Archive for April 2009
The death of Ian Tomlinson, Jane Austen, and how to raise children……..thoughts on the week’s stories.
Posted by: melissabenn on: April 11, 2009
- In: Events | Guardian article | Musings | News
- Leave a Comment
Two stories this week, both in the Guardian, have refreshed my faith in journalism, firstly the unfolding tale of the tragic death of Ian Tomlinson, the newspaper seller who collapsed during the G20 protests in London; the other a feature in today’s Guardian about two different organisations helping troubled kids. The extraordinary Ian Tomlinson story [...]
Where is Labour’s vision for schools?
Posted by: melissabenn on: April 7, 2009
One does not need a degree – or indeed level 4 – in common sense to interpret the political meaning of Ed Balls’s most recent speech on Sats. In effect, the schools secretary is saying: We know this system needs radical reform, but we need to be seen to be doing it in our own [...]
Hollywood women: then and now
Posted by: melissabenn on: April 7, 2009
- In: Musings | Reviews
- 2 Comments
Over the past forty eight hours, I have watched two glossy, high end Hollywood ‘womens pictures’ : All about Eve, starring Bette Davis and Anne Baxter, made in 1950; the other a 2008 remake of George Cukor’s classic The Women, starring Hollywood royalty of a certain age, including Annette Bening, Meg Ryan, Debra Messing,Candice Bergen, [...]
The women who rule our hearts not our countries.
Posted by: melissabenn on: April 3, 2009
- In: Musings | News
- Leave a Comment
Here’s a quick thought: in a week when political wives shone, and political husbands were shunned, why is it that we love the modern female political spouse so much? Granted, they do the job allotted to them with supreme grace and humour, but that’s the point: it’s a job and yet not a job. Increasingly, [...]
What stops writers from reading as much as they’d like to?
Posted by: melissabenn on: April 1, 2009
I sat in on a really interesting conversation earlier this week between a group of well known writers, all talking about how they read, or why they don’t: ‘ I just can’t read, sitting at a desk. Unless I’m at a desk in a library…’ ‘ I do take a book if I’m going on [...]
Welcome to my website. I am a writer, novelist and campaigner. Follow the link below to my latest book. Join the conversation on Twitter. Or comment on this blog......
