Scroll through YouTube, and the new buzzword is personal curriculums. Essentially, this is something many of us have been doing for years, but now it has a fancy title and a collection of videos instructing us on how to do it.
Put simply, a personal curriculum involves picking a topic you are passionate about and then researching it. You can use books, videos, articles, or even chat with your Gran! Whether this stems from my love of crime and history reading or simply my inherent desire to learn, I have been following this process for years without ever calling it anything.
My first major research topic and this will be no surprise to anyone who has read Murder Mayhem UK was Jack the Ripper. Over the years, I have devoured many books on the subject, and this naturally led me to become interested in Victorian England.
This wider topic allowed me to add fiction to my reading. I not only read non-fiction but also devoured novels by Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, and Thomas Hardy. The fiction, I found, taught me just as much as the non-fiction.
Last year, my focus was firmly on World War II. This interest informed not just my reading but also the articles I wrote. In fact, two of the crime books I published last year covered the subject of World War II.
You might assume that I read to write articles, and that is certainly true to an extent. However, I view it more as a circle. I become interested in a topic, so I read about it. This reading then gives me material to write, which, in turn, further increases my interest, compelling me to read more. It’s a continuous, satisfying loop of discovery and creation.
Next year, my new topic is the Vietnam War. I have been fascinated with it since I was young, staying up late to watch films and series on the subject.
This is where I need your help.
Have you read a good book on the Vietnam War, that you would recommend? Are there any films or documentaries you think I should check out next year?
Until next Sunday: Find the time, find the words, find the way.
Sam 😊
That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history. - Huxley
