To: The Member for North West Durham regarding Dominic Cummings

richard.holden.mp@parliament.uk richard.holden.mp@parliament.uk cc. Durham Constabulary (via Twitter) To: The Member for North West Durham The House of Commons Dear Richard Holden MP, As your constituents I want to express in the strongest terms possible my objection to a  senior Party official from your Party breaking the lockdown rules by travelling while infected by Coronavirus from London … More To: The Member for North West Durham regarding Dominic Cummings

Reflecting for a third time on Somerled @Somerled_Art: After Somerled began to work with digital animation

Reflecting for a third time on Somerled @Somerled_Art: After Somerled began to work with digital animation of their images and to practice shape-shifting or metamorphosis in real time. What does it mean for shapes to shift? I’d like to think it’s something more than one thing changing into another thing. If A becomes B that … More Reflecting for a third time on Somerled @Somerled_Art: After Somerled began to work with digital animation

Reflecting on queer puzzles in Cavafy. Reading Cavafy, C.P. (trans Daniel Mendelsohn) (2013) ‘C.P. Cavafy: Complete Poems’ & Liddell, R. (1974) ‘Cavafy: A Critical Biography’

Reflecting on queer puzzles in Cavafy. Based mainly on reading Cavafy, C.P. (trans Daniel Mendelsohn) (2013) C.P. Cavafy: Complete Poems London, Harper Press & Liddell, R. (1974) Cavafy: A Critical Biography London, Gerald Duckworth & Co. Ltd. Mendelsohn in 2013 tells us that Liddell’s biography, ‘is still the only book-length biography of the poet in … More Reflecting on queer puzzles in Cavafy. Reading Cavafy, C.P. (trans Daniel Mendelsohn) (2013) ‘C.P. Cavafy: Complete Poems’ & Liddell, R. (1974) ‘Cavafy: A Critical Biography’

Does the paranoia of fantasy thrillers help us understand complex events in real life?: Examining Peter May’s (2020) ‘Lockdown’.

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 issue 151

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) (editor) essays by Black British men ‘Safe: On Black British Men Reclaiming Space’

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)

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)

‘Our life is a theophany.’ Reflecting on Seán Hewitt’s (2020) ‘Tongues of Fire’.

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’.

Partial piece: reading Seán Hewitt’s ‘Callery Pear’ in Hewitt’s ‘Tongues of Fire’ (2020: 35)

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. … “End the Pre-Occupation”’. Reflecting on Colum McCann’s (2020) ‘Apeirogon’: Booker 2020 Selection 1

‘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’

‘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. Joustra’s (2020) ‘Sin: The Art of Transgression’

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’