Let’s call a spade a spade: 2020 will not go down in the annals as a vintage year. The birds continued to sing (more often than before, in fact), and the sun came up in the morning; other than that, many of the things we enjoy – sport, the arts, meeting friends and family for […]
“So, Mr Larkin, you’re a distinguished poet. What are you doing out here in Hull, so far from the centre?” Philip Larkin, possibly after a short pause: “The centre of what?” // “So, Dr Williams, where did you get your English?” William Carlos Williams, possibly after a short pause: “Out of the mouths of Polish […]
I recently took part in a (virtual) session at the Science Foundation Ireland Summit on writing, and publishing, books on scientific subjects. It was a jolly event, and even included some discussion on strong language, Fergus Shanahan taking issue with Luke O’Neill over the title of his new book – and pointing out that there […]
I blame Jaws. Not the things in your mouth: they can be useful – for eating, for example. No, the film about the big shark. Before that movie came along, films were usually released on a fairly small scale, often in a particular geographical region. If they got a good reaction, they were rolled out […]