trailer as part of their Indiegogo fundraiser for a Heyer podcast series.
Georgette would have loved a film of The Grand Sophy.
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2. Heyer Films: Mythconceptions – All Things Georgette
Why are some myths so persistent? An idea takes hold and even though it’s false it can live on in people’s minds for years. Somebody once said that Georgette Heyer never wanted her books made into films. People cite the awful 1949 film of her novel, The Reluctant Widow, as the reason. They also believe she left instructions in her will forbidding her descendants from selling film rights to her books. BUT IT’S NOT TRUE. As Georgette herself would say, it’s a bag of moonshine, a bouncer, a hum.
Georgette always wanted her books made into films.
DREAMING OF A FILM
In 1925, Georgette pressed her agent to sell the film rights to her Medieval novel, Simon the Coldheart. In 1935, she told him she thought Regency Buck would make a ‘Super film’ and in 1936 Fox considered filming The Talisman Ring. Georgette indulged in ‘pipe-dreams of film-rights’ and in 1944 sold a film option for Friday’s Child. Nothing came of it, so in 1946 she was thrilled The Reluctant Widow was actually being filmed. Unfortunately, the movie was so unlike her original story, Heyer was horrified. Yet, even after that awful version of her witty novel she still went on selling film rights to her books. In the 1950s alone she sold film options for These Old Shades, The Conqueror, Arabella and at least four other novels.
Georgette loathed the 1949 movie of The Reluctant Widow.
HEYER FILMS?
Of course, selling a film right doesn’t guarantee a film will be made. As her fans know only too well, we’re still waiting for a fabulous Heyer movie or TV series to hit the screen. Since Heyer’s death, many film options for her novels have been sold but so far none has got to ‘green light’. Now there’s news that a film of The Grand Sophy is in the works. While Heyer fans everywhere wait for a brilliant, witty, superbly acted film of one of her novels, Sara-Mae Tuson and Beth Keehn have set the ball rolling with an entertaining Georgette Heyer trailer as part of their Indiegogo fundraiser for a Heyer podcast series.
Georgette would have loved a film of The Grand Sophy.
The post 2. Heyer Films: Mythconceptions – All Things Georgette appeared first on jenniferkloester.com.
October 31, 2017
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett – Book Review
In many ways The Uncommon Reader is the perfect book for modern times. It’s short, funny and very entertaining. Best of all it’s a reader’s book. That may sound a bit odd – I mean, aren’t all books for readers? Sure, but this book is about Queen Elizabeth II and her unexpected (fictional) discovery of books. One morning, while chasing her corgis, Her Majesty stumbles across the City of Westminster mobile library parked outside the palace kitchen. Out of courtesy she Borrows a book. It’s by Ivy Compton-Burnett and not an easy read, but the Queen’s upbringing compels her to finish it. A week later, she borrows Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love and so begins her journey into the realm of books.
Queen Elizabeth 2015 Photo by Toby Melville/PA/ABACAPRESS.COM
A NEW PASSION
It’s a fascinating voyage of discovery and the Queen is ably assisted by young Norman who works in the kitchen. Norman is – well, normal – and he and the Queen develop a firm friendship. He wakes up ‘to how sharp she was and how much wasted’. In many ways, this is the underlying theme of the story. Her Majesty becomes a voracious reader and, to her staff’s dismay, begins talking about books to the people she meets at functions. Eager to share her new-found passion, she no longer sticks to the script. It’s all very funny and so well-written that you find yourself believing every word.
So many wonderful books. Photo Alexandra Meidra, iapwe.org
PURE PLEASURE
Alan Bennett (who you can see here) has great fun depicting the Queen’s reactions to various authors. ‘Am I alone’ she says, ‘in wanting to give Henry James a good talking-to?’ She quickly discovers the pleasure of reading. Her Majesty had always put duty before pleasure, now books are having their way with her. ‘Books did not care who was reading them … all readers were equal, herself included’. The Uncommon Reader is brilliant on many levels but it’s also a delicious, edible morsel of a novel. And wait until you read the ending …
Clever, comical and beautifully written.
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October 29, 2017
The Hard Cut – My Garden Odyssey
Our house was built in 1874. Until 1969 it was a Methodist manse. It’s why there are so many fruit trees in the garden. Fig, apricot, plum, lemon, orange, grapefruit, apples, crab apples and a feijoa (aka pineapple guava). We’d lost the ancient peach and nectarine early on and after years of neglect the fig had run rampant. It was huge and the Granny Smith apple tree was so leggy that most of the fruit was out of reach. It was time to bring the trees to a more manageable height.
Andrew tames the fig tree
Now we can reach the fruit!
