Tag: writing

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'”.

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.

Invited to imagine ‘your life’ as a book, the convenient thing about what you’d call a ‘chapter’ in it, is that it ends and pauses before another chapter begins. Is that because your life changed at some point or because, after the event, you want to write it as if it had?

July 2, 2026

One of the great beauties of writing an autobiography, a written story of the life you have passed thus far, is that, in writing it, you have the advantage of interpreting it, or any part of it, with a different view of what it all means now, or should as far as you are concerned … More Invited to imagine ‘your life’ as a book, the convenient thing about what you’d call a ‘chapter’ in it, is that it ends and pauses before another chapter begins. Is that because your life changed at some point or because, after the event, you want to write it as if it had?

Reframing your Lines of Action: Is Art a way a doing this?

June 30, 2026

Reframing is defined simply enough in a mental health page at this link. Here’;s the opening. For me, the power in it lies in the avoidance of the oft used but poor term ‘positive reframing’, which assumes that negativity is only and merely a mindset and not a reality in the external factors of people’s … More Reframing your Lines of Action: Is Art a way a doing this?

Did Thomas Carlyle ever say: ‘Tennyson was a man solitary and sad, dwelling in an element of gloom, carrying a bit of chaos about him’.

June 28, 2026

Alfred Tennyson and Thomas Carlyle in a good representayion of the walled garden to 5 Cheyne Road the home of Thomas and Jane Carlyle., now visitable as ‘Carlyles’s House’ Thomas Carlyle, so little read today, was thought a Sage by those of his own time, and whether the quotation given above (from the usual dodgy … More Did Thomas Carlyle ever say: ‘Tennyson was a man solitary and sad, dwelling in an element of gloom, carrying a bit of chaos about him’.

The best advice is to be aware of and distrust the impulse, or the advice of others, that you be always in control of what you say and do, for it too often means that you surrender yourself to the controlling ideologies of the status quo, which is, often as not, embodied by that which demands your self-control. I think I learned this from Adam Nicolson’s characterisation of Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his ‘The Making of Poetry’ (2019)

June 22, 2026

The best advice is to be aware of and distrust the impulse, or the advice of others, that you be always in control of what you say and do, for it too often means that you surrender yourself to the controlling ideologies of the status quo, which is, often as not, embodied by that which … More The best advice is to be aware of and distrust the impulse, or the advice of others, that you be always in control of what you say and do, for it too often means that you surrender yourself to the controlling ideologies of the status quo, which is, often as not, embodied by that which demands your self-control. I think I learned this from Adam Nicolson’s characterisation of Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his ‘The Making of Poetry’ (2019)

Édouard Louis shows us that ‘happiness’ may be the result only of ‘social determinism’ succeeding in its function to ‘condition the person’ you are. This is a blog on Édouard Louis (2026) ‘Collapse’, London, Harvill.

June 18, 2026

Édouard Louis shows us that ‘happiness’ may be the result only of ‘social determinism’ succeeding in its function to ‘condition the person’ you are. [1] This is a blog on Édouard Louis (2026) Collapse [Trans Tash Aw], London, Harvill. This piece probably relates to what I have tried to say in blogs about earlier books. The … More Édouard Louis shows us that ‘happiness’ may be the result only of ‘social determinism’ succeeding in its function to ‘condition the person’ you are. This is a blog on Édouard Louis (2026) ‘Collapse’, London, Harvill.

When the subject is ‘seeing’, why exclude visual art, for that too allows us to ‘see’ in more than ways that are entirely visual. This blog is an explanation of why I go to art exhibitions. This is almost the same as explaining why I feel a need to prepare myself to see them. The pleasures and perils of researched prescience is however a subject in itself. This blog anticipates seeing the new ‘Zurbarán’ Exhibition at 12.00 midday to 13.30 (about) on Thursday 9th July. Will it change my world?

June 17, 2026

Explaining why I go to art exhibitions is almost the same as explaining why I feel a need to prepare myself to see them. The pleasures and perils of researched prescience is however a subject in itself. This blog anticipates seeing the new Zurbarán ExWhen the subject is ‘seeing’, why exclude visual art, for that … More When the subject is ‘seeing’, why exclude visual art, for that too allows us to ‘see’ in more than ways that are entirely visual. This blog is an explanation of why I go to art exhibitions. This is almost the same as explaining why I feel a need to prepare myself to see them. The pleasures and perils of researched prescience is however a subject in itself. This blog anticipates seeing the new ‘Zurbarán’ Exhibition at 12.00 midday to 13.30 (about) on Thursday 9th July. Will it change my world?

In ‘Grace Pervades’, the character named Henry Irving, based on the great actor-manager says to Ellen Terry, ‘I await eagerly to see what you will do next. It’s always different’. She replies ‘Then how can it always be perfect?’ The answer to that might be the answer to the question: ‘If you could instantly master any skill, what would it be?’

June 14, 2026

In Grace Pervades, the character named Henry Irving, based on the great actor-manager says to Ellen Terry, ‘I await eagerly to see what you will do next. It’s always different’. She replies ‘Then how can it always be perfect?’ The answer to that might be the answer to the question: ‘If you could instantly master … More In ‘Grace Pervades’, the character named Henry Irving, based on the great actor-manager says to Ellen Terry, ‘I await eagerly to see what you will do next. It’s always different’. She replies ‘Then how can it always be perfect?’ The answer to that might be the answer to the question: ‘If you could instantly master any skill, what would it be?’

Memes are sometimes nothing more than rhythms in the memory. John Dyer, the hero of Nicholas Shakespeare (2026) ‘Frame 37’, uses the phrase, ‘… nothing ever disappears completely, and when it returns it does so in exaggerated form’.  This blog considers whether it is the purpose of ‘good stories’ to locate the source of truth of an incomprehensible universe, but to continually suggest that this truth runs like ‘a non-verbal poetry’ with a ‘rhythm that feels fresh’ and might wake us up ‘to the unspoken part of the universe’ around us.

June 12, 2026

John Dyer, the hero of Nicholas Shakespeare (2026) Frame 37, London, Harvill, uses the phrase, ‘… nothing ever disappears completely, and when it returns it does so in exaggerated form’.  It is so very nearly an echo of the many ways in which Sigmund Freud described ‘the return of the repressed’.[1] However, it would be … More Memes are sometimes nothing more than rhythms in the memory. John Dyer, the hero of Nicholas Shakespeare (2026) ‘Frame 37’, uses the phrase, ‘… nothing ever disappears completely, and when it returns it does so in exaggerated form’.  This blog considers whether it is the purpose of ‘good stories’ to locate the source of truth of an incomprehensible universe, but to continually suggest that this truth runs like ‘a non-verbal poetry’ with a ‘rhythm that feels fresh’ and might wake us up ‘to the unspoken part of the universe’ around us.

Look backwards to the history that you ought to make part of your own biography if you want to avoid political confusion.

June 10, 2026

I was just nearing 5 years of age when this magazine came out, still sold in pounds sterling at 4/- [4 shillings (20p now but what a large amount then)].This was the last edition of ‘Universities and Left Review’ (ULR) which became, together with ‘The New Reasoner’, the ‘New Left Review’ (NLR) in its next … More Look backwards to the history that you ought to make part of your own biography if you want to avoid political confusion.