On never really understanding the popularity of something
Published at 1:33 pm on December 18th, 2021
Filed under: Artistic, Media Addict.
Or, some foundational literature
Published at 10:16 pm on November 18th, 2021
Filed under: Artistic.
Thoughts from the history of music
Published at 12:47 pm on January 30th, 2021
Filed under: Artistic, The Family.
Keyword noise: books, Bob Stanley, Yeah Yeah Yeah, Saint Etienne, ILX, music, journalism, acquaintances, indie, Sarah Records, Belle & Sebastian, The Mother.
On stories set firmly in a particular place
Published at 9:27 pm on November 5th, 2020
Filed under: Artistic.
Keyword noise: Alan Garner, The Owl Service, books, literature, mythology, Blodeuwedd, Mabinogi, Math fab Mythonwy, Wales, Cymru, Gwynedd, Llanymawddwy, Vale of Ffestiniog, Dyffryn Maentwrog.
In which your author reads, and learns more about writing as a result
Published at 6:33 pm on November 17th, 2011
Filed under: Artistic, Dear Diary, Meta.
Keyword noise: books, Hilary Mantel, literature, novels, reading, reading aloud, Wolf Hall, writing, Flann O'Brien, The Third Policeman, Alasdair Gray, Lanark, Peter Ackroyd, Dan Leno And The Limehouse Golem.
In which we discuss the Scott Pilgrim movie, one case of a comic-to-film adaptation that keeps all the spirit of the comic it came from.
Published at 8:18 pm on September 5th, 2010
Filed under: Media Addict.
In which we criticise a Great Writer, at least by volume
Published at 7:07 am on January 12th, 2010
Filed under: Artistic.
In which something is hard to understand
Published at 7:54 am on January 7th, 2010
Filed under: Artistic, Geekery.
In which we find it is a good thing I no longer work in a library
Published at 8:06 pm on September 10th, 2009
Filed under: Dear Diary.
In which a book of history is the start of a thread back to the present
Published at 12:00 am on June 18th, 2009
Filed under: In With The Old, Political.
Keyword noise: books, Christopher Hill, civil war, English Civil War, fanzines, history, London Zine Symposium, publishing, radicalism, self-publishing, The World Turned Upside Down, zines.
In which we must have upset someone
Published at 9:20 pm on June 17th, 2009
Filed under: Dear Diary.
In which we return to Mario Reading and his inability to admit to his mistakes
Published at 2:31 pm on March 11th, 2009
Filed under: Unbelievable, Media Addict.
In which we discuss similarities between books and blogging
Published at 9:56 am on January 26th, 2009
Filed under: Artistic.
In which we compare two David Crystal books with the inside of my head
Published at 10:06 am on January 20th, 2009
Filed under: Artistic, Geekery.
Keyword noise: books, Books I Haven't Read, By Hook Or By Crook, David Crystal, English, language, linguistics, literature, philology, reading, The Stories Of English.
In which we go to the seaside
Published at 3:00 pm on January 19th, 2009
Filed under: Dear Diary.
In which we discuss books and the French Revolution
Published at 1:42 pm on January 14th, 2009
Filed under: Artistic, In With The Old, Meta.
Keyword noise: biography, books, Books I Haven't Read, Fatal Purity, France, French Revolution, history, literature, Maximilien Robespierre, review, Robert Graves, Robespierre, Ruth Scurr, The White Goddess.
In which we ask Mario Reading why he refuses to admit he was wrong
Published at 10:09 am on November 22nd, 2008
Filed under: Unbelievable.
In which we confront Mario Reading, an author who got things wrong
Published at 1:09 pm on November 13th, 2008
Filed under: Media Addict, Unbelievable.
In which we discuss “Halting State” by Charles Stross
Published at 9:20 pm on June 24th, 2008
Filed under: Artistic.
Keyword noise: Bannermans, books, Charles Stross, Cowgate, Edinburgh, Halting State, High School Yards, literature, review, science fiction, SF, Stockbridge Colonies.
In which we muse on J K Rowling’s favourite books
Published at 7:32 am on January 11th, 2008
Filed under: Artistic.
In which we wonder what happened to the romance of IT
Published at 10:42 pm on October 29th, 2007
Filed under: Media Addict.
However much I would like them
Published at 9:52 pm on October 25th, 2007
Filed under: Dear Diary.
In which we study some design history
Published at 6:40 pm on August 15th, 2007
Filed under: Artistic, Geekery, Trains.
Keyword noise: books, cartography, design, Green Park, Harry Beck, Ken Garland, London, London Transport, London Underground, maps, Mr Beck's Underground Map, Paul Garbutt, underground, Victoria Line.
In which the end of a series is within sight
Published at 5:25 pm on July 20th, 2007
Filed under: Artistic.
