There was a thaw and I walked the lass to daycare and myself to work, wading in ten centimetres of slush. I got wet.
And then later it started snowing again.
5/365
The lass was kneeling on her chair yesterday and leaned too forcefully on the back, so it fell over. She hit her face on the corner (mercifully a rounded corner) of a table, and I was fully expecting her to have a pretty ghastly black eye this morning, but luckily this little blue spot on her cheek and a small red mark over her eye is all the result there is.
This is good enough to quote in its entirety
As a mixed-race novelist (hell, just as a novelist), I would like to say to your leader writer (The trouble with Brick Lane, October 27) that I reserve the right to imagine anyone and anything I damn well please. If I want to write about Jewish people, or paedophiles or Patagonians or witches in 12th-century Finland, then I will do so, despite being “authentically” none of these things. I also give notice that if I choose, I intend to imagine what your muddled writer quaintly terms “real people” living in “real communities”. My work may convince or it may not. However, I will not accept that I have any a priori responsibility to anyone – white, black or brown, let alone any “community” – to represent them in any particular way.
If Monica Ali isn’t brown enough or working-class enough or Sylheti enough for you, then, well, that’s your weird little identity-political screw-up. Presumably she’s not white enough for someone else. I’m sick of all this cant about cultural authenticity, and sick of the duty (imposed only on “minority” writers) to represent in some quasi-political fashion. Art isn’t about promoting social cohesion, or cementing community relations. It’s about telling the truth as you see it, even if it annoys or offends some people. That’s called freedom of expression, and last time I checked we all thought it was quite a good idea.
Hari Kunzru
London
Though it’s not Kunzru’s subject as such, he succintcly summarises most of what I feel is wrong with political trends in literary criticism and theorising (such as feminist literary theory or post-colonial literary theory).*
__________
* The other problem, of course, is that political literary theory is political, not literary. It hardly ever says anything useful about literature and tends to just rehash political truisms that all intended readers agree with anyway.
Week 1
I stayed up too late finishing this, as I didn’t want to start out being late. I decided to do the layouts weekly, preferably Sunday evening (with Mon.-Sun. pictures), which leaves week 1 and week 53 with only four pictures. I am planning on using Impressions of Imagination for colour throughout the year and sticking to the same font(s) and white background, with a clean and simple layout. What with the nature of the project, I’m thinking the images will have such diverse colour schemes that finding a background that works for a whole week’s worth would be tricky, and the white will help draw everything together and at the same time prevent over-fussyness. I hope.
4/365
I finally got around to taking pictures of the Christmas ornaments. I’ve been meaning to ever since we put up the tree, since I want to scrapbook them and the story of where they all came from. This one bugs me, as I can’t really remember where I got it. Pretty sure it was a gift from one of two people, so I guess I’ll just have to ask, however sheepish that will make me feel.
3/365
We tried using salt to de-slipper the porch, but it didn’t really work. Still, the lass was enthusiastic. She put her hat on herself. Can you tell? (It’s actually backwards, very hip-hop.)
What with a toddler in the house
…I am suddenly reading toy catalogues again. And I am increasingly frustrated by the pinkness, princessification and general gendering of toys. A post by Lauredhel at Hoyden About Town last year caught my eye, therefore, and I have been applying the Lauredhel’s Toy-catalogue Annex of the Bechdel Test ever since. With depressing results, I may add.
To play, try to find:
1. One or more girls, playing;
2. with no boys around; and
3. with something that is not related to domestic work, mothering, being sexy, or ponies.
Before Christmas I did a double take at an ad from Clas Ohlson in the paper. It contained about a dozen images of products, with only one person used for illustration. The person: A blonde girl of around 9 years with a skirt. The product she was advertising? This:
It’s not even a toy, as such, they’re real tools, kiddie-sized.
I meant to save the newspaper page, but forgot. However, I got the Christmas catalogue when I bought muffin tins at CO the other day, and lo and behold, the same picture is used.
Granted, on the catalogue page there is also a picture of some boys, but they are quite clearly advertising something else and not part of the same picture at all.
The sad thing is that this should be so unusual as to warrant comment, of course. Also, surely a denim skirt is not the most practical choice of apparel for a wannabe carpenter? But who am I to dictate what carpenters should wear?
2/365
And then it snowed some more.
1/365
The new year started with snow. Lots of it.
This afternoon I brought the lass to her grandmother’s for a sleepover and babysitting tomorrow, and though I meant to get the bus straight back I ended up walking quite a bit of the way as the snow was so pretty.
Silly music meme
But then, we do love silly memes, don’t we? (First seen here.)
Directions:
1. Put your iPod, iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3.YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS
IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?
You Suck (The Murmurs) – rather rude, really
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Scenes from an Italian Restaurant (Billy Joel) – sounds like there’s a lot going on, at least
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
Minibar (De derre) – a guy with a built in minibar would be useful, I admit
HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Sleigh Ride (Johnny Mathis – seasonal) – uhm, better than a roller coaster ride, possibly
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE PURPOSE?
I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing (Aerosmith) – that’s the best fit so far
WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
A Winter’s Tale (David Essex – seasonal) – a very boring motto
WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Whisky You’re the Devil (Robin Laing) – so, do they think I’m the devil, or do they simply think of whisky when they see me?
WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Skip back a track and replay (Robin Laing) – I’m that good, am I?
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Forgiven (Alanis Morissette) – not very often
WHAT IS 2 + 2?
Kjell Opseths 9. (To Rustne Herrer/Jonas Fjeld) – good job getting one with a number in the title on this one, don’t you think?
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Me and My Shadow (Robbie Williams & Johnny Wilkes) – fitting
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Frosty the Snowman (The Jackson 5 – seasonal) – can’t possibly be complimental, can it?
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Den stora, stora skillnaden (Michael Wiehe) – I doubt I’ve made that much of a difference
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU GROW UP?
I Don’t Care (Shakespear’s Sister) – I am grown up. I think.
WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Only the Good Die Young (Billy Joel) – feeling naughty, obviously
WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Bad Medicine (Bon Jovi) – We didn’t, but I guess we could have. It’s a rather difficult one to waltz to, though.
WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Slave (DumDum Boys) – ahem
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
A Bottle o’ the Best (Robin Laing) – or the opposite
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
God ain’t gonna getcha for that (Shania Twain) – he sure ain’t
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Tak’ a Dram; A Wee Deoch An (Robin Laing) – yes, please have one, if you like
SONG THEY WILL PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Underneath Your Clothes (Shakira) – unlikely