Three linked stories, originally published 20 years ago as three separate novellas. They’re a fantasy written by an author who, like most people his age, saw and experienced corporal punishment and other disciplinary measures at school. He uses that experience to explore what it means to those involved. They are all about Amanda Bell’s, Mandy’s time at Ellison Grange school, and at home, her friends, teacher, stepmother. The author draws inspiration from the time spent at a similar school in the 1950s, when corporal punishment at home and at school was generally acceptable, unexceptional, routine even in some schools and homes. Of course doing anything like this nowadays, of course, that involves minors or without the freely given and fully informed consent of adult participants, would be very bad news for all concerned, so don’t even think about trying it at home with real kids, folks! But hopefully we remain free to reminisce, explore the implications of real experiences, even if it involves things that cannot and/or should not be done in real life.
If we don’t remember or understand how it worked, and why it was outlawed because adults abused their position with minors, then inevitably it’ll creep back into use. We hope nobody would want that; except perhaps amongst adults playing amongst themselves with freely given, fully informed consent all around.
If we don’t remember or understand how it worked, and why it was outlawed because adults abused their position with minors, then inevitably it’ll creep back into use. We hope nobody would want that; except perhaps amongst adults playing amongst themselves with freely given, fully informed consent all around.
