When I last posted to this blog, I was looking forward to a key milestone: the launch of my book in the cafe Life is Cool in Warsaw where, on two previous occasions, formative things had happened. The book is now launched!
 |
| The Thames beneath the clouds looking metallic and serpentine as my return flight was descending towards Heathrow. Snakes and other aspects of nature feature in other photos and reflections... |
 |
| When my outgoing flight broke through the clouds and there was Poland - including the Vistula |
I have been back for a couple of weeks and miss Warsaw ...because of the intensity and collegiality of my time there immersed in classical myth and youth culture, because of how simply lovely the city is, and because I made so many autism-linked connections.
 |
| One thing that made May in Warsaw lovely - the Linden trees |
 |
| The mythology of Warsaw is siren- and mermaid-rich, as the presentations from the High School students I mention below brought out. But there is also this duck, whose golden story would make for an activity linked with autism and myth further down the road... |
 |
| In my room in Hotel Gromada about to head out on my first evening in Warsaw |
These connections included with the staff member at the cafe who kindly received a copy of my book on behalf of Life is Cool and with the translator for the launch whose insights into myth, symbolism, connecting across divides and, indeed, snakes, was inspirational. Then there was the 'rite of passage' of being interviewed by Lisa Maurice about the book and what led to it, and the activity I set for those present - which they engaged with in ways that took me aback. This I shall report on once the I have properly been through the artworks they produced.
There were other moments too, including meeting neurodivergent and other students from a High School in Warsaw both in their actual classroom and at the conference.
 |
| One of the statues of the imposing venue of the second day of the conference at the University of Warsaw with Hercules leaning on his club on the wall behind. I began the day overwhelmed by the room and ended up happy there after I sketched one of the statues and found myself listening in a different kind of way to the presentations |
 |
| With Hercules just after I was unexpectedly filmed talking my book and my lesson for the Modern Argonauts project on the first morning of the conference |
The launch was recorded. I'll share the link here when it is ready. I'll also share photographs that were taken during the launch and the conference that followed. As a taster, here are a few that I have access to on my phone.
Also - if you click the QR code on the poster for the launch in my previous posting, you get taken to the publisher's site of for the book, which includes the link to the Open Access pdf version...
