Excellent blog from Robert Repino in OUP about writing a novel – basically he says write short stories for 6-12 months before you think about moving on to longer projects. Also from OUP, tips for being a better writer. And, just for fun I did the ‘what sort of writer are you?’ quiz on the… Continue reading Writing tips
how do we decide what is just?
I was at a Guardian event yesterday (The Alternative Party Conference – great fun and thought provoking) and a passing comment rekindled an issue that had been laying dormant for some months. Simon Danczuk was contributing to a panel discussion about (amongst other things) corruption in Westminster, and commented that he had been responsible for… Continue reading how do we decide what is just?
how do we value ourselves?
I follow a few blogs, including that of the poet Roy Marshall and was interested to read this in his latest blog: “I write reviews and quite often read my poems for no fee. There is always some debate amongst poets about the wisdom of reviewing and performing, and even offering poems for publication, without being paid. Of… Continue reading how do we value ourselves?
the joys of randomness
30 October 2015 I love making random discoveries that become a potentially important part of the research journey. Not only is it great fun, as you meander in an apparently aimless way through the web, but I find it highly subversive. Years of counter-intuitive obedience to the scientific method, ruthlessly and inappropriately demanded because –… Continue reading the joys of randomness
Apologies to Gandhi
Too big to hold too hard to grasp too difficult to comprehend too frightening to imagine too loud to hear drowning in the world engulfed by too much too much, too much, too much, too much Too much materialism too much capitalism too much greed Too much need too much violence too much fear too… Continue reading Apologies to Gandhi
a long summer of change
So many things have happened this summer that if I stop and think about them too hard it all seems a little surreal! A summer of change is an understatement – transformation is perhaps more accurate. How does one begin to evaluate birth, deaths, engagements, political change, academic change; personal, domestic, national and global events?… Continue reading a long summer of change
idealism and pragmatism
I will put my cards on the table. I have supported Jeremy Corbyn from the moment that he expressed his intention to stand for the Labour party leadership. I listened with bated breath in the half hour leading up to close of nominations to find out whether he had secured the magic number – and… Continue reading idealism and pragmatism
Before the new season starts…
Saints FC 2014-15 goals All the joys of last season revisited – fingers crossed that this season is even better!
Greek tragedies
Syriza, Tsipras, Varoufakis, Grexit, Brexit, Troika, IMF, ECB, a new lexicon, and now – Oxi. An apparent paradox where nei means yes but 61% say no. And now we are in uncharted territory. Our politicians talk of redoubled austerity whilst the EU masters argue about in and out – the EU? the eurozone? Ordinary… Continue reading Greek tragedies
inherited wealth
The Will He read the contents and wept tears of gratitude and joy at his good fortune thanks to his parents’ careful capitalism. She listened and wept too, tears of bitterness and anger for her loss of what she believed was rightly hers but lost to one who was not her mother. Did they look… Continue reading inherited wealth
crackedmirrors and angelpie 