CALL AN EXPERT
I called in a local expert. Andrew was a cheerful guy and was soon up a ladder happily pruning the fig. He chopped and cut and the fig tree came down … and down … and down. I worried that it might never grow again. Andrew laughed off my concerns. ‘You can’t kill a fig.’ And proceeded to cut some more. I have to admit, it did look nice and we’d definitely be able to reach the fruit (when it eventually fruited again). The Granny Smith was next, then the crab apples, olive and the plum. The pile of branches to be dealt with was massive.
The pile of branches grows bigger and bigger …
HERITAGE FRUIT
At last Andrew turned to the oldest fruit tree in the garden – a heritage Jonathan apple. A beautiful tree with delicious fruit, only it hadn’t given us a good crop for a couple of years. ‘It’s on its way out,’ was Andrew’s verdict. My heart sank. I didn’t want to lose that dear old tree. It had been in the garden for decades – maybe for more than a hundred years. Andrew wasn’t daunted. He grafted a couple of scions (fruit tree cuttings) onto the Granny Smith. A fascinating process and yet another reminder of how much I have to learn about gardening.
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October 26, 2017
Stephen Fry and Georgette Heyer
A few years ago I heard Stephen Fry speak on stage in Melbourne. It was a one-man show and he just stood on stage and talked. Sound boring? It was anything but. It was one of the most compelling and entertaining shows I’ve ever been to. What struck me most was his incredible erudition. The man just knew so much about so much. That night I left the theatre feeling totally uplifted because he’d kept 2,500 people utterly enthralled for nearly two hours just by speaking intelligently to them.
Stephen Fry (Photo Credit: Sickchirpse.com)
WONDERFUL WORDS
I met him briefly after the show and gave him a copy of my book Georgette Heyer’s Regency World. His eyes lit up when he saw the title. ‘Georgette Heyer!’ he cried and leapt forward to take the book. Turns out he’s a huge Heyer fan, which is not really surprising. She was a highly intelligent woman with an extraordinary grasp of her subject – the Regency. He’s a highly intelligent man with a love of the period. She wrote brilliant dialogue replete with Regency cant and period vocabulary. He has an extraordinary way with words – both verbal and written. They both have a passion and an energy that shines through in their writing. You can see what I mean here.
Stephen Fry unveils Georgette Heyer’s Blue Plaque
A GREAT EVENT
In 2015 I met Stephen Fry again, this time in Wimbledon. English Heritage had honoured Georgette Heyer with a coveted Blue Plaque and Stephen Fry was unveiling it. We both made a speech – I about her life and achievements, he about her wonderful writing. Once again he was charming, urbane, intelligent and erudite. He spoke without notes because he didn’t need them and his pleasure in the occasion was evident in every word as you can see here.
That day Stephen Fry magnificently fulfilled my long-held ambition to see Georgette Heyer properly recognised for her literary achievements. It was epic!
It was thrilling to share the occasion with Stephen Fry and Georgette’s daughter-in-law, Susie Rougier, and nephew, Jeremy Rougier
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October 24, 2017
Jane and I by Susannah Fullerton – Book Review
Jane Austen is one of the world’s most popular novelists and Susannah Fullerton is one of her biggest fans. She’s an authority on Austen, President of the Jane Austen Society of Australia and author of several books about Austen and her novels. Her most recent book is a short, delightful volume explaining her love of the famous author. Called Jane and I, it is appropriately sub-titled A Tale of Austen Addiction.
A BOOK GEM
I wasn’t entirely sure about an account of discovering Austen, but this is a gem of a book. Part autobiography, part memoir, Jane and I is a passionate tribute to the power of the written word. Susannah recalls growing up in a book-filled house and how her loving parents read to her. She remembers how different fictional characters influenced and affected her. Milly-Molly-Mandy, Anne of Green Gables, Jane Eyre, and the Billabong family, among many others. She read poetry and studied the classics at university and rediscovered Georgette Heyer later in life. Watch Stephen Fry speaking about Georgette here.
Bestseller Georgette Heyer’s novels continue to attract readers
BOOKS MATTER
But for Susannah, nothing can surpass Jane Austen’s novels. Beautifully intermingled with her account of growing up and leaving home, university, marriage and family life, is the all-important role of Austen in her life. In just seventy pages, enriched by gorgeous pictures and pithy Austen quotes, she reminded me of the wonder of books and why they matter. This is much more than just a memoir or a tale of discovering Jane Austen’s six novels. This is the story of how books enrich life. It is an enchanting, enthralling tale of discovery that will inspire and amuse. It is also a timely reminder of why every child should know and love books.
