Today Frances Garrood is minding my Desert Island. Frances is up for this challenge as she has been corresponding with a prisoner on Indiana's Death Row. She says, "This is both interesting and rewarding. Most of the prisoners on Americ'a Death Row are poor (mine has difficulty finding enough money for stamps in order to write to me), and they are kept there for years. My pen friend has been in prison for just over a year, and his appeal - which will take at least eight years - hasn't yet started. The system is exceptionally cruel, and writing to a prisoner is one way of doing something about it (if you are interested, do contact Frances via her blog for details. New correspondents are always needed).
Frances has written many stories for magazines and three novels. Basic Theology for Fallen Women is her latest.
Her are Frances's choices:
So - Classic would be Anthony Trollope's Dr. Thorne, because I love Trollope and
this is my favourite. It is amusing, romantic, and very, very English. In fact,
English writing at its best.
Modern novel: Brothers, by Bernice Rubens. This disturbing novel charts the history of pairs of Jewish brothers, through several generations. It it beautifully written, but tragic (inevitably), and a gripping tale of love, courage, suffering and loss. It will remind me how fortunate those of us are who have not had to suffer the way the Jews have, and perhaps also make being marooned a little more bearable!
Non-fiction: a huge book of poetry, from the time of Shakespeare up until the present. I don't know enough poetry, and I could spend time getting to know more, and learning favourites by heart. That should keep me occupied until I'm rescued. Or not.
Deborah's note - the picture is from EHow. If you click on it it will take you to a link which tells you how to put together your own Poetry Anthology. That would keep you busy Frances!
Her are Frances's choices:
Modern novel: Brothers, by Bernice Rubens. This disturbing novel charts the history of pairs of Jewish brothers, through several generations. It it beautifully written, but tragic (inevitably), and a gripping tale of love, courage, suffering and loss. It will remind me how fortunate those of us are who have not had to suffer the way the Jews have, and perhaps also make being marooned a little more bearable!
Non-fiction: a huge book of poetry, from the time of Shakespeare up until the present. I don't know enough poetry, and I could spend time getting to know more, and learning favourites by heart. That should keep me occupied until I'm rescued. Or not.
Deborah's note - the picture is from EHow. If you click on it it will take you to a link which tells you how to put together your own Poetry Anthology. That would keep you busy Frances!
I agree about the poetry - I always love it when I do make time to read poetry (usually when pointed in a new direction by Son No 2 who is studying English at university) but, somehow, never seem to make the time. I remember thinking a couple of years ago that I really must make more of an effort with Yeats - maybe now I'll take up the challenge!
ReplyDeleteI love Dr Thorne, too, and often reread it. It's a good book for reading when nights become longer and darker and you want to wallow in another time and palce.
ReplyDeleteLet's hear it for poetry! So glad it made the cut!
ReplyDeleteI recently listened to The Waterboys - Appointment with Mr Yeats - his poetry set to music. I had the poems in front of me from an Anthology and it just reminded me how great he was.
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