English coursework
CALLING ALL AMERICANS!
I've just written my text transformation coursework for English, but I'm a little concerned about how 'American' it is. I've re-written a novel into an article for a general interest magazine, but as it's an American novel with American characters, I had to make it an American magazine, which means American expressions and American spelling. As a Brit, I'm a little shady on all that. I think I did okay, but I would really appreciate a Yank or two going over it and correcting anything that needs correcting! ^_^ Any other suggestions are also welcome.
I see dead people...
From horoscopes to séances to déjà vu, we've all experienced psychic activity in one form or another...but do you really believe in it? We met with Diana Brisco, who says her 'gift' helped solve the infamous Lodge murders just 5 months ago.
The location of Diana's house is beautiful and serene, though virtually off the map in a remote pocket of the United States. Surrounded by thick forestry, it is a small, unassuming cottage, save for the shots of color provided by the seasonal wallflowers.
Though she moved into her new house several months ago, there is a lot of clutter and disorder - newspapers dating back almost a year are sprawled across the floor in one corner of the kitchen, crumpled pieces of paper have missed the trash can by inches, and shoes trail the walls of the living room having been kicked away to one side.
However, despite the careless appearance, Diana, 33, is fully prepared for the interview with a pot of boiling water and a selection of flavored teas laid out on a tray.
Before we can begin our questioning, she politely but firmly tells our photographer to put his camera away.
"I'm sorry," she explains apologetically. "But I've had enough of people trying to get a shot of the crazy freak."
Diana's life has been far from easy. Growing up, she continually found herself in ever more bizarre scenarios.
At the age of 14, she woke up waist-deep in a nearby lake. A few years later, a similar incident occured when she awoke in the driver's seat of her father's car, hurtling down the freeway.
"It was unsettling, to say the least," Diana reminisces. "Particularly in my teens. I mean, everyone says they felt isolated in their adolescence, don't they? But in my case, it was literally true."
Over the years, Diana saw 'innumerable' doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists. She was put on a wide range of medication, which she says only worsened her condition. "What I was going through was confusing enough - the drugs just screwed up my brain even more, because I simply didn't have what they were trying to cure."
Diana describes what she experiences during these blackouts as 'gray time'.
"I would get taken to a different place. It would look the same, I appeared to be in the same environment, but it was different. Cold and gray."
'Cold and gray' seems an acceptable enough description to me, as it was in the gray time that she was able to see and talk to the dead.
So how did Diana first get involved with the Lodge murder cases? And how did her 'psychic powers' help?
"I'd gone to The Lodge to escape reality for a few days, to try and get my mind in focus."
Diana met crime investigator Quentin Hayes during her visit to the grand 19th century hotel. It was he who first told her about the murders.
"It was somewhat of a shock to run into him that morning." she remembers. "I'd sketched a picture of him the previous day without ever seeing him before. But there was also a sense of reassurance, like on some level I knew he'd be there. And I'm certain he knew I'd be there."
Hayes, 37, is reported to posess the ability to see into the future, and belongs to the newly publicized Special Crimes Unit (otherwise known as the 'Spooky' Crimes Unit) which employs a range of psychics and mediums to help solve crimes that are considered too unusual to use orthodox methods.
Diana worked alongside the SCU, albeit unwillingly, to help solve the murder mysteries.
"I'll admit, I wasn't the easiest person to get along with when the whole business started. I was in complete denial of my condition, having been told by closed-minded doctors that the problems I had - and they were problems - could be cured by tests and pills. It took a long time for me to start to accept that I was there at The Lodge for a reason, that I was meant to help."
The killer has been officially named as Virginia Kincaid, 54, who was the housekeeper at The Lodge. At the time of publication, she is in a coma and seems unlikely to recover.
However, Diana says the truth runs deeper than that.
