Top Websites for Learning on the Go

In the modern setting, it can be very difficult to find time to sit down and learn something new. Whether this is because you're already spending six hours a day at school and find you can't bear to look a textbook in the eyes after the torture of it all, or because you have work commitments and responsibilities (shudder) it certainly isn't easy.

However, thanks to the growth of the internet, there are innumerable websites designed to make the learning process easier, more convenient, and generally more intuitive. Below are some of the websites that I have had the pleasure to use over the course of my education, and would highly recommend, along with some that have piqued my interest that I'll be keeping an eye on. Maybe you'd like to try some of them too!



FOR STUDENTS


Sparknotes

 If you are an English lit student, you've most certainly used Sparknotes in the past in order to look up book summaries for works you are studying. If you are a parent of teens, then it is highly likely your child has leaned on this website throughout their secondary school education, whether they've mentioned it or not. This recommendation is less so about the content of the site itself, but rather a suggestion as to how it might be used optimally. Although incredibly useful for cramming information on a text, Sparknotes SHOULD NOT be used in place of reading said text. Instead, my recommendation is that this website be used to get a general feel for a book by reading the detailed summaries available on the website-split up by chapters, characters, or themes etc- to then advance later with your own reading. When used in this way, it is a must for the English student who needs to get their head around some reading quickly, and it has helped me no end over the past seven years.

StudyBlue

Are you the type of person who finds they simply cannot learn something just by reading it? Information just seems to fly over your head? Then it might be that the 'visual' style of learning isn't for you. Instead, creating flashcards might be a better way of helping your brain to process information by writing and reviewing information in your own words, increasing the amount you can store in both your short term, and long term memory, through the kinesthetic learning style. However, it is not always practical to carry around decks full of paper cards, and this is where StudyBlue comes in handy. StudyBlue is a website that allows you to create fully functional, digital flashcards that you can type up and access either from your PC or using the StudyBlue app, meaning you can create and test yourself on the go. Very handy indeed. This website was particularly useful for memorising dates of events for my GCSE and A-level History course, and with it, I achieved A* grades at both levels. Give it a go, and see whether it helps you to learn and memorise things more easily!

YouTube

No, I'm not joking. Yes, YouTube can most certainly be a distraction when you're trying to revise, but if used wisely, and not simply as an excuse to procrastinate, it can be very handy for listening to information you might find difficult to digest by reading. When revising for my Classical Studies exams, I watched all of the videos possible on Tom McKenzie's Classics channel, and it provided insights from Professor level studies that I was able to apply in fluent terms to my own essays. YouTube was also a great help to me when I was too tired to be reading or writing- both of which are very important practicing tools, and not to be neglected- but wanted to still get a little bit more revision done. Don't waste your time with nonsense videos, or parodies, or pastiche, or your favourite YouTube stars, or whatever. There is so much information uploaded in video format to YouTube each day, and it would be a shame if it went to waste.

GetRevising

GetRevising is another website that helped me to not only pass my History GCSE's and A Levels, but also to get a top grade. GetRevising is aptly named, as it is a great place to refresh your memory on a topic covered in school (search for the topic using the search bar, it will probably be there, there's a large community!) or to start early, and use the notes, quizzes and forums available on the website to supplement your learning as you go along with your course at school. I used this website for my Kaiser to Fuhrer module, and because of it I have the terrible Turnip Winter of 1916 implanted firmly in my brain (look it up). In all seriousness,  this website is great for concise snippets of information, dates, key terms, diagrams and other items to make your revising that little bit easier, in almost every subject you might need, due to the community based nature of the site. (I've also just discovered whilst writing the last sentence that the website caters for university students. Guess I might be revisiting it myself sometime soon!) 


FOR THE EVERYDAY LEARNER

Duolingo

I am sorry to say that although I know what a fantastic resource the Duolingo app is, I have a bit of an on-and-off relationship with it. I must stress, that is my own fault. Duolingo is a top class language learning, linguistic loving lark. It takes the process of learning phrases and grammar for pretty much any modern language you can think of - I have dabbled in German, Spanish, French and Italian over the years- and makes it into a very simple daily exercise. You can do as much, or as little as you would like each day, practicing your memory and application of phrases such as 'mi hermano bebo mucho' ('my brother drinks a lot', unless I have made some terrible error) and increasing the difficulty as your knowledge and success rates improve. Duo, the site's friendly owl mascot is on hand to teach you in a cheerful and pretty relaxed manner. You are rewarded for your discerning between a cow and a tin of soup, but failure will not be over-zealously punished, which is also a great feature I feel. The main incentive to keep going, besides the fact that you are trying to learn a new language (an admirable task) is that you receive a 'learning streak' which adds up for every day that you use Duolingo. Let me tell you, it is painful losing a streak after going for more than a month. It will happen, and that day will haunt you for some time to come. Unfortunately, I found that I had other commitments that often meant Duo slipped my mind, and when I began to miss more days than I had totting up, I packed it in completely. Maybe when I get around to a more balanced schedule, I will pick it up again; maybe I'll even try a completely new language. That's the beauty of Duolingo.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy is a website designed to help with learning subjects such as Maths, Sciences, Computing, Arts and Humanities and Economics. Whilst my experience with the website is limited- it has been revamped since the last time I used it- I am aware that it receives fairly frequent updates; I get the odd email every now and then alerting me to new additions and changes. When the user logs in (creating an account is free) they will see a large selection of topics, which when clicked on will expand to even greater subdivisions of learning, meaning you can focus on as little or as much of those 'Differential Equations' or 'Art History' as you like. Whilst I signed up for Khan Academy a long time ago, and still receive their emails, I finished my exams before I had started using it fully. I think that I will take another look at it now that it has been updated so much. I love the idea that you don't even have to be studying that subject in order to expand your knowledge; that's the beauty of free learning resources from websites such as these.

