Category: books

‘Time keeps on slipping into the future … ‘ ðŸŽµ

Joey Jones4 Comments

Do you remember your favorite book from childhood?

A favourite series of books of mine were The Famous Five by English writer Enid Blyton ( 1897-1968) Her books were best sellers around the world since the 1930’s.

                                    Leisure

What is this life if, full of care

   We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs,

   And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,

   Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,

   Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,

   And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can,

   Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this, if, full of care,

   We have no time to stand and stare.

                 By W.H. Davies, pub 1911.

‘ Time keeps on slipping into the future’ is taken from the album Fly Like an Eagle by the Steve Miller Band. Released in 1976.

  

Desert Island Library

Joey Jones1 Comment

List three books that have had an impact on you. Why?

These three books have stayed with me since first reading them a lifetime ago. They would make perfect companions to be reread, should the stranded on a desert island scenario ever occur.

The Prophet by Kalil Gibran ( 1883-1931) This Lebanese/American poet and writer had this work published in 1923. The twenty six philosophical essay/prose poems over twenty eight chapters tell of sprawling topics including life, love, freedom, humanity, pain and passion. A truly spiritual and inspirational read.

Experiments with the Truth, is the autobiography penned by the Indian and London educated lawyer known as Mahatma Gandhi ( 1869-1948). He writes of the successes and failures of non-violent resistance. Suffering hardships and imprisonment for his beliefs. Mr Gandhi who was assassinated in 1948. He never forgot the principles of truth.

A Thousand Years of Solitude was penned by Colombian writer and journalist Gabriel Garcia. Martinez ( (1927-2014). His book covers seven generations of a family as they wade through the inevitable repetition of history in Latin America. The magical realism woven in here with experiences of being a journalist makes this an ideal Tome to have with you on a desert island, as each page is crammed full of detail to absorb and think about for a long time to come afterwards. You may even feel the need to read it over and over to truly capture its essence.

Once upon a time….

Joey Jones10 Comments

Write about a time when you didn’t take action but wish you had. What would you do differently?

We are all flawed. Simple as. There are many many things over the years I wish I had done differently and it doesn’t make me feel great to think about them. But there is one, about writing….and that’s why we’re here after all. So it seems apt to tell you about it.

Many moons ago. Getting on for 25 years, I guess, I had an idea for a children’s picture book. I was living overseas and with a co- worker had the charge of three small children 24/6. It was a great job and we travelled the world together….but that’s a different story.

I want to tell you about the dog and the crow. At that time I was reading a lot to the kids. Several times a day, at least. So I got to know what they enjoyed. Which books were their favourites.

As I was living in India at the time I chose to  base my story there. A street dog and a crow were standing over a puddle. They were having a face-off….The crow didn’t trust the dog to go first because he would drink all the water..and the dog didn’t want the crow to go first because by taking a bath in the puddle, it would become dirty and not fit to drink. So they squabbled and squabbled and in the meantime the sun was shining so brightly it dried up the puddle. Leaving them both with nothing.

I loved the story, but realised the graphics would be a bit lame. Only a dog a crow and a puddle on each page. So I put it aside, did nothing with it. Very short sighted of me!

What I should have done is find an amazing illustrator who could bring the story alive with their  artwork. Early years children love all the little picture details that accompany a tale.

With the story set in India there were all manner of animals, wildlife, people watching on. The pages could have been filled with wonderment. It could have been a lovely children’s book.

…This is Anna

Joey Jones5 Comments

What book could you read over and over again?

As we are given a Daily Prompt and not a ‘ Brief’, I want to tell you about a book I was given over twenty years ago. Take into consideration I have lived quite the transient life and for this to still be in my possession says a lot.

When you move around you cannot ‘ hang onto things’, to be a hoarder would be a luxury. Well, perhaps not. But you get my drift. When a person gifts me with something I’m grateful for their thoughtfulness and generosity. The item becomes precious, as is this, for several,reasons. (I thank you PN)

For clarity, transparency, call it what you will, I will state here that I am not a religious person, but I do respect the path some folk take. You would be more likely find me in a book shop eyeing books about Paganism or Buddhism. Each to our own.

Mister God, This Is Anna, is an extraordinary little book of less than 200 pages. Published in 1974 and written by Sydney Hopkins with the psudonym Fynn.

In the book Fynn then aged 16 finds an abandoned and neglected four year old girl wandering the streets of docklands, on a cold and foggy night in 1930’s London. He takes her home to his parents where for a few years she amazes everyone around her with her intelligent, lively and curious precociousness. She has a luminous innocence and wisdom which dazzles Fynn. They bond quickly and become the firmest of friends.

It is a religious book, yes. However it is defiant of unscientific dogma. Physics, biology, maths are all of interest to Anna. Herself an instinctive theologian.

Her luminous innocence, wisdom and infinite relationship with Mr God and her friendship with Fynn are woven together in this story, which totally undercuts adult pretensions.

This is a fine book, which I am now ready to read again.