"There is still debate, even within the SCU, but I believe that she was possessed," she explains. "I'm not saying Mrs Kincaid was a saint, she certainly has an interesting history with The Lodge. But I think the spirit of a man called Samuel Barber can hold a great deal of the blame."
Samuel Barber was accused of murder and kidnap during the construction of The Lodge, over 100 years ago. His punishment was unusual - hanging and shooting were ruled out for publicity reasons, so he was dropped down a shaft into a cave, locked in and left to die.
"He hadn't been tried or arrested, he was just sentenced and killed. His spirit was understandably angry. So angry that it found the strength to pass from a spiritual existence to our existence with ease, and for long periods of time. That is rare. And it is scary. He would hijack weak bodies," she explains, "and get them to carry out his deeds until they were too weak to control any more."
The exact figure of Samuel Barber's victims is unknown, but is estimated by the SCU at at least 150.
Among the victims was 8-year-old Missy. Through some incredible coincidence (or maybe it was fate), during the case Diana discovered a picture of two little girls. One of them was the 3-year-old Diana that she recognised from the torn picture in her Dad's wallet; the other, she was informed, was the 2-year-old Missy. Her baby sister.
"I'm gradually learning to accept it, but, as you can imagine, it was a lot to take in: I had a sister I couldn't remember, she had been abducted and murdered, the detective I was working with had known her as a child. Any one of these facts would be hard to swallow, but all of them were true, and that was just insane."
At the age of 2, not long after the picture was taken, Missy was abducted by Laura Turner, who had lost her own child, and taken to The Lodge. She lived there for 5 years before she was killed by Turner.
Diana's father had hidden away this secret throughout her childhood and adolescence.
"Of course I was angry! I couldn't remember my own sister, how was I supposed to feel? Quentin tried his best to calm me, saying my memory was suppressed by all the medication I was on. The medication my father put me on."
Diana has not spoken to her dad since confronting him about Missy, and is insistent that she will never speak to him again.
What will Diana do with her newfound abilities?
"I've done a little internet research, but the only way I'm going to fully come to terms with my meduimship is to let it happen so I can learn how to control it. I've taken to meditating two or three times a week - it's important that I know how to bring myself in and out of conciousness, so when it's forced upon me I don't feel quite so lost."
She is contemplating joining the Special Crimes Unit, but not until she has a better grasp on her powers.
"It would be remiss of me not to use my ability to fight back against those using their abilities for evil. Joining the SCU also appeals to me on a personal level. Quentin once described it as a place where the paranormal is the rule rather than the exception, a place where people are welcomed for their abiIities rather than cast aside."
A picture of Diana and crime investigator Quentin Hayes sits pride of place on her coffee table. Has she found romance amongst the tragedy?
"Quentin and I have a connection." She smiles wryly, "And it runs deeper than just liking the same movies. That's all I'll say."
As we left Diana's cottage, I reflected on what I had learnt during the interview. I'm not sure if I'm ready for my crystal ball yet, but I'm certainly not a skeptic any more. Maybe the spiritual world is something that will never be fully understood by non-psychics, but I'm sure readers will agree that Diana's determination through these difficult months can be truly admired. The next time you experience déjà vu, be thankful that you don't have to fight crime with it.
[You have probably heard of 'clairvoyance' (the ability to see objects or people that are not physically present), but there are many other strands of mediumship:
Clairaudience or "Clear Hearing", is the ability to hear the voices or thoughts of spirits.
Clairsentience or "Clear Sensing", is the ability to feel the sensations felt by a spirit.
Clairsentinence or "Clear Feeling", is the ability to feel the same feelings or ailments as a spirit.
Clairalience or "Clear Smelling", is the ability to gain psychic insight through smell.
Clairgustance or "Clear Tasting", is the ability to taste something without having anything in one's mouth.
Claircognizance or "Clear Knowing", is the ability to know something without physical proof.]
(That last bit will be in a box on the side)
Thanks in advance! xxx
Hope everyone is well!