TED Talks

TED Talks are world-renowned for their inspirational, educational, and motivational messages in their videos. You can find a video on pretty much any topic under the sun, presented by professionals in their fields. A lot of the videos focus on science and business, however, topics listed on the website include technology, entertainment, design, business, science, and global issues. You will find that the videos you watch tend to include multi-discipline theory, by the nature of academic study. They are consistently fascinating videos. Furthermore, the 'TEDx' programme caters for an even wider variety of speakers; most anyone can give a presentation (vetted for quality, of course) at TEDx events, and so, as the website states, 'speakers cover topics from sanitation to technological wizardry to deep policy issues to, well, designing boots for beetles'.

WHERE TO FIND BOOKS

Project Gutenberg

I have already extolled the virtues of the Project Gutenberg Library in a past blog post, but humour me once more. Project Gutenberg is an online collection of e-books that are no longer in copyright and thus are completely free to download and read. The amount of books in this library is pretty incredible, and they span the whole spectrum of fiction and non-fiction. If you are looking to learn more about the 'Classics', you can't really do much better than reading the canon for yourself. You will find Austen, Dickens, Brontë, Keates, Shelley, Byron, Coleridge, Euripides, Catullus, etc., all of which can be enjoyed on a digital device. If you pair this service with, oh, I don't know, a Kindle (shameless plug), you can take the reading anywhere, just as you would with a paperback book.

LibriVox

Now this is an interesting one. I can't say that I have much experience with LibriVox. I've known about it for a while, but never have I gotten around to using it. Essentially, it's Project Gutenberg for audiobooks. Expanded by the work of volunteers (you are yourself free to contribute recordings of you reading the books), you can find free audiobooks to download here. I will definitely be giving this one a try; I assume copyright limitations still apply, so you won't find any of the marvelous Stephen Fry 'Harry Potter' audiobook series on there, but I'm sure that there is plenty to put on a music player, and to listen to in the car.

GOOGLE SEARCH TRICKS

Site: Edu

Ok, so these last ones are not websites, but instead are Google Search tricks to help you find the best results for learning and researching resources. I find that these simple addition to my searches are invaluable at Uni, and would have been of great help to me whilst I was doing my A-Levels also.

If you have something scholarly you wish to search out, and want specifically scholarly results- from educational sources-  make sure to put the phrase 'site:edu' at the start of your search. For example:

' site:edu Louis Althusser ideology and language'

Doing this filters your Google search to only show results from websites with the '.edu' domain, limiting your search to higher education institutions, research centres and school websites. It is to be hoped that resources on these sites will be of a higher calibre than those which fill the generic google search. It's not always the case, but this is a handy trick for finding essay writing material because quite often you will be directed towards peer-reviewed journals, university required reading and other verifiable materials.

Filetype:PDF

This trick can be combined with the site:edu one above in order to find copies of hard to get academic works, which are available online in PDF form, often on a university website. By adding 'filetype:pdf' to the end of your search term, you are telling Google that you want it to find you a PDF document. So, say I wanted to find a copy of... the Annals of Xanten, I could search for:

'annals of xanten filetype:pdf'. 

If I wanted to make sure that the search was drawing on academic sources, then I would write:

'site:edu annals of xanten filetype:pdf'

I should state that you should only download PDF copies of works that are no longer in copyright (which exists for seventy years after the death of the author), or works that the work holder has specific rights to disclose. You know the game by now.

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Well, that about wraps up my list for the time being. I might come back and add to it from time to time, or I might simply post updates in new blog posts, as and when I come across them. I hope that you might find at least some of these websites interesting and useful, and if you have any other suggestions for learning tools, be sure to pass them on!

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Websites in this post:

SparkNotes: http://www.sparknotes.com/
StudyBlue: https://www.studyblue.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com
GetRevising: https://getrevising.co.uk/
Duolingo: https://www.duolingo.com/
Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/welcome
TED Talks: https://www.ted.com/talks
TEDx: https://www.ted.com/about/programs-initiatives/tedx-program
Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/
LibriVox: https://librivox.org/

Radio!

I feel like I've been doing pretty well recently in my attempts to find suitable work experience for the future. I posted a blog update a little while ago relating how I had acquired an editorial position at a Lancaster based literary journal called Flash, and to add to that now, I can happily say that I will soon be venturing into the realms of radio!

I was sitting in the café of the Dukes Theatre in Lancaster, whilst John Gilmore of BBC Radio Lancashire was presenting his show there (which I believe he does every first Friday of the Month). We had a little chat after he had wrapped everything up, and we parted as the best of friends. Well, acquaintances. People who talked in a café once?

My dear reader, I'm afraid I've sold you a red herring. Whilst this did happen, and I've got some works details from John Gilmore, for when I decide to do some work experience at the Lancs station, I'm actually going to be contributing to Bailrigg FM, Lancaster University's radio station.

Now, I won't try and pretend that this is a massive step forwards; the radio, like the literary journal is a strongly Lancaster Uni based enterprise, rather than a BBC initiative or even an independent Lancashire radio station. But hey, I still had to get accepted into the team, and that feels like a small achievement.

As for what I will be doing with the radio team, my options are fairly open. The radio hosts a variety of programmes, ranging from political and cultural journalism, to dramatic pieces and desert island disk style music shows. I'm favouring the latter half of that spectrum; my taste in music is very varied, so I might be able to contribute to the music scene in a broad fashion, even if not in a very in-depth one.

The prospect that has piqued my interest the most was the offer I received to produce short episodes of radio drama. I say 'produce'- the role would entail more of an all-round involvement with the process; the programme requires researchers, writers, producers, actors, post-editors and publicity reps. I have the option to take up as many of those jobs as I see fit, so I can envisage myself finding an old short story, converting it into script form, and perhaps even taking one of the voice parts myself.

