Or: Fanfic in opposition to auteurship.
My Personal Canon
ie the books you should read to understand me, with film and music pairings
The Librarian’s Gift Guide
for panicking givers.
10k Hours as a Value System
According to (perhaps a misunderstanding of) K. Anders Ericsson[1], it takes 10000 hours to become a master at something. 10,000 hours is a long time: 5 years at 40 hours per week (the average workload), or over a year without a break or rest of any kind. That takes tenacity, it takes commitment… but it... Continue Reading →
Sell Me Up The River
The difference between this kind of backstabbing and other ways of being exploited.
people I ought to have been able to mourn
good people who died young.
Pumpkin Spice Season
Who among us does not love the syrupy, seasonally bound gloop? Whether it's the messy crème egg, the cranberry sauce which belongs only on the Christmas table, or the much hyped, much maligned PSL. I am a great fan of the pumpkin spiced latte: I love pumpkin, I love spice, I love autumn-winter, I love... Continue Reading →
I Fell In Love With The Girl At The Pen Show
October 10th to 12th was the London (Autumn) Pen Show. This is like any trade show: you have vendors who like to sell you things, customers who want deals on those things, and a few onlookers trying to build brands, follow next year's marketing trends, make relationships with mutually beneficial businesses… or who just want to hold the bags of somebody they love, looking for a place to sit. I went for the Sunday as a customer.
I Can Fix The House Of Lords
Britain's House of Lords is a second chamber made of compromise. We as a nation understand the value of a second chamber: it is essential for governmental checks and balances, for debate, and so that the government of the country cannot be swayed by current moods in electoral politics blinding us to widespread issues or... Continue Reading →
Love Songs In Middle-Age
I am 31 and fully dead. Lloyd Cole says the first song he ever wrote about being middle-aged was Hey Rusty. Anybody listening to his 1987 album 'Mainstream' can tell he's having a bit of an identity crisis: songs like Sean Penn Blues and My Bag are sharp satires of a world Cole doesn't seem... Continue Reading →
Late Romantic 