Research continues at Tell Brak

I'm planning a trip to see the Ai Weiwei exhibition at Downing College in Cambridge in early August. I saw Ai Weiwei's exhibition at the Royal Academy last October and it was very thought-provoking. What does this have to do with Mrs Mallowan? Well, it occurred to me that Max Mallowan is likely to have a connection with Cambridge University because of his archeological studies of Tell Brak and other venues. I knew that there were still studies being carried out of the tell and then discovered that there is not only a website page giving brief details about the current work taking place, but also a Facebook page. Ah, social media.


Here's the link to the Cambridge University website and the Facebook group page:


http://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/about-us/mesopotamia/mesopotamia-research/mesopotamia-tell-brak


https://www.facebook.com/tellbrakexcavation


I have asked to join the Facebook group page. It seems to be an appropriate thread in my constant quest for information. Of course, I haven't written a single word!


Photo has been taken from the Facebook page and illustrates the infamous eye statues from the Mesopotamia region. I've seen them for myself at the museum in Damascus (back in 2009 before all the trouble started) and, of course, at the British Museum.

One of many connections

I moved to North Walsham in Norfolk in August 2014. It had been my plan for several years when I returned to the UK after living in the United Arab Emirates. After a few months to settle down, I discovered that the best restaurant in North Walsham was The Beechwood. Then I discovered something more amazing - Agatha Christie stayed there many times. It's mind boggling. How can this be? She would spend a month at a time in the area. I live within half a mile of the hotel. These connections keep occurring, and yet I still feel I'm on a wild goosechase.


I'm pleased to report that I persuaded a companion to join me for dinner on 15 September last. We had a spare place and I poured fresh cream ceremoniously into a cup and left it for the birthday girl. Sadly, I was in too much pain from a torn cartilage in my right knee to really enjoy the experience. Perhaps it should be an annual event.


If you're interested in following in Mrs Mallowan's footsteps, here's more information:


The Beechwood

'Little Syrian memoir' rebooted

Come, Tell Me How You Live has been reprinted. Yet another event that I've missed. I'm really not doing well as a Mrs Mallowan researcher. This version includes a number of photographs, so worth buying from my point of view. I haven't actually bought a copy of the book that started this whole obsession. It was lent to me back in 2000 when I was living in Al Ain in the UAE.


Here's the link to the announcement of the reprint as published in The Guardian.

Star over Bethlehem

I've excavated another shard of Agatha's life and writing. I may have known and forgotten, but I have discovered that Mrs Mallowan published at least one book using her married name. The book is entitled 'Star Over Bethlehem: and other stories'. I managed to buy a hard cover copy for just under £5 from Amazon and I believe it must be from the original print, since the lending dates start from about 1974. According to Amazon, this is a rare thing. There is a 50th anniversary edition published by Harper Collins Publishers Ltd (25 Sept. 2014). What makes the copy that I have managed to acquire particularly special is that it is ex Oxford library. I can't tell which library would have stocked it, but it is quite something to have the book from an area in which Mrs Mallowan lived. It might look a bit fly-blown and faded, but it will be treasured. It will also be read to help with the dialogue for the screenplay - when I get a minute to sort it all out.

My mistress' voice

I've completed the FutureLearn screenplay course. I confess to skipping all of the videos. Something about people pontificating about writing and so on makes me feel depressed. I thought I'd missed some of the activities, but find I've completed what I was supposed to do and have posted them here, which was useful.


Checking the course again has led to me thinking that I must stop procrastinating. It also made realise that my biggest hurdle is lack of self belief and the constant feeling that I am a total nobody; unpublished (creatively anyway), no relevant academic background, not famous, nothing. It makes me feel that whatever I do will not be taken seriously.


The other major hurdle to the screenplay is finding Agatha's voice. I want to be true to her, even the aspects of her personality and prejudices that I don't like. So it occurred to me to search for letters. And here's a couple of examples. The photo of Agatha at the bottom looks to have been taken at about the time I want to tell her story.

An academic viewpoint of Mrs Mallowan and archeology

I've just discovered Charlotte Trumpler. She gave an excellent speech about Agatha's role in supporting Max Mallowan, including how they met. I can use some of the information. There's also a very good photograph of Agatha at the Baron Hotel, which is copyrighted to John Mallowan.

This item comes from the Assyrian International News Agency 2011 (wouldn't she love that she's still notable in Arabic circles?). Charlotte Trumpler.

I will research this further to find out about an exhibition organised by Ms Trumpler.