More than this, there is the possibility to write an entirely new piece of work, to be broadcast for the first time. This would require significantly more planning and writing, but the results would surely be even more rewarding. The thrill of having a work performed for the first time has been described as 'exhilarating' by many a stage and screen writer, and whilst I recognise playing something on the student radio can hardly compare, it would be great preparation and experience for the 'real deal' in the future.

I will have to fit my work at the radio around my other University study requirements, so can't give a definite start and end date. I'll begin looking at things in the new term; I have already roped in some friends to help with productions.

So, another string to the bow, hopefully. I guess the next thing to do is start a film or theatre company. Any takers?

M

In Defense of the Destruction of Print? Why You Should Buy a Kindle

Some of you may know that I recently followed through on a many month long plan, and purchased an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite E-reader, ahead of my returning to University. I had a few reservations about the purchase when sizing up the device, but I also had a fair few hopes, and as I grew in surety of my purchase, a fair few plans for the Kindle also.


What is a Kindle?

Kindle (v):
The act of setting something on fire.
Synonyms: ignite, alight, Kobo eReader, torch

I am, of course, being fas.. fash.. faceesh.. facetious! When I refer to my Kindle, I am talking about the aforementioned Kindle Paperwhite, but the device does share similar properties, I find, with a piece of kindling you might find in another setting. The Kindle is incredibly light, weighing less than a regular paperback book, yet still holds enough weight to feel secure in my hands. The fact that it can store many hundreds of books in its digital memory, that the screen can be read in any level of brightness or dimness, and that its battery can last many weeks on a single charge has without a doubt rekindled my love of reading.

'But, Matt!' you cry, 'my ordinary paperback is as light as most paperbacks, can be read in brilliant sunshine, or in darkness with a torch, and its battery life is infinite. How can you possibly say that yet another piece of technological carry luggage is better!'.

My friend, you just presented a competent and convincing argument for continuing support of the print industry. Most of those who dissent against the buying of e-readers and ebooks (please don't ask me to explain why one is hyphenated and the other is not) will cite these points and demand that a prospective buyer will not contribute to the ever declining readership of the modern society. I understand where they are coming from. I agree that it will be a very sorry day indeed when the last book is taken off the shelf, to be replaced by holo-texts or whatever we have reached by that time, as a valuable piece of communicative history will have been lost. I personally hope that I will never see it happen. 

The printing of books began in earnest in 1455 with the Gutenberg Bible, following the earliest metal-type printed work which was a Korean Buddhist textbook, emerging in 1377. From the time of Moses, notably, and before, systems of language and written text are evident, and thus it is a terrible idea that such industry could be destroyed, even if under the wheels of modernisation and 're-imagined mechanisation'.

However- and this is a rather large however- there are reasons why the Kindle Paperwhite and its creed are beneficial to folks such as me.

I am a student, and therefore streamlining my work process (and costs) is a very sensible move. My kindle can receive and display documents and PDFs of my choosing, sent by email, such as my student handbook, timetable, seminar notes, presentation script etc etc. This is incredibly useful for me in particular, as I am an off campus student, driving in to Uni with only my bag for the day. By uploading my documents to Kindle, I can reduce the amount of paper I need to remember to pack, and also save space in my bag for the items I do need, like seminar work, handouts, notebooks and often-times, my packed lunch. 

Furthermore, American college students in particular will be aware of the exorbitant fees that your college/university will ask you to pay, not only for tuition, but for the books they say are 'absolutely essential to the course, and you mustn't set foot within our establishment without a copy (preferably bought from our bookshop)'. These books are ALWAYS ridiculously over-priced, over-published with only minor changes being made between each reprint, and are likely to be only used a couple of times over the course of the year. The same is true to a lesser degree when considering the purchase of fictional literary texts. For my course, I was asked to purchase a large and expensive anthology of Romantic literature, which I am going to fork out for, along with numerous other classic works, which I am decidedly not. Though I support the preservation of such great works in paper format, and will still buy hard copies if I particularly enjoy that volume, the combination of the Project Gutenberg library and my Kindle has, and will save me a lot of money as well as space in my bag. According to British copyright law, following a period of seventy years after the death of an author, their works become public domain and therefore are free to download and keep. Given that the Romantic period was some one-hundred-and-fifty to two-hundred years ago, works of that age are available for free on Project Gutenberg.

What is Project Gutenberg?

Project Gutenberg is, according to their Wikipedia entry: 

'a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks". It was founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart and is the oldest digital library.'

Used in tandem with an e-reader, tablet, computer or even some mobile phones, one can have access to over 53,000 ebooks. You won't find any brand new bestsellers in the Gutenberg library, but for someone with tastes like myself, all the old classics (literally- they have Homer, Euripides and Flavius Josephus in there!) are available. 

A lot of these out of copyright books are also available to download straight from the Amazon store, which is even quicker, and sometimes contains neat extra features such as the 'X-Ray' mentioned below. If Amazon doesn't have an old text you're looking for, though, you can bet that Gutenberg will. Here is a link:

https://www.gutenberg.org/

What about new books?

If so inclined, I can still buy new releases from the Amazon Kindle store, and they will download automatically to my Kindle for me to read. It really is as simple as that. There are some funny issues with buying ebooks from other suppliers, as they are not readily transferable across different types of e-reader, unfortunately. Then again, most people don't generally buy a car, and then hope they can stick bicycle wheels on it.

But, just think of the children!!

Ok, so it is a sad fact of life that many children today are being introduced to the world of literacy, not by looking at a whiteboard and set of early reader books, but instead by spending hours glued to a tablet or computer screen. Sic transit gloria mundi. A Kindle e-reader is not a tablet, and kids will not be wasting away their precious childhoods by doing exactly what adults do: playing mobile games. 

