“No one belongs here more than you”

Having found Miranda July's "No one belongs here more than you" in the remainders room of Waterstones, Lincoln, I decided to give it a try. It's amazing what you can find in a Waterstones' remainders room! I really liked these short stories - and I've no idea why the book was for sale where it … Continue reading “No one belongs here more than you” →

First posts of the New Year

Here are links to some of my first posts of 2024; please take a look. And if you like what you read I would really appreciate you sharing my site with anyone who might be interested - there are free subscriptions available for effective referrals. Thanks!

“The Largesse of the Sea Maiden”

I like Denis Johnson's work; there seems to often be something slightly off-kilter about it, a 'slant' view of the American world he inhabits. Or should I say inhabited. For some reason - presumably thanks to the contemporary edge to his stories - I had always assumed that he was still alive, and it was … Continue reading “The Largesse of the Sea Maiden” →

Some questions to start the New Year

A free - and topical! - post from my Substack site... Hope you have a great 2024!

On-line interview!

I was recently interviewed by Adrian Lopez for his YouTube channel Between Authors Podcast. You can find the interview HERE.

A submission window closes – and some latest posts

This is a gentle reminder that the submission window for New Contexts: 6 closes at the end of tomorrow. You can find details HERE. A big 'thank you' to all those who have already submitted. Shortlisting will begin next week. ~ For those of you who may have missed them, here are recent posts on my Substack site.

“Guernica”

What strikes me most about James Attlee's chronology of Picasso's "Guernica" is the sense of how the painting seemed to have a life of its own, independent of the artist. And how it was never displayed in Spain - indeed, never in the country - until well after Franco's death, so four decades after it … Continue reading “Guernica” →

Some remarkable things…

As I was trying to get back to sleep this morning (before I gave up and came down to my study an hour earlier than I’d intended) it stuck me how many remarkable things I had done in my life. And that it can be good to stand back and take stock. I have taught … Continue reading Some remarkable things… →

“The Hot Gates”

While some of the pieces may not have travelled that well through time, William Golding's collection of short non-fiction - "The Hot Gates" - remains a delight. The breadth on Golding's menu is extraordinary: Ancient Greece, the English Channel, Stratford-upon-Avon, a kind of critique of "War and Peace" - as well as his own "Lord … Continue reading “The Hot Gates” →