Welcome to justthoughtsnstuff

I started posting to jtns on 20 February 2010 with just one word, 'Mosaic'. This seemed an appropriate introduction to a blog that would juxtapose fragments of memoir and life-writing. Since 1996, I'd been coming to terms with the consequences of emotional and economic abuse that had begun in childhood, and which, amongst other things, had sought to stifle self-expression. While I'd explored some aspects of my life through fiction and, to a lesser extent, journalism, it was only in 2010 that I felt confident enough to write openly about myself. I believed this was an important part of the healing process. Yet within weeks, the final scenes of my family's fifty-year nightmare started to play themselves out and the purpose of the blog became one of survival through writing. Although some posts are about my family's suffering - most explicitly, Life-Writing Talk, with Reference to Trust: A family story - the majority are about happier subjects (including, Bampton in rural west Oxfordshire, where I live, Oxford, where I work, the seasons and the countryside, walking and cycling) and I hope that these, together with their accompanying photos, are enjoyable and positive. Note: In February 2020, on jtns' tenth birthday, I stopped posting to this blog. It is now a contained work of life-writing about ten years of my life. Frank, 21 February 2020.

New blog: morethoughtsnstuff.com.

Saturday, 3 August 2013

harvest time, lords and ladies, barley, exeter college summer school, rewley's 135th


















Harvest time brings a frisson of autumn in the ruby lords and ladies berries and the dry ripened barley, which will soon give way to cultivated soil and new-sown seed.

I photographed the lords and ladies at the base of this tree (or maybe it was one of its neighbours) the year before last (30th July). Not sure whether these ones will grow taller or remain as they are.

I was out cycling at about 7 am this morning, after having been working for an hour or so. These are busy weeks as far as creative writing teaching is concerned, not least because of the summer school at Exeter College--which I am enjoying immensely. Two wonderful groups of students!

Meanwhile, I've signed up to give a public seminar on Thursday 26th September at 10 am, Rewley House. This will be my contribution to Continuing Education's open day, which takes place this year on the 135th anniversary of the founding of the department. Looking forward to this event! Details soon.
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