Books from your childhood

Yesterday on Twitter the Sydney Writers Centre posed the question: What were 5 books you grew up with? What 5 books – or series – defined your childhood?

This is a topic of conversation that comes up with my friends quite regularly; books from our childhoods, television shows, movies we grew up with.  We’re all of the same generation, I barely have a close friend who wasn’t born with 18 months of myself. Interestingly though, there are certain books / shows / movies we ALL were exposed to but for the most part we had very different defining experiences. 

What is almost certain is that when one of us discovered that the other has not read a certain book or watched a certain movie, we will be shocked and appalled at their deprived childhood and rave about how they MUST see it, you’ll LOVE it, it’s ESSENTIAL to life itself to have read The Railway Children or seen E.T.. 

For my part, I know that my choice of favourite books was influenced very heavily by my parents. Bookworms themselves, I grew up in a house lined with bookshelves but lacking in films. When I watched a movie, it was one I got out of the video store not out of the family collection. Books, however, were everywhere.

So, my answer to the Sydney Writers Festival question ran as follows:

The silliest tax in the land

Day 2 of the Carbon Tax and already there are no words. Or maybe it's just that all the sensible ones have been used up.

Anyway, I'm not going to attempt intelligent political commentary. I just want an excuse to lead you to this video of Federal MP Craig Emerson's song and dance response to a question of Carbon Tax. And I mean that literally.

Colorado Bushfires

For those who aren't yet aware, Colorado has been struck by a bunch of pretty hardcore bushfires over the past week or two. Centered on Colorado Springs, estimates so far say over 350 homes and something like 100,000 acres of bush have been destroyed. Over 32,000 people have been evacuated, but sadly, five people have also been killed. President Obama issued an emergency declaration yesterday, and flew out to Colorado Springs to survey the disaster zone.

Google Crisis Map


This is a fascinating time-lapse video of five days of the fire. It's got some amazing footage, and you have to think the smoke alone would be enough to evacuate over.

 

For anyone interested in sending Colorado some cash, try the American Red Cross or www.helpcoloradonow.org

Bowing out of the conversation

Last weekend I was enjoying a bit of bodice-ripping drama in the form of a re-discovered DVD of the BBC production ‘Charles II’. Amongst the betrayals, the beheading and the superfluousness of sex I noticed one thing in particular.

It was in one conversation that really brought it home to me. History buffs may know that King Charles was married to the Portuguese Princess Catherine of Braganza. Unfortunately, despite siring dozens of children with his harem of mistresses, their marriage remained childless.

Charles and Catherine, played by Rufus Sewell and Shirley Henderson.

Happy Saturday!

Five for Friday no.25

Three of this week's five are fashionable collections:

Catherine Martin's art deco designer rug collection. I love it! I can't afford it!

Hermes collaborates with Japanese polaroid artist on a series of scarves.

Preview of a new Mimco collection - Pablo meets Coco.

Great literary spoilers. Sort of a guessing game - do you know what book they refer to? Warning! Here be spoilers!

In tribute to legendary writer and screenwriter Nora Ephron, who passed away this week, 5 things When Harry Met Sally taught us about relationships.

The walk of shame

I spotted this photo on Modern Hepburn and it instantly made me think of walks of shame. Though it is a beautiful photo, to me it is kind of a walk-of-sham nightmare. Waking up somewhere and either having to bolt as quickly as possible or else having lost your clothes into the night and so wrapping a sheet around yourself and going out into the world before too many people can wake up and see you.

We’ve all done a walk of shame or two, correct? If you haven’t, you’ve missed out. As far as I am concerned, the walk of shame isn’t shameful at all. In my experience, it is the final step in a spectacular night out.