Non-fiction
Over the years, Richard has written a great variety of non-fiction, including reviews and snippets of autobiography. The following list represents a sample of each type.
autobiographical
Dear Friends
Richard's widest-read work, 'Dear Friends' began as a series of emails to friends back in the UK recounting the family's adventures in emigrating to Canada. It became a regular feature in the Prince George Citizen, and the full text of each letter is available on its own blog. The next step for this work is the preparation of a book-length version, explaining all the odd passing comments, and giving more detail to some of the anecdotes, as well as filling in all the stressful bits which got left out of the letters because Richard was trying to forget about them. An excerpt of the longer text can be seen here.
Let's Do The Show Right Here!
Written for the Hazlehead Academy FP's website, this is a tale of drama and passion. Well, drama, anyway.
Home Away From Home - Alba
A short love letter to the little Italian town - proof that even places full of chocolate factories can be captivating...
Left-handed Under the Iron Curtain
A true tale of cruel and unusual punishment, meted out to unsuspecting Fourth-year German students in return for signing up for an exchange visit. What did they expect would happen?
The 40 Musical Memories Project
Presented in full, since it already exists online in various places, this was Richard's reaction to (or preparation for) turning 40 - just a random selection of memories
classical music for the easily frightened
Soon to be a website and blog of its own (it's complicated, but it'll work), this is - at the moment - a series of postings on an internet messageboard made in response to the question "Does anybody know anything about Classical Music?" A couple of extracts:
Prokofiev
Sergei Prokofiev - a potted history
"I Love That, but What's it Called?"
From the Terraces:
1) Here goes Sousa
2) Verdi at Stamford Bridge
popular beat music for the easily frightened
The classical music stuff was an offshoot of another project, run by someone else entirely. Richard has contributed a couple of pieces to this project, including an article on Joni Mitchell.