Bits 'n' bobs

(but no actual Bobs, unfortunately)

– In these gloomy times, Ellen has listed ten things she loves about Dublin.

– Big Smoke had its second Literary Café last Saturday, in the absolutely gorgeous Ormond Wine Bar. It was a lovely afternoon, though when I did my own reading (a short snippet from Big Picture) I was reminded of how terrifying it can be to get up in front of people and read. And yet how fun (hello, inner teen voice, speak!). Our guest readers and student readers were fabulous, and it was lovely to see former students who'd popped in as well.

– I saw the latest Harry Potter movie recently, and it delighted me immensely – makes me want to go and reread all the books once I have a spare few days. The joy in them is definitely seeing how bits of the book turn up on the screen – they're not designed for people who haven't read the books, or at least that appears to be one of the things that keeps coming up, particularly in relation to this film. But there's something quite nice about how, in a world where we so often hear "ah, the book's much better, the film's crap" and an implicit disdain for the simplifcation of a book on the screen, there are films which assume an audience familiar with the source text. (Also? Kind of want to be Hermione Granger when I grow up.)

– It's a month 'til Christmas! Which means…. Christmas songs!

"Aren't we forgetting the true meaning of Christmas? You know… the birth of Santa."

– Bart Simpson