A poem for 9/9/1961 by Cath Godwin
for Janet – on her day of birth – 50 years before today! a rare few are born knowing knowing pre-birth meeting memories of before birth born life… Read More »A poem for 9/9/1961 by Cath Godwin
Janet Lewison
I am a highly approachable Independent Expert Private English/English Literature Tutor located in Greater Manchester with over twenty years teaching and tutoring experience from Secondary to Postgraduate Degree level.
Analysing a novel: Susan Hill's Strange Meeting.
English students at all levels, but particularly at GCSE, A Level and Undergraduate levels are faced by the challenge of close textual analysis or ‘Practical Criticism’ as it used to… Read More »Analysing a novel: Susan Hill's Strange Meeting.
Strange Meeting by Susan Hill: why the word 'ahead' lifts the novel out of despair?
Susan Hill’s beautiful and most affecting novel Strange Meeting ends with the word ‘ahead’- a very poignant conclusion to her tenderly composed exploration of friendship during the first world war.… Read More »Strange Meeting by Susan Hill: why the word 'ahead' lifts the novel out of despair?
Refuge: Prologue-part one!
Rose was watching the small rabbit who had been playing on the lawn for an hour. Rose wondered about the second rabbit from yesterday but closed her mind to its… Read More »Refuge: Prologue-part one!
Susan Hill's The Mist in the Mirror: the dangers of a neutral narrator?
I was terrified by Susan HILL’S The Woman in Black. My Boxing Day was frosty in every way! So when I bought The Mist in the mirror for a week… Read More »Susan Hill's The Mist in the Mirror: the dangers of a neutral narrator?
Waking up with the Master and Margarita-Bulgakov's helter skelter tapestry of fantasy and pantomine.
I first read The Master and Margarita at Liverpool University when I was studying Russian Studies with English. My tutor Professor Arnold McMillin found my reaction slightly bizarre. as I… Read More »Waking up with the Master and Margarita-Bulgakov's helter skelter tapestry of fantasy and pantomine.
Cath Corri: An untitled poem.
JUST FOUND THIS POEM OF MINE – WRITTEN IN 1980 – 31 YEARS AGO – AGED 23 – UNTITLED PEOPLE EVERYWHERE IN LIFE FROM EVERY WALK AND STATION FROM EVERY… Read More »Cath Corri: An untitled poem.
D H Lawrence's Odour of Chrysanthemums by Cath Corri!
The small locomotive engine, Number 4, came clanking, stumbling down from Selston with seven full waggons. It appeared round the corner with loud threats of speed, but the colt that… Read More »D H Lawrence's Odour of Chrysanthemums by Cath Corri!
Lorraine Farrimond:Ahead
My life so far stilted, Duty bound. Wondering if that once,untamed energy Would ever be found. A longing to learn, To have knowledge, To be bright To put pen… Read More »Lorraine Farrimond:Ahead
Cath Corri:Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights
WANDERING THROUGH (mothering) – WUTHERING HEIGHTS! It has only just struck me, that if writing is inevitably about life/lives and living – the birth of the novelist, historical documentation and… Read More »Cath Corri:Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights
Leo Marks-Yours
The life that I have Is all that I have And the life that I have Is yours The love that I have Of the life that I have Is… Read More »Leo Marks-Yours
Cath And Jen Corri talking about Toni Morrison's Beloved.
Cath Corri What novel/novelist has inspired or touched your life most and why? For me it is Toni Morrison’s BELOVED ………… unique in its style and works with history, language… Read More »Cath And Jen Corri talking about Toni Morrison's Beloved.
Wilfred Owen's Spring Offensive: a healing pause.
Halted against the shade of a last hill, They fed, and, lying easy, were at ease And, finding comfortable chests and knees Carelessly slept. But many there stood still To… Read More »Wilfred Owen's Spring Offensive: a healing pause.
Bern Corri by Cath Corri
Raynard Corri was the bastard offspring of Captain Africa (the lard mogul) and Tracy. The captain disappeared without Tracy, who perished alone , along with her diamond collection, the victim… Read More »Bern Corri by Cath Corri
Salome by Carol Ann Duffy: the ‘soul-lessness’ of cliche?
I’d done it before (and doubtless I’ll do it again, sooner or later) woke up with a head on the pillow beside me -whose? – what did it matter? Good-… Read More »Salome by Carol Ann Duffy: the ‘soul-lessness’ of cliche?
