Back at work today, which seems to have done the leg a certain amount of good. I had to limp everywhere, and my knee is still clicking audibly (and hurting when it does), but things seem to be on the mend. Had to explain to a couple of first years that "click---'oooh, fuck!'-----click-----'oooh, fuck!'" is the characteristic noise made by injured English teachers.

My third form was pretty interesting this afternoon. (That's Year 9 to all of youse what teaches in proper schools). Last Friday we read M.R. James' 'A School Story', which is pretty scary if you have a bit of imagination about you. They do, and seemed to like it. So today we were talking about suspense and how it works. How come, they wanted to know, a story can still have the effect of keeping you in suspense even if you know how it's going to end?

Well, I'm no expert, but I reckon it's because stories don't operate on the level of rationality. We can, of course, get intellectual satisfaction from either the plot (as in a detective story) or from the themes and ideas (as in literary fiction). But the actual stuff of story, which is derived from character, works on our emotions and imagination - what the Romantics would have called our Sensibility. We feel a sense of suspense when Indiana Jones is running away from the giant ball, even though we know he will get away, because he is a well-drawn character from the start and we empathasise with him; we feel, at least a little, as he does. Brecht thought all of this uncritical absorption and escapism was the primrose path to fascism. But then he was German, I suppose, and foreigners are always getting funny ideas.

Then I had to stand by the river for an hour with the other snivellers and cripples and watch Pete take the canoeists out. To be honest, I didn't really miss it, as Tuesday afternoon is always such a rush even without paddling, and it was pretty cold. Interesting chat with Gabriella di Giorgio, who is all cut up because her French bulldog has died, suddenly and prematurely, of cancer. We agreed that the world is made up of people who love dogs and people who don't understand why others love dogs, which is why some sympathised with her feelings and others thought it ridiculous that she was making a fuss over a mere animal. She's a good girl, is Gabi; not your average fourth former who stands around, embarrassed, waiting to be spoken to. She makes the conversation. Definitely an individual to be watched.

Anyway, a bit more work is being done on "Nothing On" this evening. I'll keep you posted.