The words on the screen are formed in e-ink, and change only when you turn the page. The Kindle is made entirely for presenting beautiful words, and it does a fantastic job of it. Yes, children should have the enjoyment of actual paper books. Who didn't love holding a Fantastic Five paperback in hand, or literally poring over a Harry Potter novel? But, if the Cult of Technology really has taken over the world, as it seems it has, is it not a good idea to at least provide an environment with the appearance of technology, and the benefit of learning transferred through paper? The Kindle has a 'Kindle for Children' setting, where parents can choose exactly what their child can read, for how long, and with various additional features to supplement their learning such as in-line word definitions, highlighting, and note taking. Which leads me into my next point, how the Kindle is good for bigger kids.

Writing in the margins, digital style.

Have you ever come across a second hand book, which some inconsiderate person has doodled all over, or scrawled notes in, where you hoped you would be able to make notes yourself? I have. With my Kindle, I can highlight words, make notes on the text using the on-screen keyboard, and send portions via social media. The best part is, all of these notes, highlights etc are erasable. I find this useful for studying both in a University context, and for making notes in my Bible (another fantastic addition to my digital library, which I can carry anywhere).

For those who need reassurance, or are studying particularly difficult texts, by holding your finger on a word to highlight it, you can also see a dictionary definition of a word, translate it from a foreign language (whilst connected to the internet), and using the Kindle's unique 'X-Ray' feature (available for books downloaded from the Amazon store), see where that word/ name occurs throughout the rest of your text. This really is invaluable to me, as the novels I'm reading love their flowery, ever-flowing, obtuse language. The X-Ray feature is great for, say, Jane Austen novels when you have a hundred different Mr and Mrs's and you're starting to lose track of who is who.

So everyone should buy a Kindle then, that is what you are saying?

In essence, yes. I don't know that they are to everyone's tastes, but I bet a lot of people have not even considered getting one. I find it to be an incredible tool, as well as a pleasure to read with, and it has certainly rekindled (!) my desire to read as I used to. I have gone from maybe ten texts in a year, to almost that many in a month, aside from my own personal documents which I can reference on a nice, portable screen. The ability to read books downloaded from Project Gutenberg is also fantastic, and I look forward to buying some new releases sometime soon also. I am determined that I will not abandon the fantastic physical libraries and bookshop atmospheres that I love so much, and I certainly will not support their systematic dismantling; however, I also cannot recommend the Amazon Kindle more highly.

The Need for the Folly

The word folly has several different meanings, each of them suggestive of a daydreaming and escapist approach to life. This is necessary for everyone, every now and then, and the pursuit of same is certainly made possible through writing.

One might describe a person's beliefs or statement as 'folly',  meaning it is absurd, illogical, or insensible. At least one of those words, maybe more, can be used to describe my writing upon occasion. It is not always to be taken seriously, and it is certainly meant in good humour, with the eliciting of thought and the drawing forth of smiles in mind. Whilst it is true that I intend to further my writing on this blog as a matter of gaining experience, and putting on paper some words that I can call my own, I understand that my style will have to develop in order to cater for a reading audience. I can't always be dead-pan serious when this endangers my prospects of anyone ever reading the posts ever again.

Wimpole's Folly, Cambridgeshire

Hopefully I won't be doing myself too much of a disservice when I explain that the other meaning of the word 'folly' is a typically English idea for a small building that-- well-- essentially serves no traditional purpose that buildings usually serve. In romantic literature, the folly was a place of seclusion, rather than one of habitation; a place for thinking and solitude rather than comfort and reclining. It hosted the turning over of ideas and book pages. One of these grand little buildings  could be visited when in need of a place to elucidate, to ponder, and, given their commonly being located in areas of outstanding natural beauty, to be used as a suitable spot for 'gandering'.

And what else should a blog be used for, but to ponder, oft times in solitude, and to elucidate and express ideas, sharing them with anyone else who cares to read? As for outstanding beauty, I'll try to fit in some pretty pictures every now and then.

So, a silly name for a blog, yes, perhaps. An apt one? Certainly. 


M.

New Editorial Job!

A little while ago, I started seeing emails from the English/History departments at Uni, who were sending out notification of upcoming positions in their respective fields. A couple of these positions caught my eye, and knowing that I needed- and still need- to build up experience in the writing sphere, I made applications for a few of these spots.

I later withdrew from one application, sensing that I wasn't the type of person they were looking for (there had not been a man on the team as far back as records went), and unfortunately just missed the position in a second case. However, my last application, for an Editor position at the Lancaster Flash literary journal was met with great praise, supposedly being of a 'fantastic standard', due to its 'attention to detail', 'genuine enthusiasm', 'good critique' and 'pertinent discussion', among other niceties. 

Apologies for bragging- but I mean- it's just nice to savour the moment sometimes, you know?

Anyhow, this is certainly a very good step in the direction I wish to pursue in the future; an 'Editor' role will look great on my CV, and the position will allow for me to work with the other members of the board to shape literary discussion in and around my university. I will be working closely with authors submitting their writing to the journal, and will also have the opportunity to submit literature and critical commentary of my own.

Will I be paid for this work? Your guess is as good as mine. In this case, however, I'm not all that worried, as I think the experience and kudos I'll be able to garner from such a role will be far more valuable to me. Anything on top of this will be a bonus!

I will take up the role at the start of the next academic term, unless anything changes, so have over the summer to prepare and re-draft my own pieces as I see fit, as well as taking a lovely holiday break, for part of which I'll be dorm leader at Coniston Summer Camp (experience of a different kind!).

I really do see this as a step forwards. Getting into editing publications could lead me down the book route (nudge nudge Penguin), the magazine route (nudge nudge Focus Magazine), or the audio-visual route (nudge nudge BBC).

I'll be sure to let you know of advancements in the future!

P.S., if you find any mistakes in the body of this text, please contact the Editor.

