…. My finger slipped and my last comment flew off before I’d finished! I was obviously impatient to banish that malignant red goblin….
The Drying Rooms has left me rather speechless. I’m full of admiration. I’ll miss it very much. There’s no doubt you’re a really good writer! Bravo indeed. Xxx
the red goblin is forever banished. he has no agency in your pages. Think of him as a male Thatcher and you need not fear him again. I shall miss your childhood, but I look forward to whatever you write next. Well done, can't have been easy recalling the bad bits
Thank you, Sue. Let’s hope that red goblin will leave me alone from now. Helped by supportive readers, like you. And the nourishing spaces provided by LWS.
Finished this morning and I have absolutely loved reading the Drying Rooms. You write so beautifully. I will read again now that the chapters are all together.
The letters chapters have had me in floods of tears. Love you xx
Many congratulations Emma on a brilliant book. It must have taken so much courage (as well as skill) to write it; I only knew about the girls' wing from a distance, and not much of the detail you reveal here. The way you combine different voices across layers of time and your personal psychological archive is superb. It is also a memoir of an institution, of a Zeitgeist, and of your family. All from your own personal perspective of course, and if I was ever capable of writing a memoir (which I'm not) it would be different in many ways, though sharing the homesickness of a young child sent away from a loving family. Brava!
Thank you so much for this very thoughtful comment, Jeremy. Judging from the comments of boys who were at our school, they had a better time of it than the girls, simply because your matron was a good, kind woman. What a difference that can make!
You are a really real writer Emma. To make such an engrossing, multi-layered, bravely exposed story of your nasty experiences of cruel matron has proved it over and over. What next? Can’t wait. When I next see you, I’m going to tell you all about my inner critic who takes the form of a grumpy, slumped Durer angel who’s often there saying ‘Oh yeah’ ‘Whatever’ at all my plans of improvement and achievement … and so far she’s always right!
Oh, Helen - thank you! How about we set up a date between your grumpy Dürer angel and the red goblin? With any luck they’ll head off into the sunset together and leave us alone.
I congratulate your perseverance fighting off that red goblin. We, your readers, are happy you did.
I joined you here on Substack only recently so will now go back and start reading from chapter one. I know it’ll be as enjoyable as the two series I read. See you at #LWS
Oh thank you Melissa. I fear the red goblin may rise again, but for starters, note I've taken your lead and demoted him to lower case. He's always been capitals in my head.
Bravo my brilliant sister! Fuck the red goblin! I am going to really miss The Drying Rooms and its beautiful deep original voice. Thank you for putting it into the world.
…. My finger slipped and my last comment flew off before I’d finished! I was obviously impatient to banish that malignant red goblin….
The Drying Rooms has left me rather speechless. I’m full of admiration. I’ll miss it very much. There’s no doubt you’re a really good writer! Bravo indeed. Xxx
Thank you so much dear Anne. And for your support in banishing that goblin
the red goblin is forever banished. he has no agency in your pages. Think of him as a male Thatcher and you need not fear him again. I shall miss your childhood, but I look forward to whatever you write next. Well done, can't have been easy recalling the bad bits
Thank you, Sue. Let’s hope that red goblin will leave me alone from now. Helped by supportive readers, like you. And the nourishing spaces provided by LWS.
Well done, Emma! It was a bitter sweet reading your school experience and analysing your family and their presence but fascinating..
Yes, I can imagine it was bitter sweet, Angelique. It meant a lot to me that you were reading it and I have loved your comments
I have loved reading The Drying Rooms, Emma. Kick the red goblin off the page and I can't wait to read whatever you write next.
Thank you, Anna. It's meant a lot to me knowing that you're one of the readers who has stuck with it. Red Goblin be damned!
I second Anna's remarks, Emma. I shall miss getting another chapter, can't wait for the follow-up!
Thank you so much for reading it, Chris. I always enjoy talking with you about our respective childhoods.
Finished this morning and I have absolutely loved reading the Drying Rooms. You write so beautifully. I will read again now that the chapters are all together.
The letters chapters have had me in floods of tears. Love you xx
Thank you so much, dear Becca. Knowing that beloved family members like you were reading it fortified me. Xxx
Many congratulations Emma on a brilliant book. It must have taken so much courage (as well as skill) to write it; I only knew about the girls' wing from a distance, and not much of the detail you reveal here. The way you combine different voices across layers of time and your personal psychological archive is superb. It is also a memoir of an institution, of a Zeitgeist, and of your family. All from your own personal perspective of course, and if I was ever capable of writing a memoir (which I'm not) it would be different in many ways, though sharing the homesickness of a young child sent away from a loving family. Brava!
Thank you so much for this very thoughtful comment, Jeremy. Judging from the comments of boys who were at our school, they had a better time of it than the girls, simply because your matron was a good, kind woman. What a difference that can make!
That red goblin doesn’t have a leg to stand on….
Thank you! Let's hope he doesn't buy crutches.
You are a really real writer Emma. To make such an engrossing, multi-layered, bravely exposed story of your nasty experiences of cruel matron has proved it over and over. What next? Can’t wait. When I next see you, I’m going to tell you all about my inner critic who takes the form of a grumpy, slumped Durer angel who’s often there saying ‘Oh yeah’ ‘Whatever’ at all my plans of improvement and achievement … and so far she’s always right!
Oh, Helen - thank you! How about we set up a date between your grumpy Dürer angel and the red goblin? With any luck they’ll head off into the sunset together and leave us alone.
I congratulate your perseverance fighting off that red goblin. We, your readers, are happy you did.
I joined you here on Substack only recently so will now go back and start reading from chapter one. I know it’ll be as enjoyable as the two series I read. See you at #LWS
It’s you readers that have helped me fight off that killjoy goblin. And see you LWS. Lovely.
Thanks and congratulations.
Bollocks to Brexit and the red goblin.
Thank you, Christopher. I agree - helped by your comment making me laugh out loud.
Bravo bravo bravo Emma. You did it! And so wonderfully. And the red goblin is vanquished.
👏 👏👏❤️
Oh thank you Melissa. I fear the red goblin may rise again, but for starters, note I've taken your lead and demoted him to lower case. He's always been capitals in my head.
Bravo my brilliant sister! Fuck the red goblin! I am going to really miss The Drying Rooms and its beautiful deep original voice. Thank you for putting it into the world.
Laila, I remember you when you were in the Senior School. I was teaching there. That was well after Cruel Matron left. (I never met her).