Words about Words - December 2020
Vita Sackville-West, George the Poet, East 17... and more!
Hello all,
It may be 2021, but I’m going to go back in time for a week, to the last day of 2020. Why? Because though I ordinarily publish ‘Words about Words’ on the last Thursday of the month, I decided against doing so on Thursday 31st December 2020 as I was having a week off work and I reckoned no-one would be that fussed about receiving this newsletter on New Year’s Eve.
With that explanation out of the way, here’s some things I’ve read (or written) that I think you’ll be interested in. But first, a request to help my friends Nina, Paulo and Noni rebuild their lives…
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Nina, Paulo and Noni
My good friends, Nina, Paulo and Noni, experienced the unimaginable trauma of losing their home and everything they owned to a gas explosion and fire on the Sunday before Christmas. Even if they’re strangers to you, please consider giving them a few quid to help with the long process of rebuilding their lives. Thank you… LINK
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Interesting or useful
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‘Your worries disappear!’ East 17’s Tony Mortimer on discovering reading - as a 50 year old
The title says it all really. Tim Jonze interviews Tony Mortimer for The Guardian… LINK
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The Fabulous Forgotten Life of Vita Sackville-West
I read Orlando, by Virginia Woolf in December, so it was timely that I came across this article, by Rebecca Dinerstein Knight for The Paris Review, that looks at the fascinating life of the person who inspired the character of Orlando. In this instance, life is possibly just as fantastic as fiction… LINK
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Start Writing Fiction
The Open University have a free course for people who would like to write fiction… LINK
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Have you heard George’s podcast?
George the Poet’s podcast is an incredible piece of work that should be required listening for everyone. Every episode is a work of art, but episode three in particular, on the Grenfell tragedy, had me in tears. Find it on your podcast player of choice… LINK
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Make time to do your best work
The Do Lectures team share their advice on how to not just get stuff done, but do get great stuff done. Among the tips are saying no, doing ‘deep work’, and the importance of love… LINK
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How to become a freelancer in the UK, according to those who’ve done it
Tom May at Creative Boom, has compiled a selection of tips on how to fly solo as a freelancer, from the practical (taxes!) to the personal (loneliness)… LINK
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My work
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28 day lockdown writing challenge
In November’s Words about Words I wrote about the 28 day lockdown writing challenge I set myself. You can now read the whole thing, in one place, on my website… LINK
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That’s it for December’s edition of ‘Words about Words’. Keep your eyes on your inbox for January’s edition, arriving on Thursday 28th January.
Have a great 2021!
Thanks for reading,
Jonathan x