my Thomas Hardy era...

This was the era when D.H.Lawrence's 'Sons and Lovers' + Evelyn Waugh's 'The Loved One' (satire about the funeral business) + Christina Stead's 'For Love Alone' + Beckett's 'Murder in the Cathedral' first burst on the school curriculum to the shock/horror of some traditionalists.

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) June 2, 2020

I think I can confidently claim that I have read everything Thomas Hardy ever wrote. However, I prefer his novels. I find his poetry appealing, but not as robust + impassioned as his novels where the close connection between character, landscape + seasons always enchants.

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) June 2, 2020

Looking back now, I am grateful for my high school English experiences.
The old traditional curriculum was fading...I caught some traditions - Jane Austen ('Pride and Prejudice') and Charles Dickens ('Tale of Two Cities' in Year 7) and lots of Shakespeare...but also caught the rise of the new wave...the best of both worlds...

History was a bit sad...locked in British History...kings and queens + the colonial era...No other history was on the drawing board...But that radically improved when I attended university...