Comments on: Back to the convent where it all started http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/2010/06/back-to-the-convent-where-it-all-started/ Sun, 10 Jul 2011 12:49:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Sarah Dunant http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/2010/06/back-to-the-convent-where-it-all-started/comment-page-1/#comment-1845 Sarah Dunant Wed, 18 May 2011 16:52:46 +0000 http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/?p=95#comment-1845 Hi Doreen. I remember meeting you very well, and thank you for those lovely kind words. It is amazing , isn't it, that even over so many centuries certain key facts have not changed. maybe it is to do with people, as much as God. Whatever the place and the system, human interactions remains the same. We are doing more performances this year in Manchester and again in Brighton. I hope to have them up on the site very soon. Hi Doreen. I remember meeting you very well, and thank you for those lovely kind words. It is amazing , isn’t it, that even over so many centuries certain key facts have not changed. maybe it is to do with people, as much as God. Whatever the place and the system, human interactions remains the same.

We are doing more performances this year in Manchester and again in Brighton. I hope to have them up on the site very soon.

]]> By: Sarah Dunant http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/2010/06/back-to-the-convent-where-it-all-started/comment-page-1/#comment-1843 Sarah Dunant Wed, 18 May 2011 16:47:46 +0000 http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/?p=95#comment-1843 Thank you Debbie. I am deep into the next book, and rather punch drunk form working so hard, but it is great to find a new reader. I hope this new one, whne it finally emerges is worth the wait. Thank you Debbie. I am deep into the next book, and rather punch drunk form working so hard, but it is great to find a new reader. I hope this new one, whne it finally emerges is worth the wait.

]]> By: Debby Nelson http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/2010/06/back-to-the-convent-where-it-all-started/comment-page-1/#comment-1842 Debby Nelson Wed, 11 May 2011 22:05:32 +0000 http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/?p=95#comment-1842 Sarah (may I call you Sarah?), I too am new to your work, but it has touched me in so many ways. I am also a 1950 baby, and I saw Sacred Hearts reviewed on NPR's website. I started with In the Company of the Courtesan because I visited Italy a couple of years ago, and I was looking forward to a Venetian setting. You didn't disappoint! Since I was a young reader, historical fiction has always been my favorite genre. Just as you have described in interviews, I have learned a great deal about history from such works. Example - while watching a rerun of The Tudors on BBCA, some of the action took place just as Rome was being sacked. I thought to myself, the Pope has fled to Orvieto, and Fiametta and Bucino have gone to Venice. Thanks for your wonderful works; I look forward to your take on the Borgias. Apologies for the stream of conscious writing, but I my enthusiasm woouldn't be contained ... Sarah (may I call you Sarah?), I too am new to your work, but it has touched me in so many ways. I am also a 1950 baby, and I saw Sacred Hearts reviewed on NPR’s website. I started with In the Company of the Courtesan because I visited Italy a couple of years ago, and I was looking forward to a Venetian setting. You didn’t disappoint! Since I was a young reader, historical fiction has always been my favorite genre. Just as you have described in interviews, I have learned a great deal about history from such works. Example – while watching a rerun of The Tudors on BBCA, some of the action took place just as Rome was being sacked. I thought to myself, the Pope has fled to Orvieto, and Fiametta and Bucino have gone to Venice. Thanks for your wonderful works; I look forward to your take on the Borgias. Apologies for the stream of conscious writing, but I my enthusiasm woouldn’t be contained …

]]> By: Noreen O' Sullivan http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/2010/06/back-to-the-convent-where-it-all-started/comment-page-1/#comment-1838 Noreen O' Sullivan Sun, 17 Apr 2011 12:11:46 +0000 http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/?p=95#comment-1838 Hi Sarah Loved Sacred Hearts. I am an ex nun was in the convent for 22years. I felt you captured the intrigue politics and rebellion in the convent briliantly as well as the kindness and love that was there. Thanks Noreen Hi Sarah Loved Sacred Hearts. I am an ex nun was in the convent for 22years. I felt you captured the intrigue politics and rebellion in the convent briliantly as well as the kindness and love that was there. Thanks Noreen

]]> By: Noreen O' Sullivan http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/2010/06/back-to-the-convent-where-it-all-started/comment-page-1/#comment-1836 Noreen O' Sullivan Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:17:14 +0000 http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/?p=95#comment-1836 Hi Sarah I loved Sacred Hearts. The reason being that I was a nun for 22 years of my life(17-39) You really captured the intrique politics rebellion andfavourtism of convent life as wellas the good side.Tell me did you spend a few months in a convent guest house and kept your eyes and ears open. You had the life of the convent down to a T and believe me I know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mind you Suor Zuana reminded me of one of the nun's in my convent she was a gardener Homemade wine maker and craft woman knitting dolls and making home made cards. I met you when you had a performance of excerpts frone Sacred Hearts at the Brighton Festival at St Bartholomew's Church. I told you then you had the Reverend Mother to a T. Thanks for such a great read Hi Sarah I loved Sacred Hearts. The reason being that I was a nun for 22 years of my life(17-39) You really captured the intrique politics rebellion andfavourtism of convent life as wellas the good side.Tell me did you spend a few months in a convent guest house and kept your eyes and ears open. You had the life of the convent down to a T and believe me I know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mind you Suor Zuana reminded me of one of the nun’s in my convent she was a gardener Homemade wine maker and craft woman knitting dolls and making home made cards. I met you when you had a performance of excerpts frone Sacred Hearts at the Brighton Festival at St Bartholomew’s Church. I told you then you had the Reverend Mother to a T. Thanks for such a great read

]]> By: Sarah Dunant http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/2010/06/back-to-the-convent-where-it-all-started/comment-page-1/#comment-1829 Sarah Dunant Wed, 06 Apr 2011 19:07:05 +0000 http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/?p=95#comment-1829 Bella! Sorry. I have been carried away with writing and not on my site at all. Thank you for all that. I did NOT know she wrote them. Bloody typical. Sarah Bella! Sorry. I have been carried away with writing and not on my site at all. Thank you for all that. I did NOT know she wrote them. Bloody typical.

