Matthew Smmith Researching Writing Lives

Arthur T. Collinson is a hero. I feel like I have met said hero. I can only thank the Writing Lives module for that.

Despite Collinson’s memoir being lengthy – 256 pages – and a lot of it being handwritten, it has proved a joy to read and re-read. That being said, this joy has not come from a happy ending, or even a happy beginning or middle, it has come from learning about a stoic man who never wavered from his cause.

Socialism has long been an interest of mine. I consider myself a socialist. I am convinced that a branch of it could work. So, reading about Arthur T. Collinson’s unshakable socialist outlook has helped reaffirm my own views. I wish there were more folk like him around today. I doubt things would be that bad if there were.

That this module has been a collective enterprise has proved a revelation. Together with my research group, I was able to consider and review various relevant points of interest in regards to working class memoirs and life before all of us were born.

My interest hasn’t piqued, either. This is an area that I would like to continue to look into. I have already earmarked a few visits to various musuems and galleries that house pieces relevant to this subject.

I had never written a blog before. I was quite apprehensive at first but it now feels like I have another string to my bow. Blogging, when used correctly, is a brilliant medium. I have been able to look through blogs that have links to my own, and this has proved to be highly beneficial. I am considering starting my own blog, but I am not sure what the content would be at this moment in time.

The research was difficult at times, especially when trying to make sense of handwritten passages, but that is part of the experience. I have thoroughly enjoyed this module and I would not hesitate to recommend it to any second year English students.