When Death Does Have a Dominion

As a child I used to come home from junior school and I remember my mother being in the kitchen preparing the evening meal for the whole family. While she did this she would have BBC Radio 4 playing (now that is an 'old fashioned' word, I nearly typed 'streaming') on our old Dansette Gem radio exactly the same as the one to the right but it was a fetching pale blue in colour and had an unusual fleshy plastic coating on it. It also typically had a flour dusting on the volume knob and perhaps, in the tiny kitchen we had then, the occasional gravy spatter. Funny the things you recall.

It had a big impact on my life (NOT the gravy! But it must have as I am still able to clearly visualise that scene) . My favourite was a reading by Kenneth Williams of Kenneth Grahame's 'Wind in the Willows' which inspired in me a love for literature at an early age. I recall that there would be a serialised book reading at around 16:45 before the BBC evening news on a programme "Listen For Pleasure".

Here is a free text version of Wind in the Willows. Here is the wiki about it with lots of information factoids e.g. Pink Floyd naming their first album after Chapter 7 "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn' and Debbie Harry being in a band called "Wind in the Willows", Grateful Dead... the links and track backs are fascinating to follow.

Perhaps most famous were the book illustrations by E.H. Shepard who died in 1976 at the age of 97. Shepard's most famous works are the illustrations for Winnie the Pooh. However, he also worked for a time at Punch magazine (I won a caption competition from this site and have a print of the original work - must frame it and hang it up) and drew what is believed to be an early incarnation that formed the basis for Pooh. This is believed to be it =>


But that is not what I intended to blog about.

The guy in the picture to the right is Dylan Thomas. Famous for his many poems and prose. Truly warm feeling listening to "Under Milk Wood". Listen to Thomas reading and you will understand the lyricism in the way he converted his thoughts to words. Even if some of it is presented through a drunken haze.

Words are wonderful and powerful things. Embedded in my mind forever is one of Stevie Smith's word paintings which I learned at the age of about 9 or 10. It conjures up so many clever images and stories behind the words.

"Aloft , in the loft, sits Croft. He is soft"

No matter the layout I give you here, it is still marvelous.

There's lovely. Also reminds me of George (Ian Lindsay) in 'Men Behaving Badly' doing his Welsh lady accent in the first series with Gary (Simon Clunes) and Dermot (acted by Harry Enfield). Wonderful comedy series which will make you want to wet yourself.

But that is STILL not what I wanted to blog about.

What I wanted to blog about is DEATH. That horrible 5 letter word that people have a lot of angst about and a word that is often spoken in a hushed tone. Not being morbid here but this subject affects you! I mean YOU, and me, and a whole pile of nice, rich, poor, orange, purple, whatever shape, people. We all know we are going to die. Why worry? Do you know what death is like? No? Neither do I. Ergo, nothing to worry about. If you do have a direct, provable experience to expound upon then please let me know.

The REAL thing that people worry about (in my opinion) is not death itself. It is the WHEN? and HOW? (as well as making sure you are wearing clean underwear when you get run over by the bus your mother would tell you about).

Quite simply the funniest death related story is Terry Pratchett's - 'Reaper Man' (I laughed so much I almost died). It takes its title (I seem to recall) from a word play on Alex Cox's 1984 cult movie 'Repo Man'. Without spoiling anything by telling you any detail about 'Reaper Man' it is based on the basic question of 'What would it be like if there was no death?' or as Pratchett would write it DEATH (because this is how He speaks). And we should not forget 'HIS' horse 'Binky'. Go buy the book and also get Cox's movie too. Quentin Tarantino was influenced by this movie apparently. Money well spent I on the book and the film I promise you. Comedy writing so well done. Even if it does wrap itself up in a fantasy/science fiction genre, do not be put off by that. And, as for the movie... go get some popcorn.

NOW I get around to what I really wanted to write about. I wanted to tell you about the Machine of Death. This is your opportunity to contribute to a writing exercise which bases its premise on the idea 'What if you did know the WHEN and the HOW you will die?'.

Now that IS something to write home about. It is explained here and also does a lot for highlighting Creative Commons and the EFF. Plus, if your story gets selected, you get $45 US.

Go do it. I am. Might even get to make a living out of it... I do not intend to go gentle into that good night