Today’s newsletter is an excerpt from my most recently published novel, 1983. Told in the voice of one of the book’s many narrators, it’s the final excerpt I’m publishing here before I start sharing some more bits of my next novel, Everything Will Swallow You
My mother was born in the late 1930s and was desperate to climb the social ladder. She was destined for better things. Ironically, I was destined to live in the world of "Don't Mind Me".
The thing I love about your writing, Tom, is the ease. The stream of consciousness. It's like the flood gates open and the words pour out (though I recognise how hard you work at it). I don't even need to hear your voice read it to me, because it's there, in the words.
When I was a bit younger and still went to work every day, I could do lots of stuff as well as working - cooking every meal from scratch, supervising homework, reading books, making clothes, knitting, drawing, decorating, gardening; presumably by utilising my eight arms. Now I'm retired, I can't do anything like as much, which makes me think the eight arms may have atrophied or just fallen off
I work every day, but I also play, and ponder and pretend to be myself: oh gosh! It's me! ANd I'm 77 years old--is that why I can't seem to understand all the lingo of 1983 UK?
I love this. I was born in Staffordshire and lived there till I was 7 or 8 then we moved to the South West. I remember 'Nesh' My husband jokingly calls me that now as l told him what it meant. Mardy, that was another lovely colloquialism, or ' Mardy arse' as my Mum would call me! And everyone called you 'Duck' Happy days.
My mother was born in the late 1930s and was desperate to climb the social ladder. She was destined for better things. Ironically, I was destined to live in the world of "Don't Mind Me".
The thing I love about your writing, Tom, is the ease. The stream of consciousness. It's like the flood gates open and the words pour out (though I recognise how hard you work at it). I don't even need to hear your voice read it to me, because it's there, in the words.
Beautiful, Tom
Thank you!
When I was a bit younger and still went to work every day, I could do lots of stuff as well as working - cooking every meal from scratch, supervising homework, reading books, making clothes, knitting, drawing, decorating, gardening; presumably by utilising my eight arms. Now I'm retired, I can't do anything like as much, which makes me think the eight arms may have atrophied or just fallen off
I work every day, but I also play, and ponder and pretend to be myself: oh gosh! It's me! ANd I'm 77 years old--is that why I can't seem to understand all the lingo of 1983 UK?
But your piece is lovely.
Your parents are so talented! Obviously it runs in the family.
I love this. I was born in Staffordshire and lived there till I was 7 or 8 then we moved to the South West. I remember 'Nesh' My husband jokingly calls me that now as l told him what it meant. Mardy, that was another lovely colloquialism, or ' Mardy arse' as my Mum would call me! And everyone called you 'Duck' Happy days.
Love this Tom