Goodreads Ireland discussion
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Dancing with Statues
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My radio interview about Ireland and Colombia
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It sounds like you've been up to neck with work, Caroline. It's good that you're so busy. It means you're in demand.
I'll probably listen to the podcast later when I'm walking my dog. Sounds like it'll be a good show.
I'll probably listen to the podcast later when I'm walking my dog. Sounds like it'll be a good show.
Yes, it's been crazy but good. I miss my dog though. I left him in Ireland with my parents as we knew we'd be mad busy travelling this year. He would help bring some sanity to my life!
They bring a lot of calm, too. It's hard to stressed out when you're petting your dog.
I dunno how calm I am when I go out and find another hole to china dug in my back yard Declan lol
Admit it! You find it cute, Seraphina.
Ya so cute it's like I have chipmunks living out the back lol. But I wouldn't be without her
I'm the chipmunks know to mind their own business.
Caroline wrote: "Hi all - sorry I have been quiet lately on the boards. I have been starting a new business, trying to write another novel and promoting Dancing with Statues - so there's not been much time for anyt..."I got the Vasquez book a month or so ago. Hope to get to it after the holidays.
We read it as part of our book group here in Bogotá - Vasquez always says in interviews that he doesn't write magic realism and wanted to move Colombian literature away from that (at one point in the book he criticises 100 years of solitude) - and there was a big debate at our book club about whether what he had in fact written had elements of magic realism as it's such a part of Colombian culture that it's hard to escape it. Will be interested to hear what you think Barbara.
I'm in the process of downloading the podcast, Caroline and will listen doing the housework tomorrow! :) Something to look forward to!
Caroline, I just listened to the podcast and it was fascinating hearing your story! Aside from all your jet setting, I didn't realise you had a background in corporate law, and am as amazed as the host at how you managed to find time to write your book into such a busy life! During the interview, I smiled to myself when you were so diplomatic about our politicians coming over to Havana to advise on peace, but you were spot on when you talked about the changes that have occurred here, both in terms of the fact that they were even there together giving a shared message, but also concerning even the negative news stories that you now hear about NI from afar. There've been a couple of hard hitting documentaries on the BBC over the last few weeks that really brought home to me how far we've come-one was on The Disappeared, and the other was about a military murder gang that stalked the streets of Belfast in 1972. It wasn't the specific content of these programmes per se that shocked me, but the archive footage that showed basically a war zone-I've no idea how people coped in Belfast in those years! I take it for granted that it's a vibrant city now, but it's not so long ago it was so different.
As regards to your book, the character with the Truth Commission background grabbed me-the concept is very topical here at the minute-I'm sure you are aware of the statement from the Attorney General the other day calling for an end to Troubles related prosecutions?
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-i...
It was roundly condemned, but I suppose in future such a decree could lead to closure in a different way for people, possibly calling on the expertise of such a person.
As for your other ventures, I hope they continue to flourish! Bogota sounds like a fascinating place to be, and Embrace Bogota in particular, while no doubt you work extremely hard to put the articles on the site together, sounds like it has the potential of being a lot of fun to do. :)
I'd urge everyone else to listen to this, if only even to experience Caroline's fascinating life vicariously, like I did while hoovering! :) Great job!
Oh, and Caroline, you've still definitely got the accent, albeit with a little rounded off the edges! :)
I enjoyed reading your post, Allan, and I'll definitely listen to Caroline's interview. It sounds really interesting. I think GR should add some feature so we can collect things we'd like to come back to so we can find them later. Sort of like a TBR list for things other than books. I'm waiting now to get my haircut so I'll have to put my phone away and sometimes for me, out if sight, out of mind. Whoosh.
Caroline--that's wonderful news about all you're doing. Best wishes with your new business and book writing!
Allan - thanks for your message. I was at my writers group today (a Canadian, three English writers and me who all live in Bogotá) - as some of the others are writing books about the political situation in Colombia we inevitably end up talking a bit about politics. In the current peace deal with the FARC they are looking for impunity from prosecution as part of the deal. At first everyone was disgusted at the idea - especially as it came up in the context of a discussion about the use of child soldiers in the conflict here (which is the subject of next week's Colombia Calling) - and one person said she didn't think a society that granted impunity could ever reconcile. I said I thought there were other ways of achieving reconciliation - such as helping people to find out what happened their loved ones, disclosing locations of the disappeared etc - but that, for Colombia, it was way too soon to be talking about impunity - you need years of peace before that should be on the table. I'm not sure where I stand on the Attorney General's comments - but I see his point that it is becoming harder to achieve prosecutions - especially given some of the terms of the Good Friday agreement about how arms given up in the amnesty could not be forensically examined etc - which was a critical clause to get arms off the streets. And good to hear I've still got the accent!
Cathleen wrote: "I enjoyed reading your post, Allan, and I'll definitely listen to Caroline's interview. It sounds really interesting. I think GR should add some feature so we can collect things we'd like to come b..."Cathleen - thanks for that. Caroline.
Allan wrote: "Caroline, I just listened to the podcast and it was fascinating hearing your story! Aside from all your jet setting, I didn't realise you had a background in corporate law, and am as amazed as the ..."And I was really sad to see the news of the attempted bombing in Belfast yesterday. We have come so so far but there is still a way left to go.
It wasn't good news yesterday, Caroline, particularly where they were targeting, and the way that they transported the device using an innocent member of the public. Thank goodness it was unsuccessful. It's definitely a time for the silent majority to find a voice to speak against the extremists on both sides...
But I wanted to share with you an interview I did with Overseas Radio recently. We talked about missing Ireland and parallels between Ireland and Colombia, and Dancing with Statues. You can download it from iTunes here:
https://itunes.apple.com/cr/podcast/c...
I come on after about ten minutes.
And if you are interested in reading a book about Colombia that isn't Garcia Marquez I recommend (apart from Dancing with Statues of course) the new book by Juan Gabriel Vasquez called The Sound of Things Falling. I did a review of it here:
http://www.embracebogota.com/#!Book-R...
Hope you are all well,
Love Caroline