Anthony Anaxagoru, If I told you

I went to a talk yesterday on racism,  oppression and percepticide, this poem by Anthony Anaxagoru was played at the end:-

There was salad and chocolate on the top shelf

"There was salad and chocolate on the top shelf, old rice and curling bacon on the bottom, and - squeezed on its side on the middle shelf- a severed human head, lips drawn back, veins poking from the frayed flesh and pressed against the frosted glass. One eye socket was empty, the other was hidden by a jar of Tesco Value peanut butter"

- Belinda Bauer, Rubbernecker 

currently reading

With the nights drawing closer, and only a few days left to Halloween, I've been scaring myself silly with crime and horror novels- reviews coming soon!

spelt scones

You can't beat a warm, home-made scone for leisurely brunch. 

If you are gluten or wheat intolerant, you might want to give spelt four a try. Although it does still contain wheat and gluten it is easier to digest than ordinary flour. Personally, it doesn't seem to give me any problems, plus it make tastier baked goods compared to specialised gluten-free flour.

 If you fancy whipping up your own spelt scones the recipe is after the cut:-

Reading a book is like re-writing it for yourself

quote: "Reading a book is like re-writing it for yourself. You bring to a novel, anything you read, all your experience of the world. You bring your history and you read it in your own terms."- Angela Carter 
book: Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis 

Sylvia Pankhurst at the Tate Britain

The Tate Britain- it's undergoing a bit of a facelift at the moment. 

I am a proudly proclaimed feminist, but I wasn't aware that as well as being a major campaigner for women's rights, Sylvia Pankhurst was also an artist. Running until March 2014, the Tate Britain has a free exhibition on Sylvia Pankhurst's work.

Pankhurst's art mainly focused on the lives of working-class women, and was a usefully propaganda tool in arguing that women's working conditions and pay should be improved.

Sylvia Pankhurst- domestic servants 

 Pankhurst also designed badges, banners and flyers for the WSPU, often incorporating the 'angel of freedom'. Also on display is the various badges that would be awarded to suffragettes, for membership or for stays in the notorious Holloway prison.

suffragette tea set,  with the 'angel of freedom' in the WSPU colours of green and purple  

If you do pop in to have a look around the gallery and the exhibition, I also recommend you have a walk down by the river when your done, London really is the best place just to stroll around.

Vauxhall bridge and MI6 headquarters 

Naoki Higashida-The Reason I Jump

I think this maybe the first non-fiction review I've done? 

Naoki Higashida wrote The Reason I Jump when he was 13, in an attempt to share and explain what it feels like to be autistic by answering frequently asked questions.  It is a plea for compassion, patience and understanding. Translated from Japanese from the acclaimed author David Mitchell, and his wife KA Yoshida, who are themselves the parents of an autistic child.

I know people who are autistic, have autistic children or just have an interest in the condition will find a lot of merit in The Reason I Jump. There is a lot of optimism and positivity in text, and Naoki contradicts many of the preconceptions there are about autism. I can imagine that is people are struggling with the diagnosis, they would find hope in this book.

The problem is autism is so person-specific, that Naoki's answers are only really relevant to his experiences. I think there is is a danger that people will generalise and think that all autistic people are like Naoki.

I think The Reason I Jump goes some way in explaining autism, but it is held back as its really difficult to explain thought processes and feeling, I just don't think there's the right vocabulary available to express these ideas. For example, when I talk about what it's like to to be dyslexic, I can list the things I struggle with, but I lack the words to probably explain what actually happens in my brain. The Reason I Jump also suffers from this restriction in language.      

I would recommend The Reason I Jump, especially if you have a personal connection to the condition and if you haven't done so, I'd also suggest reading the excellent The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. 

James W. P. Campbell & Will Pryce - The Library: A World History

I'm starting my Christmas wishlist already with James W. P. Campbell and Will Pryce's The Library: A World History. (ISBN:  978-0500342886). The images in this book in look absolutely stunning, and are guaranteed to give you wanderlust.  

The Tripitaka Koreana at the Haeinsa Temple in South Korea. image taken from here. I used to live in South Korea- such a missed opportunity that I didn't visit!

 George Peabody Library, Baltimore

The book is a little bit pricey (£38.99 currently on Amzon) but would make a fabulous gift for a bibliophile. 

edit: just like to point out that the fabulous photographer Will Pryce took all of these stunning pictures. 

double chocolate cookies

The recipe for these double chocolate cookies can be found here. They are a Nigella Lawson creation so they are v unhealthy, but taste delicious. The cookies are cake-y and slightly bitter, so go well with a cup of coffee.

no one is so busy that they can't take time to make a decent cup of tea

“no one is so busy they can’t take time to make a decent cup of tea and if you are that busy you don’t deserve a decent cup of tea for what is it all about anyway? Are we put into this world to be busy or to chat over a nice cup of tea?”
- Frank McCort

DIY quotes display

When I read, I love to collect quotes, I've trying to think of the best way to display my favourite quotes whilst updating my home décor. Here's a couple of ideas:-

quotes wall display incorporating postcards and pictures. 

quotes bunting 

Both ideas are dead simple to do- I'm not arty at all. All you need is to print out a collection of your favourite quotes and slip them into some cardboard frames (I got mine from artbox, but you could DIY). You can then can either bluetack them onto the wall or string them up using some twine and mini pegs. 

When printing out your quotes why not play around with font and colour? dafont has loads of fonts that are available to download for free, it's my latest obsession. 

