monique polak

Monique Polak's Books

1 minute reading time (257 words)

Devoir reculer...

Hope the French title won't put you off from reading today's blog entry. I'm reviewing a fun book for The Gazette -- it's called Petite Anglaise, and it's the true story of Catherine Sanderson, a young British woman living in Paris, and how she starts a really successful blog called "Petite Anglaise." Apparently, she gets 100,000 visitors a month. Let's just saythat's a few more than I get!!!!

Anyway, sometimes when your mind is working on something, life sends you a little extra material. Take this line I happened to read in Sanderson's book last night (it's in French, but I'll translate for readers who are not bilingual): "devoir reculer pour mieux sauter." It's an old French expression and it means you have to back up to jump better. See, that's exactly what I was talking about in my last blog entry! And it's exactly what I'm doing with my writing this week. Going back to the beginning, reading through what I've got, so I can take a nice long jump before I move towards the last quarter or so of the manuscript.

On another note altogether, Maclean's Magazine has bought another story idea from me -- this one's on MOTHS. So if any of you have moths in your house, flying around your pantry, or nibbling on your best sweaters -- let me know and I could interview you for my story! What I'm really looking for is moth victims from other places in Canada besides Quebec and Ontario. Okay, I'm off -- time to go backwards again!! 

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Going Back in Order to Move Forward
 

Comments

Guest - Sophie B. X. on Thursday, 26 June 2008 00:49

Moths. I do remember them from when I was a child in China, since I lived in the countryside where bugs were abundant.

I dreamed of being an explorer when I was a child, and began my career by exploring the different parts of the countryside with my cousin. Our main task was catching bugs. All kinds of caterpillars, dragonflies, frogs and bees fell prey to our beastly, merciless hands. I was never afraid of bugs during the day, but somehow horrified at the same ones at night. I hated how the bugs would fly around our beautiful glass lanterns in the garden, or crawl beside our sandals. The moths were particular attracted to the lights inside our home; as a special animal, one not gifted enough to become beautiful like butterflies, they would hang on the walls near the lanterns, waiting to be discovered by the horrified me. Most of the bugs that are attracted by the light would simply fly around the light, dancing to the whirl of the breeze. As the atypically ugly bug of the night, the moth would simply stay on the wall near the lantern, somehow concealed by its own shadow. I would freak once I discover one, then a second later, when I have regained control of my feeble body, i would rush to the kitchen to grab the wooden broom behind the door and rush back to the moth, and strike it with all my strength. Yes, those were hard times.
Moths were ugly beings, with wings covered in dust.

On another note, which might be helpful for your story, the color of moths wings changed with the industrial revolution. They were light in color, but as the fumes of the industrial revolution covered cities in smot -black buildings, etc., the moths fell prey to their enemies, "so they decided to evolve". The darker ones, which would have been eaten against lighter colored buildings, survived against the darker ones. Then when the cities were rethinking their polluting ways, and started to clean up their cities, the surviving white moths won over, while the previously thriving darker ones were killed off.

Happy bloggin miss!

Love,
Sophie.

Moths. I do remember them from when I was a child in China, since I lived in the countryside where bugs were abundant. I dreamed of being an explorer when I was a child, and began my career by exploring the different parts of the countryside with my cousin. Our main task was catching bugs. All kinds of caterpillars, dragonflies, frogs and bees fell prey to our beastly, merciless hands. I was never afraid of bugs during the day, but somehow horrified at the same ones at night. I hated how the bugs would fly around our beautiful glass lanterns in the garden, or crawl beside our sandals. The moths were particular attracted to the lights inside our home; as a special animal, one not gifted enough to become beautiful like butterflies, they would hang on the walls near the lanterns, waiting to be discovered by the horrified me. Most of the bugs that are attracted by the light would simply fly around the light, dancing to the whirl of the breeze. As the atypically ugly bug of the night, the moth would simply stay on the wall near the lantern, somehow concealed by its own shadow. I would freak once I discover one, then a second later, when I have regained control of my feeble body, i would rush to the kitchen to grab the wooden broom behind the door and rush back to the moth, and strike it with all my strength. Yes, those were hard times. Moths were ugly beings, with wings covered in dust. On another note, which might be helpful for your story, the color of moths wings changed with the industrial revolution. They were light in color, but as the fumes of the industrial revolution covered cities in smot -black buildings, etc., the moths fell prey to their enemies, "so they decided to evolve". The darker ones, which would have been eaten against lighter colored buildings, survived against the darker ones. Then when the cities were rethinking their polluting ways, and started to clean up their cities, the surviving white moths won over, while the previously thriving darker ones were killed off. Happy bloggin miss! Love, Sophie.
Guest - Sophie B. X. on Thursday, 26 June 2008 00:59