Food

• I like to eat. Well, that must be obvious given my girth these days. I love nursery food because my childhood was such a happy time. I love cream. I like to drink a complete cup of cream. Hmm, smacking my lips just thinking about it. I like to eat out in good restaurants, tucked away. I don't like to eat in public places - I find the recognition excruciating. People think nothing of interrupting one in the middle of a good Dover sole. Cold fish is so unappetising. My favourite meal now is breakfast in bed, preferably brought to me on a cloth covered tray by Max. A soft boiled egg, with good bread toasted, butter and strawberry jam. A large pot of tea. The newspapers. Sat up wedged against a wadding of plump pillows. Wearing the knitted bedjacket my mother made for me. Food was difficult while camping at the dig in the middle east, although we took with us all of the necessary paraphernalia to eat formally. Soup tureens, toast racks, sauce boats - you should see the list. One of the benefits of travelling on the Orient Express is that one doesn't have to travel light. It took a while to train our native chef to make custard and roast dinners. He never got the hang of roast potatoes.

The above was written as though Mrs Mallowan was talking in the first person about food. An exercise for a screenwriting course.

Describing Mrs Mallowan's character

Although I feel as though I've done very little towards making this project happen, I should give myself credit for doing something. The project itself has had to change anyway because of the war in Syria. Originally, I wanted to write a book following the Mallowans' journey to Tell Brak on the Orient Express and then across Syria. Now I feel that this particular part of Agatha Christie's life should be told and I'm brooding on a screenplay. As always, I lack confidence in my ability to 'just do it', so I've signed up for a FutureLearn screen writing course. What follows is an exercise in Week 2 designed to develop the main protagonist's character. As I've read about Mrs Mallowan quite extensively, I feel I can make a start on describing and developing her character. Wonder if she would approve.

The instructions:

• List the character’s major actions. Start from the end and work backwards. (Don’t analyse how or why; just create a list of actions.)
• Analyse the list to reveal the character’s wants and needs. Is the character aware of what they want?
• Describe how the character thinks and look at his or her basic psychology. Intelligent? Intellectually engaged? Cognitive Biases? Impulsive? Cautious?
• Describe the character’s superficial affect. How might a casual acquaintance describe them?
• List any important physical characteristics
• This is just an outline, so stick to that format and make lists; avoid long prose descriptions.

Marries Max Mallowan
Has cold feet about marriage and goes to Scotland with friend to reflect, discuss and decide
Accepts Max's apology and agrees to marry him
Returns home to deal with family situation and hides from world because of assumed rejection
Left alone in Athens with painful sprained ankle and has to find her way back to London
Max tells her he has to go back to Ur (or Nimrod or wherever) because Leonard Woolley has contacted him. She pleads with him to at least keep his promise to accompany her to London.
She falls in street and sprains ankle
Enjoys journey from Ur to Athens with Max Mallowan.
Spends time in desert with Max.
Goes to Baghdad for adventure. Goes to archeological site and meets Max Mallowan.
Looks for ways to get out of her depression after divorce and decides on travel.
Pleads with Archie not to leave her.
Disappears to Harrogate with possible mental breakdown.
Finds out that husband is having an affair and wants a divorce.
Falls in love with Archie Christie. He goes off to WW1. Have daughter. Writes first published novel.

Agatha wants to be secure and safe in a relationship. She wants to be loved and to be able to give love. She is aware of what she wants.
Agatha is very interested in psychology anyway. She is very intelligent - gifted pianist, quickly acquired knowledge and skills of pharmacology, excellent surfer and skater. Curious about the world and loves to travel. Intrepid approach to exploring difficult territory. She is a compulsive collector of houses.
Agatha's superficial affect might be hostile to new people. She would be wary, especially since becoming famous. She would be curious but want to test people to find out their motivation in wanting to know her. She does not like publicity; prefers to be private. Modest, yet proud of her achievements in the literary world. Very clear about her own worth.
At the time of this particular story she was overweight and cumbersome. She didn't feel attractive.
 

Normal service resumes

This blog has been neglected for almost four years, but there are several reasons for the lack of attention. I moved back to the UK in July 2013 with a dog and two cats, struggled to find a job but managed to find a good post out of teaching. Moved house in 2014 to be closer to my mother who has Alzheimer's Disease (and several other reasons), which proved to be difficult and stressful. Changed my job in 2015. I'm back in education and the college is 10 minutes walk from my new home. Finally life is settling down and perhaps I can focus on this project. I have not forgotten Mrs Mallowan and have visited Wallingford where I completed the 4 miles circular walk (with dog) and saw the outside of her house there and her final place of rest. Pictures must be posted, but not today.