WHSmith Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Book Deal

A very quick blog update to say that I have indeed gone ahead and pre-purchased the new Harry Potter script book that is going to be released at the end of July.

First of all, I thought it would be a nice treat, after another session of exams (which are next week, by the way- eek!), and also, I have come across a great deal that is being offered by WHSmith at the moment.

To pre-order the book, you just need to put a deposit of three pounds down at your local till, and once the book is released, you pay the last seven pounds when you get your copy. No fuss, small deposit and good total price; what's not to like!

So, if you fancy getting the book yourself, that is how I would recommend to do it, as I have seen the book for sale on Amazon for ten pounds, purely for a digital copy, whereas 'Smiths are selling the hardback 'rehearsal edition', which will go well with the other collectors edition Harry Potter books that I am sure you possess. No? Shame.

Serendipity

I'm not actually sure how remarkable an occurrence has to be classed as serendipity. I mean I didn't accidentally discover penicillin, nor did I miraculously avoid being squashed by a falling piano, stepping out my way to pick up a ten pound note, but something happened to me a day or so back that I would class as serendip.. seren.... serendipitous?

Having borrowed a box of compilation CD's from my Nan, I decided it was about time that I clean up the household CD racks. To that end, I set about tidying and organising, alphabetising and mentally cataloguing. I discovered an Andrea Bocelli CD. No surprise; he's a popular man in our household, as was Pavarotti before him. The only thing was, I did not recognise this CD, whereas I recognised the others that were slotted in next to it: Incanto, Viaggio Italiano, Sogno et al.

This CD, entitled Romanza, was unfamiliar to both myself and Dad, and certainly not part of my iTunes collection, so into the laptop it went, and soon it found its way into my ears through my headphones. The music player really is the most amazing system of the human body.

This is where the serendipity enters into it. Or rather, it was a serendipitous discovery that wasn't aware of until that moment. There used to be one Andrea Bocelli CD that would always be played in the car during journeys, and it was one that therefore held most of my favourite songs. Unfortunately, that CD was lost to the ravages of time, much to my chagrin, and audio-melancholy. That was many, many years ago.

So, can you guess why finding an unknown CD in an unexpected location might bring such joy?

That's right! I can only recommend that if you are not familiar with this CD, you make yourself familiar with it, as I did again recently. It features such incredible tracks as Con te partirò (classic), Vivere (a personal favourite), Per Amore (something for a summer's evening), Le Tue Parole (extremely easy listening), Vivo per lei (a powerful duet with Giorgia Todrani) and Romanza (deserving of having an album named after it).

Seriously recommended.

To Buy or Not To Buy: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Script Book

Following on from my post yesterday about my favourite pick when it comes to screenwriting software (you can take a look here: http://goo.gl/P4XZpz), I have been reminded that in the not too distant future, a new Harry Potter book is being released! Be still, my beating heart!

But, don't get too excited just yet. 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts I and II' isn't going to be the type of Harry Potter book that everyone knows and loves, but instead, it is simply the released script-book-thing for the stage play of the same name. The book will be canon, and therefore I am a little torn, since I have purchased all the other Harry Potter books available; they were my childhood, and I still read them from time to time, often in the summer. Knowing that this new book will be the legitimate adventures of a post-Hogwarts, post-Voldemort Harry and his new family, including James and Albus Severus, I am naturally curious to see what JK Rowling has 'done with their future'.

But herein lies the problem. I loved the Harry Potter books, as did almost everyone I know, for Rowling's incredible writing style and imagination-expanding detailed description. This script is just that, a script, and so I wonder how friendly it will be to read, short of getting some friends together and performing the entire thing (parts I and II) in a living room. Furthermore, although Rowling's name is on it, it was co-written by Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, and I'm curious as to how much input JK actually had; I hope that she has poured just as much into this play/book as all of her others, rather than simply providing 'creative guidance'.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts I and II hasn't been released yet (and I'm currently contemplating whether to pre-order it) but this brief description can be found on the Pottermore website, the home of JK Rowling's new writings for the HP universe:

'It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.'

(https://www.pottermore.com/news/cursed-child-eighth-harry-potter-story)

I'm also slightly concerned by how mundane this plot synopsis sounds. I understand that this book is not about great struggles between immensely powerful wizards and it's not focused on the wonderfully dangerous Hogwarts castle, but even so I'm not sure Harry Potter should be reduced to starring in a family melodrama. But hey, perhaps I'm taking things too literally, and I am very ready to be proven wrong. 

Ultimately, I'm worried that if I don't like this new book, for whatever reason- whether it be formatting or the direction the characters are being taken in- it will spoil my enjoyment of the series, as the novel is 'canon', and if I had to ignore the fact it exists it will be like that fourth Indiana Jones film, the one no one can  ever talk about.

I'll probably end up pre-ordering this book anyway, but just wanted to get my blind first impressions down, early  doors, in the hopes that I'll have to redact each and every doubt after actually getting my hands on the thing, when it is released on 31st July.

Review: Screenwriting Software

I've only recently started looking for a good screenwriting program, as I wanted to find something to help me speed up the production of my uni work- formatting manually in word was a chore.

To this end, I undertook a relatively brief search into what programs were available and three in particular kept cropping up:

1/ Final Draft 

2/ Celtx

3/Trelby

Final Draft- looks like fruit loops, costs a whole lot more

Being a university student, and a first year no less, I do not have the kind of money to be splashing out on a purchase such as Final Draft. Although I have no doubt that it is a highly valuable piece of kit in the professional screenwriter's arsenal, I only wanted a free piece of software to get me going, and even after a month or so I still don't require all the bells and whistles that Final Draft can offer for creating my own short script pieces.

