The International Writer's Magazine - November 2007 - Welcome

Destinations: Travel stories & guides

Opinion: Politics & Issues

Lifestyles: Ways of living

Historic Indiana Ari Kaufman Explored as early as the 17th century, Indiana became my home in early July 2006. Petra the rock & the hard place Awni Kawar Having achieved our goal of getting Petra voted as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World it is up to put our tourism house in order Magyar Magic Malcolm Hawkins My first trip to Budapest was in 1966. I have lingering memories of a surly passport inspector, glaring at an ID.  The Soul of Japan Tony Alexander's new book on Hot Springs in Japan Planner to the Frying Pan American experience of Spanish Life - Caroline Hunter I was standing in a bar with three middle-aged women. I realized that it was 1.30am my homework for class at nine a.m. sat untouched

Musharraf Sweats & Mailer Dies James Campion Jersey Pedro and myself watched in relative horror as General Musharraf, the acting president of a crumbling government, spoke to his nation The web, it's secrets and Me Laura Patricia My dad, with all due respect, is crazy paranoid. He guards his PIN number with his life at ATMs Disparities of Culture Shock Rachel Boone The Tower of Babel started a phenomenon that we're still dealing with today. One race, one language, one culture existed before the Tower of Babel Postioning The Heads Frank Sloan Soaring costs bite us, plunging incomes snipe at us and garish banks polarized thinking infects us. Is Christmas Shopping Evil? Lisa Timmerman The idea of actively searching for new things to buy for people that don’t need anything is kind of sick.

Some Days Are Like This Juliana Perry Plaguing my mind more often than not these long evenings are those five simple words. The phone is silent and the remains of my own dinner sit haphazardly in the sink Cereal Ethics Eric D. Lehman On the first night of my "Meatless Meals" cooking class, the casually dressed chef told us that she was vegan for health reasons From Horror to Gore Richard Parry Though films from the horror genre rarely top the annual box office they are big business worldwide Tabytha Towe takes Europe Whirlwind adventures for our Vancouver Girl - 'Never fly with a hangover' Mailer, Norman - appraised Dean Borok The funny thing about Norman Mailer’s antagonism towards women is that he always felt the need to keep them around him.

Indian Wedding Journal Heathrow Stopover Linda Albert On the way to India we were scheduled with a five hour layover at Heathrow Here’s The Hitch Max Slachter Some people hitchhike because they have to. Real hitchhikers. They can’t afford a Greyhound bus or they don’t have a license, they have no friends or family who will give them a lift Tongue Tied in Surin Studying Thai Antonio Graceffo The powerfully built monk grabbed me by the back of the neck, yelling “Jab Koh.”  He pulled me toward him, and his knee crashed into my solar plexus 1000 Years in Budapest Kathleen Hegedus-Beeksma Kings and Queens and medieval battles, Hungary has seen all of that! This is a story of foreign occupation, revolution, the struggle to reclaim territory, and fight for freedom

Hackwriters Fiction Getting Out Of Bed Vanessa Telaro Deep down Andie wanted to see how her life would end. In her reverie, Andie was about seventeen years old. The Pleasures of Life Julia Gordon Midday and I was sitting around my house in my underwear reading John Updike. This experience gave me an incredible sense of pleasure... Borderlines 2008 - A Literary Spark - Submit your material

Koko the smoking dog Sara Towe I was separated, lonely and needed to get out and meet new people. My children for years had been begging for a dog and cat Gods of Garbage Dean Borok NY City Council members are spending thousands of dollars to buy garbage cans bearing their names Banking On Greed Michael Levy Almost everyone I speak to these days has a continuing story to tell on how they are being ripped-off by erroneous charges and hidden fees Chick Literati Emma King I looked over the books I own; stack upon stack of over predictable, classically cheesy and a somewhat pathetic collection of chick-lit novels. I love chick-lit - I am an addict How To Be Ladylike Aby Davis I grew up in a girls school where we had to wear skirts instead of trousers cos it was more 'ladylike', I wonder what my old headteacher would say if he could see me now

