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#HistFicThursday - Folk Music - The Spinners

 Today, in Caithness, the sun is shining and the air is clear. I'm sure it will come as no surprise to anyone reading this blog that, certain weathers and certain times of the year ignite certain music in me. And, on late winter days which are filled with sunshine, I am usually to be found singing the songs of The Spinners . Inevitably, I start humming different ones of their songs (and of course adapting them to be about Orlando and Jess) as I go around doing different things. But I remember almost all the words to them. I haven't heard a lot of them in years, but they are all there, rooted in my memory. It is truly fascinating to think about how these songs have passed through history. They are part of my own nostalgia, which is why crisp sunny mornings make me incapable of ignoring the temptation to sing them, but they are part of something much bigger. There are songs amongst them which are a newer step in the folk music movement. Songs like Silver in the Stubble are amongs...
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#AuthorOfTheWeek - Communicating Through Writing

Here's another blog from Susan Crow, our Author of the Week. This time, Susan is addressing the significance of using her writing as a form of communication.

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Writing is a marvellous way of communicating ideas and opinions, experiences and memories. I enjoy sharing the positivity in my life in such a way as to rekindle old, happy memories in the reader. I also want to communicate my concerns for causes and to reassure the reader that there is something we small people can do to improve all life on this planet. I'm uncomfortable standing in front of a large group of people and telling them this. I dislike telephones. I gave up on Facebook when someone pretended to be me. The very thought of it! That there might be two of me. The world may be old and ailing but it still isn't ready for two of me. 


So, since I love words and using them to express myself in writing, it follows that I communicate that way. I have a very real need to offer some of my life experiences to the reader as I know there are people who will find them recognisable and encouraging. 


I appreciate poetic language in others' writings. I like to dabble with poetic language myself. But sometimes it doesn't work. Sometimes it inhibits communication. In "Child of the Earth" I have mixed and matched and, if you read it, you will understand why. I wish to communicate, to the reader, my part in the natural world with all its richness and depth. I also need to get over the stark truth about where we need to go from here. That requires economy of language and carefully worded optimism. Hopefully, I have communicated my world of nature AND my concerns for the future of our planet.

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Available as both an ebook and a paperback.

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