As for Celtx, it is a highly commendable free screenwriting package. Indeed, it is part of a larger Celtx suite including story boarding, radio script formatting, mind-mapping and several other useful creative tools. Again, my usage of these features would be fairly limited, but as they are offered for free (sort of, I'll get to that in a second) it is hard to complain. My user experience wasn't all that great to begin with. The web browser version didn't load text properly on my laptop, but I am using an older version of Windows, and therefore I'm relegated to an outdated version of Chrome. From what I can see, the page looks beautiful, and I have no doubt it will work fine on most computers. Knowing that the browser version was a bit, well, squiffy for me, I downloaded the iOS app in the hopes this would provide me with a way to write and edit on the go, and I was not disappointed. Celtx is what I use to get down basic skeletons of scripts when I'm out and about; it's funny what you can dream up when you're in a crowded, noisy space compared to what you might consider the ideal writing spot, in comfortable isolation. For me, the downside to Celtx (aside from my glitches out web browser viewing) is the so called 'freemium' model that separates features into basic and subscription only availability. Unlike what is often common with freemium products, my experience was not ruined by ads positively demanding I 'upgrade' to their full suite- ads are nowhere to be seen, and it  is only when you go to create a new project that you might realise some formats are locked. No, my qualms rest in my belief that what you see should be what you get- I'm not a fan of additional purchase models. Furthermore, all of the standard formats you will use are available in the basic, free version, so unless you are a professional, or seriously committed to creating a variety of different script styles, I see no reason to upgrade (other than to support the company that is). So recommended, but not perfect.

Celtx- Close, but no cigar.

Coming to number 3 on the list (number 3 in order of search priority, not ranked by brownie points awarded), I'd actually say that Trelby is the best screenwriting program available to newcomers, and it earns this mark of my respect for several reasons. Like final draft, and unlike Celtx, which requires an active internet connection for their browser version, Trelby is a downloadable program with a very trim file size, and can be used without being connected to the Internet. This makes it incredibly portable and handy when installed on a laptop or netbook.

Trelby is completely free with no hidden extras- though if so inclined, donations are welcomed by the developer, and they deserve it- and is certainly as fully featured as I could want. There is nothing I use on Celtx that Trelby doesn't do, and in fact nothing that Trelby doesn't do in an alltogether smarter way; this brings me to my next point.

Trelby- the smoothest screenwriting experience. Ssss.

The main reason why Trelby sits so well with me is it just so intuitive. Using the tab and enter keys, the prospective writer can change which mode they are writing in (scene heading, action, dialogue, stage directions etc.) completely fluidly and with great speed. After having used the program for a month I can't believe how comfortable it is to use. I must surely have halved the time it takes me to write a scene as I do not have to stop and click to add a new marker- as I might in Celtx. One simply has to type their heading, press enter, write their opening action, press tab, enter a character name, enter, dialogue, tab, action, enter, character and so on, and after a while this becomes second nature and no pauses for formatting are necessary. In short, Trelby is the best free, fully-featured, well-designed screenwriter I have come across. Oh, and did I mention it's free?

Final Draft: https://www.finaldraft.com/

Celtx: https://www.celtx.com/

Trelby: http://www.trelby.org/

All opinions are my own. But hey, they must be justified, otherwise, what's the point in giving them?

It's been a while

So given that I said I would not leave this blog hanging at the wayside, I seem to be doing a pretty poor job so far. It's been a very busy couple of weeks/months and every effort I have made (or at least planned to have made) has been foiled by looming deadlines and scary enrolment choices for my next year of university study.

None of these issues have gone away, and I am still very much weighed down by essays- I have one currently on the idea of the 'rhetoric of antithesis' as applied to the Moriscos of Spain and the transplanted Irish- but I desperately feel the need to post something, ANYTHING, to keep this blog alive.

So, here we are. This post serves somewhat as a prompt to get me writing again, but also it helps me to test out some new auto-posting rules which I have applied to the blog, which should help me to get things up a lot quicker. Furthermore, I can use this opportunity to shamelessly plug/ make people aware of my new twitter account, ironically to be found by the handle ' @WriterNamedMatt '. I am likely to post spontaneously and irrelevantly on this account, as I think is the norm, and hopefully this will spur me to chase up ideas with which I can write fully formed blog pieces in the future. Feel free to follow me on there.

I do have a couple of interesting ideas I want to explore at some point. Among them are the application of quantum physics to Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (about as crazy as it sounds, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around my own train of thought before writing) and 'why the world needs ukulele' (which might be self evident, but I think someone should put it in words).

I have been doing a fair bit of work for my creative writing portfolio, in poetry and moreso in screenwriting as of late, so you may see snippets of that popping up every now and then. I'm planning to do some reviews of the resources that I use to help with my writing, whether educational websites, screenwriting software or places to find inspiration. Since I have exams coming up in the not too distant future, I may revisit some of my old revision sites and give a quick overview of those, which will hopefully be useful to anyone looking for good cramming corners.

Alright, signing off for now. Hopefully speak to you soon.

Poem: Dans la Prairie

An ekphrastic poem based on the painting Dans la Prairie by Jean Claude Monet

At a distance she is nestled 

Amid Cornflowers and Mallow, 

And Chicory, Dropwart, the type that’s market sold, 

Harvested from fields a year left fallow 

So that fair blooms can sit in, fair fields of flowers. 

Her Feverfew shade, in the breeze, rocks slowly 

And as her book pages turn they whisper, farewell, 

To Lupin and Lady Bedstraw, lovers but lowly 

Who eloped on Jacob’s Ladder, or so the author tells. 

Her blush is like Hound’s-Tongue, as they walk from cover to cover. 

Agrimony and Bettony mark the boundary 

Of the muslin, ribbon adorned frame 

That forms the Chamomile hat she likes to carry 

Upon her blonde head, whilst the sun does not refrain 

From bearing down on her Yarrow, gossamer dress.

MT.

Song of the Day: The Heat is On (19th January 2016)

Although I did say that I would be taking a short break from these posts, given that today it was announced yet another talented musician has died, I thought it appropriate to 'honour their work'.

