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Continue reading →: John Aubrey
An English biographer and philosopher of the 17th century, his work was largely undiscovered until the 1800s. A new biography by Ruth Scurr, John Aubrey: My Own Life written in ‘his own hand’ is getting good reviews. Here is a taste…Aubrey, a self-effacing, modest man, was a brilliant oral historian, who…
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Continue reading →: What Freedom
Freedom is a noble ambition for many and a struggle against oppression for some. In Western liberal democracies we cherish the notion that our freedoms are protected. But how vulnerable are they in today’s volatile economic battleground? The United Nations and NATO were established to end conflict and bring nations together to…
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Continue reading →: Twitter Politics
Twitter is ideal for executive pronouncements. 140 characters to make a fool of yourself, bitch about your opponents or massage the egos of your yes men. One of DJ’s most successful yes men is Reince Priebus who latched onto power with consummate skill. He is now White House Chief of…
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Continue reading →: It’s a Funny Old World
Alternative facts, fake news and ‘so-called judges’ are terms that have entered into the crazy new order of Western politics. The truth has become the first casualty of populism. Comparisons have been made with arch propagandists from the totalitarian school of hoodwinking the people. But this is a new breed…
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Continue reading →: Valentine myths
Take your pick, St Valentine was either martyred for disobeying an edict by Claudius II prohibiting marriages and engagements, or else he restored the sight of a Judge’s daughter and the Judge converted to Christianity. There might be some credibility to a military leader prohibiting marriage. The myth suggests that monogamous…
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Continue reading →: Superb Superbowl
What a game! The Falcons were up by 25 points and it looked like the Patriots were done for. One incredible catch by Edelman and a couple of 2 point conversions and it was 28 all after regular time. The legendary Tom Brady then found his receivers open and making…
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Continue reading →: Six Nations
For rugby fans the Six Nations is one of the most exciting sporting competitions. England are the team to beat this year and there are many non-English fans who relish a victory against the old enemy. Dylan Hartley is not my favourite rugby player, having committed so many fouls including…
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Continue reading →: A story comes together
If you haven’t looked at the MOOC creative writing page on this blog yet – why not? It has a gripping yarn that is growing into something amazing! I have been reviewed by a fellow MOOCer and have added some dialogue as she suggested.
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Continue reading →: When words weigh heavily
The agony of crafting good prose can be excruciating. So if my own writing suffers from mediocrity, be comforted that no writers were hurt in the process. Writers in garrets slaving away over ancient typewriters long into the night fuelled by hard liquor is an outdated characterisation. Some writers still write their…
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