.x.Sess.x.
I've just written my text transformation coursework for English, but I'm a little concerned about how 'American' it is. I've re-written a novel into an article for a general interest magazine, but as it's an American novel with American characters, I had to make it an American magazine, which means American expressions and American spelling. As a Brit, I'm a little shady on all that. I think I did okay, but I would really appreciate a Yank or two going over it and correcting anything that needs correcting! ^_^ Any other suggestions are also welcome.
I see dead people...
From horoscopes to séances to déjà vu, we've all experienced psychic activity in one form or another...but do you really believe in it? We met with Diana Brisco, who says her 'gift' helped solve the infamous Lodge murders just 5 months ago.
The location of Diana's house is beautiful and serene, though virtually off the map in a remote pocket of the United States. Surrounded by thick forestry, it is a small, unassuming cottage, save for the shots of color provided by the seasonal wallflowers.
Though she moved into her new house several months ago, there is a lot of clutter and disorder - newspapers dating back almost a year are sprawled across the floor in one corner of the kitchen, crumpled pieces of paper have missed the trash can by inches, and shoes trail the walls of the living room having been kicked away to one side.
However, despite the careless appearance, Diana, 33, is fully prepared for the interview with a pot of boiling water and a selection of flavored teas laid out on a tray.
Before we can begin our questioning, she politely but firmly tells our photographer to put his camera away.
"I'm sorry," she explains apologetically. "But I've had enough of people trying to get a shot of the crazy freak."
Diana's life has been far from easy. Growing up, she continually found herself in ever more bizarre scenarios.
At the age of 14, she woke up waist-deep in a nearby lake. A few years later, a similar incident occured when she awoke in the driver's seat of her father's car, hurtling down the freeway.
"It was unsettling, to say the least," Diana reminisces. "Particularly in my teens. I mean, everyone says they felt isolated in their adolescence, don't they? But in my case, it was literally true."
Over the years, Diana saw 'innumerable' doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists. She was put on a wide range of medication, which she says only worsened her condition. "What I was going through was confusing enough - the drugs just screwed up my brain even more, because I simply didn't have what they were trying to cure."
Diana describes what she experiences during these blackouts as 'gray time'.
"I would get taken to a different place. It would look the same, I appeared to be in the same environment, but it was different. Cold and gray."
'Cold and gray' seems an acceptable enough description to me, as it was in the gray time that she was able to see and talk to the dead.
So how did Diana first get involved with the Lodge murder cases? And how did her 'psychic powers' help?
"I'd gone to The Lodge to escape reality for a few days, to try and get my mind in focus."
Diana met crime investigator Quentin Hayes during her visit to the grand 19th century hotel. It was he who first told her about the murders.
"It was somewhat of a shock to run into him that morning." she remembers. "I'd sketched a picture of him the previous day without ever seeing him before. But there was also a sense of reassurance, like on some level I knew he'd be there. And I'm certain he knew I'd be there."
Hayes, 37, is reported to posess the ability to see into the future, and belongs to the newly publicized Special Crimes Unit (otherwise known as the 'Spooky' Crimes Unit) which employs a range of psychics and mediums to help solve crimes that are considered too unusual to use orthodox methods.
Diana worked alongside the SCU, albeit unwillingly, to help solve the murder mysteries.
"I'll admit, I wasn't the easiest person to get along with when the whole business started. I was in complete denial of my condition, having been told by closed-minded doctors that the problems I had - and they were problems - could be cured by tests and pills. It took a long time for me to start to accept that I was there at The Lodge for a reason, that I was meant to help."
The killer has been officially named as Virginia Kincaid, 54, who was the housekeeper at The Lodge. At the time of publication, she is in a coma and seems unlikely to recover.
However, Diana says the truth runs deeper than that.
