THE DIARIES OF PAUL K LYONS - 2001
A foot and mouth outbreak hit the UK in the spring, closing off much of the countryside to walkers. And then in September came 9/11, which I was watching with Adam, live on television - it was one of the most shocking events of my lifetime. Before then, in March, however, I had come up with the idea for an original novel, its major themes being the rich/poor divide and the Muslim/Christian conflict. From the start it was conceived as a fictional autobiography of a man - Kip Fenn - who lives throughout the 21st century, and whose career sees him rise to be director general of a major United Nations agency. Meanwhile, one publisher (of many agents and publishers approached) asked to see all of ‘Begotten, Loss, Recovery’, but soon rejected it.
Adam and I took three trips abroad this year. The first, a week in the Sierra Nevada again (Diary 67 - not transcribed); the second a short trip to Amsterdam; and the third a major two week expedition (with a group) to Kenya and Tanzania (Diary 69 - not transcribed).
Otherwise, I continued to write, edit and produce my two newsletters, with declining enthusiasm. However, EC Inform was making significantly more profit, partly because I no longer had the expense of an employee, and partly because, in a planned way, I cut back any investment in marketing (which, naturally, would lead to a decline in subscriptions).
The highlights of my daily non-work life remained playing volleyball (our team achieved some little success this year), and internet dating which, occasionally led me to real world meetings if nothing else. (Diaries 66, 68, 70)
Paul K. Lyons (November 2017)