An early reader, Susannah’s love of books changed her life
Another of Susannah Fullerton’s books about Austen’s world
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Susannah Fullerton’s “Jane and I” – Book Review
Jane Austen is one of the world’s most popular novelists and Susannah Fullerton is one of her biggest fans. She’s an authority on Austen, President of the Jane Austen Society of Australia and author of several books about Austen and her novels. You’ll find Susannah here. Her most recent book is a short, delightful volume explaining her love of the famous author. Called Jane and I , it is appropriately sub-titled A Tale of Austen Addiction.
Jane and I – A Tale of Austen Addiction
Another of Susannah Fullerton’s books about Austen’s world
A BOOK GEM
I wasn’t entirely sure about an account of discovering Austen, but this is a gem of a book. Part autobiography, part memoir, Jane and I is a passionate tribute to the power of the written word. Susannah recalls growing up in a book-filled house and how her loving parents read to her. She remembers how different fictional characters influenced and affected her. Milly-Molly-Mandy, Anne of Green Gables, Jane Eyre, and the Billabong family, among many others. She read poetry and studied the classics at university and rediscovered Georgette Heyer later in life. Watch Stephen Fry speaking about Georgette here.
Bestseller Georgette Heyer’s novels continue to attract readers
BOOKS MATTER
But for Susannah, nothing can surpass Jane Austen’s novels. Beautifully intermingled with her account of growing up and leaving home, university, marriage and family life, is the all-important role of Austen in her life. In just seventy pages, enriched by gorgeous pictures and pithy Austen quotes, she reminded me of the wonder of books and why they matter. This is much more than just a memoir or a tale of discovering Jane Austen’s six novels. This is the story of how books enrich life. It is an enchanting, enthralling tale of discovery that will inspire and amuse. It is also a timely reminder of why every child should know and love books.
An early reader, Susannah’s love of books changed her life
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October 23, 2017
Getting Started – My Garden Odyssey
So the beautiful pittosporum was gone and the rest of the garden was a bit of a wilderness. With visions in my mind of glorious beds filled with flowers and fruit trees I took a long hard look at the space around me. Oh… Not quite what I had in mind. Worse, I had no idea of how to achieve my dream.
A big daunting challenge of a garden
TWO BITS OF GOOD LUCK
But life has a way of turning up answers. Not long after cutting down the pittosporum I had two pieces of very good luck. Two lovely families moved in across the road and one of them had a gardener who’d worked for them for years. The other had moved up from the country where she’d had a plant nursery and a huge garden. Pretty incredible, right? The gardener, Aido, could give me two hours a week. I’d work alongside him and hopefully learn a few things while I weeded. Cheryl would pop in from time to time and offer sage advice about whether or not a particular plant should be chopped, removed, or lightly pruned. And so the great clear-out began.
Aido – a new friend and an amazing gardener.
REVELATIONS
One of the first things I learned was that not every plant was worth revering. For years, hubby and I had been reluctant to remove a single plant that was here when we bought the house. Cheryl soon showed me that if there was something better to grow then plants could be dug up. I’d mentioned that I’d love a bed of native Australian plants – the bird-attracting sort. So one Saturday, Cheryl arrived with a pick and shovel. Together we pulled out an entire bed of rampant South African daisies. Suddenly, there was an empty garden bed ready for planting. It was a revelation.
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October 17, 2017
Trust by Kylie Scott – Book Review
I can still remember my first Kylie Scott book, it was Lick and it was brilliant. One of those books that grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go. Lick was the first book in the Stage Dive series and I totally recommend all four books: Lick, Play, Lead, Deep.
The awesome, rockin’ Stage Dive series
Kylie’s got a great style and she knows how to grab your interest and hold it to the last page. I’d heard that Trust was different from her other books, so I was keen to see what she’d written this time. I wasn’t disappointed. The first chapter was startling – not at all what I’d expected and totally visceral and traumatic. It was so convincing that it pulled me in and by the end of chapter three I was dying to know how this was going to turn out. This is a brilliantly told story of two older teens whose lives are changed forever by a horrific experience. The main characters, Edie and John, are so real and you really want them to figure out how to get past their nightmare experience. Kylie Scott totally understands young people but more than that she understands relationships and angst and how people try to work through the crap in their lives. I loved the way Edie and John evolved, how they got to know each other and the realistic way in which they looked out for each other after what they’d been through. The secondary characters were also well-written. I think it takes a skilled writer to make every character in a book feel real but they do in Trust. This book is filled with friendship and anger and revenge. It’s ‘New Adult’ fiction which means there’s swearing and sex scenes, but they’re really well done and never gratuitous. This is a great story. I loved Trust and read it at one sitting. Highly recommended.
Kylie Scott’s bestselling series
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