I take my title from the South African poet Roy Campbell (1901–1957), who knew a thing or two about lovers and haters. It’s from Georgian Spring, in which Campbell lampooned his fellow poets for their cosy triteness: New quarterlies relume their yellow covers, Anthologies on every bookshelf sing. The publishers put on their best apparel To sell the public everything…
This painting dominates a whole wall in the exhibit at the Neue Sachlichkeit / New Objectivity exhibit at the Neue Gallery in NYC. It’s Eclipse of the Sun, by George Grosz (1893–1959) and painted in 1926. There’s a short video with an overview and introduction to the exhibit at the link The exhibit features over 140 works by more than 60…
In the Kitchen, Where I Lay My Scene Upon the counter where I lay my scene— (Do join me, if your hands are clean). From tamarind I strip the shell, And pluck the seeds that there do dwell. A curry brews—a fragrant blend Of cumin, garlic, spice to send A spark upon the waiting tongue. Here, have some wine—both crisp…
My New Identity I haven’t changed. The world around me has. At first, my new identity came as a bit of a surprise, even though it crept up on me over months—perhaps even a couple of years. After all, I campaigned for Labour before I could vote, steeped myself in Orwell as a teenager, developed a New Statesman and Guardian-reader…
The great chain of books – #6Degrees. There’s an explanation of how all this works here. Everyone is welcome to join in. This is my contribution for March 2025 The starting point is Paul Lynch’s Prophet Song (2023) the Booker Prize-winning dystopian novel set in a near-future Ireland collapsing into authoritarianism. It follows Eilish Stack as she struggles to keep…
A murder in a locked room. Whodunit? And more importantly, howdunit? Who would want to kill philanthropist, union organizer, and general do-gooder Arthur Constant? And why? Arthur Constant rents rooms from Mrs. Drabdump in Bow, in London’s East End. Zangwill sets the scene with that essential ingredient of a London mystery—fog: On a memorable morning of early December London opened…
A cold, wet February day – perfect backdrop for a journey into Romanticism—off on the M4 bus to the Met to see Caspar David Friedrich: The Soul of Nature The exhibit is there until May 11, 2025 so if you are in NYC it’s highly recommended. To whet your interest – or to compensate if you can’t visit – there is…
Dialogue with Dignity I’ve been thinking about issues of racial justice since I was a teenager. I’m not claiming to have done anything particularly significant or to have any impact, but the topic has been on my mind for a long time. This weekend, my reflections were sharpened by attending the Dalton Diversity Conference, an event that prompted me to…
I kept coming across paintings of London by Yoshio Markino – gauzy portraits of a mysteriously colorful, old-world city often shrouded in gray mist or yellowy brown fog but always dreamily evocative of another era that was both familiar and yet eerily distant. Time to find out more. Yoshio Markino: The Japanese Artist Who Painted London’s Fog Yoshio Markino (1869–1956)…
There’s something irresistible about a crime story set in a school or college. Like the classic snowbound country house setting, it offers the intrigue of a closed, insular community rife with underlying tensions, repressed emotions, and intellectual rivalries. There may be illicit liaisons, secret societies, cultist rituals, unrequited lust, and simmering passions. Academia promises a cast of eccentric characters full…
The two-forty-five express — Paddington to Market Blandings, first stop Oxford—stood at its piatform with that air of well-bred reserve which is characteristic of Paddington trains, and Pongo Twistleton and Lord Ickenham stood beside it, waiting for Polly Pott. The clock over the bookstall pointed to thirty-eight minutes after the hour. Some train engines are simply superior. But it’s not…
Changing your mind is perfectly normal—and often essential. After all, it’s what education is all about – updating your thoughts with new information, experiences, and perspectives. Growth and change are what life and learning are all about. But not all changes are created equal. Enter the reverse ferret: a dramatic, brazen, shameless backtrack, less about improvement and more about saving…
One childhood ritual during the days between Christmas and the return to school was the day trip to London. The main purpose was the January sales and the destination: “the London shops”. Swindon had a department store – McIlroys on Regent Street (it even had those amazing overhead wire and pulley cash railway systems that transported money and sales slips…
“That woman is pursued by demons,” Wally Brigley, the Board chair, declared as he settled into Tim Endibel’s office, plonked his Starbucks cup down on the desk, and eyed the package of mince pies on the coffee table. “Have one,” Tim said. Wally didn’t hesitate, unwrapping the cellophane and taking a bite. “So, what did our Vonnie Braydune want this…
“You look about as festive as a radish sandwich,” Midge had said. And she wasn’t wrong—Tim Endibel, co-head of Wayward St. Etheldreda’s Academy, was in no kind of holiday mood. Three days before winter break, the sounds of the holiday concert rehearsal drifted up the stairwell, a cheery backdrop to his gloom. Tim sat at his desk, dispirited and utterly…