being and becoming in the world
From 1979 to 1985 I attended Firrhill Secondary School in Edinburgh. Despite being considered a ‘backward learner’ and being shy, I was both happy and successful at this large comprehensive … Continue reading Firrhill Secondary School
[Words taken from the novel Any Human Heart by William Boyd]
Secret Shape of Time It is early morning, Granny’s kettle whistles she winds the grandfather clock. It is lunchtime, Bonaly Primary School I am ‘backward’, so I am told Summertime, … Continue reading Difficult to cure
[a time passes poem]
Born backward, I was not breech [ask my mum] In Primary School nobody could use a ‘b’ better than I could [in place of a ‘d’] ‘d’ could be ‘D’ … Continue reading grammar and syntax
Prosody (when and now) Syntax (arranged) Grammar (not to be silly) Punctuation (all in the timing)
I struggled so much in my primary school years that a decision was made not to enter me to George Watsons with my two sisters: Comprehensive education was my making. … Continue reading backwardness