Living with the Truth Stranger than Fiction This Is Not About What You Think Milligan and Murphy Making Sense

Thursday 12 June 2008

Aggie and Shuggie 2





AGGIE: Whit's qualia when it's at hame?
SHUGGIE: Qualia?
AGGIE: Aye.
SHUGGIE: Is that no a wee burd, like a pigeon?
AGGIE: Nah, that's a quail, ye daft bat.
SHUGGIE: So where're ye readin aboot qualias?
AGGIE: Oan Kay Sexton's bloag.
SHUGGIE: Never heard af 'er. Whit's she like? Sum nature freak?
AGGIE: It's jist a bloag. There's no burds oan it. She's a writer.
SHUGGIE: Pity, ah like burds.
AGGIE: An we aw know whit kinda burds you like. If ye're no goanna be a help jist shut up. Ah'm tryin t'read a review.
SHUGGIE: Anither yin. We read wan a couple a days ago. Is it that book've Jim's?
AGGIE: Aye.
SHUGGIE: Did you order it like ye said ye would?
AGGIE: I told you Ah did.
SHUGGIE: Ah bet 'e's tryin t'get awa wi jist postin a link t'the review an skippin oan daein a real post.
AGGIE: Nah, there's an interview here an evrythin.
SHUGGIE: Wi oor Jim? Whit's e goat t'say aboot burds?
AGGIE: There's nothin aboot burds.
SHUGGIE: Then how're ye askin me aboot quails?
AGGIE: It's this review. She says Jim's book reminds her af qualia.
SHUGGIE: Maybe it's French fur quail.
AGGIE: Ah don't think so. An then she goes oan aboot the thinginess of things.
SHUGGIE: The whitiness of whits?
AGGIE: Look, Ah canne read this if yoor goanna keep blabberin oan.
SHUGGIE: You asked me aboot burds.
AGGIE: Ah didne.
SHUGGIE: You so did.
AGGIE: Christ, this is too much. Ah'm goanna make a cuppa. You want one?
SHUGGIE: Shhh, Ah'm tryin t'read Kay's bloag.

17 comments:

Ken Armstrong said...

Oh and 'Oor Wullie' do you remember 'Oor Wullie'? My Helensborough Aunt bought me a book when I was wee. Some of it was hard to decipher for a Sligo lad but I enjoyed trying.

I vividly remember a drawing where Wullie was having an unwanted muscial instument stolen by a burglar while he lay in bed watching. He said, "Help Yersel'" to the thief and it took me bloody ags to figure out waht he meant.

What a great review. Anyone who gets a comparison (justified) to the lovely Tom Robbins is doing something reet, I mean right.

Anonymous said...

Very nice. Nice writing throughout, nice website. Good work. I wish I had better writing skills. :-)

Jim Murdoch said...

Ah, Ken, Oor Wullie and The Broons. I can't say they were a huge part of my childhood – I've rather have a Beano or Dandy annual as a kid – but I've read enough of them. I think of them now as very dated, Wullie with his bucket and the friendly local bobby. I suppose Wullie has a mobile stuck in his back pocket these days. And, yes, Kay's review was certainly interesting. The thing is, I've never read Tom Robbins, not a word. My wife has all his books and I make sure she gets every new one when it comes out but I've never got round to having a peek myself.

And thanks for popping by Guy, I'm glad you liked what you saw. I'll be honest I wish I had better writing skills. I actually wonder if any author gets to the stage he can get the words out of his head and onto the page and say exactly what he wants to say the way he wants to say it without them putting up at least a bit of a fight.

Jena Isle said...

Hi Jim,

Nice cartoons you have here. And appropriate dialogues. Nice post.

Jim Murdoch said...

Thanks for that, Jena. These were fun to write, a bit different and light-hearted. Some of my stuff can get a bit involved at times so we all, readers and writer, need a break every now and then.

The Insane Writer said...

Thank you for the film suggestion, "Fur." I watched it last night and found it to be interesting! I probably wouldn't have known that Robert Downy Jr. was in the film without your knowledge. I love the man in films, but I'm not one that researches everything he's made either.lol

Jim Murdoch said...

I'm delighted you liked the film. It is a little odd and that's something I like about Kidman, that she doesn't stick to safe movies. I'm not sure how accurate her portrayal of Arbus was but it worked for me.

Rachel Fox said...

No..you couldn't call 'Dogville' safe! Upset me for weeks...

Conda Douglas said...

Yup, Jim, loved this one too. Excellent work on the dialog--I could read it and hear it in my head--difficult to do!

Jim Murdoch said...

Rachel, that's the point I was making. Dogville most certainly isn't a 'safe' piece. I won't say I was upset by it but it certainly affected me and it's not an easily forgotten movie. Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus wasn't 'safe'. And the same goes for The Others, Birth and Eyes Wide Shut. I've actually got quite a bit of time for her.

And, Conda, thank you. You have no idea how hard it is to do, even a short piece like this. I wrote a story in an Ayrshire accent a few years ago and I tweaked it for weeks before I got it right.

Jena Isle said...

Hello Jim , what's a qualia? I could not appreciate it more because I'm trying hard to decipher the language (grins) any help? I like very much, the drawings though, I have come across in the entrecard blog about them encouraging blogs with cartoons in them.

Happy weekend.

Jim Murdoch said...

Jena, if you click on the link to Kay Sexton's blog (which was the whole point of the post) she'll explain it all in great detail along with reviewing my book (which was the real point of my post).

Jena Isle said...

Okay Jim, I got it. Thanks, departing for Kay's blog now.

Dave King said...

Yes, I agree. Great dialogue, Jim. You could write a novel in it, I am sure - a trilogy, in fact. I'd queue overnight for it, that I would.

Jena Isle said...

This is a new word for me - qualia.
I'm in quite a quale too. Kay's review perks up my curiosity.

I think the book would be a good read for me. I agree with you that:

quote:

"All the poet hands over are words, no notes, no hand signals. It is the reader who works with those words and makes something of them "

Unquote.

I look forward to reading your book and your poems.

Jim Murdoch said...

Soary, Jim's no here right now, Dave, but Shuggie n Ah'd jist like t'say how much the tae o us appreciate yer wee comment there. Reight chuffed we were. Ah'm no shair Jim cud dae a trilogy or anythin like that but Ah spect he'll have us back again. Ye'll have t'excuse me now. Ah've goat tae get Shug's lunch ready afore the fitba starts.

Jim Murdoch said...

Glad you liked the review, Jena. I have to say 'qualia' was a new one on me but it's a great word. There really are so many fabulous words out there. It's fitting the damn things into conversation or even into a piece of writing and not sounding pompous that's the key.

Ping services