In which we start reading something
Published at 7:42 am on January 27th, 2007
Filed under: Artistic.
In which we fail to read “House Of Leaves” by Mark Z Danielewski
Published at 10:43 pm on January 15th, 2007
Filed under: Artistic.
In which we have to save ourselves before even thinking about saving someone else
Published at 7:02 pm on December 22nd, 2006
Filed under: Dear Diary, Feeling Meh, The Old Office.
Keyword noise: Big Dave, books, Celtic mythology, children's books, general knowledge, King Arthur, King William's College, literature, mythology, quiz, Silver On The Tree, Susan Cooper, The Dark Is Rising, trivia.
Keyword noise: books, children's books, Epiphany, fantasy, fog, literature, new year, seasons, solstice, Susan Cooper, The Dark Is Rising, weather, winter solstice, Yuletide.
Keyword noise: Anne Atkins, BBC, bedsit, Big Dave, books, Books I Haven't Read, Christianity, Yuletide, Christmas presents, house hunting, House Of Leaves, literature, London, Mark Z Danielewski, presents, radio, reading, religion, shopping, studio flat, Thought For The Day.
In which we fail to read “Victorian Railway Days” by Francis Bennion
Published at 9:03 pm on November 28th, 2006
Filed under: Artistic.
Keyword noise: Atonement, books, Books I Haven't Read, David St John Thomas, Ernest Simmons, fiction, Francis Bennion, historical fiction, history, Ian McEwan, Jack Simmons, literature, Lucilla Andrews, Memoirs Of A Station Master, reading, research, source material, The Country Railway, Victorian Railway Days.
In which we recap on a few things
Published at 10:04 pm on September 15th, 2006
Filed under: Artistic, Dear Diary, Meta.
In which my cynicism is exposed for the cynical, hollow sham it is
Published at 7:10 am on September 8th, 2006
Filed under: Dear Diary, Media Addict, Meta.
Keyword noise: bad driving, books, Craig Moore, driving, food, grumpy, literature, reading, restaurant, Thermite, Yorkshire.
In which we fail to read “Snow Crash” by Neal Stephenson
Published at 10:13 pm on August 24th, 2006
Filed under: Artistic.
In which we think about science and scientists
Published at 12:02 pm on August 6th, 2006
Filed under: Geekery, Linkery, Meta.
Keyword noise: biography, books, Experiencing Science, Gödel's Theorem, influences, Jeremy Bernstein, journalism, Kurt Gödel, maths, pen portrait, pocket biography.
In which we remember a great writer
Published at 8:34 am on July 19th, 2006
Filed under: Artistic.
In which we fail to complete Iron Sunrise by Charles Stross
Published at 8:48 am on June 8th, 2006
Filed under: Artistic.
Keyword noise: books, Books I Haven't Read, Charles Stross, Charlie Stross, Iron Sunrise, July 7th, literature, reading, sci fi, science fiction, terrorism.
In which we uncover something that might count as proto-blogging
Published at 10:15 pm on May 29th, 2006
Filed under: Artistic.
Keyword noise: blogging, books, Christian science fiction, Christianity, Dilwyn Horvat, literature, management, Operation Titan, science fiction, SF, Umberto Eco, How To Travel With A Salmon.
Or, remembering religious books
Published at 10:38 pm on April 3rd, 2006
Filed under: Artistic, Unbelievable.
In which nothing gets bought
Published at 7:07 am on March 2nd, 2006
Filed under: Dear Diary.
Keyword noise: 1970s, books, death, Glasgow, Glasgow Subway, history, Jan Mark, literature, obituary, photography, railway, reading, subway, underground, Zeno Was Here.
In which Mario Reading tries to predict the future, and fails
Published at 8:54 pm on January 20th, 2006
Filed under: Media Addict, Unbelievable.
Keyword noise: books, future, George W Bush, literature, Mario Reading, marketing, news, Nostradamus, prediction, prophecy, prophet, psychic, publicity, reading, television, telly, tv.
In which something obscure keeps popping up
Published at 9:55 pm on December 27th, 2005
Filed under: Media Addict, Unbelievable.
In which we have trouble reading a catalogue
Published at 10:10 pm on November 13th, 2005
Filed under: Artistic, Media Addict.
In which we haven't read “The System Of The World” by Neal Stephenson
Published at 11:11 pm on October 30th, 2005
Filed under: Artistic, Media Addict.
Keyword noise: books, Books I Haven't Read, Cryptonomicon, literature, Neal Stephenson, Quicksilver, reading, Samuel Pepys, SF, The Baroque Cycle, The Confusion, The System Of The World.
In which I finish something for once
Published at 3:54 pm on October 17th, 2005
Filed under: Artistic, Media Addict.
In which I wonder why I’m having trouble finishing books
Published at 7:50 pm on September 15th, 2005
Filed under: Media Addict.