Emily Cat 176

Before the covid19 lockdown l had never heard of Twitch TV. I went looking for Michaela Burger and ended up finding so much more.  Twitch TV has a little bit of everything.  There's games, tv shows, chat shows and many musical artists. I found Michaela Burger's site and now follow her. While there l looked at other sites and was surprised to find all sort of things. Take a look at ' Be happy with Eigth Radio'. Google it and you will find a man playing a red piano accordion.  Do l like the piano accordion? In small doses, but, it got me thinking. Apps like this let people showcase their talent to the world. There are so many talented artists who we never hear from. Not everyone becomes a household name. The piano accordion player may be well known in his own country, and if anyone can tell me what language he's speaking please let me know, but something like Twitch TV allows him to reach a world wide audience. You can follow artists and support them through donations...

I was looking at a podcast on The Guardian this morning. Acclaimed children's author Andy Griffiths was answering questions from children about his books. It got me thinking; writing for children is a skill not all of us possess. How do you write, and not talk down to children? I love reading short stories and that is another specialized skill. It's very hard to encapsulate a whole story in the short form. So, l have a challenge for you all.  Try and write a short story with a 500 word limit. Have a think about it and have a go. It's harder than it sounds.

From the new Emily Cat YouTube channel. https://youtu.be/6MrOZgDywro

The lockdown continues. In Australia the arts, and book , industries are decimated. I feel so much for all the performers, singers, writers and everyone who is suffering because of this. I feel desperately sad for all those around the world who have died; it is too sad. I had so many plans to see so shows this year, but, it pales into consideration for all that has been lost. Singing musicals in my mind and hoping that this will abate soon.

She was an American of French and Austrian descent and was born in 1926. She spent most of her working life as a nanny, giving care to others. She also had many storage lockers. In those lockers were photos, many, many photos. She took photos on the streets of Chicago and New York mainly through the 1950's to the 1980's. In the '70's and 80's she took coloured photos, but, it's the black and white photos in the 50's that l love. Vivian Maier passed away in 2009 and it was only after her death that this all came to light. She was a street photographer, and a very good one at that. I prefer black and white in photography and her shots of everyday people doing everyday things are a study of place and time. Definitely planning to buy one of the prints. www.vivianmaier.com

Do you like Agatha Christie novels, have you seen the tv productions or any of the films?? I'm not a great tv watcher. I don't sit for hours or watch anything so long as the tv is on. That's not to say there are good programmes on tv. Instead, l tend to watch only what l want on one of the two free tv streaming shows. In Australia we have I View, which runs ABC programmes and On Demand, which runs SBS programmes. Anyone can watch, you just have to sign in. On Demand also have Nordic Noir; that's all the crime shows from Scandinavian countries, and let me tell you , Scandinavian countries make great crime shows. They are also running Les Petits Meurtres d'Agatha Christie. SBS have translated it into Agatha Christies Crime Games, but if l remember my school French correctly it translates into The Little Murders of Agatha Christie.  The title may give you a clue. This is the French take on Agatha Christie. There's no Poirot, and no Marple. Instead you hav...

The libraries and bookshops are closed. I feel for all those employees who have been let go, so was l. For all those of us who love reading this is a tough time. I don't like ebooks. They do not replace the feeling of holding a book in my hands, sitting in a comfortable chair and getting lost in another world. I don't buy many books, nor do l keep books. Those l buy, once finished, are left in public somewhere safe in the hope that someone picks them up, reads them and then passes them on to others. I love the thought of a book travelling around the city ( although it might not be good to do this at the moment) I'm a great supporter of public libraries. I think they are a vital cog in any society, but, even they are closed at present. So now l am listening to audiobooks. I loved being read to as a child and have easily slipped back into that happy place. The J.D. Robb series, Jane Harper, Rachel Lynch and Chris Hammer books have all been wonderful audiobooks. I have re...