Charles Dance

by Daniel Williams

I was asked to link to this.

You can read HERE what I'd like to think Charles Dance is doing instead of coming to DeMontfort.

I Failed My Japan Quiz

By SCN

Pam Thompson is a clearly brilliant reader and performer, with a strong clear voice. As an audience, I was sure that she knew her own work.

However, for the first half of the lecture I felt disengaged with the material, and uninterested by the story of a mother and daughter who both married sumo wrestlers.

The lecture did pick up once we got onto what I would call "more up to date" material. Poems where she said she talked about her children: her son and daughter, and the story of "The Hoody."

Those pieces were her strongest, and the emotion, the narrative and voice came across much stronger in those piece, than in the original Japan based pieces.

Maybe this is because I am just leaving the stage of "The Hoody," to enter adulthood, and therefore I have some affinity for the characters in those particular poems.

Still, it was an enjoyable experience, and I would reccomend picking up a copy of Pam's book "The Japan Quiz."

Where could I be (or heading towards) in three years?

By AJ

I don't like that question (in the title), how can anyone answer a question like that when life moves at the pace that it does. Lord, I don't even though where i'll be tomorrow, I don't tend to plan that far ahead. Thats what I like about the uncertainty, why would I want to plan out my life like a dot-to-dot. However, there is nothing wrong with a glimpse into the future.

Next week marks the beginning of Cultural Exchanges, a week long festival featuring talks from people who have crafted their names in the industry. One i'm looking out for is the Creative Writing launch on Thursday 5th March at 10am-12pm in Clephan Building room 2.30, DMU's Creative Students begin to step out into the big bad world, each one in my eyes like pioneers.

Introducing the Radio 1 DJ... Trevor Nelson!

By BS


Like many of you I am sure, I listen avidly to BBC radio 1: Scott Mills, Edith Bowmen, Annie Mac, Zane Lowe, Jo Whiley and I even manage to drag myself out of bed early enough to listen to some Chris Moyles. However, the people above are easy to listen to; not only are they entertaining, but they also play a selection of popular music within the top 40 or (as it is with Zane) play new and up coming stuff giving you the freshest music of the scene.

I'm not one for R 'n' B music at all. Actually if I'm honest, I would say that I didn't really like it. Yet I find myself listening more and more to Trevor Nelson on the beeb. As he is known as a pioneer for urban music, you may be thinking that this is strange, but I think that, this is because he not only doesn't force urban music down my throat or insists that I listen to it, but he has this way of gentle coaxing it into my head till I find myself, sort of in a trance, downloading a certain urban track off ITunes.

To me this beats all of the humor and wit (which he still has) as it subconsciously gets me listening to music I had previously written off as 'not my thing'. This is why, in my long winded way, I am suggesting to you to go and see him next Monday at the Cultural Exchanges week at 4pm (advance booking only.) I believe that not only will you find it fascinating and humorous but your eyes will also be opened to new music in a way that you've never seen before.

Post-Show Discussions - Get Your Money's Worth

By SCN

I for one, have already seen Martin McDonagh's latest play, The Pillowman at Leicester's new theatre, The Curve. I was lucky enough, to go to the preview show last month and it is one of the most gripping macabre plays of this year.

In the light of this, I urge anyone who has got tickets for the show on Tuesday 3rd March 2009, to go to the post show discussioon "Fiction and Moral Repsonsibility." It is set to be a heated debate, chaired by the Artistic Director of Curve and director of The Pillowman, Paul Kerryson, as well as visiting guest academics from DMU.

To top it off, some of the cast and crew will also be there, so this means Marc Warren could be there.

If this is not enough of a reason to attend the post show talk, at least take the time to go see the actual show. It is a spectacle you won't soon forget, filled with nail biting tension and a twisted yet brilliant plot.

By this point, if you've already got a ticket, get your money's worth. The post-show discussion is free to all ticket holders.

Check out The Curve's website for tickets which start at £14.

Launching

by kb

We've been preparing for three years. When the undergraduate Creative Writing degree was set up and we offered places for the first time, we knew there would be a launch. It's time for the Demon Crew, as De Montfort's creative writers are known, to go out into the world.

In their final year, students study self-publishing and work with desk-top and web-design software. They have to submit a publication in the format of their choice. They've been worried about this. I've been worried too. The publications have to be good enough to launch at Cultural Exchanges.

This week, the first pamphlets and posters arrived. I was stunned. They looked so professional - far better than many pamphlets of poetry I have bought. The students have a strong sense of visual style. I wanted to read everything at once but was scared of damaging the pristine copies, fresh from the press.

Next week, the students will work more on the vocal skills they need to read, present and perform their work. There will be little tasters at the launch. We're still fixing the programme but I think there will be two different blocks of readings and performances at 10.30 and 11.30. There will also be a chance to wander round, meet the students and see their work.

We're not promising any big names of today. Instead we're offering visitors a chance to talent-spot the writers of tomorrow.

If you're in Leicester on the morning of Thursday, 5th March, why not come along? The launch is in the Clephan Building between 10 and 12. It's free. You could even add a comment if you're planning to attend ...