Author: stevendouglasblog

Born in 1954. Chequered career including Lecturer in English, Social Worker and Lecturer in Social Work. Had breaks related to mental health that also meant I worked in social care. Now retired.

Obviously, for me, most of screen time is taken up by WordPress, and sister app Jetpack (on my mobile): ‘feeling bad’ is often its subject because it is about using my time for registering or reflecting, consolidating, and furthering personal learning.

July 20, 2026

As always, the title is the only way the answer to this prompt will get expressed. The rest becomes a test case and example of what that title’ means in practice. The aim is to extend my learning to state how I prepare to use time in that process – by planned theatre or arts … More Obviously, for me, most of screen time is taken up by WordPress, and sister app Jetpack (on my mobile): ‘feeling bad’ is often its subject because it is about using my time for registering or reflecting, consolidating, and furthering personal learning.

The ease of modern ‘travel’ can hardly be inspired. Only when ‘travel’ equates to ‘travail’ (hard labour and unforeseen difficulty) does it require that input of strong breath from without.

July 19, 2026

For some travel will always be made to include hard work and uncertainties If you test an AI searcher like Co-Pilot on the origins of the word ‘travel’ these days, you get something like this (what I got today): The validity of some of those sources used by the AI tool can be queried but … More The ease of modern ‘travel’ can hardly be inspired. Only when ‘travel’ equates to ‘travail’ (hard labour and unforeseen difficulty) does it require that input of strong breath from without.

I promised myself to try to understand, not blame. It’s an impossible promise if applied solely to your relationships with those who fly into and out of your life. Practice it then with the characters of those in public art. Why not start with Odysseus? This blog responds to Christopher Nolan ‘The Odyssey ‘.

July 18, 2026

I promised myself to try to understand, not blame. It’s an impossible promise if applied solely to your relationships with those who fly into and out of your life. Practice it then with the characters of those in public art. Why not start with Odysseus? This blog responds to Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey (seen at … More I promised myself to try to understand, not blame. It’s an impossible promise if applied solely to your relationships with those who fly into and out of your life. Practice it then with the characters of those in public art. Why not start with Odysseus? This blog responds to Christopher Nolan ‘The Odyssey ‘.

How about dining with Polyphemus, the Cyclops – the Euripides version

July 17, 2026

Going to see The Odyssey today to see how Odysseus fared when he visited the dining room of Polyphemus, the Cyclops. Here is Euripides’ take on it, in the words of Odysseus [ΟΔΥΣΣΕΥΣ], speaking to the Chorus on one of the few extant ‘Satyr’ plays – which played together with a fare of a tragic … More How about dining with Polyphemus, the Cyclops – the Euripides version

Did I promise myself to remain authentic to, or at least return to that standard when I strayed, in a world stained with the self-interest of the few to the disadvantage of the many. Doesn’t Anish Kapoor do that as an artist?

July 16, 2026

Did I promise myself to remain authentic to, or at least return to that standard when I strayed, in a world stained with the self-interest of the few to the disadvantage of the many. Doesn’t Anish Kapoor do that as an artist? Ralph Rugoff asks Anish Kapoor in his interview with the artist, whether art’s … More Did I promise myself to remain authentic to, or at least return to that standard when I strayed, in a world stained with the self-interest of the few to the disadvantage of the many. Doesn’t Anish Kapoor do that as an artist?

This blog contains all I have to say of the experience of David Hare’s ‘Grace Pervades’ playing at the Haymarket Theatre (seen by me on 9th July at 14.30) and all I have to say about the experience of Simon Stone’s ‘The Oresteia’ playing at the Bridge Theatre (seen by me on 8th July at 19.00) at the moment at least with regard to the last named: for about the latter there will be more. The excuse it addresses is this one: “that since theatre is the basis of theatrical art, no drama in it could ever be anything more nor less than ‘theatrical'”.