Glenn Frey, perhaps best known for his work with the world-renowned American band the Eagles, passed away yesterday, at the age of  67, after suffering health complications.

Frey became involved as a songwriter with the Eagles in the early seventies, helping them to secure numerous hit songs, making them one of the best selling bands of all time. His lyrics were not his only contribution however, as he often took the position of lead vocals, in songs such as 'Take it Easy', 'Tequila Sunrise' and one of my personal favourites 'How Long.'

The singer's career was a varied one, and along with reaching fame with the Eagles, Frey had a successful solo career, achieving two hit singles in the 80s. Today's Song of the Day is one of these hits, taken from 1984. Entitled 'The Heat is On',  the song was co-written with Harold Faltermeyer, and went on to become the main theme from the comedy film 'Beverly Hills Cop'. It was just one of the film themes that Frey helped to write, his others including 'Thelma and Louise' and 'Ghostbusters II'.

You can take a listen to 'The Heat is On' using YouTube, below:

Lyrics:

The heat is on, on the street
Inside your head, on every beat
And the beat's so loud, deep inside
The pressure's high, just to stay alive
'Cause the heat is on

Oh woo oh ho, oh woo oh ho
Caught up in the action I've been looking out for you
Oh woo oh ho, oh woo oh ho
Tell me can you feel it? Tell me can you feel it?
Tell me can you feel it?

The heat is on, the heat is on

The heat is on, it's on the street
The heat is on

Oh woo oh ho, oh woo oh ho
Caught up in the action I've been looking out for you
Oh woo oh ho, oh woo oh ho
Tell me can you feel it? Tell me can you feel it?
Tell me can you feel it?

The heat is on, the heat is on
The heat is on, it's on the street
The heat is on

The shadows are on the darker side
Behind those doors, it's a wilder ride
You can make a break, you can win or lose
That's a chance you take when the heat's on you
When the heat is on

Oh woo oh ho, oh woo oh ho
Caught up in the action I've been looking out for you
Oh woo oh ho, oh woo oh ho
Tell me can you feel it? Tell me can you feel it?
Tell me can you feel it?

The heat is on, the heat is on
The heat is on, it's on the street
The heat is on, the heat is on
The heat is on, it's on the street
The heat is on, the heat is on

Life Update #1

So we're about halfway through January now, and I have finally returned to University. This is both a cause for celebration, and for, well, despair in my mind.

On the one hand, I get to return to my studies, in English literature, in Creative Writing, and in History. This is something I always have, and always will enjoy. On the other hand, it also means I have a very large influx in work, after a seemingly very long break over the Christmas holidays. Barely a week in, and I am already gripped tightly by coursework, group management and general re-assimilation- to the point of lack of sleep. But hey, it's part of life, and I'm sure I'll get back in the swing of things quickly.

Because of this increased work load though, I do think it might be best if I take a small break from the 'Song of the Day' posts I have been making recently, as even though they are very quickly read, and may seem trivial, they do take some amount of researching, planning and writing, and this takes up time in the day that I could perhaps be using more productively.

However, this doesn't mean I will be abandoning this blog. When I first started it up, I made a post saying that I planned on creating a variety of content, and this is a sentiment I plan to honour. You will probably see some more sporadic posts, perhaps regarding an intriguing word I thought note-worthy, or perhaps even some of my creative prose or poetry, once I have worked out the fine details of my Uni assessment.

2016 has only just started, and I'm going to do what I can to make it as thoroughly memorable as last year.

You'll hopefully hear more from me soon.

M

Song of the Day: Georgy Girl (15th January 2016)

Today's Song of the Day is one of my personal pop favourites.

Written by Tom Springfield and Jim Dale, 'Georgy Girl' was recorded by the Seekers for a film of the same name in 1966.

The upbeat tempo of the song combined with melodic vocals from the Australian folk-pop quartet helped the song to reach #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for that year, and, perhaps more importantly, secured its position in the Coniston Summer Camp Songbook- though it isn't sung as often as it should be!

The song was actually nominated for an Academy Award, but was narrowly pipped by the song 'Born Free', which of course, being another wonderful song gives the impression this defeat was not such an injustice. The film also received a number of nominations in the prestigious award ceremony, and follows the coming of age of London girl Georgy, a naturally maternal, innocent girl as she finds her place in life. Although there are low points in the film, the soundtrack is perky and energetic, full of vibrant guitar and double bass backing, adding an extra element to the lively vocals of Judith Durham and her ensemble.

You can take a listen to this brilliantly cheerful song on YouTube, below:

Lyrics:

Hey there, Georgy girl
Swingin' down the street so fancy-free
Nobody you meet could ever see the loneliness there - inside you
Hey there, Georgy girl
Why do all the boys just pass you by?
Could it be you just don't try or is it the clothes you wear?

You're always window shopping but never stopping to buy
So shed those dowdy feathers and fly - a little bit

Hey there, Georgy girl
There's another Georgy deep inside
Bring out all the love you hide and, oh, what a change there'd be
The world would see a new Georgy girl

[Instrumental Interlude]

Hey there, Georgy girl
Dreamin'; of the someone you could be
Life is a reality, you can't always run away
Don't be so scared of changing and rearranging yourself
It's time for jumping down from the shelf - a little bit

Hey there, Georgy girl
There's another Georgy deep inside
Bring out all the love you hide and, oh, what a change there'd be
The world would see a new Georgy girl

(Hey there, Georgy girl)
Wake up, Georgy girl
(Hey there, Georgy girl)
Come on, Georgy girl

[Fade]

(Hey there, Georgy girl)

Song of the Day: Hedwig's Theme/ Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves(14th January 2016)

It is a real shame that so shortly after the death of one talented star, another follows in its wake.