"There is still debate, even within the SCU, but I believe that she was possessed," she explains. "I'm not saying Mrs Kincaid was a saint, she certainly has an interesting history with The Lodge. But I think the spirit of a man called Samuel Barber can hold a great deal of the blame."
Samuel Barber was accused of murder and kidnap during the construction of The Lodge, over 100 years ago. His punishment was unusual - hanging and shooting were ruled out for publicity reasons, so he was dropped down a shaft into a cave, locked in and left to die.
"He hadn't been tried or arrested, he was just sentenced and killed. His spirit was understandably angry. So angry that it found the strength to pass from a spiritual existence to our existence with ease, and for long periods of time. That is rare. And it is scary. He would hijack weak bodies," she explains, "and get them to carry out his deeds until they were too weak to control any more."
The exact figure of Samuel Barber's victims is unknown, but is estimated by the SCU at at least 150.
Among the victims was 8-year-old Missy. Through some incredible coincidence (or maybe it was fate), during the case Diana discovered a picture of two little girls. One of them was the 3-year-old Diana that she recognised from the torn picture in her Dad's wallet; the other, she was informed, was the 2-year-old Missy. Her baby sister.
"I'm gradually learning to accept it, but, as you can imagine, it was a lot to take in: I had a sister I couldn't remember, she had been abducted and murdered, the detective I was working with had known her as a child. Any one of these facts would be hard to swallow, but all of them were true, and that was just insane."
At the age of 2, not long after the picture was taken, Missy was abducted by Laura Turner, who had lost her own child, and taken to The Lodge. She lived there for 5 years before she was killed by Turner.
Diana's father had hidden away this secret throughout her childhood and adolescence.
"Of course I was angry! I couldn't remember my own sister, how was I supposed to feel? Quentin tried his best to calm me, saying my memory was suppressed by all the medication I was on. The medication my father put me on."
Diana has not spoken to her dad since confronting him about Missy, and is insistent that she will never speak to him again.
What will Diana do with her newfound abilities?
"I've done a little internet research, but the only way I'm going to fully come to terms with my meduimship is to let it happen so I can learn how to control it. I've taken to meditating two or three times a week - it's important that I know how to bring myself in and out of conciousness, so when it's forced upon me I don't feel quite so lost."
She is contemplating joining the Special Crimes Unit, but not until she has a better grasp on her powers.
"It would be remiss of me not to use my ability to fight back against those using their abilities for evil. Joining the SCU also appeals to me on a personal level. Quentin once described it as a place where the paranormal is the rule rather than the exception, a place where people are welcomed for their abiIities rather than cast aside."
A picture of Diana and crime investigator Quentin Hayes sits pride of place on her coffee table. Has she found romance amongst the tragedy?
"Quentin and I have a connection." She smiles wryly, "And it runs deeper than just liking the same movies. That's all I'll say."
As we left Diana's cottage, I reflected on what I had learnt during the interview. I'm not sure if I'm ready for my crystal ball yet, but I'm certainly not a skeptic any more. Maybe the spiritual world is something that will never be fully understood by non-psychics, but I'm sure readers will agree that Diana's determination through these difficult months can be truly admired. The next time you experience déjà vu, be thankful that you don't have to fight crime with it.
[You have probably heard of 'clairvoyance' (the ability to see objects or people that are not physically present), but there are many other strands of mediumship:
Clairaudience or "Clear Hearing", is the ability to hear the voices or thoughts of spirits.
Clairsentience or "Clear Sensing", is the ability to feel the sensations felt by a spirit.
Clairsentinence or "Clear Feeling", is the ability to feel the same feelings or ailments as a spirit.
Clairalience or "Clear Smelling", is the ability to gain psychic insight through smell.
Clairgustance or "Clear Tasting", is the ability to taste something without having anything in one's mouth.
Claircognizance or "Clear Knowing", is the ability to know something without physical proof.]
(That last bit will be in a box on the side)
Thanks in advance! xxx
Hope everyone is well!
.x.Sess.x.