"Work as if you live in the early days of a better nation" - Alasdair Gray.
On Friday, on The Times online, I spotted the most powerful poetic wake-up call by Philip Pullman to a nation sleepwalking itself into a state of fettered 'freedom'. I decided to grab a newspaper version; I was sure it would have an illustration by the 18th century poet-artist William Blake, as Philip roots his sleepwalking vision in Blake's poetic myth of Albion, the ancient name for Britain. And I was right. And just as well I did buy the paper because a few hours later, when I tried to link the online piece to this blog, it had vanished into the ether, into the mysterious Lost Dimension of 404.
But the blogosphere came to the rescue as bloggers began, en masse, to post the piece that had vanished, because it needs to be read and thought about and debated - by all of us, but especially by the generation who are about to inherit the Earth in what might be the most crucial era in human history. So here it is, with thanks to Longrider.
More debate about the kind of world we want to live in here and here and the Modern Liberty Campaign .
4 comments:
Hi Julie!
You have just been given the Sisterhood Award for blogging.
http://bookwitch.wordpress.com/2009/03/17/sisterhood-award/
Well, thank you!
Especially since, as you say, I am quite a bad blogger... well, it's those books. If only I didn't have the books to write, the schools to visit, etc, etc, etc, then I'd be a better blogger, I would.
I do not even feel the urge to apologise when I totally ignore what I just read in your update to simply ask "When is Aurora being released?!"
I think that the wait for Aurora is the only case in which living in Scotland means I don't need to wait for a later release date than, say, the US. I love the Exodus series, I really do. And I do not know how much longer I can cope without Aurora.
Please?!!! Even if it means completely forgetting the blog, get the book out! *cries*
Ahem...sorry.
I know I said I wouldn't apologise, but now I feel inclined to do so.
And excuse the craziness, Ms Bertagna, but it is entirely your fault.
Oh dear, now I feel very guilty, Hayley!
Thanks for a lovely message. I'm just finishing AURORA now (ish) and I'll post on here as soon as I have a publication date. But it will definitely be much sooner here than in the US.
I have actually been ignoring the blog so that I can write faster so I'm way behind with that. (I could do with a haircut, a holiday, and a shoulder massage too but they'll all have to wait...see? everything is on hold to get this book done!)
So I will get on. Meanwhile, just relax and enjoy the lovely Scottish weather : )
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