Spring and resurrection
I’ve been reading The Golden Bough recently – an old 1920s work on myth and magic in ancient societies around the world. It talks a lot about vegetation…
“Russian Short Stories from Pushkin to Buida” Part 1
I was always going to enjoy this book. I have loved Russian literature from an early age, and this short story collection…
Monday morning inspiration
Trust your reader. Not everything needs to be explained. If you really know something, and breathe life into it, they’ll know it…
“The World Is What It Is” by Patrick French
A lot has been made of how frank this biography is. It’s certainly true that V.S. Naipaul gave his biographer Patrick French…
“How to Write Short Stories” by Sharon Sorenson
This is a very useful basic guide to writing short stories. Most of it I have read or heard elsewhere (e.g. “show,…
Monday morning inspiration
You see more sitting still than chasing after. Jonathan Franzen The Guardian, Feb 2010
“Global Diasporas: An Introduction” by Robin Cohen
Global Diasporas by Robin Cohen is an excellent introduction to the theory of diasporas, a term which has expanded considerably in recent…
Literature optimisation
Just had a little blast from the future. With books being digitised and searchable on Google, will authors start writing books with…
Monday morning inspiration
Remember, if you sit at your desk for 15 or 20 years, every day, not counting weekends, it changes you. It just…