REVIEWS Books

FICTION Original Shorts

REVIEWS Film

Eggs by Jerry Spinelli Tiffany Lee When a fine but modest and understated tale like this emerges which focuses on the triviality of childhood, it has got a long climb ahead of it. Stalin’s Ghost by Martin Cruz Smith Louise Webster For those who want something perhaps slightly unusual or written with depth, then this thriller is highly recommended, definitely a compelling read The Sorrows of Young Werther Author: Goethe Joseph Grosso However if there is one work that must be named as having captured my personal Sublime as having described my own life experience up till now, it would have to be Goethe’s groundbreaking novel 'Sorrows' Dirty Angels by Andrew Glovers Aby Davis review On page one of Andrew Glovers debut novel his teenage protagonist announces he's got problems. He's short, clever and has weird dreams. He is also psychic    Search this site or the web powered by FreeFind   Site search Web search Fashionistas by Sarra Manning Tabitha Parkes review Definition: Someone who eats, sleeps, breathes and lives for fashion. Understanding Miss Jones Alana Hebenton Bridget Jones’s diary chronicles the life of the attractive thirty something Bridget who lives a chaotic life Unzipped – A Toolkit for Life Author: Matt Whyman Richard Parry Review 'Whyman’s book is a must buy for the inquisitive growing boy or for the worryingly anxious parent' Gallowglass Author: Brian Keaney Stephen Doyle review Gallowglass is the second in a trilogy of young adults fantasy and adventure books called ‘The Promises of Doctor Sigmundus’ Everyman by Philip Roth Josef Fiser It just opens the door. It is like a picture, nicely painted picture which can just please you by its colours as well as take you as deep into life (and death) matters as you can stand. Londonstani by Gautam Malkani, Anna-Marie Dover Londonstani bursts with strong colours and fast action. Written in the first person, with a believable and strong dialogue, this novel’s vivid imagery jumps out of the page like a Roy Lichtenstein cartoon. Watchmen by Alan Moore Art by Dave Gibbons Jack Clarkson An introduction to Watchmen The Cure, by Michael Coleman Chris Burden "1984" meets "Annie". Set in the year 274 AD (After Darwin) we live in alternate version of what our world could become. Just In Case By Meg Rosoff Anna Bennett Such an extraordinary book. It’s strange, haunting, humorous and deeply moving, and unlike any book I have ever read. Holly’s Inbox by Holly Denham Chris Burden Holly’s Inbox tells the story of this year’s Bridget Jones, Holly Denham, a lovable, modern woman with the flaws of a real person Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen Madeleine Collis Mansfield Park takes the feminine ideal in a direction so far north of any modern reality it’s almost unfathomable to believe in such a world. Seeing Stars by Christina Jones, Stephanie Vile I picked up this book because I'm fascinated by astrology and love wondering "what else is out there." Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Written By: Frank Miller 1986 Stephen Doyle The Dark Knight Returns is long considered to be one of ‘the’ graphic novels to be read. It is often held in high regard alongside Watchmen, Maus and The Sandman Ender’s Game Director Orson Scott Card Daniel Alves A child as a hero in an adult world is nothing new, but the book is so finely crafted and written, so varied and so very cold towards Ender, that human empathy compels us to read on and discover his fate ‘Luuurve is a many trousered thing…’ By Louise Rennison. Louise Webster Rennison’s successful ‘The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson’ book series’ is about Georgia, our quirky, hormonal teen protagonist. dealing with the issues of boys, school life, looks and more boys. The Last Great Dance On Earth by Sandra Gulland Ruby Harrison ‘I was not born for such grandeur’ Josephine, in a letter to her daughter Hortense.

Seeds of December Karen Maxwell Seeds of winter are alive in Montauk.  You can hear them under your boots; easy to confuse with small tree branches or bones rising from the deceased Our Man in Africa Mark Cunliffe The jeep bounced along the dirt road sending Harry up from his seat and back down again with a crash. His stomach was not happy about this No Honesty In Death Mark Cunliffe There was a dead body waiting for Harry in Prague. All in all he'd had better welcome parties Linda Regan Author of Passion Killers The Aby Davis interview Oceans Rose Richard Corwin The tropic night air was heavy with humidity that hung like thick motor oil in every breath. When combined with the stillness and eerie darkness, it gave the river a mood as if it were the end of the world. Mayor Keynes Excerpt from 'A Symphony of Fear' Dean Borok No smoking gun was ever discovered with the mayor’s fingerprints on it, and as the flood of nebulous accusations and innuendo cascaded daily in the newspaper and media reports, he ceaselessly insisted that he was the victim of a right-wing smear job... The Tennis Match Martin Green Little did I know that the mixed doubles tennis match I was a part of would signal the end of an era for our suburban tennis club. Heatwave Carolyn Hughes Sirens were blaring, red and orange and yellow flames soared into the sky, and thick black smoke was turning day into dusk. Bulldozers were demolishing trees in the path of the fire; The Suitcase Claire Holland Charlotte’s birthday dawned warm and sunny: the sky an innocent early autumn blue, the day she packed the suitcase. Fragments by Diana Bretherwick Diary entries prior to predicted extinction level event circa 1.4.08 Still Life Mark Robinson - survivor And the skies above the City bleed down upon the earth its overcast haze. Quiet below, sinking beneath the mist, a stale darkness pervades. With streets aloof, atom-bomb atonic. Red flashing twelve o’clocks light a humming wave of out-of-order signs and sequential blinking green men below the anodised phosphorescent burn of street lighting. Hysteria Tessa Foley You won’t feel a thing. Not a thing. I was one of the first to have the operation Streets Linda Waltenberger Kelly's stomach was in jumbles. The knots and gnarls hurt, twisted and pulled. Her insides were about to jump through her skin and there would be nothing she could do to prevent it. The Other Side J.A. Laraque I truly believe it is brighter here. The sun shining on my face feels warmer more welcoming

