Literary flat-shares

An interesting post from Moira Redmond on the Guardian books blog "From Muriel Spark to Hilary Mantel there's a distinct tradition of novels built around young women living together".   The 2009 Festival Fringe production of The Girls of Slender Means, based on Judith Adams adaptation, was by Stellar Quines.

All the single ladies...

...an article in today's Guardian Review by Rachel Cooke looking at "great literary spinsters" - the most pre-eminent for our purposes being, of course, Miss Jean Brodie.   "Brodie is powerful and compelling.   She seems to have a sex life, too.   She is also sinister and, ultimately, betrayed".
The spinsters range from Bridget Jones  back in time to Jane Austen's Miss Bates and looks at the perils, or advantages, of being "on the shelf".

Muriel Spark: A Glance through an Open Door

Here is a post by Dr Robert Hosmer on the Scottish Review of Books website based on his readings of Muriel Spark's papers held by the National Library of Scotland.   The volume and wide-ranging nature of these personal and literary papers give clues both to her early literary talent and her personal identity.

National Poetry Day

It's National Poetry Day tomorrow - 3 October -  something to celebrate and think about especially as Muriel Spark thought of herself as first and foremost a poet.   Here is a link to the Scottish Poetry Library website which has some good ideas for marking the day, the theme this year being 'water'.   This link takes you directly to the page about Muriel Spark on the site.