It was announced today that Alan Rickman, a talented British actor, has passed away after a battle with cancer. Rickman was best known for his roles in films such as Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Die Hard, Galaxy Quest and the Harry Potter series.

It is from the last set of films in this list that Rickman is most easily recognisable to the younger generation. Growing up with Harry Potter books, and films, it is of Rickman whom a child/teen would think when encountering the character of Professor Snape the terrifying Potions master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To that end, I thought today's Song of the Day should be a piece from the Harry Potter films.

Written by John Williams, Hedwig's Theme is, like Alan Rickman, one of the franchises most memorable features. It is a waltzing, magical score befitting of the film it accompanies.

Our thoughts must surely be with Alan Rickman's family at this time; his career is long and accomplished, and tributes are pouring in, each one proclaiming him a loving and lovable character, despite his on screen personas.

You can take a listen to Hedwig's Theme below on YouTube. I've also included a link to the Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves main theme, in case Rickman's dashing but villainous portrayal of the Sheriff of Nottingham is more to your liking:

Song of the Day: Road to Hell (13th January 2015)

Despite its rather fearsome name, today's Song of the Day is possibly one of my favourite rock ballads of all time.

Written by English singer/songwriter Chris Rea, the 'Road to Hell' is a two part song which featured on the 1989 album of the same name. The song peaked at #10 on the UK singles chart of that year, perhaps slowed down by the influx of traffic which inspired the song; it has been stated that Rea's inspiration for the ballad arose from the frustration of traffic jams on the M25, or perhaps the A19, near Middlesborough.

Whatever the song's origins, its title is apt, and listeners will enjoy the narrative style which describes a catabasis passed 'a river that boils with poison', and 'dimly lit streets'. This is not a depressing or upsetting song, by any means, but it is one that holds tension, exuding the classic rock vibes of its era. Chris Rea's recognisable husky tone is connotative of sharp-lined, leather seated saloon cars, cruising (or otherwise) down a motorway, at night- perhaps even in the rain. It's terribly atmospheric, and definitely worth a listen.

You can hear Part II (the best part in my opinion!) on YouTube below:

Lyrics:

Well I'm standing by the river

But the water doesn't flow
It boils with every poison you can think of
And I'm underneath the streetlight
But the light of joy I know
Scared beyond belief way down in the shadows
And the perverted fear of violence
Chokes the smile on every face
And common sense is ringing out the bell
This ain't no technological breakdown
Oh no, this is the road to hell

And all the roads jam up with credit
And there's nothing you can do
It's all just pieces of paper flying away from you
Oh look out world, take a good look
What comes down here
You must learn this lesson fast and learn it well
This ain't no upwardly mobile freeway
Oh no, this is the road
Said this is the road
This is the road to hell

Song of the Day: Invincible (from Wrath of the Lich King) (12th January 2016)

Today's Song of the Day comes from the popular video-game franchise World Of Warcraft, published by Blizzard Entertainment. The music comes from the soundtrack of the second expansion of the MMORPG, 'Wrath of the Lich King', and is well known among the community for being the epic backing track to the opening and ending cinematics.

I never really got into World of Warcraft (or WoW for short), but one thing I did enjoy was the soundtrack to the game, especially 'Invincible'. According to the wiki, 'Invincible' was released as part of the WoW 5 Year Anniversary Battlecry Mosaic in 2010, later included in the Wrath of the Lich King standalone soundtrack. It was also available in game, and was dropped upon defeating Arthas Menethil, the titular Lich King, in Icecrown Citadel.

As for WoW, I haven't heard anything about it for quite a while. The series seems to have been overtaken by Blizzard's other titles, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (which I love), Heroes of the Storm (also a big fan), Starcraft II (not my type of thing) and Overwatch (still in beta, but looks quite interesting).

To listen to this epic, haunting piece of music, take a look below:

Song of the Day: Space Oddity (11th January 2016)

Admittedly, I have been rather remiss in not listening to lots of David Bowie's music. Unfortunately, it was announced today that Mr Bowie has died, and as such, millions have been flocking to social media to pay their respects and give their thanks for the excellent entertainment which he has provided over many decades.

As I say, I was not very well versed with David Bowie's songs (perhaps to my shame), but one that I did know, and very much enjoyed was 'Space Oddity'. Released as a single in 1969, the song documents the launching into space of 'Major Tom', a fictional character, though it also marked the launching of David Bowie into the UK's Top 5 tracks, and later, after being re-released under license by RCA records in 1975, it was also his first #1 hit.

As for the life of David Bowie, spanning nearly seventy years, it must be said that the star's career was varied. As well as being a multi-talented, multi-instrumental musician, Bowie is famous for his appearances in film, such as in the cult-classic 'Labyrinth' (complete with questionably tight attire) and his other-wordly stage appearance complete with colourful hair and ridiculously 80s glam fashion, posing as the 'ultimate popstar', Ziggy Stardust.

Bowie is survived by his wife, Iman, and two children, Alexandria and Duncan.

You can take a listen to Space Oddity on YouTube, below:

Lyrics:

Ground Control to Major Tom
Ground Control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills
and put your helmet on

Ground Control to Major Tom
Commencing countdown,
engines on
Check ignition
and may God's love be with you

[spoken]
Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Liftoff

This is Ground Control
to Major Tom
You've really made the grade
And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear
Now it's time to leave the capsule
if you dare

This is Major Tom to Ground Control
I'm stepping through the door
And I'm floating
in a most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today

For here
Am I sitting in a tin can
Far above the world
Planet Earth is blue
And there's nothing I can do

Though I'm past
one hundred thousand miles
I'm feeling very still
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell my wife I love her very much
she knows

Ground Control to Major Tom
Your circuit's dead,
there's something wrong
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you....

Here am I floating
round my tin can
Far above the Moon
Planet Earth is blue
And there's nothing I can do.