Control (2007) Directed by Anton Corbijn Russ Thomas Starring Samantha Morton and Sam Riley Control is the tragic story of Ian Curtis, ex-frontman for Joy Division Superbad Greg Mottola (Director) Russell Thomas Superbad is testament to the fact that teen movies based in and around American high schools will never be exhausted. Transformers DVD Review Directed by Michael Bay Jack Clarkson When I went to see Transformers it was a pleasant and heartwarming romantic comedy that I would have enjoyed even more if Michael Bay hadn’t kept bringing in all those scenes with the Giant Robots! Babel (2006) Directed by Alejandro G. Inarrito Starring Brad Pitt Tabitha Parkes A simple gunshot takes us on a journey from Morocco to America through to Mexico and into Japan Reign Over Me (DVD review) Directed by Mike Binder Josef Fisher Dr. Johnson a dentist, meets his friend Charlie (A.Sandler) whose family died in one of the planes on 9/11, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder Borat: Dir. Larry Charles Emma King If there was ever a comedy that made such a phenomenal impact on its audience, it must be Borat Fresa y Chocolate Directors: Alea & Tabio Anne Marie-Dover A bigoted and fervently heterosexual young man and an older, decadent homosexual is very promising, the plot reveals a sensitivity that has made Fresas y Chocolate one of the most celebrated Latin American films of the 90’s. Heroes: A Cultural Phenomenon Calvin Hussey & Ruby Harrison Heroes a cultural phenonemon Saw 1V Director: Darren Lynn Bousman Calvin Hussey The film starts with perhaps the most climatic opening sequence of the series as we see a blinded man pitted against a silenced man in a high octane clash V for Vendetta (DVD) Dir James McTeigue Robert Hillum When V for Vendetta was originally written, politics was very different to now, but being politics what very difference eventually becomes the same. Brazil (1985) Dir Terry Gilliam Russ Thomas reappraisal With such films as Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Time Bandits behind him, one has to expect a little surrealism with Terry Gilliam This is England Directed by Shane Meadows Tiffany Lee Every now and then a film emerges that grabs you by the eyeballs and prevents you from ever being the same. Britain hasn’t achieved this since Ewan McGregor asked 'who needs reasons when you've got heroin?' Black Sheep Madeleine Collis I will never look at sheep in quite the same way again Man Bites Dog Directed by Remy Belvaux Paul Rumble Benoit is well-spoken, well-dressed, often witty and loves to quote poetry. He also likes to kill people. Machuca (2004) Directed by Andres Wood Tabitha Parkes 30,000 children killed. 100,000 arrested without trial. 22,000 expelled. 150,000 exiled. It’s 1973 in Chile Elizabeth: The Golden Age Dir:Shekar Kapur Anna Marie Dover Brilliant costumes a historical drama do not make 300 (DVD) Directed by Zack Snyder Jack Clarkson World renowned historian Frank Miller enlightens us all on what really happened at the battle of Thermopylae. All Quiet On The Western Front (1930) Directed by Lewis Milestone Russ Thomas Few films can boast relevance to all eras. All Quiet On The Western Front, a 1930 screen adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque's novel– written from a German perspective – is one of these films. I Am Legend reprise Dan Schnieder Munich (DVD) Richard Parry On the 5th September 1972, with the Summer Olympics in their second week of competition, eleven members of the Israeli athletics team were killed in what would later become known as the ‘Munich Massacre’.

Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite 'em and little fleas have lesser fleas ...ad infinitum - Augustus de Morgan

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