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On being an invisible foreigner
Migrant, immigrant, foreigner. I have been all of these things. I have also learnt that there is foreigner and foreigner. Many of us have stories to tell about how our nationality or appearance affected a passage going through a border control, travelling abroad or simply when interacting with locals as tourists when visiting another country.. However, in society as a whole, the frequency with which migrant and immigrant in particular have become increasingly associated with conflict, rejection and even death, incites me to reassess who I am and take a fresh look at my status as a foreigner in this chilling new world. A tale of experience.
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Foreign is such a strange word
I've lived as a foreigner and taught my mother tongue as a foreign language most of my life. In fact, foreign started early for me. I discovered the word foreign when I was 5 or 6 years old and immediately found it odd. I remember this encounter distinctly : the lead pencils we learnt to write with at primary school all had the word foreign written on their dark green barrels near the top in gold letters. Want to know more? Read this tale of innocence.
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Mario Rinvolucri, Master Teacher
Mario Rinvolucri, master teacher, passed away this week at the age of 84. He opened the door to teaching English as a Foreign Language for me. Then, once inside, he showed me how to open the windows and let in the light. He loved nothing more than a noisy classroom humming with conversation. He was one of a kind.
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The Dave Simmons Soul Show BBC Radio One 1972-74
Here's my tribute to the Dave Simmons Soul Show including links to recordings of the original broadcasts on the YouTube channel Getting Mighty Crowded. I'm reposting because the channel has released a special video connected to this article. So proud!
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From grammar to graphic design
This is an updated version of Paula Bearzotti’s Learner Tale. Creators’ paths are rarely simple. Here is the testimony from Paula Bearzotti, a graphic designer who speaks with visuals the way others speak with words, and who has accepted to take a new look at the way she has learned, and continues to learn. You can expect something about design of course, but also grammar, algebra and computers. You can expect something about design of course, but also grammar, algebra and computers. The new version of this post includes mentions of encounters with exceptional creative individuals such as Laura Meseguer and Isidro Ferrer, plus a robot known by the name…
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Telling Bob Dylan’s Singular Story
Bob Dylan may be in his 80s now, "A Complete Unknown" has come along and changed the times, presenting Dylan as a young man again in the image of Timothéé Chalamet. I am no longer the 17 year-old who was bowled over by "Blood On The Tracks" in 1975 but this biopic made me want to share the story of how I went seriously Dylan. Here's the final episode.
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Is this the perfect time to discover Bob Dylan?
Have you seen "A Complete Unknown"? I recommend it. My door to Dylan was not a biopic but a biography which sent me in search of Dylan songs at a time when Dylan was no longer making music. Here's episode 2 of my story about searching for a complete unknown.
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My own search for Bob Dylan
The release of the Bob Dylan biopic "A Complete Unkown" makes this a perfect time for a whole new generation to discover a great artist. How does this compare to my encounter with Bob Dylan's songs during a quiet period in his career in 1972? I was 16, he was 31, and things were pretty quiet on the media front. Here's episode 1 of my story looking for a complete unknown.
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The Room Next Door
Is there a door to death? Seeing the new Almodovar film about assisted dying sent me back to something I wrote down in answer to this question after seeing my mother for the last time. Quite a journey, but one which shows what happens when metaphors get real. Let me try and explain.
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Songsmith Van Morrison And The Power Of Musical Resonance
Van Morrison is a great explorer of the power of resonance and in "Listen to the Lion" he gives us a powerful example. It's basically a love song, but it explores territories which are older and deeper than most love songs. It still resonates with me years after first hearing it. Let me try and tell you why.
