As you will know by now, I am a fan of Margaret Atwood. I first read her work in school when I studied The Handmaid’s Tale and have been reading and re-reading her work ever since.
When I saw that The Handmaid’s Tale was being televised I knew I had to watch.
It’s brutal, but it’s a reminder how easily we can lose hard-won freedoms. Giving up a few freedoms here and there in the name of security from terror may seem a small price to pay but the problem is that you don’t know where it stops, and if it ever will.
This weekend, another response to terror was put forward: The Great Get Together. This was a series of linked community events across the country, with the aim of encouraging friendliness and social cohesion. It was a celebration for Jo Cox, an MP murdered last year.
Focussing on what is good, I made my way to our local event, and it was lovely. The sun was shining, there was a great spread, lots of people to talk with and it was a very positive way to spend an afternoon.
It was the kind of event I could imagine reading about in a chirpy romance or a 1950’s comedian the style of The Darling Buds of May. It was delightfully countrified!
I am working on a poem for next week’s writing group but I definitely want to revisit yesterday’s mix of nostalgia and reality in some way. Treating it as some sort of stand against oppression will be a challenge, but there’s no point making like too easy for myself.
That’s all for tonight. Have a safe and happy couple of days and I will be back on Tuesday.
Happy writing,
EJ
🙂
Becoming a writer 