If you need some quote inspiration check out my quotes from books tag.

Leon Bakst - Sleeping Beauty

My enthusiasm for fairy-tales continues, more art from Waddesdon Manor; Leon Bakst, Sleeping Beauty.

curse of the wicked witch

princess pricking her finger on a spinning wheel

enchanted sleep

the princess awakes  

There are seven panels telling the story of Sleeping Beauty on display at Waddesdon. My pictures don't quite do them justice, the colours are more vivid in the real. All the people and animals are modelled on Rothschild family members, friends and pets, apart from the wicked queen!

Waddesdon Manor (interior)

Following from this post, here's a sneaky peak at the inside of Waddesdon Manor:-

As Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild built the manor to house his art collection, there's a lot going on. Priceless art and furniture fill every room, the affect can be a bit chaotic at times.

drawing room where ladies would sew and gossip 

The writing desk at the foreground of this picture belonged to Marie Antoinette, which to be honest, I overlooked when I first went in the room. The Baron bought many items that belonged to the former French royal family, throughout the house you can see the emblem of the sun king.

The Rothschild foundation are still very much involved in the running and upkeep of Waddesdon manor. Personally, I think that this is lovely, the family are obviously keen to share their collections with the nation and that is very commendable. Alice de Rothschild had very strict house rules, as she was determined to preserve the art and house for future generations.  

chandelier in the dinning room at Waddesdon Manor 

 The Rothschild family are keen to promote contemporary artists. One of the current exhibitions is 'folded beauty' by  Joan Sallas. Elaborately folded napkins and linen appear around the manor. There is also some light installations by Bruce Munroe in the former Coach House.  

This dragon is entirely made of folded napkins, which is actually rather impressive 

 

more pictures (and some risqué art) after the cut:-

Geraldine Brooks- People of the Book

I was at a loose end and didn't have anything to read, so I picked up my mum's copy of People of the Book. Mum usually goes for gossipy, family saga novels, so my expectations were pretty low, but it turned out People of the Book is rather an enjoyable read.

Plot: Hanna, an expect of rare books, has been tasked to conserve the priceless and unique Sarajevo Haggadah*. The previous owners of the book have left tiny traces of themselves between the pages, an insect wing, salt crystals, a wine stain and a white hair. It is through these artefacts Hanna is able to uncover the history of the book and the stories of the Jewish people.

* a Haggadah is a Jewish texts that is read at Passover and instructs people on the order of Passover Seder.

This is a fictionalised history of the Sarajevo Haggadah, though from what I've read the true history is equally fascinating. The manuscript was saved from the Nazis by a librarian who risked his life to smuggle it out of the country. It was then kept safe by a Muslim cleric.  

My thoughts and a review of the book after the cut (may contain spoilers):-

Waddesdon Manor (gardens)

Waddesdon Manor 

Waddesdon Manor was built in 1877 by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild as a place to host epic week long house parties and to showcase his immense collection of art.

We were really lucky when we visited this weekend as it was the perfect autumn day, fresh, crisp and sunny. The garden is still in bloom and the leaves are just beginning to turn.

 Ferdinand's sister, Alice, inherited Waddesdon on his death. She was a keen gardener and had a hand in designing the outside space. Alice was a bit of a battleaxe and had some very strict rules. She viewed her role as protector, and was passionate about preserving the manor and art collections for future generations to enjoy.

Rose garden at Waddesdon

"There is a part of me that will forever want to be walking under autumn leaves"

"There is a part of me that will forever want to be walking under autumn leaves, carrying a briefcase containing the works of Shakespeare and Yeats and a portable chess set. I will pass an old tree under which once on a summer night I lay on the grass with a fragrant young woman and we quoted e.e. cummings back and forth."

- Roger Ebert 

History

'I prefer my history dead. Dead history is writ in ink, the living sort in blood.' 

- George R. R. Martin, A Feast for Crows 

If you thought 50 Shades of Grey was bad.....

...dinosaur erotica 

There is a whole series of erotic fiction about dinosaurs seducing women! The mind boggles- I don't think these will be going on my reading list.  

Girl or boy, we fight our battles

'"Girl or boy, we fight our battles" he said, "but the gods let us choose our weapons." He pointed to the spear, then to my mother's tears, and I picked up the spear.'

- George R.R Martin. A Feast for Crows 

Marjane Satrapi- Persepolis

Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel has been on my reading list for a while, ever since I saw the animated film of the same name.

The plot: A coming of age story set in Iran during the Islamic revolution of 1979. Marji is a rebellious child, outspoken and with a strong sense of justice, she resents the restrictions imposed on her life by the new government. Worried, her parents send her to Vienna to be educated. However, this move brings its own trials due to a unfamiliar culture and inhospitable people.

The images of this graphic novel are deceptively simple, but they mange to covey some massive ideas; war, revolution, religion, idealism and politics. Persepolis introduced me to the history of Iran and the 1979 revolution, but more importantly it gave me an insight into how normal people are affected by the regime. Iran is periodically mentioned in the news, so it is important to have some sort of understanding about the country.

Marji as a character is very likeable and it is lovely to see how she progresses through the novel. She made me appreciate how hard it must be to grow up and discover who you are, when so much life and freedom is dictated by the state. Marji's time in Vienna and her return to Iran are very difficult, personal struggles about identity, loneliness and love are honestly and heartrendingly told.