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This is the three-year journey of an aspiring writer from his earliest attempts to finish his first novella to the book launch. Among other things found along the way in the meantime :)

2nd Blog Anniversary

>> Tuesday, 31 May 2011

Two years ago, I began to write in what seemed to be yet another blog that would last at most one week, as happened with the few blogs that I created before (and the ones I created later on). What makes this blog different from these attempts is that one day someone left a comment here. That day this blog started to exist and then, I met all of you. This year I haven't come up with any special celebration or giveaway — I should have asked you for some ideas! Anyway, welcome to the party and grab your slice of the cake.

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Champions

>> Sunday, 29 May 2011

Wembley Way, yesterday afternoon. Source: Guardian.co.uk.

I'm not a soccer fan, but I could become one after yesterday's Champions League final. Catalan team F. C. Barcelona won it against Premiership winner Manchester United by 3-1 in a a well-refereed, fair-play match at Wembley Stadium, London. At home, my family gathered to watch it on TV and it was quite an evening, not to mention the celebrations that took place throughout the night on the streets. I started my morning today reading the news, and the British media agree that their defeat was no disgrace, having stood up to the best team in the world (if I may say so!). I leave you with more photos from the evening and funny comments taken from Guardian.co.uk while I recover from the hangover:

"The Barça fans have eschewed hours of slaving away with sticky tape and silver foil for hours of needlecraft."

"Guardiola [F. C. Barcelona coach] is tossed into the air again. They get better at that every year."

"Not content with taking the trophy back to Catalonia with them, Gerard Piqué has decided that he wants to keep the goal netting from the match."

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Wordless Wednesday: White

>> Wednesday, 25 May 2011


I think there's some bug in there. Visit more Wordless Wednesday participants.

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Saturday Poem

>> Saturday, 21 May 2011


AVID SONG

Gilded apple tree
smiling at my side:
I seek not the fruit
but the frail shade.

Tiny fountain lost
at the heart of peace:
I do not need the water clear
but the tender flowing tune.

Enchanted star
presiding over night:
I do not care for you as a guide
but source of feverish challenge.

Translated by D. Sam Abrams
Marià MANENT, The shade of mist, Institute of American Studies, Barcelona, 1984. Source: Plurilingual Anthology of Catalan Poetry


Marià Manent was a Catalan poet of the twentieth century who translated English poets such as Yeats, Thomas, Blake and many others into Catalan, receiving the Knight Commander of the British Empire in 1976 for his numerous translations. Manent also published several versions and interpretations of Chinese poetry.

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Volcanic Stones

>> Tuesday, 17 May 2011



The poetry of the earth is never dead.
JOHN KEATS

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Diets, Stories

>> Wednesday, 11 May 2011

It's been days since I've posted anything here, so what I've been up to? Of course, I've been working and wasting time, but let me focus on what I've been working lately during my absence: a pile of books to prepare for publication and to edit. Most of them were related to dietetics (don't ask me why, publishing houses, or at least ours, can be quite crazy), and fortunately were more focused on healthy nutrition rather than losing pounds or the before-and-after-photo stuff; however, if you are interested in it I can recommend you sites such as WonderSlim Diet Reviews. The thing is, even if I don't care much about the topic of those books at work, I always get fresh ideas from them. For instance, from the Catalan translation of a book entitled The Way We Eat, cowritten by an ethicist, we get to know how our everyday food choices can affect other's lives — and animal's as well. I wonder if this book is well known in America, have you ever heard of it? I highly recommend it. While editing it, and reading about cycles of human and animal exploitation and so on, I got an idea for a short science-fiction story. This is the other thing I've been up to. When finished, I sent the story to a magazine and a few days later I got a confirmation email letting me know that they are interested in the short story. So everything boiled down to publish stuff in the end. I promise I'll catch up with your blogs and what everyone's been doing.

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Snapdragons

>> Wednesday, 4 May 2011



Visit more Wordless Wednesday participants.

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