Does the paranoia of fantasy thrillers help us understand complex events in real life?: Examining Peter May (2020) Lockdown London, riverrun Quercus Editions Ltd. Peter May wrote this book in the wake of the fear that spread the world over a possible bird flu pandemic in 2005. Written in 6 weeks, he tells us in … More Does the paranoia of fantasy thrillers help us understand complex events in real life?: Examining Peter May’s (2020) ‘Lockdown’.

Six (in(secure)) Poems: ‘from the knotweed sonnets’ by Andrew McMillan (2020) in Granta: The Magazine of New Writing Issue 151 (Spring 2020) 123 – 126. Some poems speak of those things in our life of which there is no resolution. These poems need not even speak of resolution, since they are presented to us as … More Six (in(secure)) Poems: ‘from the knotweed sonnets’ by Andrew McMillan (2020) in Granta issue 151

Reclaiming space – a project in Black British identity in Derek Owusu’s (2019) edited essays by Black British men Safe: On Black British Men Reclaiming Space London, Trapeze, Hachette UK company. Identity politics is going through a bad time. One reason for this is, as Derek Owusu, the editor of and a contributor to this … More Reclaiming space – a project in Black British identity in Derek Owusu’s (2019) (editor) essays by Black British men ‘Safe: On Black British Men Reclaiming Space’

Book into film: André Carl Van Der Merwe (2006) Moffie New York, Europa Editions & film (2020) by Oliver Hermanus Starring: Kai Luke Brummer,  Matthew Vey &  Ryan de Villiers available at: https://www.curzonhomecinema.com/film/watch-moffie-film-online Usually we compare films to books to the favour of the book. In this case the comparison shouldn’t perhaps be laden with any … More Book into film: André Carl Van Der Merwe (2006) ‘Moffie’ New York, Europa Editions & film (2020)

NOTE BY BLOGGER: Sometimes a blog makes you query why you create blogs at all. This is the case here. I started with the view that there was a sub-textual message to the volume that promised a way of reviewing our queer lives. As I approached it’s end, I realised that the elegiac poems, although … More ‘Our life is a theophany.’ Reflecting on Seán Hewitt’s (2020) ‘Tongues of Fire’.

Written in drafting preparation for a longer piece: ‘Our life is a theophany.[1] … Reflecting on Seán Hewitt’s (2020a) Tongues of Fire London, Jonathon Cape. FOR NOW THEN: Partial piece: reading Callery Pear Hewitt (2020: 35) In a statement about this book, Hewitt summarises the connection in it of some key themes: the reflexive examination … More Partial piece: reading Seán Hewitt’s ‘Callery Pear’ in Hewitt’s ‘Tongues of Fire’ (2020: 35)

‘Try the occupation of your imagination.[1] … “End the Pre-Occupation”’. Reflecting on Colum McCann’s (2020) Apeirogon London, Bloomsbury Publishing. Certain words have power. Near the end of the novel whilst the Palestinian peace-campaigner, Bassam, a character based on interviews with the ‘real person’ of that name and role (shown above), speaks at a conference he … More ‘Try the occupation of your imagination. … “End the Pre-Occupation”’. Reflecting on Colum McCann’s (2020) ‘Apeirogon’: Booker 2020 Selection 1

‘Everywhere needs its creation myth’. Reflecting on Rishi Dastidar’s (2020) Saffron Jack Rugby, Nine Arches Press. …those of us from backgrounds where poetry writing is not a common way of spending time … are more familiar with the whisper, the critique, the rejection that, while the work is good, it is in some way lacking … More ‘Everywhere needs its creation myth’. Reflecting on Rishi Dastidar’s (2020) ‘Saffron Jack’

The Meaning of Exhibitions in major national collections: Reflecting on the absence of Sin in London between 15th April to 5th July. Stimulus for reflection Joost Joustra’s (2020) Sin: The Art of Transgression London, National Gallery Company Ltd. Mark Brown’s preview of this exhibition in December for The Guardian uses the title, ‘National Gallery Hopes … More The Meaning of Exhibitions in major national collections: Reflecting on the absence of Sin in London between 15th April to 5th July. Joustra’s (2020) ‘Sin: The Art of Transgression’

1st draft to be reviewed when I have energy. May be lots of errors. “Still … something to resolve”: Unending incompletion in Temple Drake (aka Rupert Thomson) [2020] ‘NVK’ London, Titan Books. They have the best stories too – … In a typical zhiguai, a mode of expression now viewed as giving a voice to … More “Still … something to resolve”: Unending incompletion in Temple Drake (aka Rupert Thomson) [2020] ‘NVK’ London, Titan Books.

Managing the ‘discipline, that really mad level of self-control’.[1] Gay Fictional Autobiography and social change in Adam Mars-Jones (2020) Box Hill: A Story of Low Self-Esteem London, Fitzcarroldo Editions. A fictional autobiography is a novel in which a fictional persona tells part of their life-story ending at the moment the novel is written. For this … More Managing the ‘discipline, that really mad level of self-control’. Gay Fictional Autobiography and social change in Adam Mars-Jones (2020) ‘Box Hill: A Story of Low Self-Esteem’

‘… excited, with no cause that the wit can define’.[1] Charlotte Peacock’s (2017) Into The Mountain: A Life of Nan Shepherd Cambridge, Galileo Publishers. We never write a life: we, or least Charlotte Peacock, writes the meaning of the patch of time between life and death. This large project starts with smaller acts in which … More ‘… excited, with no cause that the wit can define’.[1] Charlotte Peacock’s (2017) ‘Into The Mountain: A Life of Nan Shepherd’