Fran Macilvey's Blog, page 20
November 28, 2018
Eventually we stop running
Eventually we stop running
Running away from awful situations is a good survival strategy. It works, simply because in situations of dire stress or difficulty, sometimes it is the best we can do. And I have run away many times, from lots of situations that tired me out or that I could not handle. But running away is only a survival strategy because eventually we have to ask ourselves, “What do I stand for?” and stand for it. Eventually, we stop running.
People who typically run away might...
November 26, 2018
“Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married” by Marian Keyes
“Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married” by Marian Keyes
I like Marian Keyes. Correction, I love Marian Keyes. Her writing, that is. And probably her too, if I was ever lucky enough to get to know her. It’s been said before… but I find her books brimming with empathy and the kind of dark humour that so often appeals to me. It’s as if, in drawing her characters, her own life, with all its ups and downs, is waiting just below the surface of the “fiction” to reveal itself, full of the hidden, twisted...
November 23, 2018
“The Choice” by Edith Eger
Book Review, “The Choice” by Edith Eger.
“The Choice” by Edith Eger was recommended to me by Elouise Reinich Fraser on her blog, Telling the Truth which I have followed for some years.
So I knew it would be worth reading and immediately ordered a copy. As soon as it arrived, I was delving into it, unwilling to get on my usual daily round: always a good sign.
“The Choice” recounts in careful detail the story of Edith’s life, from her youth until the time when, as a precocious and talented sev...
November 21, 2018
Printing off my work
Printing off my work
Every time I prepare to visit a bookfair, I have to think about printing off my work. A process which is surprisingly difficult, and relies on me to find the correct weight of paper so that I can print double-sided without the text showing through too intrusively on the reverse, folders that look new enough to be a pleasure to handle, vinyl pages that are clean, not pockmarked and scored, and text that is the best I can make it. And two clear hours during which I can ens...
November 19, 2018
A different kind of harvest
A different kind of harvest
I believe in environmental sustainability, and I believe in the essential capacity of most people to overcome challenges. So I’m not too gloomy about our future prospects, though many people and organisations paint a bleak picture about the future of this planet.
But I have a slight problem with those who say I must cut down my carbon footprint and do more to live sustainably. Sustainable options usually involve the exchange of convenience – a car to drive to work...
November 16, 2018
I’m sure in a year’s time
I’m sure in a year’s time…
It is a challenge to keep faith with our ambitions when there seems to be so little tangible reason why we should. I’m sure in a year’s time, all the reasons why, will become clear…
Life and its routines continue much as usual, with the added dimension of seeing my mother much more often, of helping her, while also helping myself to see the advantages of her society. And her lessons to me – not always the ones I expect – help me to prioritise the necessary disciplin...
November 13, 2018
What I have learned
What I have learned
It’s interesting, in the midst of life’s tribulations, what I have learned, and how lessons suddenly distil to small realities: when I fall over my walking stick – FGS! – which I am deploying because my sore back is recovering after I blew my nose – FGS! – I have a choice. In the midst of confusion, boredom and tiredness, I can either (a) give in to a sense of hopelessness, bemoan my fate and wish myself elsewhere; or (b) I can laugh at the absurdity of everything. It ofte...
November 9, 2018
How my legal career helped me
How my legal career helped me.
In my memoir, I examine my unhappiness with my earlier training in Scots law; but, in a more hopeful spirit of finding value in all things, I begin to notice how my legal career helped me, not only with my writing, but also with bureaucracy and the form-filling that are a part of any business.
Appreciating the importance of attention to detail, the value of each full-stop and comma, for example, taught me the value of internal consistency with plotting and the...
November 7, 2018
Modern Fair, same old prejudices?
Modern Fair, same old prejudices?
Given the modern, commercial and egalitarian ethos of the international book trade, the Frankfurt Book Fair showed up many charming cultural differences which are enlightening in their own way. So why on earth are major, reputable publishers like Penguin/Random House still resorting to good old-fashioned chauvinism to sell copy? Is that a silly question? At the P/RH stand, a large photo of Barack Obama portrays him standing sideways on, inscrutable and elder-...
October 29, 2018
Why did I go?
Why did I go?
Beyond nurturing a few wild – and frankly, totally unrealistic – hopes and dreams, why did I go to the Frankfurt Book Fair this year? I promised, last year, that I would not go again, and have renewed that promise following my visit in 2018. But my mother knows me better… Now, perhaps I should just say, We shall see…
But beyond witnessing the sheer scale of the event, what conceivable reason would I have for bothering? Why not just stay at home, put my feet up and have a well-e...
