"I'm not confused. I'm just well mixed." – Robert Frost
It's been far too long since I updated this or wrote something, so tonight I made myself keep to a 1000 word limit (even then I exceeded it slightly) and write something I could share. I'm not sure if this is very good or now, but still, it's good to practice. It features my favourite (late, … Continue reading FICTION: Hela’s Court
Why is reheated 80s homophobia becoming one of British liberalism's defining traits? This won't be a proper post. I don't really have time. I'm quite tired and angry. But I am going to sketch the shape of something that's been bothering me for a while. For some reason, British liberals -- especially in the media … Continue reading The liberal homophobe?
I didn't manage to finish this in time for the Monday posting slot. My bad. I wanted to write something roughly 1000 words long but this ended up expanding quite a lot and since I currently feel like a rat's ass, I couldn't finish it. I also think it needs a lot of work. Right … Continue reading FICTION: Mary’s Bones
Given the Netflix algorithm decided it was going to push the 2007 BBC cop drama on me -- and I also want to check out for certain research purposes -- I watched Life on Mars recently, along with making my way through some of its spin-off/sequel show Ashes to Ashes. The first thing I … Continue reading Life on Mars and Lost Modernism
This is a little bit of a departure for me: I'm not a very musical person in the first instance, and I'm not plugged into the world of pop music at all. That's why it took me almost a year to finally listen to Billie Eilish's 2019 album When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We … Continue reading Billie Eilish and the Spirit of a Generation
Current social distancing guidelines state that everyone needs to stay two meters apart for the foreseeable future. That means that, when I say this, no one will be able to get close enough to hit me: The Last Jedi is the best Star Wars movie. Partially, I'm saying this not because I actually think it. … Continue reading The Last Jedi is the Best Star Wars Movie
Or: things my friends made! These are strange times. Even if you're an introvert like I am, it's amazing how much being unable to go out suddenly leaves you with a longing to just run and run and run across the field behind your parents house, into the sunset, forever and ever. Or maybe that's … Continue reading Things To Keep You Sane In Isolation
I spent my summer in the most productive way possible: finishing the Herculean task of watching every still-existing Doctor Who TV story broadcast (I need to go through the missing stories but I take victories where I can get them). It occurs to me that, in a lot of ways, the story of post-war Britain … Continue reading The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
CAMILLA: You, sir, should unmask. STRANGER: Indeed? CAMILLA: Indeed it's time. We all have laid aside disguise but you. STRANGER: I wear no mask. CAMILLA: [terrified, aside to Cassilda] No mask? No mask! -- The King in Yellow, act i, scene 2(1) Masks are one of my keenest aesthetic interests. When writing fiction I return … Continue reading Take Off Your Mask
Having spent the last two-and-a-half years at university, I've gotten pretty good at writing introductions. You outline your answer to the question, set out the steps you will take in getting there, and reduce the argument to a nice abstract summary. To quote one of my lecturers: "It's not a whodunnit. Don't keep us in … Continue reading Introductions
Time Can Be Rewritten 