Articles written by Clare OBrien

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About me - Clare O'Brien

Formerly a journalist, copy editor and teacher, I began to write fiction in 2004. Since then, I've had stories and poetry published in magazines "Fictitious Force", "Northwords Now" and in "Midnight Showcase" as well as in webzines "Ruthie's Club" and "The

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Entertainment > Movie Genres Best musicals of all time: 4 of 35
Song and Dance: The Rise and Fall and Rise of the Movie Musical Movie musicals are just not cool. Those all-singing, all-dancing extravavaganzas so beloved by Hollywood in its golden age have for years now been relegated to a minority interest. Admitting a passion for them has for some time marked you out as slightly odd, on... More..
Pets & Animals > Dog Training Helping dogs accept new babies: 1 of 7
Most of us think long and hard before we choose to become dog owners for the first time. Can we afford the extra time, the expense, the responsibility? What breed is best for us? Should we go to a breeder, or a rescue centre? Most of us have all the answers long before we take the plunge. But what happens when the family dog... More..
Health & Fitness > Contraception Choosing the healthiest form of contraception: 1 of 6
A BITTER PILL? Since its introduction in the UK in 1961, the contraceptive pill has been the subject of regular health scares through possible links with breast cancer, strokes and heart attacks. Feminist iconoclast Germaine Greer caused a stir when she accused pill manufacturers of selling us abortifacients. In her new book... More..
Arts & Humanities > Marketing & Selling Writing Vanity publishing: What it is and if its worth it: 1 of 5
There have always been two kinds of publisher. First, the "proper" kind - the reputable firms whose names are listed in the reference books and whose products line the shelves of W.H. Smiths and Dillons. Competition is fierce and even once published, you're unlikely to get rich quick - the average first novel sells only abou... More..
Entertainment > Celebrity Lifestyles & Trends Fame and fiction: Celebrity novelists: 1 of 4
Celebrities lead unusual lives. Famous people have always opened those lives to the public in autobiography, but there's no reason to think that a sportsman, an actor or a supermodel will necessarily have the ability to translate the oddness of their personal worldview into fiction. Nevertheless, a surprising number of them ... More..
Entertainment > Movie Reviews Movie reviews: Casino Royale: 19 of 55
Bond Begins: 007 franchise reforged with blue steel There's probably been more newsprint expended on Daniel Craig's debut as Bond than there has on any British movie for a very long time. Computer geeks set up hate campaigns based on the colour of Craig's hair and fans of Roger Moore's ironic eyebrow stamped their feet and s... More..
Entertainment > Movie Reviews Movie reviews: Lord of the Rings: 2 of 5
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Extended Edition) Is it just a clever marketing trick? Are these extended versions of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies no more than a way of selling the same product twice over? Three times, if you count that initial big-screen experience? Perhaps that's New Line's intention, but it... More..
Health & Fitness > Menstruation & Menopause Battling PMS: 3 of 6
PERIOD DRAMA You feel terrible. Depressed, tired, irritable, tense. You need chocolate, fast. Everything aches, you can't concentrate on work and you shouted at the kids this morning. Your breasts hurt, your skirt won't do up and you burst into tears on the train. Sound familiar? Then odds on your period's due. 80% of women ... More..
Entertainment > Movie Genres Kids and the Nemo fad: 1 of 2
Finding Nemo It's often said that there are only two basic plots in the whole of cinema: either a stranger comes to town, or the hero takes off on a journey. Pixar's CGI-fest Finding Nemo throws both scenarios at us in the first reel. First, the idyllic undersea world of clownfish couple Marlin (a Woody Allen-esque Albert Br... More..
Entertainment > Album Reviews Music reviews: Revelations, by Audioslave: 1 of 1
Audioslave Revelations Columbia/Sony BMG Audioslave might reasonably be forgiven for imagining a conspiracy amongst the world's press to put an end to them. Dogged by breakup rumours since their inception and bedevilled by comparisons to their members' old bands, they've cheerfully soldiered through a slew of live dates arou... More..