Authors Electric

While still a teenager, Cheryll Barron was sent out by a New Delhi magazine to conduct her first ever interview. It was with Wernher von Braun, inventor of the V-2 rocket for Nazi Germany, and, later, the Saturn V rocket for the United States; a member of the SS who, following World War 2 was moved to the United States as part of Operation Paperclip, where he developed the rockets that launched America’s first space satellite and first series of moon missions. According to NASA, von Braun was the “Father of Rocket Science”. Barron’s article on von Braun, published in 1973, was entitled, “The Man Who Put Man on the Moon”. It began, “Somewhat guiltily, I ignored the shocking pink placard hung on the doorknob, reading ‘DO NOT DISTURB’ in three languages, and rang the bell for the second time in 15 minutes. Expecting a long wait, I was midway through shifting my weight from one foot to the other when the door opened very suddenly – just wide enough to reveal a pair of ...

Feuer und flamme - another of the evening's entertainments           A bout a mon th ago, I had a phone call from Switzerland. The caller asked if I would take part in a 'Lesenac ht.'            This means 'Reading Night', and is something which has taken place reguarly all over Switzerland for some time. A bit of a party is held in the school, and stories are told or read. Some schools take the children on camping trips, and tales a re told around the fire.           The caller, Alan Hess, explained that his school had not taken part previously, as their academic standard wasn't high enough for it to be considered worth while. But, four years ago, he had introduced 'Functional Grammar' i nto the school, as a way of teaching reading and Engli sh La nguage. Michael Halliday           Functional Grammar is based on the theo ries...