I've tried several times this evening to access FM but failed every time when the attempt times out. I'm in the UK so it may just be us. It's a huge resource of fiction and it was off-line for some time a few years back. I hope it's temporary but ... It could be a DoS attack perhaps?

R

Many here will have read some of Emma Finn's quirky stories. She had her own web site which I visited regularly, mainly to follow the expansion to her transformation story 'Cleaner'. Sadly, there was a message when I visited it a few minutes ago that she died on the 19th of this month.

She was a unique writer with a her own angle on all types of transformation and she will be sorely missed by her fans of which I include myself.

The last message can be read here : http://transformation-stories.blogspot.co.uk/

I know it seems disloyal but I visit TGStoryTime from time to time. There's a link there from the Home page here. It's another story site and hosted by Joe SixPack. However it's suddenly become unavailable and leads me to a site called HostGator.com and generates a 403 Forbidden error. I visited it earlier today with no problem. Any ideas?

Robi

I know a lot of readers here eschew the output on FM but I'd like to recommend 'Ms Yates' by Dreamweaver. It's just finished and I think most people here would appreciate it. So override your prejudices and have a read :). It's garnered very few comments and it deserves more.

I'm in a pretty bad place myself right now (nothing to do with sexual identity as much as general depression brought on by partly by short, miserable days and long dark evenings) but this has gone a small way to cheer me up.

Robi

This a really impressive (and slightly frightening) Chinese woman. Article in today's Guardian.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/10/jin-xing-chinese...

Robi

Lots of stories here feature school life in the USA. I read this article this morning which describes a school life so alien from my own, very long distant, school days here in the English NE Midlands. It reads so much like some fantastic dystopia that I can't help but feel that it's distorting the reality. I'd be interested in reading comments from our US friends to gain a little perspective.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/09/texas-police-sch...

Robi

Heard this on BBC Radio 4 this morning while I was having a shower (I rise late now I don't need to go to work :) ) Evan Davies is investigating 'Deception' as a topic and in this case he's interviewing Penny, a MtF TS about how she felt compelled to hide her true nature for so long. It's a very sympathetic treatment which seems to reflect the experience of many here from what I've read.

She was born in 1951, 11 years after me, so I know only too well the atmosphere and attitude of the general public to unconventional gender and sexual conditions, for want of a better phrase.

This morning's Observer had an article by the Readers' Editor referring to comments received on an article about David/Sonia Burgess. Burgess, a civil rights lawyer, was allegedly murdered by being pushed under a London Underground train last year and a trial is shortly to take place. The comments were concerned with how the paper referred to to her/him. It was quite difficult because sometimes Burgess lived as a male (David) or female (Sonia) and had friends in each persona but, apparently, few in both.

I don't think Angharad has spotted this travel article in today's Grauniad. So here it is for your delectation :)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/nov/13/isabella-tree-m...

Robi

Since some of you liked the other 500 word story I wrote for a local radio competition I suppose I may as well post the second one (the competition allowed 2 entries per person). This isn't a tear jerker but may raise a wry smile.

Love in the slow lane

John self-consciously fingered the red carnation in the buttonhole of his sports jacket. He wasn’t used to it, not sports jackets nor buttonholes nor the flowers that go in them. He searched the tables in the Motorway café. Then he saw her sitting alone reading The Spectator, and walked nervously over.

Tamara Drewe has just been released as a film but the story originally appeared weekly as a graphic novel in the Guardian. The artist is the wonderful Posy Symmonds. Knowing that there is a following for well-drawn strips (and this is one) I thought people here might appreciate a look at the original before seeing the film. The film got an excellent review in today's Guardian but perhaps they're a bit biassed :)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/cartoon/2005/sep/17/tamara-d...

Robi

Angharad and I share a couple of characteristics. We're both Guardianistas and we both ride bikes but I've long suspected that her 'real' identity is ... Lucy Mangam, Guardian columnist. The writing styles are so similar. Take Lucy's contribution this morning as an example and tell me you don't find similarities with the (allegedly) fictional Cameron family in 'Bike' :

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/may/03/marriage-...

Interesting article in today's Guardian. Thought I'd post a link before Angharad gets her PC booted ;)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/29/hijra-pakistan-t...

Robi