‘Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be.’ These are singular times. I’m torn between wanting to keep up with every … More
Category: On the…
On Barry Hines
Sad today to hear about the death of writer Barry Hines. He’s not someone I’ve thought about recently, but he … More
On Bowie, Shelley and the telling of stories
The strange grief I felt at David Bowie’s death took me completely by surprise. I would never call myself a … More
On the Mavericks vs. the Grafters
Good to see DCI John Luther back on television screens in a new (albeit brief, 2-part) series. Idris Elba is … More
On true crime and ‘The Ballad of Kate Eddowes’
Today was a big day for me, writer-wise. I received two contributors’ copies of The Mammoth Book of Jack the … More
On ‘James Ellroy: Visions of Noir’, Liverpool University 2 July 2015
‘In Ellroy’s world, everyone is tarnished and afraid.‘ It’s good for the soul to wallow in fandom now and again, … More
On the real King Richard III
One of the most remarkable stories in archaeology draws to a close this week with the reburial of the bones … More
On reviews good, bad and ugly
A couple of articles caught my eye in recent days, both concerning unfavourable reviews of books. The first is from … More
On ‘True Detective’, ‘The Pledge’ & the passing of time
‘Life’s barely long enough to get good at one thing. You have to be careful what you get good at.‘ … More
On Orwell vs. Amazon
Even since I started this blog I’ve wanted to write about George Orwell’s essay ‘Books v. Cigarettes’, but always lacked … More