Great idea fantastic wonderful lovely a real life discussion about a real live project - maybe I’ll get my name in the acknowledgements - and yes Vanessa quite right we are a collection of great minds and I am a part of that and right here we go best foot forward concentrate concentrate sit up straight concentrate cock head to one side intelligently and oh my God she’s so eloquent and so articulate in her second language and I bet it’s not even her second language it’s her third/fourth/fifth - these bloody multilingual Europeans - right start again listen listen concentrate oh she’s introducing her last project this is the one she told me about in the boot room about the horses and the love and oh I can tell by everyone’s reaction that she’s not spoken to everyone about it yet well. done. me. Look at everyone oohing and ahhing and clapping and cooing wouldn’t that be great I wish I had an editor does the fire need more coals? Right here we go this is the main event concentrate now a number of questions coming my way 1 oh she doesn’t look fifty “fading fertility flowering feminism female fecundity” fffflipping heck. Avoid eye contact quick except with the thing with the dingly dangly hair up above the mantelpiece made out of stuff Mum and I found on our walk shit Mum’s here this could get awkward “and the third question I want to discuss with you all” - third? Third? What happened to number two? 3 something about the politics of desire latch on to that that could be a question if I’m asked to give an opinion, you know: “one thing I found fascinating - the whole encumbrance was fascinating actually” - (encumbrance? Come on Joe) “but one thing I’m particularly interested in is the politics of desire” and hope hope hope against hope someone picks up the thread from there because there’s one two three four five six seven eight nine people I can see and more sitting behind me more qualified to help and maybe John - that’s a nice shirt - can represent us both and oh we’re onto funny old people sex stories now great maybe I won’t need to say anything intelligent at all does the fire need more coals?
Well done Yvonne getting us off the mark ooh Saudi I lived there something controversial? great! not sure everyone agreed with that but I was actually hoping for a few more fireworks people have got their hands up though - that’s how you know we’re all going to be respectful - but Vanessa’s doing that thing where she’s bringing people in: Annelise at the back for the doctor’s perspective please male perspective male perspective head down sip of wine wine’s empty brilliant look up now Jo’s only gone and contributed from the younger generation so now I’m going to have to and even if her words are coming out faster than my heart’s beating at least she’s said something oh for God’s sake it’s porn don’t look at Mum don’t look at Mum don’t Vanessa ask Mum anything Sleeping Beauty that’s safer ground something something over my head I bet those two have some pretty heated conversations at home speaking of heat the fire definitely doesn’t need more coals. Suddenly an outstretched hand in my direction do I have anything to add? no not really mumble mumble blah blah blue blah foggy haze trapped in a maze of female gaze fires blaze eyes glaze rescue me from dizzy daze do you think it’s time for supper? yes Catrin I do.