Oh! If you have time, please check out this film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd3LCbnzFNw

instantly press pause and watch from 0:37 for the first time

watch it a second time from the very beginning.

I love it. Best animation I've ever seen.

Love,
Biyao.

P.s. If the video doesn't work out, e-mail me and I'll give you another link =)

Oh! If you have time, please check out this film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd3LCbnzFNw instantly press pause and watch from 0:37 for the first time watch it a second time from the very beginning. I love it. Best animation I've ever seen. Love, Biyao. P.s. If the video doesn't work out, e-mail me and I'll give you another link =)
Guest - tamar on Friday, 27 June 2008 03:31

moths and bugs in general suck
but i am excited to read the book you are reviewing, your review of it (satursday's gazette) and the story on moths
lucky for me i get the gazette and macleans and anytime you have somethine my mom lets me know
and i check the books section just to see if you reviewed anything haha
p.s. is le petite anglaise out in stores yet?

moths and bugs in general suck but i am excited to read the book you are reviewing, your review of it (satursday's gazette) and the story on moths lucky for me i get the gazette and macleans and anytime you have somethine my mom lets me know :) and i check the books section just to see if you reviewed anything haha p.s. is le petite anglaise out in stores yet?
Guest - m. henry on Monday, 28 July 2008 19:26

OK i found this blog after reading Monique's review of la Petite Anglaise' blog in the saturday gazette book section couple weekends ago.

La petite's blog is a perfect example of how fame & success corrupt, and how absolute success corrupts absolutely. Nearly all recent entries are self-promotion. Various fournisseurs to la petite vie (catering, underwear, etc) apparently pay to have their wares tastefully hawked through links. From time to time la petite even appeals to her readers to send her advice about promoting her books in various locales. These appeals apear to be serious.

What's worse is the online proffering of the small daughter, who sings & pouts adorably at age 6 but may resent this exploitation at age 16, not to speak of 26.

So far, Monique has avoided all of this. What we seem to have here is a working writer's notebook. Please, madame, do keep this up. Please never begin to include paid links. Remember, la petite's new husband is now her business manager, so if you introduce paid links you'll have to find one. A business manager, that is, not a new husband. But who can say for sure. De toute façon it will be a step upon the road to ruin.


OK i found this blog after reading Monique's review of la Petite Anglaise' blog in the saturday gazette book section couple weekends ago. La petite's blog is a perfect example of how fame & success corrupt, and how absolute success corrupts absolutely. Nearly all recent entries are self-promotion. Various fournisseurs to la petite vie (catering, underwear, etc) apparently pay to have their wares tastefully hawked through links. From time to time la petite even appeals to her readers to send her advice about promoting her books in various locales. These appeals apear to be serious. What's worse is the online proffering of the small daughter, who sings & pouts adorably at age 6 but may resent this exploitation at age 16, not to speak of 26. So far, Monique has avoided all of this. What we seem to have here is a working writer's notebook. Please, madame, do keep this up. Please never begin to include paid links. Remember, la petite's new husband is now her business manager, so if you introduce paid links you'll have to find one. A business manager, that is, not a new husband. But who can say for sure. De toute façon it will be a step upon the road to ruin.
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