Isobel Meikle-Small and Carey Mulligan as Kathy H in Mark Romanek’s “Never Let Me Go” (2010)

In Mark Romanek's 2010 film of Kazuo Ishiguro's 2005 novel "Never Let Me Go", Kathy H is played by Isobel Meikle-Small in the first part of the movie when the character is young, and then by Carey Mulligan in the second and third parts when she is a teenager and an adult. Rewatching the movie today, I spotted a moment in the third part when Mulligan responds with a quick smile to a comment by her old friend Ruth (Keira Knightley), and I was reminded of Meikle-Small smiling in just the same way earlier in the film. I wondered, then, if the two had worked together to develop their character's mannerisms. (Andrew Shields, #111Words, 2 April 2025)

Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” and Richard Linklater’s “Dazed and Confused"

In Taylor Swift's "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)", a woman addresses her ex: "I was never good at telling jokes, but the punch line goes, 'I'll get older, but your lovers stay my age.'" This echoes a joke in Richard Linklater's 1993 film "Dazed and Confused": Wooderson (Matthew McConaughey), a graduate still hanging around his high school, tells three teenage boys, "That's what I love about these high-school girls, man: I get older; they stay the same age." In this moment of "locker-room talk", the four boys bond together in laughter; in Swift's song, the woman addresses her joke to her ex, but is by herself when she does so. (Andrew Shields, #111Words, 1 April 2025) 

A student, Bach’s “Bourrée anglaise” for solo flute, and a coincidence

Today, I commented on a week's worth of texts by several students from my class "111 Words a Day: A Writring Project." In one text, Celine mentioned hearing Johann Sebastian Bach's flute composition "Bourrée anglaise", which reminded her of her sister. As I love Bach's works for flute, I checked and discovered that it is the third movement of the Partita in A Minor for Solo Flute. Although I mostly listen to Bach's Sonatas for Flute and Harpsichord, I noticed that I have that partita on an album by Peter-Lukas Graf. When I mentioned that in my comments on her text, Celine said that was the very version she had heard. (Andrew Shields, #111Words, 31 March 2025)

Snoopy and his plans to visit his mother in Plunderland

Snoopy left Plunderland many years ago, but sometimes he returns to the country to visit his mother at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm. Having recently planned another trip to see her and his sister Belle, he's now beginning to worry about returning there: dogs who have barked out against Don Q, Vanza, and Lone Odor have been detained in pounds and even flown out of the country. And it doesn't help that Omen is one of those responsible for such actions. After all, she has confessed to being a puppy killer, and she has been staging photo opportunities outside of the pounds abroad where many of those dogs have been sent. (Andrew Shields, #111Words, 30 March 2025)

Don Q thinks about firing Wallace

Don Q asked Wiley about Wallace, "Should I fire him?" Gromit barked. Don Q asked Exit about Wallace, "Should I fire him?" Gromit barked. Don Q asked Vanza about Wallace, "Should I fire him?" Gromit barked. Don Q asked Lone Odor about Wallace, "Should I fire him?" Gromit barked. Wiley, Exit, and Vanza all hesitated. Lone Odor said, "You should fire him." He snickered to himself. He didn't want any competition in going to the moon to plunder its cheese resources. Don Q wondered out loud to the window on the wall, "But would it make me look bad?" Vanza said, "Nothing can make you look bad, Don Q." Gromit barked. (Andrew Shields, #111Words, 29 March 2025) 

Vanza, Exit, Wallace, Gromit, and Wiley in the group chat

Vanza said, "I'm doing an economic event in the Mitten, but I think this would be a big mistake for Plunderland. I am not sure Don Q is aware." Exit said, "We are prepared to execute. I welcome other thoughts." Vanza said, "If you think we should do it, let's go." Exit said, "I fully share your loathing of Europe." Exit said, "Godspeed to our Warriors." Vanza said, "I will say a prayer for victory." Wallace said, "Amazing job." Gromit barked. Wiley said, "Really great. God bless." When the Six Flacks raised the issue, Don Q looked at the window on the wall and said, "I don't know anything about it." (Andrew Shields, #111Words, 28 March 2025)

Exit receives a letter from Vanza

Exit opened the letter from Vanza, which he hoped contained news from Don Q at Hush Money House about what to praise and what to blame this week in Plunderland. The letter was blank, but he knew how to make the letters visible. But when he lit the special security candle and held the letter up to the flame, his hand was shaking, so he put the message down and took another swig of whisky from his Six Flacks mug. When he held the paper up again, it caught fire. Forgetting about the invisible ink, he watched the flame spread across the page and thought, "It is a pleasure to burn." (Andrew Shields, #111Words, 27 March 2025)