In which passions run high in preperation for performance.
Poetry 101:1 – Summarise
transcript of a podcast I wrote on how to decode poetry at a basic level. episode 1 - summarise.
Robert Owen & The Prisoner: Harmony in America
You might think that the only connection between these two erstwhile passions of mine is Wales: one is a story of dogged individualism seeking freedom, set against the backdrop of Portmerion, a peculiar citadel on the Welsh coast that is woven into the narrative of the whole show, whilst the other is a collectively-minded Welshman whose work prefigured Marx and Jamie Oliver, but when they put themselves in the American landscape both The Prisoner and Owen chose harmony as the word that would best encapsulate their American sojourn.
The Abbey.
A poem inspired by Lord Byron's ancestral home, Newstead Abbey.
Why William Morris is the prophet of our time
You know the artwork of William Morris. He opens the eyes to a positive response to conventional Western philosophy.
Takeaways of Tolstoy: How Are We Compelled to Live A Certain Way?
In Tolstoy's work we see a kernel of ourselves reflected back; by reading his books we can develop an understanding of what it means to make choices when we 'live in a society' or have made incorrect choices in the past. Now as much as ever the lessons in his books are something we can turn to for relief from choices we ourselves are compelled to make.
15 reads for people who love the idea of the Romantics but find Wordsworth boring.
My top picks for engaging with Romanticism for somebody who has previously been bored by it. These texts are weird, in different genres, or written for modern audiences about Romanticism - in short, they’re not really the kind of thing you’d come across in school, or even university, really. I picked these to represent much of what there is to love about this style of writing and relating to art, so hopefully everybody will find something to enjoy among these suggestions.
Why Am I Rewriting Phantom of the Opera?
In re-writing Phantom of the Opera, I am trying to connect with a Sensibility that I found in the original, marrying modern writing practices with the emotion and tension of the original, and expanding Leroux’s seminal work into something a modern reader might enjoy more, but which also connects to the Romantic ideals of a past conception of literature.
Ten Dark Academia Reads to Match Your New Year’s Resolutions
Here's my reading list of ten dark academia books that will remind you to get into the library and get on with your goals - plus some runners-up.
A Conference in Graz, feelings of protest, & a cursory look at some of the original Late Romantics
At the Creative Bodies, Creative Minds conference I got to participate in a pan-disciplinary, cross-country conference that, whilst only tangentially related to my research and academic identity, was a valuable opportunity for me to learn from people that I wouldn’t normally encounter.
Late Romantic 