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In My Mind's Eye
In My Mind's Eye: A Thought Diary | Jan Morris
8 posts | 2 read | 4 to read
AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4s BOOK OF THE WEEK 'Morris is one of Britain's greatest living writers.' The Times 'Fascinating ... valuable and rare. This book is a writer's constitutional.' Kate Kellaway, Observer 'I have never before in my life kept a diary of my thoughts, and here at the start of my ninth decade, having for the moment nothing much else to write, I am having a go at it. Good luck to me.' So begins this extraordinary book, a collection of diary pieces that Jan Morris wrote for the Financial Times over the course of 2017. A former soldier and journalist, and one of the great chroniclers of the world for over half a century, she writes here in her characteristically intimate voice - funny, perceptive, wise, touching, wicked, scabrous, and above all, kind - about her thoughts on the world, and her own place in it as she turns ninety. From cats to cars, travel to home, music to writing, it's a cornucopia of delights from a unique literary figure.
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review
TiminCalifornia
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Pickpick

Reflections on a long life. Would be easy to dismiss as curmudgeonly scribbling. Even with an active mind, the world is smaller at 90. But the perspective! She reflects on the state of world affairs, recognizing that in her lifetime Britain passed from being a world power to secondary. What does that mean for her identity as a Briton, an identity formed when she was young? She often remembers her cat Ibsen in her thought diary and misses him.

thegreensofa I can‘t help ogling your cat! 😻. Is that Jeffrey? He is so adorable. He looks happy. 3y
TiminCalifornia @thegreensofa Yes, Jeffrey. My reading companion cat. He's happiest sitting in a window. 3y
37 likes2 comments
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TiminCalifornia
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I have never before in my life kept a diary of my thoughts, and here at the start of my tenth decade, having for the moment nothing much else to write, I am having a go at it.

#firstlinefridays

review
rockpools
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Mehso-so

In 2017, at the age of 91, Jan Morris writes a daily diary of her thoughts for the first time. They range from cats to politicians, memories of army days (as James) and reporting Sir Edmund Hillary‘s climbing of Everest, to zoos, salad, sunshine, exercise and national anthems. Her nostalgia for the Great in GB can be a little uncomfortable at times, but is tempered with warmth and humour. Probably better to dip into than to read straight through.

53 likes1 comment
blurb
rockpools
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Drizzly mizzly walk back from the gym this morning, past some interesting-shaped houses. #litsywalkers

Still listening to Jan Morris, and although her thoughts are individually quite amusing, I suspect this would be a better book to dip in and out of than attempt to read all the way through. (I‘m getting a little bored 😐)

Also, has anyone had issues with the #borrowbox app? Occasionally mine just stops. It appears to be playing, but no sound...

Lcsmcat Love those houses! 5y
CouronneDhiver Me too - really pretty homes! 5y
rockpools @Lcsmcat @CouronneDhiver They‘re fun, aren‘t they? And they‘d have Amazing river views, if it wasn‘t for the drizzle! 5y
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SilversReviews Love the shapes of those homes. 5y
squirrelbrain They almost look like they should be in a Hopper painting! 5y
Cathythoughts Interesting shapes 👍🏻♥️ 5y
Kaye I like seeing everyone‘s pictures they‘re posting of all the scenery plus we get a good walk out of it 💖 5y
DarcysMom Love the houses! 5y
quietlycuriouskate Borrowbox and I do not get on. I tried it last year when the library was promoting it but found the search function to be all but unusable. It didn't take me long to run back to Overdrive! 5y
Freespirit Love those houses! 5y
rockpools @kathedron Search is beyond hopeless - it‘s browse til you find something. But my library‘s selection of audiobooks is quite limited, so I keep attempting it. 😝 5y
rockpools @squirrelbrain I hadn‘t seen that before, but I can, now you‘ve said! 5y
rockpools @kaye Definitely! 5y
76 likes13 comments
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rockpools
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Just a short #audiowalk today, listening to Jan Morris. But I did find a glorious yellow tree in full bloom, just round the corner. We‘d been wondering why someone in the carpark was brushing yellow dust off the roof of his car this morning. #litsywalkers

Off to try and get my brain working now!

