"Language is what there is always more of"

Thanks Terry, for that title quote. That`s Terry Eagleton, the Marxist lit critic and all round cheeky chap. There are several great quotes in his `How to Read a Poem`. I have found myself laughing aloud, wondering at the same time if that`s the right kind of behaviour when trying to improve my mind.

Dear Terry,

It`s not easy to imagine Heidegger sporting an iPod, but it is possible. I like to picture him with a pink one, shuffling dysrhythmically from foot to foot at a chilly bus stop to Groove Armada`s `I See You Baby`.

My reading material is as unlikely perhaps. The aforementioned `How to ....` alongside

`Whizz for Atomms` by Geoffery Willans and Ronald Searle.

Dear Terry,

It`s not easy to imagine such an incongruous combination, but that`s what I was reading last night.

The Willans/Searle book is more of an illustrated comic type thing which found me in a charity shop. On flicking through prior to coughing up the sum of 50p I remembered Molesworth with some fondness. This news, if news it can be called, and if it then manages to reach the ears of this particular reknowned academic, will shock Terry Eagleton, for its evident betrayal of the working class, being a small paperback which revolves around the daydreams of a public schoolboy and his wet n weedy chums. It surpises me too, as I`m certainly working class and definitely female, so the world portrayed here of naughty boys doing Latin prep is as exotic as a night in Soho during the 50s. (Why the 50s? Because London was less cynical then? Certainly I wouldnt have been there, being too young at the time, so that will have to suffice as a justification for supposed exoticism).

Talking of naughty boys, VJB has an endearing/infuriating gift for being innocent when proven guilty. His defence is always the same: It wasnt me, it was two other boys. The fact that there are two other guilty parties cracks me up. Thereby am I robbed of any chance to apportion blame, with that monosyllabic dollop of pure sauce. It has occurred to me more than once how glad I am that I did not have to endure any lessons seated next to said villain. If fate had conspired to send us to the same school, I`d have had even less education than I received at the time (which wasnt much, to be honest) as no doubt I`d have spent most of my days being sent out of the classroom, for laughing. (I think that did happen though?)

Chizz chizz

(Can somebody much posher please explain what the hell that`s supposed to mean? Cheers)

n.b. (Latin, you swot Tappers!) The Compleet Molesworth as portrayed isnt what I`m reading, but Whizz for Atomms has no image available at that v famous bookselling site, and I`m not trawling all day on the net for a pic. So yah boo etc etc