Posted in Fiction

Paring Down…

Posted on by TravellinPenguin
Waiting for spring to arrive. (pparks)

Hi to my favourite bloggers and those who follow me. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by the book world and feel bad there is not enough time to read much less comment on blog posts of those I enjoy. So I have deleted many bloggers who never interact. To those lovelies I enjoy but post often I plan on looking through your post but picking one a week upon which to comment. That narrow it down to the Australians one from England, one from Wales and one from South Africa, and my LA blogger friend and her cat. You know who you are.

I am still working my way through Eleanor Catton’s book and I went to a very interesting book launch at Fullers for Martin Flanagan’s book, the empty honour board. Amazon blurb and book blurb describe it as:

In 1966, at the age of 10, Martin Flanagan was sent to a Catholic boarding school in north-west Tasmania. Of the 12 priests on the staff, three have since gone to prison for sexual crimes committed against boys in their care. In 2018 and 2019, a series of disclosures about the school appeared on the ABC Tasmania website. Then came the Pell case. What followed was a frenzy of opinions, none of which represented Flanagan’s view.

The Empty Honour Board is part memoir, a reflection on truth and memory, and what is lost in rushing to judgement.

Flanagan’s school abounds in memorable characters. There’s a kid who escapes and gets as far as Surfers Paradise, and two boys who hold a competition during evening chapel to see who can confess more times. A wild boy receives a ‘Bradmanesque’ 234 strokes of the cane in one year.

It is a lonely and, at times, scary existence – as while the boys are victims of violence, they are also perpetrators. Drawn to neither the school nor its religion, Flanagan discovers himself through sport, later becoming known as one of Australia’s most creative sportswriters.

But his boarding days linger. In his first three years at the school, he’d faced a series of adult moral challenges. Not being an adult, he had failed – in his own estimation. This becomes of great consequence in his 20s when his wife is about to have their first child. A major reckoning with his past, however, leaves him with his ambition as a writer.

A prison diary, a story of brotherly love, a journey of redemption, Flanagan’s book goes inside an experience many have had, but few have talked about.

Three of his brothers, including Richard Flanagan were in the audience including one who was in the school with him. It took him many years of reflection before he put pen to paper. The audience had other friends and supporters and all rallied to encourage him as he delved into his subject. I could tell how difficult this launch may have been as his eye contact seldom left the floor.

I look forward to reading this book.

On a more personal side I have started back to the gym. Yesterday I did a 5 km walk on the treadmill for the first time. My tortoise speed was 58 minutes but I was happy. No 4 minute miles here.

I continue to walk and bus to op shops to thrift items for my eBay store though sales are slow. It is not a large store. 75 items at the moment and have profited enough for a few coffees and admission to the Barbie film with a friend. I enjoyed the choreography, costumes and film sets enormously. The story is the message women can be powerful and do everything. It was a bit of fun with a friend while a big storm raged outdoors with over 100 km per hour gusts of winds. Driving home across the Tasman bridge had the car pulling and shaking and I was glad to get off it. Readers who don’t know this bridge google Tasman Bridge Hobart, Tas. It is often an adventure crossing this, more so in my motorbiking days.

All the best to each if you and I’ll leave you with two of my photo club challenge photos. One category is ‘faces’ and then the other is the ‘open’ category. Faces is a Japanese woman from a 2016 trip to Japan and the other is a Tasmanian waterfall near Cradle Mountain for Open.

I hope the week is going well for you all. Read on……

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Author:

I live a retired life in Tasmania, Australia. I love books, travel, animals, photography, motor biking and good friends. I indulge in all these activities with the little Travellin' Penguin who has now shared five continents with me. We love book shops, photography walks and time with friends as all our family is in USA and Canada. I enjoy visitors to my blog so hope you'll stop by.

25 thoughts on “Paring Down…”

  2. I hope I’m your one designated Saffer! Your Japanese portrait is intriguing – her face displays so many different emotions – if only we cou9ld hear her life story. Pls keep on blogging, traveling, clicking and reading. Be well.

