What can you tell from the title of a book, its cover, the blurb that goes with it? Too often these prove insufficient clues as to what might be hidden inside - good or bad. Sometimes when we're buying a new book we'll take a punt; but more often than not, we probably settle for … Continue reading Openings
Category: Literature
Sound body, sound mind – another update
Since my original post (appended below) I have now completed 30 stages (from a revised 60) of my journey since 'leaving' Land's End, cycling some 747km. Progress was a little slower in December than previously, but I hope to ramp it up again during Q1'22. In a virtual sense, therefore, I am now just about … Continue reading Sound body, sound mind – another update
“Darkness Visible”
As much as I like and admire William Golding's work, "Darkness Visible" missed a beat for me. It almost felt as if his characters had gifted him with multiple themes yet he hadn't been able to exactly settle on the central one when he was writing it. Thus the focus seems to shift been the … Continue reading “Darkness Visible”
Published today: “Shrapnel from a Writing Life”
I am delighted to announce that I have a new book out today. Neither fiction nor poetry, "Shrapnel from a Writing Life" isn't easily categorised. Here's an excerpt from the blurb: "Shrapnel from a Writing Life" is not a conventional book. It is neither fiction nor poetry, though it contains elements of both; nor is … Continue reading Published today: “Shrapnel from a Writing Life”
“Krapp’s Last Tape and other shorter plays”
What can you say about Samuel Beckett? If you have ever seen "Waiting For Godot" performed live you'll know the genius of the man. Beckett is a supremely visual playwright, and so simply reading "Krapp's Last Tape and other shorter plays" was never going to be an excessively rewarding experience. But having a sense of … Continue reading “Krapp’s Last Tape and other shorter plays”
The Lure of Time
Have you ever thought about how you navigate through Time? Because we do. Unlike a map however, which has references to the concrete and physical - those hills, that river - and which articulate means to get from one place to another - roads or railway lines, for example - Time has no such attributes, … Continue reading The Lure of Time
Writers’ Retreat – The Lake District, February
Jan and the team at Writers' Retreats UK have their next three-day event scheduled for the 11th February 2022 in the northern Lake District, not far from the Scottish border, and I am delighted to have been invited as a guest in order to run some workshops and offer a little ad-hoc mentoring as and … Continue reading Writers’ Retreat – The Lake District, February
“Jesus’ Son”
It was mere coincidence that saw me reading Denis Johnson's short story collection "Jesus' Son" immediately after Kevin Barry's "That Old Country Music" - but it was a coincidence which served to throw the two into sharp contrast. Where Barry's stories are softer, somewhat gentle, filled with 'Irishness', Johnson's are raw, hard, uncompromising, and paint … Continue reading “Jesus’ Son”
“That Old Country Music”
Kevin Barry's collection of short stories, "That Old Country Music" is, in its own way, a gem. Although the subjects of the stories are often serious and sombre (e.g. teenage pregnancy, abandonment, failed love), Barry handles his material with such subtlety that at times you perhaps can't help but wonder if the tone isn't a … Continue reading “That Old Country Music”
“Anxious People”
There is something of the fairy story about Fredrik Backman's "Anxious People" - which probably shouldn't be a surprise from the man who have us "A Man Called Ove". You might also argue that "Anxious People" is a rare novel these days: one which, in the flurry of positivity towards the end, manages to resolve … Continue reading “Anxious People”
Ian Gouge - Writer 