12 June 2013

Its a (nursery) crime

A small number of us met last week but we had 2 new members which is great so we welcome them to the group. There was almost a consensus on the Jasper Fforde book: that we found it impossible to read, partly under the circumstances during May of losing our group member Jenny.

Next meeting: 

July 3rd: The Sea Sisters by Lucy Clarke   


August 7th: The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman


We will also have a few ideas for the coming months and after a discussion on past reads (for the benefit of our new members on the range of material we read) we got talking about Kate Atkinson and one of her books the group read called "Started early took my dog." This reminded one of the group of the Emily Dickinson poem of the same title and we were treated to a brief rendition.  Its that poem I leave you with today, until next time...

I STARTED early, took my dog,
And visited the sea;
The mermaids in the basement
Came out to look at me,
  
And frigates in the upper floor       
Extended hempen hands,
Presuming me to be a mouse
Aground, upon the sands.
  
But no man moved me till the tide
Went past my simple shoe,        
And past my apron and my belt,
And past my bodice too,
  
And made as he would eat me up
As wholly as a dew
Upon a dandelion’s sleeve—       
And then I started too.
  
And he—he followed close behind;
I felt his silver heel
Upon my ankle,—then my shoes
Would overflow with pearl.       
  
Until we met the solid town,
No man he seemed to know;
And bowing with a mighty look
At me, the sea withdrew.