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      1. One happy day when I have power & therefore access to my desktop I will hunt up some links to other SA bloggers. I am not the only Saffer industriously blogging away. Watch this space.

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  3. I love your blogs so please don’t delete me. I live in BirdsHill, Manitoba which a few minutes out of Winnipeg. I often read the books that you recommended or like but I get them through the library systems as I simply don’t have room in my house for more books! I live with my partner, Brian now . We both lost our long time loves a few years ago an decided that we would spend the rest of our lives together. Our winter home is in Tucson, Arizona and hopefully we will continue to be healthy enough to return for a few more winter escapes…and hopefully, Mr Trump doesn’t succeed in becoming president yet again. If so, we will be back in our native land of Canada learning to enjoy snow again.
    Carol Best

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    1. I’m not deleting anyone, just not going to follow blogs that are more obscure to me. I enjoy so much hearing from people. Manitoba! Beautiful area. I don’t know which is worse…the blizzards of winter or the heat of Arizona summer. Nice you can escape both. I’m looking forward to Trump going to prison. Thank you for stopping by.

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  4. I can’t imagine not following Jinjer 🙂 I am guilty of reading your posts and never commenting with the exception of the time your dog had a cruciate ligament injury/surgery. Our shiba inu had the same.
    These past few months have been blah for blogging (I’m in a slump) but I do read blogs. Yours in interesting.

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  5. Totally understand Pam, and hope I may be the one from England?? But anyway, I get a bit overwhelmed too, and so may perhaps follow your example. And thank you for sharing your photos – that waterfall image is stunning!

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    1. I enjoy your and STu’s posts and would not give up either. Thank you re comments on photo. You lead me to all kinds of posts and I love seeing what you get up to. I’m off to op shopping today with a friend. Love looking at the books.

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  7. I agree with you. Sometimes you feel it is just too much. I do follow and read a lot of book bloggers, but don’t always comment. Yours is one of my favourites, and Penguin is so cute. The Flanagan book sounds intresseting. An ordeal the whole business to say the least. I love your photos, you are really good. The Japanese lady is wonderful; her calms face, although she seems to have her eyes fixed on something maybe entirely to her liking. A serene photo. Waterfalls are always fascinating. We visited a lot when we were on Iceland. This photo is so wonderful, you really feel the movement of the water. You have managed to show it as its very best. And so much to put your eyes on around it.
    All the best. Lisbeth

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  8. Hello from Washington DC!

    It feels so serendipitous to see you start with topic of “keeping up.” I was up at 4:30 a.m. this morning after crashing last night. Still working full-time and am in an intense period. Just now reluctantly decided that for a large proportion of “notification” social media, if I don’t get to them in a week, it is into the “delete” pile.

    I enjoy your voice and photography so much. Congratulations for being back on the treadmill. Heart issues are a shock to the body’s whole system and that is a marvelous step to be at. Glad to hear you enjoyed “Barbie.” There was a fascinating UK podcast on the entire “Ken and Horses” theme. Poor Ken!

    Here we have a discussion related to Ken’s misconceptions about patriarchy and Men Running Around Riding Horses: https://twitter.com/MECCambridge/status/1685945633604091904

    Best to you as your Spring approaches!

    Maureen M.

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    1. Thank you Maureen. I enjoy hearing what goes on in my old homeland, lol, and especially in DC. I enjoy hearing from you. I need to read more books and get off the screens. Not enough time in a day. Cheers.☘️🌻🐾

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  9. I’m hoping me and Marilyn are your LA friend and cat??? If so, yay and thanks!!! You are one of my favorite bloggers and I always look forward to your posts. I’ve definitely been bad at interacting lately due to this being our busy season at work and then life stuff after work and then reading in between all that. lol

    Flanagan’s book sounds interesting and intense. What a life! I can’t imagine attending your own book launch and having to talk about all that.

    5km (Googles…3 miles) is great!!! I need to get myself out and walking as soon as the temps go down a bit.

    Googles Tasman Bridge Hobart. NOPE! That looks terrifying even without wind. And you used to cross it on a motorbike!!!!

    Both the faces and waterfalls photos are amazing.

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