A SLIP OF THE KEYBOARD BY TERRY PRATCHETT

I have started reading this book and 55 pages in (a 380 page book), I think I have learned so much about the business of writing and the business of being a writer.  Insightful, funny, educational, entertaining and honest - loving it.  Onward......

A Slip of the Keyboard:
Collected Non-Fiction
by Terry Pratchett
Foreword by Neil Gaiman

Here's the blurb from the Waterstones website:

Terry Pratchett in his own words. With a foreword by Neil Gaiman Terry Pratchett earned a place in the hearts of readers the world over with his bestselling Discworld series - but in recent years he became equally well-known as an outspoken campaigner for causes including Alzheimer's research and animal rights. A Slip of the Keyboard brings together the best of Pratchett's non fiction writing on his life, on his work, and on the weirdness of the world: from Granny Pratchett to Gandalf's love life; from banana daiquiris to books that inspired him; from getting started as a writer to the injustices that he fought to end. With his trademark humour, humanity and unforgettable way with words, this collection offers an insight behind the scenes of Discworld into a much loved and much missed figure - man and boy, bibliophile and computer geek, champion of hats, orang-utans and the right to a good death.

Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
ISBN: 9780552167727

SIR GEORGE IVAN MORRISON - WHO WOULD'VE THUNK IT?

GROWLERS (VAN MORRISON & BOB DYLAN)
with love and affection, and sincere congratulations to Van on his knighthood.
Cleaning windows no longer necessary!

Hey where did they go,

with their young men's voices,

back in the day

when you could hear all the words,

come gather round people,

and help understand this,

why Van and Bob sing

like catarrh-coughing birds.

They still draw the crowds

with their legendary status,

still command the stage platform

like the rock gods they are,

they know how to stare

with a menacing scowl

and they've evolved how they sing,

now adopting the growl.

All those tours and those travels

on the hard-nose highways,

all the years of freewheeling,

all the blood on the tracks,

have I told you lately

that I still love them both,

even though their worn voices

are so full of cracks.

So hail Van the man and his Bobness,

to the hat wearing two, hats off,

but just now and again music legends, 

clear your throats and have a bloody good cough!

2 PIECES PUBLISHED ON THE SAME DAY

Well, this is nice.

Two pieces of mine published on the same day.

First in The Guardian, a memory about the Marty Robbins song 'El Paso".

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jun/13/family-life-our-furry-friend-the-fox-cub-el-paso-by-marty-robbins-and-mums-quick-pizza

Second, a poem published online by Octavius Magazine.

http://www.octaviusmagazine.com/writing

Hope you enjoy them.

Most of my blog posts are shared on Reddit, Digg, Twitter and Facebook

RON MOODY

Ron Moody died today at 91.  He is best remembered as Fagin in Oliver! (1968) but his CV beyond that famous role is very impressive.  Here's his IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0600531/?ref_=nv_sr_1



In 1980, he published a novel - The Devil You Don't - which I read and enjoyed.  I recall that it was a crime/ story within the nuclear power industry.



After I read the book, I wrote to Ron Moody and he sent me an autographed photograph.  On the back he wrote:

Dear Joe,

Thank you for the appreciation of my work.  I like to think that what I think makes other people think - I think!

All best wishes,

Ron.

RIP, sir!

A RETAIL JOKE

A man goes into a B&Q DIY superstore.

Man: I'd like a chainsaw that can cut down eight trees in an hour.

Assistant: I have the very one for you, sir. Top of the range.

Man: Thanks, I'll buy it

THE NEXT DAY.....

Man (furious): That chainsaw you sold me is bloody useless.  It took me all day and most of the night to cut down one tree.

Assistant: Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.  Let me have a look at it.  I'll just start it up.

Man: What's that buzzing noise?

RIP - FATHER FRED HANSON

I am just back from a long weekend in Belfast with my son, David.  We saw the wonderful Christy Moore in concert at the Waterfront Hall, did the splendid Titanic tour, met family and friends and reconnected with my old home city.

Just by chance, at my sister Mary's house, I saw a copy of St Teresa's Parish Bulletin (from my old stomping ground) and read about the death, at 99, of Father Fred Hanson, an imposing man with a booming voice who scared the living daylights out of us kids with rousing sermons.  Back in the late 1960s when I was knee-high to a cornflakes packet, a big tall man with a big loud voice (the voice of God?) was a powerful thing.  But he was likeable and memorable and knew how to use his vocal power to get the Church's message across before we all slunk out of the chapel and into the sweetie shop across the road.

But, as is often the case, we childer had no idea or interest in this man's life before he came to the parish.  To us, he was one of our priests and we saw and definitely heard him on occasions, but beyond that, nada.

Here's the piece from the parish newsletter:

Fr Frederick ("Fred") Hanson was born on 8 September 1916 in Belfast. Educated at St Brigid's NS, Holy Family NS and St Mary's CBS, Belfast, he came to the Old Dalgan in Shrule, Co. Galway in 1933. He was a member of the last class to be ordained in Shrule in December 1939, before the seminary relocated to St Columban's, Navan.

The war prevented his being assigned overseas, so he was assigned to parish work in the Diocese of Down and Connor for three years. He joined the Royal Air Force as a chaplain in 1943 and served until 1950. This appointment clearly suited Fred's talents. The RAF Chaplain-in-Chief pleaded that he be allowed serve a further three years, "Fr Hanson is a most zealous priest and has done heroic work in looking after young Irish men in several RAF stations ... I cannot conceive of anybody doing greater work for the glory of God than he is doing in his present position." He was assigned briefly to Korea, but the outbreak of war in that country resulted in a change of assignment to Japan. From 1953 until 1958 he served as Editor of Tosei News (an English news service for missionaries) and NCWC correspondent for Korea and Japan.

From 1958-1964 he was assigned once again to Korea where he served as secretary to Bishop Quinlan. There followed two years doing pastoral work on a temporary basis in parishes in England. Then he was assigned to the Parish of St Teresa, Glen Road, Belfast and later to Holy Family Parish where he served until the year 2000. Fred was a big man, big in stature and with a voice to match. He was generous and kind, devoted to his sister Mary, and managed his long illness with patience and occasional outbursts of exasperation.

I'm glad I spotted the parish bulletin.  It was sad to read about Father Fred but I'm pleased to know more about the man, his history, his experiences and his influences.  May he rest in peace.

NO RUSHING THE ROSARY

We had things to do, a ball to kick, tig to play,

But at inconvenient moments, it was time for the family to pray

At the slow bead-to-bead pace of the Rosary - Our Father,

Ten Hail Marys, a Glory Be To The Father,

Topped off with a Hail Holy Queen – after dinner,

Adults keen to stay on good terms with God and kids

Impatient to get outside, a ball to kick, tig to play,

No escape, forced on our knees to pray.

Each prayer had its tempo, its pauses,

Unhurried and spoken out loud, in unison,

No chance of acceleration, no get-on-with-it rush,

Steady as ever to accommodate the old ones

Who loved to savour the comforting words.

Not much for them to do after - poke the fire, snooze, 

Read the Belfast Telegraph, tut at the TV -

But we kids had things to do, games to play.

Rosaries, week nights included - week nights! -

Not just Sundays.