Journalist. Author. Moderator and event chair.
This is my photo of the finished artwork by Adam Dant from the UK General Election of 2016, ‘the Government Stable’ which is on display in Portcullis House in Westminster. You can read more about it and see explanations of what all of it means on Parliament’s website here and you can see all his sketches from … More Adam Dant, Election Artist 2015
After last week seeing Patti Smith in Robert Mapplethorpe’s photographs from the ‘Horses’ session it was quite an experience to see her perform that album at the amazing Roundhouse in Camden in London this weekend. It was pretty much goosebumps all the way from the moment she began reading the sleeve notes from a 12″ copy of … More Patti Smith at the Roundhouse, London
These splendid splashes of colour are on display in the office-block part of the National Assembly for Wales and they deserve being shared more widely. They’re by Carmen Mills who’s based in Aberystwyth but that’s all I know about her. Here’s the link to her blog. And here are some more of her abstracts which are … More Carmen Mills paintings, National Assembly for Wales
While covering a conference at Aberystwyth Arts centre there’s usually a chance to have a quick look at whatever exhibitions are currently there. This weekend that meant seeing the excellent photographs of Robert Mapplethorpe. It’s part of the Tate’s Artist Rooms on Tour project which you can find out about here. It’s on at Aberystwyth till … More Robert Mapplethorpe exhibition, Aberystwyth
Virginia Woolf’s passport. A postcard from the Literary Passports set from Galley Beggar Press.
This is just gorgeous. Twangy guitar and a haunting melody - just my cup of tea and perfect for an autumnal Sunday night. It’s by the Color Waves, which is the new band of Glasgow-based Alison Eales who’s also a member of the excellent Butcher Boy amongst all the other things that she does. She’s also … More The Color Waves, ‘Chirology’
One of many by Paul Cox for this volume.
Far from another exercise in eighties nostalgia, this book is a fascinating closer examination of a couple of years that apparently changed Britain forever. It’s fair to say that Beckett is uncertain about the value of this change although he’s open-minded enough to acknowledge the many benefits it brought as well as recognising the human … More Andy Beckett, ‘Promised You a Miracle’
If you’ve read any Salman Rushdie previously, you’ll know what you’re letting yourself in for: a tumble of stories, ideas, jokes, allegories and references to books, films, politics, music, art, comic books and contradictory opinions. He specialises in having his cake and eating it and this book is high on the cake-having and eating. And like … More Salman Rushdie ‘Two Years Eight Months & Twenty-Eight Nights’ re-read
I don’t know what to make of this yet. Obviously, I’m already a fan so I already enjoy all the Rushdie traits: linguistic japery, strangeness, pop-culture mingling with high-culture, the dizzying tumble of stories and ideas. I haven’t been able to get a handle on it properly in my first reading but I have a feeling … More Salman Rushdie, ‘Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-eight Nights’
