Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from July, 2011

Cold and wet but chapter one is drafted

Longing for Highland Waters snow and solitude! Study tidied, feel like despite the digital world of research paper continues to pile up and another self of the bookcase is folderised while the filing cabinet has been culled of old papers. At least paper remains while my Time Machine has suddenly decided that backing up is too stressful and has refused to do it. Mild panic but Ross had rescued the thesis until the TM can be repaired or replaced. Have spent the weekend emailing out research findings, following evidence trails and procrastinating on the Methodology chapter.

Girl writing

Writing at the HJ Though ten books is a very small sample, there are a number of differences between those fairy tales written by men and those written by women. Argamona, Koppelb, Fine and Shimonib  (2003) concluded after an extensive study of contemporary works that the writing style of women is ‘involved’ while men’s writing is more ‘informational’. Put simply women’s writing develops relationships between reader and writer while men’s writing references concrete facts such as place and time to build context. Interesting research to be queried and challenged.  Male fairy tale writers do not seem to have the same concerns about the worth of their book while female writers seek approval and acknowledgement and their approach is self-deprecating, perhaps to deflect criticism and also indicate their awareness of social expectations for female writers.  The women writers humbly offer their stories to their audience. Which of these is the male writer? ‘ AUSTRALIA! Hast thou no ench

Snowed in on the Central Highlands

It's tempting to go for a walk around the lake, drive 23 km down the road for a coffee at the Hungry Wombat Cafe or hike around Lake St. Claire rather than write BUT we're snowed in. Kel who visited for the weekend can't get back to Hobart to catch a plane to Melbourne. The roads are closed. It's snowed for 24 hours off and on. The world outside is white and magical and the fire inside is glowing. Nothing to do but eat chocolate cake and write! I should be productive. Monday 8 pm - still snowed in - road closed between Derwent Bridge and Tarraleah - so Kel has borrowed the laptop so she can work!

Cold Conference but some hot tips

T he Australian History Association Conference in the amazing UTAS (University of Tasmania) Academy of Arts building: machinery and space but very cold. Definitely a 'coat' Conference, though the food was definitely warming (soup, hot muffins) - a bit lonely as I am used to people chatting in queues or after leaving presentations. Networking happens in the breaks but I felt a little wallflowerish (Yes, unusual for me!) and probably missed the opportunity to kick start some new thinking patterns. Great artworks on the wall by students and my favorite was 'Berliner Dom' (I was warmer there last winter) and the Teapot style adult 'Polly Pockets'. A couple of good contacts: Research about the movement between Hobart and Dunedin which clarifies why Beatrice Wilcken was there for a couple of years. (exciting!) Research that precipitated thinking about the purpose, motive, impact of writing in margins Research about the use of court records and building individ

Principal or Princess

Trooper Floyd, tired from a 'Day on the Diggings' (1850)  relaxes in a 21st Century Principal's Office. After a term as Acting Principal with the non-stop plethora of challenges that are part of the job: dead rats to bury; technology hiccups - dead photocopiers, dropped laptops; the worry of purchasing furniture/ shelving for our new library-technology space when my degrees are in education NOT design; trucks that smash the water meter 2 hours before 400 children descend on the school and want to use the toilet; dealing with student learning issues to maximise outcomes and coaching staff;  the opportunity to escape to our favourite J & J house in the Great Lakes area of Tassie and do some writing is my idea of bliss. Nestled amongst the gumtrees First I am attending The Australian Historical Society's Conference:  History At The Edge Conference   ash cloud and the demise of Tiger airlines permitting with a paper exploring the similarities between the fair