Sarah

]]> By: Una McCormack http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/2010/06/back-to-the-convent-where-it-all-started/comment-page-1/#comment-1828 Una McCormack Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:03:16 +0000 http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/?p=95#comment-1828 Came to your terrific lecture at Newnham College at the weekend, now downloading "Sacred Hearts" on my Kindle. Thank you for an excellent, thought-provoking hour, and looking forward to your trilogy immensely. Came to your terrific lecture at Newnham College at the weekend, now downloading “Sacred Hearts” on my Kindle. Thank you for an excellent, thought-provoking hour, and looking forward to your trilogy immensely.

]]> By: Bella Campbell http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/2010/06/back-to-the-convent-where-it-all-started/comment-page-1/#comment-1827 Bella Campbell Sun, 13 Feb 2011 19:38:12 +0000 http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/?p=95#comment-1827 Rather embaressed as you probably know all that already - carried away by enthusiasm! Sorry. Ah well, back to the fertiliser Rather embaressed as you probably know all that already – carried away by enthusiasm! Sorry. Ah well, back to the fertiliser

]]> By: Bella Campbell http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/2010/06/back-to-the-convent-where-it-all-started/comment-page-1/#comment-1826 Bella Campbell Sun, 13 Feb 2011 19:28:14 +0000 http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/?p=95#comment-1826 Dear Sarah - I wanted to say such a big thank you for the talk you gave yesterday morning in Cambridge. You were perfectly correct, Serge and Anne Golon were married but not, according to the website, collaberaters in the writing of the Angelique novels. They were all the work of Anne, but the publishers thought they would not sell with a woman's name on the front. Familiar story? Serge did not give his permission for the use of his name only as he did not think it right, so they stuck the two together without telling them for the English market and tacked him on for the French one. This is the fifties! I am glad I looked that up. I am reading Sacred Hearts and loving it, and feel uplifted after those three talks - an amazing weekend for me a farmer to come to! Reading is my supple other life alongside the very practical day to day, although the magic of growing things is never far away. Thank you again, really. Dear Sarah – I wanted to say such a big thank you for the talk you gave yesterday morning in Cambridge. You were perfectly correct, Serge and Anne Golon were married but not, according to the website, collaberaters in the writing of the Angelique novels. They were all the work of Anne, but the publishers thought they would not sell with a woman’s name on the front. Familiar story? Serge did not give his permission for the use of his name only as he did not think it right, so they stuck the two together without telling them for the English market and tacked him on for the French one. This is the fifties! I am glad I looked that up. I am reading Sacred Hearts and loving it, and feel uplifted after those three talks – an amazing weekend for me a farmer to come to! Reading is my supple other life alongside the very practical day to day, although the magic of growing things is never far away. Thank you again, really.

]]> By: Paul Hensby http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/2010/06/back-to-the-convent-where-it-all-started/comment-page-1/#comment-1822 Paul Hensby Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:25:27 +0000 http://www.sarahdunant.com/blog/?p=95#comment-1822 Sarah, I enjoyed your Radio 4 Point of View about the baby boomer generation wanting to redefine death and dying. This is the same generation that 40/50 years ago redefined youth culture, and have ever since, for better or for worse, challenged and reshaped democratic societies. In the UK, they are now making their own decisions about when and how they die, rather than leaving this to the medical professionals who still have a 'we know best about your end of life medical treatment' attitude, and the funeral industry that readily defaults to outmoded religious rituals, if only because it means we can be dispatched within a short time at the local crem. I run a website called My Last Song (.com) and it supports people to take responsibility for their end of life issues, in particular their funerals (and those of their loved ones). My Last Song is one of a growing band of organisations that are coming to be known as Farewell Innovators. No, we are not encouraging people to end their lives, or convince others to end theirs. We simply want people to accept that death is inevitable, and that we should plan for it to be the experience we want it to be. My Last Song's strapline could easily be: 'Go Out On The Right Note.' That wouldn't be the cliched My Way, whether the Sid Vicious or Sinatra version...look on My Last Song to see the fantastic variety of songs that people want to be remembered by...'Funky Sensation' indeed, but way not? Sarah, I enjoyed your Radio 4 Point of View about the baby boomer generation wanting to redefine death and dying. This is the same generation that 40/50 years ago redefined youth culture, and have ever since, for better or for worse, challenged and reshaped democratic societies.

In the UK, they are now making their own decisions about when and how they die, rather than leaving this to the medical professionals who still have a ‘we know best about your end of life medical treatment’ attitude, and the funeral industry that readily defaults to outmoded religious rituals, if only because it means we can be dispatched within a short time at the local crem.
I run a website called My Last Song (.com) and it supports people to take responsibility for their end of life issues, in particular their funerals (and those of their loved ones).
My Last Song is one of a growing band of organisations that are coming to be known as Farewell Innovators. No, we are not encouraging people to end their lives, or convince others to end theirs.
We simply want people to accept that death is inevitable, and that we should plan for it to be the experience we want it to be.
My Last Song’s strapline could easily be: ‘Go Out On The Right Note.’ That wouldn’t be the cliched My Way, whether the Sid Vicious or Sinatra version…look on My Last Song to see the fantastic variety of songs that people want to be remembered by…’Funky Sensation’ indeed, but way not?

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