FEAST OR FAMINE

  Children of the Cave  by Virve Sammalkorpi (2016) is a fictional account of an expedition of discovery in 1819 in Russia. With permission, the novel is based upon the photography series (1991-1994) of Finnish artist Pekka Nikrus as part of his art thesis about a fictional expedition. Let’s be clear – this novel is a fictional account of fictional scientists based on fictional subjects in photographs.    Pekka Nikrus (born in 1968) created  photographs  and a short fictional synopsis ( The Children of the Shadows ) about two Finnish adventurers finding a cave in Russia where children lived – the first expedition occurred from 1819 to 1825 and the second exhibition to the region was in the 1860s. The photographs show children with animalistic appearances. Pekka says the photographs and account of the expedition were destroyed.   Finnish author  Virve Sammalkorpi  (born in 1969) begins with Pekka’s synopsis and formulates her own children’s story – the backstory if you will – of the sto

  There are 9 different sizes of champagne bottles, containing a number of glasses depending on the size of the glass. The standard Champagne bottle contains about 6 glasses of champagne.   The 9 bottle sizes are: Mini/Piccolo/Quarter      20 cl  (quarter standard bottle) = 2 glasses Half/Demi                     37.5 cl (half standard bottle) = 3 glasses Standard                       75 cl (1 standard bottle) = 6 glasses Magnum                        1.5 L (2 standard bottles) = 12 glasses Jeroboam/Double Magnum  3 L (4 standard bottles) = 24 glasses Methuselah                   6 L (8 standard bottles) = 48 glasses Salmanazar                 9 L(12 standard bottles) = 72 glasses Balthazar                      12 L (16 standard bottles) = 96 glasses Nebuchadnezzar           15 L (20 standard bottles) = 120 glasses MARTINA NICOLLS MartinaNicollsWebsite    I    Rainy Day Healing    I    Martinasblogs    I    Publications    I    Facebook    I    Paris Website    I    Paris blogs    I  

 

  Indignation  by Philip Roth (2008) is set in 1951-1952 in Ohio, America, during the Korean War.   Marcus Messner is nineteen years old and an A-grade student at Ohio’s Wineburg College. He was originally enrolled in a college in his hometown of Newark but changed college to get away from his parents, particularly his father, a hard-working butcher paranoid that his son Marcus will be drafted into the war and be killed in action.    Marcus just wants to do well in college – to keep to himself – even refusing to join a fraternity. The Dean of Men, Mr. Caudwell, calls Marcus into his office, concerned that he is not involved in college social life.    Marcus is indignant. He even thinks indignation is “the most beautiful word in the English language: in-dig- na -tion!” What is Marcus indignant about? What fills him with anger about his unfair treatment? Is this indignation righteous?   The setting over the duration of a year is the college, and characters are sparce – father, mother, Ol