Salman Rushdie’s: ‘Knife’
‘So my first thought when I saw this murderous shape rushing toward me was: So it’s you. Here you are.’ […]
In the Mountains of Poetry
I nearly titled this ‘Letter’ ‘An Englishman Abroad’ but instead I’ve taken the title from Peter Nasmyth’s wonderful account of […]
A Week of Kindness – Max Ernst
Switched on, in a corner of my room, sits a lamp printed with images from Max Ernst’s collage novel ‘A […]
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
I have catagorised this ‘Letter’ as ‘Other Cultures’ and yet it would be more accurate to say that the prehistoric […]
The Swan of Ivy House
As a student, I had this photo of the great Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova on my wall. She is seen […]
Later … with Jools Holland
What sets the late night BBC music show ‘Later…with Jools Holland’ apart from the rest? The clue is in the […]
The Scottish Polish Book Club
I love the idea that the seeds of words and ideas can be blown far afield to take root and […]
The Bright Field – R. S. Thomas
I have seen the sun break throughto illuminate a small fieldfor a while, and gone my wayand forgotten it. But […]
Not In Love – Crystal Castles featuring Robert Smith
‘Not in Love’ is one of the most exhilarating songs. I have long loved ‘The Cure’ and here, Robert Smith’s […]
Floating Worlds: The Aesthetic Movement & Japan
“I find it harder and harder every day to live up to my blue china.” Oscar Wilde The creed of the […]