“Liberation Day”

You can see why Booker Prize winner George Saunders is so revered as a short story writer, and why his Substack - where he is incredibly generous in his responses to his subscribers - is so well supported. "Liberation Day" bristles with innovation and good writing. Having said that, its two dystopian stories - set … Continue reading “Liberation Day” →

Last week’s Substack activity

Here are links to last week's Substack posts. Why not sign-up to my Substack site for free in order to get news of future posts delivered straight to your inbox? Go to my Substack site This week's section includes: A free article on the Self and Imposter Syndrome; Two full and free short stories: "Westminster" … Continue reading Last week’s Substack activity →

“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.

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… →