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.

Relax what exactly? Well! Relax the tension, ‘inter alia’: this blog touches on seeing Suzie Miller’s ‘Inter Alia’ streamed at the Gala Theatre Durham on 4th September 2025.

September 5, 2025

Relax what exactly? Well! Relax the tension, ‘inter alia’:: this blog touches on seeing Suzie Miller’s ‘Inter Alia’ streamed at the Gala Theatre Durham on 4th September 2025. The whole point of the Frankie Goes to Hollywood lyrics and the excitable video and still images that once accompanied it on its release as I remember … More Relax what exactly? Well! Relax the tension, ‘inter alia’: this blog touches on seeing Suzie Miller’s ‘Inter Alia’ streamed at the Gala Theatre Durham on 4th September 2025.

Do we give up on one or all of the ‘words that bind us’ at our peril? It might be better to understand why words are multivalent: this is a blog on visiting the Magna Carta exhibition at Durham Cathedral on Wednesday 3rd September 2025.

September 3, 2025

Do we give up on one or all of the ‘words that bind us’ at our peril? It might be better to understand why words are multivalent: this is a blog on visiting the Magna Carta exhibition at Durham Cathedral on Wednesday 3rd September 2025. The exhibition runs from July 11 to November 2, 2025. “To no … More Do we give up on one or all of the ‘words that bind us’ at our peril? It might be better to understand why words are multivalent: this is a blog on visiting the Magna Carta exhibition at Durham Cathedral on Wednesday 3rd September 2025.

This is a blog on the rich novel that is Jonathan Buckley’s (2025) ‘One Boat’.

August 31, 2025

In metafiction, the narrator may make ad-hoc decisions about the nature of the fiction and adopt, if not fully implement, them in the very moment of narrating that fiction, as in the end of  Jonathan Buckley’s 2025 novel, One Boat where it appears that the narrator decides (on authoritative masculine persuasion) that her book is … More This is a blog on the rich novel that is Jonathan Buckley’s (2025) ‘One Boat’.

It brings ‘a tear of joy’ finding truth in fiction and authenticity in mere performance. Here is an example: Liz Duffy Adams’ ‘Born with Teeth’; Reflections after reading the text.

August 30, 2025

It brings ‘a tear of joy’ finding truth in fiction and authenticity in mere performance. Here is an example: Liz Duffy Adams’ Born with Teeth; Reflections after reading the text. In an earlier blog post at this link, I  said that I would revisit Liz Duffy Adams play Born with Teeth once I had chance … More It brings ‘a tear of joy’ finding truth in fiction and authenticity in mere performance. Here is an example: Liz Duffy Adams’ ‘Born with Teeth’; Reflections after reading the text.

Now is not the time to relax your caution! Would love of country be done surreptitiously and without anything but the need to stoke fear of alien appropriation of ‘our’ homes, women and children’ by men in black balaclava face coverings, overnight

August 29, 2025

Now is not the time to relax your caution! Would love of country be done surreptitiously and without anything but the need to stoke fear of alien appropriation of ‘our’ homes, women and children by men in black balaclava face coverings, overnight Posted on August 29, 2025 by stevendouglasblog A short film appeared on X, flagship of hatred and … More Now is not the time to relax your caution! Would love of country be done surreptitiously and without anything but the need to stoke fear of alien appropriation of ‘our’ homes, women and children’ by men in black balaclava face coverings, overnight

Feeling absent

August 28, 2025

To feel a ‘right now’ feeling is a strongPretence to being present: whilst ‘right now’Belief now gone, I’m scratching at the painThat comes from scraping off a living fromAttempts to paint an image to last for longEnough to write my name under the glossI’ll finally brush over the whole work.It takes little art, but some … More Feeling absent

I blog to keep my brain and heart ticking! And to read better – sometimes the latter aim fails. This blog takes as an example my planned blog on Susan Choi (2025) ‘Flashlight’.

August 27, 2025

I blog to keep my brain and heart ticking! And to read better – sometimes the latter aim fails. This blog takes as an example my planned blog on Susan Choi (2025) ‘Flashlight’. I feel I need to read to keep the synapses flashing in my brain, and my thoughts and feelings in evolution rather … More I blog to keep my brain and heart ticking! And to read better – sometimes the latter aim fails. This blog takes as an example my planned blog on Susan Choi (2025) ‘Flashlight’.

Why not ‘Muffin the Mule’ because ‘we love Muffin …’: TV was so different then; Received Pronunciation and Puppets on Visible Strings

August 26, 2025

Why not ‘Muffin the Mule‘ because ‘we love Muffin …’: TV was so different then: Received Pronunciation and Puppets on Visible Strings BBC: Annette Mills and Muffin the Mule in For the Children, 1952. Muffin was the first Children’s TV superstar, clopping along to his theme tune ‘Here comes Muffin’! Available: https://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/bbc-100/100-faces/muffin-the-mule/ Here comes Muffin, … More Why not ‘Muffin the Mule’ because ‘we love Muffin …’: TV was so different then; Received Pronunciation and Puppets on Visible Strings

The ‘Nostos’ theme absorbs all the energy we ought to have for thinking about our responsibility for creating ‘homelessness’

August 25, 2025

The ‘Nostos’ theme absorbs all the energy we ought to have for thinking about our responsibility for creating ‘homelessness’ I wonder if the magic associated with the film E.T. – The Extraterrestrial is not a version of the staple myth of the Western world – the Homecoming or Nostos theme. It is the stuff of … More The ‘Nostos’ theme absorbs all the energy we ought to have for thinking about our responsibility for creating ‘homelessness’

As always I searched for material to illustrate my blogs. Here is an example: Seeing Liz Duffy Adams’ ‘Born With Teeth’ in a production at Wyndham’s Theatre.

August 24, 2025

As always I searched for material to illustrate my blogs. Here is an example: Seeing (before reading) Liz Duffy Adams’ Born With Teeth in a production at Wyndham’s Theatre, Charing Cross Road, London on the 20th August 2025, 2.30 p.m. The photographs from the production are taken from: Photos: Born With Teeth starring Ncuti Gatwa … More As always I searched for material to illustrate my blogs. Here is an example: Seeing Liz Duffy Adams’ ‘Born With Teeth’ in a production at Wyndham’s Theatre.

This is a blog on the translation and interpretation of East European migrant experience to America in Ledia Xhoga (2025) ‘Misinterpretation’.

August 23, 2025

‘The phrase Çdo gjë është e shrkruar – Everything is already written – came to mind. Albanians usually offered it to an anxious person for comfort, as a reminder that the cogs of some future event had been spinning since the beginning of time’.[1] This is a blog on the translation and interpretation of East … More This is a blog on the translation and interpretation of East European migrant experience to America in Ledia Xhoga (2025) ‘Misinterpretation’.

It was Jenny Saville’s new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London, ‘The Anatomy of Painting’.

August 22, 2025

In an interview with Sarah Howgate in the catalogue of the 2025 exhibition The Anatomy of Painting, Jenny Saville says that some part of her decisions and choices of method and technique as a painter is about freeing ‘up time to think about the way I’m applying paint – the mark-making, paint consistency and colour. … More It was Jenny Saville’s new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London, ‘The Anatomy of Painting’.