Tag Archives: katherine gregor

Hallowe’en Edition

No – not the polyester black capes, rubber bats and plastic axes.  Not the fake fangs and stage blood.  Not the tack.  It has little to do with the original spirit of Hallowe’en. And, please, let us spell it correctly.  … Continue reading

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When Writing Tips Become Platitudes

I am a scribbler.  I love writing but, I confess, I seldom read articles or blogs about writing.  Barring the usual exceptions, of course, I confess I find reading about writing tedious. I would far rather read a story than … Continue reading

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Languages: Turning Enemies into Allies

“S and I got engaged!” I announced to my family, just before my second year at university, showing off my emerald and diamond ring. My grandmother did not miss a bit.  “Congratulations, my sunbeam! Does he speak any languages?” “No.” … Continue reading

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U.S. Marine, Verona, Hoar Frost and Sixteen

A little something I remembered, the other day. My French school in Rome used to dedicate 10% of the academic year to guided extra-curricular activities.  That year – the year I was sixteen – among our options was a three-day trip … Continue reading

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Is a Friend in Need Still a Friend in Joy?

“A friend in need is a friend indeed.”  We all know that one.  That a true friend stands by you during adversity, is an accepted, unquestioned assumption in, I dare say, all cultures.  Does the same friendship remain unshaken during … Continue reading

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Odds& Ends: Alone, but not Lonely.

When I was at university, my best female friend said she preferred sharing a house with other friends.  I said I preferred living alone, if I could.  Then she said something that has always stayed with me, “I like to … Continue reading

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Words and Civilisation: “Freedom” and “Rights”

All the news headlines in the country, in the past few days, have mentioned what I understand to be the recent publication, by a French magazine – and now, apparently, also an Irish newspaper – of the Duchess of Cambridge … Continue reading

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A Poesy Ringful of Stories

I used to be a theatrical agent. A young actor from RADA, whilst deliberating whether or not to accept my offer of representation, asked, “What, would you say, sets you apart from other agents?” I struggled to come up with an … Continue reading

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Church Bells

Sometimes, the wind carries in through my windows the faint sound of bells from a Tudor church that stands right by the river.  On a Sunday morning, it is a joyous pealing.  In the evening, the sound is more measured, … Continue reading

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Female Solidarity?*

A couple of years ago, my colleagues and I were watching BBC News 24 during our lunch break.  There was a report about the Chilean miners trapped underground for several weeks.  Finally rescued, the men were telling the interviewer about … Continue reading

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