V for Visage

This turned up on Facebook a day or so ago and it stopped me in my tracks because it was so absolutely true.  Some would argue that we all wear masks and we play act out who we think we are meant to be, rather than feel comfortable enough to be ourselves. To some extent, anyone who LJ or similar social forums could use an icon as a mask and write under an assumed name - which could allow them to be who they truly are.  Personally I don't trust the net enough to reveal anything else than what you see on here.

Pseudonyms fascinate me, though - my hero Ronnie Barker had at least five pen names: Bob Ferris; Jack Goetz; Gerald Wiley; David Huggett and Jonathan Cubbold.  It gave him the freedom to write whatever he liked and have his work judged without favouritism or prejudice. I would most certainly identify with that - if I ever got into print, I would definitely feel happier hidden under an assumed name than not.

Nightmare Eighty Four - Part 1

When I read 1984 in 1984, I was sixteen years old as part of my 'O' level English (now renamed GCSEs). For reasons known to myself, I was not able to finish the course and the book has been on my conscience ever since.  I have an interested in dystopian societies and even as a young adult, I was drawn back to this book.  When I was asked to find a book that would convey 'Sense of Place,' I went back to 1984 as it is the perfect book that conjures up a bleak impoverished police state. I am stuck and have spent hours trying to get unstuck on this.  Mostly it is about too much to say in too little time.

I have a framework to follow and I am only about halfway down the discourse - I have blown 1,100 words already on a 1,650 limit and I am not even half way through.  I have until Friday, but in reality I have only got til tonight to get most of it done.  Tomorrow is taken up by another assignment, that in theory shouldn't take long - but in practice may just swallow up two days.  I am at college the day after that and have an engagement in the evening that I can't get out of.  This leaves me Thursday to get it done.  Another assignment is on hold, simply because I haven't had the time, but the deadline was a little more flexible. Yet another is pending soon after.

One may argue as to why I am on here - good question.  I am on a break because I have drawn a blank. I have a very personal reason to see the back of this - it is 30 years ago exactly that I had to walk away from my education.  I need to slay this Hydra.  I remember having a similar problem this time last year re Wuthering Heights - somehow I managed to get through it, but the marks weren't as good as I had hoped.

*bangs head on desk* - OK - back to work.

(Music = relevent)