| Judy Parkinson | Interview with Judy Parkinson, November 2008 |
I Before E (Except after C): Old-School Ways to Remember Stuff by Judy Parkinson For All ages ORDER HERE Hundreds of Memory Tricks You Learned in the Classroom "Thirty days hath September..." How many times have your relied on that old maxim to figure out a calendar? Or how about "Every Good Boy Does Fine" to remember the notes on the treble clef? These ingenious, practical memory techniques abound in I BEFORE E (EXCEPT AFTER C) with its hundreds of curious sayings. In this clever -- and often hilarious -- collection, you'll find engaging mnemonics, arranged in easy-to-find categories that include:
Guarenteed to amuse and inform, this little book is a perfect gift for students of all ages. Judy Parkinson is a graduate of Bristol University. She is a producer of documentaries, music videos, and commercials, and won a Clio award for a Greenpeace ad. Parkinson has published four books and has contributed to a show of life drawings at the Salon des Arts, Kensington, England. |
ETC: Why did you decide to write this book?
PARKINSON: ETC: How long have you been a writer? PARKINSON: I took a career break about twelve years ago to spend time with my young daughter and enjoy her growing up years during which I started painting pictures. When I returned to TV production I decided that I needed more than one string to my bow because TV and film production is a notoriously unreliable career option. I took evening classes in journalism and very quickly found research and writing work with a journalist and author. That work set me on a path to writing my own articles and books. ETC: Can you give me a real life situation where you have used mnemonics? PARKINSON: I probably use a mnemonic device every day. We recently changed the clocks - one hour back for the Fall, so I quoted "Spring Forward, Fall Back". I parked my car at the airport last weekend while I hopped on a flight to Prague. The car was in area B4. I didn't need to write it down because I said to myself: "I parked the car before (B4) I boarded the plane". ETC: What were the subjects in your schooling that you enjoyed the most? PARKINSON: I was good at Mathematics and Geography; both subjects which require a good memory and the regular use of mnemonics. ETC: In addition to being an author you have also produced documentaries, music videos and commercials. Have you ever thought of writing a book geared toward these industries? PARKINSON: I make educational documentaries at the moment and some of the subjects I cover might make very interesting books, such as encouraging young kids to dance, to understand great paintings and to appreciate the theatre. Come to think of it the history of the music video might be a best seller! ETC: What is the best project you have ever worked on? PARKINSON: I very much enjoyed writing and researching the subject of mnemonics. I have recently written a book called "Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November, A Bite Sized History of Britain", which was fascinating and extremely informative for me, particularly because it filled many gaps in my education. I didn't study history from the age of 14! ETC: What are you dying to tell us that no one has ever asked you? PARKINSON: I held an exhibition of my paintings last year and one day I would like to publish a book of my paintings.
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I've always had a good memory for birthdays and anniversaries and it occurred to me that there wasn't a book that gathered together all the fantastic tricks and devices that exist for remembering things; from how to spell, how to learn music, how to remember peoples' names and the everyday essentials like the length of the months to where you left the car keys. I began researching the subject of memory and mnemonics and discovered a whole book's worth of material.