Erofan Beautiful view! 5y
BookaholicNatty Gorgeous!!!! 5y
julesG Early bloomer. 😉 Even a short walk is a walk. 5y
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rockpools @Erofan @bookaholicnatty Thanks! It‘s nice to see a bit of colour - it‘s a v grey misty day otherwise! 5y
rockpools @julesG Absolutely! Which is as well really- I‘m shattered! I think it might be a mimosa tree - apparently they do yellow stuff in winter. That, or the seasons are totally up the creek! 5y
julesG My guess is climate change. *sigh* The hazelnut tree outside my window is in bloom. I thought I had another week or two before hay-fever season starts. 5y
DarcysMom Pretty! Looks like good walking weather. 5y
Kaye Beautiful photo and a star for your walk ⭐️ 5y
alisiakae Beautiful!! 5y
87 likes9 comments
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rockpools
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A Monday poem (on a Thursday) from Jan Morris.

Walked back from the gym - 1.3 miles - and actual blue sky. Cut through the grounds of the council offices on the way back. #litsywalkers @kaye

Kaye 👟🌟🎧 5y
Cinfhen Gorgeous day 😎 5y
DarcysMom Pretty! 5y
77 likes3 comments
blurb
rockpools
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This is quite an unusual book. At the age of 93, writer & traveller Jan Morris commits to writing a diary. But rather than events or daily life, she writes about a thought that occurs to her each day, whether it be the effect of sunshine on tourists (and herself) or That Melody she has going round in her head. It‘s making me smile. And I imagine, if you were doing a daily writing project, her riffs and meanders would make good company/inspiration.

Cinfhen This sounds really fun!!! What a spunky gal 💜 5y
CarolynM Jan Morris's life story is fascinating, and she's such a good writer. 5y
rockpools @CarolynM It really is. I‘ve been wanting to read her travel books for years, but this is the first thing I‘ve managed to get a hold of. What have you read? 5y
rockpools @Cinfhen It is fun! She‘s quite something. 5y
74 likes4 stack adds4 comments
blurb
rockpools
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“Aaah, what the sun can do.”

I‘ve been a bit of a mess since the start of the year, so have decided that this is the week I attempt to get back to fully-functioning human. Step 1 - out to see the sunrise. Scuppered by low cloud, but that dot on the horizon? That‘s sun!

1.6 miles- not bad before breakfast. & Jan Morris‘s meanderings in my ears, including her exercise regime (1000 paces up the lane & back, rain or shine - she‘s 93). #litsywalkers

Kaye Great to see you out walking already today ( it‘s 4 AM here ). You certainly have a beautiful place to walk. I hope maybe this walking, listening to audio will give you some peace or clearness to help you feel less out of sorts. It does me good to get out and walk and do some pondering. 5y
Wife 🌹 5y
julesG Great morning walk! What I wouldn't give for an early morning walk on the beach. I suppose my Brittany sea breeze spa shower gel is as close as I'll get to the Atlantic for now. I'm off to sniff on the bottle. 5y
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rockpools @julesG 😂 Shall I bottle some air and send it on to you? I learned that town smells of sea and bakeries at that time of day - I really haven‘t taken full advantage of living here yet! 5y
rockpools Thanks @Kaye . I‘m hoping just getting out of the house first thing might give me more drive to sort stuff. And I‘m very fortunate to be living here 🌊 5y
Cinfhen Stunning!!! I could look at that EVERY morning 😍 and bravo for getting out the door 🙌🏻💚 5y
rockpools @Cinfhen I might well attempt the EVERY morning thing - tho the sun doesn‘t rise til 8 at the mo - summer sunrises‘ll be a LOT more challenging! 🌅 5y
batsy Gosh, that's a lovely sight to see on a daily walk 😍 5y
BookBabe Gorgeous! 😍 I would love a walking view like that! 5y
TrishB Beautiful 💕 we got up at 5 on holiday to see one at Dawlish Warren beach - it was so worth it! 5y
rockpools @TrishB 😊 Maybe I should head down to DW and do that one day - before the summer, because 5am 😱! 5y
TrishB We were on holiday 😁 all mad things undertaken! 5y
Bklover What a lovely view! Good for your for starting today with a walk. Hope you find some peace and joy👏💛👏💛 5y
DarcysMom Great job! Building new habits is a hard thing to do! Lovely shot of the sunrise. 5y
alisiakae What a great view for a daily walk! Winter sunrises are so much easier to see than summer ones. 😃 5y
rockpools @4thhouseontheleft It‘s a definite plus to winter walks! 5y
rockpools @DarcysMom It is! But it‘s a good way to start the week 😊 5y
rockpools @Bklover Thank you 😊 5y
UwannaPublishme Beach walks are so good for the soul. Enjoy the gorgeous view. Hope you‘re feeling better. 🤗❤️🌅 5y
rockpools @UwannaPublishme Thank you 😊 5y
84 likes22 comments