Cath Corri: Beloved by Toni Morrison
NOvel is about more than a haunting. Beloved enters the narrative as a fully grown woman , but in fact is a pre-mature child (murdered by her mother to be… Read More »Cath Corri: Beloved by Toni Morrison
Cath Corri: Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient
The English Patient ‘If I gave you my life, you would drop it. Wouldn’t you?’ Set in post-war Italy, The English Patient focuses on four survivors coming to terms with… Read More »Cath Corri: Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient
Wilfred Owen's Strange Meeting part one.
It seemed that out of battle I escaped Down some profound dull tunnel, long since scooped Through granites which titanic wars had groined. Yet also there encumbered sleepers groaned, Too… Read More »Wilfred Owen's Strange Meeting part one.
E M Forster Howard's End-only connect!
She might yet be able to help him to the building of the rainbow bridge that should connect the prose in us with the passion. Without it we are meaningless… Read More »E M Forster Howard's End-only connect!
One good Turn by Kate Atkinson; ‘A jolly Murder Mystery’ for Bolton, Bury and Manchester!
One Good Turn is the second novel in which Kate Atkinson featured her private detective, Jackson Brodie. Brodie is attractive, compassionate and flawed. Appealing of course, with the added attraction that he… Read More »One good Turn by Kate Atkinson; ‘A jolly Murder Mystery’ for Bolton, Bury and Manchester!
Soul adventures with Walt Whitman!
A NOISELESS, patient spider, I mark’d, where, on a little promontory, it stood, isolated; Mark’d how, to explore the vacant, vast surrounding, It launch’d forth filament, filament,… Read More »Soul adventures with Walt Whitman!
Emily Dickinson’s view of truth!
Tell all the Truth but tell it slant— Success in Cirrcuit lies Too bright for our infirm Delight The Truth’s superb surprise As Lightening to the Children eased With explanation… Read More »Emily Dickinson’s view of truth!
Michael Morpurgo: A Elephant in the garden.
Yesterday I was fascinated by a pest controller telling me about cockroaches and their two brains. I do think Dr Who should maximise upon this enthralling fact! Today, I picked… Read More »Michael Morpurgo: A Elephant in the garden.
Why reading poetry helps us know ourselves better?
Below the surface-stream, shallow and light, Of what we say we feel – below the stream, As light, of what we think we feel – there flows With noiseless current… Read More »Why reading poetry helps us know ourselves better?
Another Misssion by Anna McNamara
The trees rustled encouragingly as she hurried towards the familiar destination: another meeting at Spicer’s bar. She did not, absolutely did not, allow herself to imagine the figure waiting for… Read More »Another Misssion by Anna McNamara
Daphne Du Maurier's 'The Old man' with Alison Ridyard
Daphne Du Maurier – “The Old Man” Being unfamiliar with Du Maurier’s work, I didn’t know what to expect from this short story, and, having scanned the contents page of… Read More »Daphne Du Maurier's 'The Old man' with Alison Ridyard
Carol Ann Duffy's You: The Volatile nature of Love by Alison Ridyard.
Carol Ann Duffy – “You” – The Volatile Nature of Love In a characteristic adaptation of the sonnet form, Duffy expresses the contrasting emotions of passion and passivity, and the… Read More »Carol Ann Duffy's You: The Volatile nature of Love by Alison Ridyard.
Daphne du Maurier's The Birds by Alison Ridyard
Daphne Du Maurier – “The Birds” “There were robins, finches, sparrows, blue tits, larks and bramblings, birds that by nature’s law kept to their own flock and their own territory,… Read More »Daphne du Maurier's The Birds by Alison Ridyard
Carol Annn Duffy's Havisham by Alison Ridyard
Carol Ann Duffy – “Havisham” Adopting the persona of Charles Dickens’s infamous spinster, ‘Miss Havisham’, and delivered in the form of dramatic monologue, Duffy offers an insight into the disturbed… Read More »Carol Annn Duffy's Havisham by Alison Ridyard
Kate Atkinson and Jackson Brodie.
Sometimes days become more fluid than chocolate milkshake! The other week I had the Emily Dickinson phrase, ‘started early, took my dog’ in my head in connection with the latest… Read More »Kate Atkinson and Jackson Brodie.