Tag: Immersion

On Reading, Writing Life, Writing News

Life Stories: Non-Fiction

Photograph of the cover of Deborah Levy’s Real Estate and Joan Didion’s Let me tell you what I mean – both covers use shades of red and I am wearing red runners

I have been immersed in fiction and writing but for the next few weeks I am turning my attention to reading about the lives of others in a fab non-fiction selection – I’m almost finished with Solnit’s brilliant memoir.

I will also start into a wonderful collaborative research project with a trip to the archives of the National Library of Ireland. But more on this project later….

Happy Reading to you all!

Photograph of my writing notebook, Rebecca Solnit’s Recollections of my non-existence, Sophie White’s Corpsing, Rachel Kushner’s The Hard Crowd. All non-fiction titles by female authors.

Contemplation, On Reading

Reading: Immersion into other worlds

I’ve been doing a lot of writing lately and, as always, I find that after a long, intense spell of being immersed in writing fiction I need a complete break.

This break tends to be baking (yum! everyone benefits!), gardening (nice looking sunflowers growing happily!) and, after a few days of being brought from mind to body, reading.

Photograph of five books: Trading Time by Owen Martin, Let me tell you what I mean by Joan Didion, The Unlimited Dream Company JG Ballard, The End Of The World is a Cul De Sac by Louise Kennedy, Yours ‘Til Hell Freezes: Kevin Barry by Síofra O’Donovan.

I’m enjoying the other world immersion and the mix of genres I’ve selected. I am enjoying, to quote Roland Barthes

the change in the level of perception…both reading and writing are redefined together.

I am also looking forward to my next few Writers Chat interviews which are based on reading some of the books in the photograph above.

Whatever you are reading – be it book, newspaper, online, hardcopy, paperback, on screen – after immersing yourself in another world, relish the change in your perception of your world.