Today our daughter went off to start her four years at University. Yesterday we had the 'dad talk' - the somewhat self-indulgent attempt at sharing wisdom. The most pertinent piece of advice I tried to give her was to 'make the most of it'; that it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; that she will never be … Continue reading Taking my own advice?
Category: Blog
Putting pen to paper – w/c 11th September
So, here we go. 'Back in the saddle' as they say. Rather than revert to an entry a day ("been there, done that") I thought I might try and keep myself honest by previewing the week ahead - and then in seven days' time looking back to see how I got on. It's all about … Continue reading Putting pen to paper – w/c 11th September
“Life on Other Planets”
It seems that I'm not having much luck in my recent reading choices. I now realise it was supposed to be laugh-out-loud funny, but I'm afraid Matt Cook's "Life on Other Planets" didn't have that effect on me. The occasional smile of amusement perhaps. And I also confess that when I bought it, I didn't … Continue reading “Life on Other Planets”
“Proof of Life on Earth”
There is a tightrope poets walk when they are writing personal poetry i.e. poems which tackle specific instances or relationships in their lives. Because the poet is intimate with their subject, often there are references and images in the poem which work solely because they are privy to the other half of the handshake. So … Continue reading “Proof of Life on Earth”
Twitter saddens me…
...because it's like some vast goldfish bowl where millions of small fish are desperately trying to get to the very few crumbs of food that are thrown on the surface from time to time... ...because people are competitive - in a nice way, usually - about the number of followers they have: "I have 1,800", … Continue reading Twitter saddens me…
Getting my act together…
Following on from my recent rumination about time and what to do with it ("Today's the day"), over the last few days I have turned my attention to kick-starting some new Coverstory books publishing initiatives. The first of these is a new short story collection following on from the 2022 volume Making Marks in the … Continue reading Getting my act together…
“Isaac and the Egg”
There is nothing wrong with Bobby Palmer's "Isaac and the Egg". Indeed the central conceit as to whether the egg is real or simply a figment of Isaac's imagination - or some kind of metaphor for his mental and emotional state - is handled well and maintained throughout. Perhaps what's even more satisfying is that … Continue reading “Isaac and the Egg”
When one door closes…
This was how my study looked yesterday. Today everything in the picture has gone and the room is bare. Tomorrow afternoon it will belong to someone else - and my new study will probably start out by looking much like this image... A strange continuum. Or the end/beginning of an era. At least that's how … Continue reading When one door closes…
“The Stranger in the Boat”
Although I am not a religious person, the essentially Christian message behind Mitch Albom's "The Stranger in the Boat" didn't really bother me. I think you have to take it for what it is (a little bit like Young's "The Shack", which is a wonderful novel) and move on. If such a theme bothers you, … Continue reading “The Stranger in the Boat”
“Antarctica”
Although Claire Keegan's collection of short stories, Antarctica, has won numerous plaudits, there was something about them which bothered me. It was as if there was something missing - or, more likely, something I hadn't spotted. Perhaps I was put off by the title story which I found unrealistic and a little clichéd. If the … Continue reading “Antarctica”
Ian Gouge - Writer 