July 14, 2026

This blog contains all I have to say of the experience of David Hare’s ‘Grace Pervades’ playing at the Haymarket Theatre (seen by me on 9th July at 14.30) and all I have to say about the experience of Simon Stone’s ‘The Oresteia’ playing at the Bridge Theatre (seen by me on 8th July at … More This blog contains all I have to say of the experience of David Hare’s ‘Grace Pervades’ playing at the Haymarket Theatre (seen by me on 9th July at 14.30) and all I have to say about the experience of Simon Stone’s ‘The Oresteia’ playing at the Bridge Theatre (seen by me on 8th July at 19.00) at the moment at least with regard to the last named: for about the latter there will be more. The excuse it addresses is this one: “that since theatre is the basis of theatrical art, no drama in it could ever be anything more nor less than ‘theatrical'”.

Is it all in the detail? Finding some significance of one’s own in major art exhibitions

July 13, 2026

What do we do to make our time in a major art gallery exhibition significant? In a recent blog (in full at this link) I started thinking about some mental and emotional linking themes that seem to me to relate two extremely different major art exhibitions that I needed, at I felt I needed, to … More Is it all in the detail? Finding some significance of one’s own in major art exhibitions

This blog uses Elizabeth Strout (2026) ‘The Things We Never Say’ as a test case for a thesis based on the difficulty of erasing trends from history. In it, the narrator says that Artie Dam, thinks his despair at the ‘state of the world’ relates to the hopeless hope that a dangerous right-wing demagogue does not win an American election fought(and won by the wrong person)  in the background of the narrative yet influential within it. However: ‘because he had studied history. He was aware that in all human existence there had never been a time where people were not killing one another, and why he had not been affected by this as strongly throughout his life as he was these days he could not understand’. As he gets home and removes his sailing boots he suddenly understands that his despair had another more primary cause: ‘It was an accretion of loneliness; …’.

July 12, 2026

This blog uses Elizabeth Strout (2026) The Things We Never Say London, Viking / Penguin as a test case for a thesis based on the difficulty of erasing trends from history. In it, the narrator says that Artie Dam, thinks his despair at the ‘state of the world’ relates to the hopeless hope that a … More This blog uses Elizabeth Strout (2026) ‘The Things We Never Say’ as a test case for a thesis based on the difficulty of erasing trends from history. In it, the narrator says that Artie Dam, thinks his despair at the ‘state of the world’ relates to the hopeless hope that a dangerous right-wing demagogue does not win an American election fought(and won by the wrong person)  in the background of the narrative yet influential within it. However: ‘because he had studied history. He was aware that in all human existence there had never been a time where people were not killing one another, and why he had not been affected by this as strongly throughout his life as he was these days he could not understand’. As he gets home and removes his sailing boots he suddenly understands that his despair had another more primary cause: ‘It was an accretion of loneliness; …’.

A habit, implies that splendid queer aesthetic philosopher, Walter Pater, must, by its very nature, sully the claim that it has improved your life. If so, could it be because a habit like a cloak enfolds and hides the body of healthy action, and lets it corrupt.

July 11, 2026

A habit, implies that splendid queer aesthetic philosopher, Walter Pater, must, by its very nature, sully the claim that it has improved your life. If so, could it be because a habit like a cloak enfolds and hides the body of healthy action, and lets it corrupt. A habit, implies that splendid queer philosopher, Walter … More A habit, implies that splendid queer aesthetic philosopher, Walter Pater, must, by its very nature, sully the claim that it has improved your life. If so, could it be because a habit like a cloak enfolds and hides the body of healthy action, and lets it corrupt.

Why do human animals think they are not animals!

July 10, 2026

Why has so much word-play gone into disguising the fact that human beings are more strictly knowable as human animals? Why has a binary distinction been created between the human animal and other animals that is heavily bounded by discourse, sometimes falsely called ‘discourse of reason’, since it is always a discourse stuffed with the … More Why do human animals think they are not animals!

‘…by these words be admonished: of making many books there is no end’ …. Is the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 12:12 that the more worthy the book the less do we need the writing of many books that are sequels of it!

July 9, 2026

What’s a book you think deserves a sequel? ‘…by these words be admonished: of making many books there is no end’ …. Is the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 12:12 that the more worthy the book the less do we need the writing of many books that are sequels of it! To be ‘worthy’  of a sequels … More ‘…by these words be admonished: of making many books there is no end’ …. Is the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 12:12 that the more worthy the book the less do we need the writing of many books that are sequels of it!