I spent a large chunk of Saturday reading 'Saturday', the novel by Ian McEwan - first time in a while I've sat down and read a whole novel in one sitting. Also one of my too-rare forays into contemporary literature - I remember reading good reviews of it last year, so grabbed it at the library the other day.
I'm not going to do a book review here, but it was a good read which I'm happy to recommend, and interesting the use of recent history (the book's set on one day in 2003) with accompanying themes. It confirmed a few thoughts I've been having recently on how the 21st century is a whole different beast from the 20th. Uploading my CD collection to hard drive to make it more portable (just one of many preparations this year for overseas travel next year) has also had me thinking along that track - this technology didn't exist (for the mass market) in the 90s.
And I've been listening to Bach, Duke Ellington, Shostakovitch, and Douglas Lilburn. Is there something wrong with me?
I've also been meaning to delete some of the old entries, probably everything up to the start of 2005, from this weblog. Lots of old irrelevant angst. I got an invitation (bulk email) to a journalism school reunion in June, so I can catch up with some old classmates - now Dominion Post subeditors, or on Radio NZ, or Labour Party press secretaries etc. Thing is, it would mean forking out for a plane or ferry ticket back to Wellington, and I'm not that sure about going anyway.
One of the old irrelevant angsty bits from 2004 that still nags me is the kakariki transfer publicity misadventure. I went into journalism school hoping to improve my chances of further work for the Department of Conservation, but instead things blew up in my face. Then at the end of the year I did my work experience placement at the Taieri Herald in Mosgiel, and decided that working in a windowless office in a dreary town with the country's highest elderly population per capita (aka 'God's waiting room') didn't appeal. And I hadn't passed shorthand anyway, so had to cut short my stay in Melbourne in 2005 to come back and finish it - not fun.
Anyway, I've passed the diploma now... so of course I had another change of direction and this year am working on becoming a 'real musician' - great privilege to be able to focus on music fulltime. Couple of bits of good news recently on that front - Powertool Records should be distributing my new albums and the Aussie guy in Finland who I made contact with also liked them. I'm keen to go to Finland - apparently it's way ahead of NZ in terms of environmental sustainability, and also has the highest number of composers per capita...
Posted by fiffdimension at May 7, 2006 09:19 PM | TrackBack