Legacy

Eskişehir, Türkiye Thursday 28 March 2024 “Arnold Bennett died last night, which leaves me sadder than I should have supposed. A loveable genuine man, somehow a little awkward in life, well meaning, ponderous, kindly, coarse, knowing he was coarse, dimly floundering and feeling for something else, glutted with success, wounded in his feelings and thick-lipped,… Continue reading Legacy

Purple reign

Eskişehir, Türkiye Tuesday 26 March 2024 “On to “the Daily Express” office about books. I see an intolerable man who treats me and literature as if they were dirt. I am so depressed by the squalor of this interview that I return home in a nerve storm. To make it worse, I am sent out… Continue reading Purple reign

In the beginning was the Word

Eskişehir, Türkiye Monday 25 August 2024 Tolkien fandom is an international, informal community of fans of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, especially of the Middle Earth legendarium, which includes The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. The concept of Tolkien fandom as a specific type of fan subculture sprang up in the United States in… Continue reading In the beginning was the Word

Dear Diary

Eskişehir, Türkiye Saturday 23 March 2024 “Inspiration does exist, but it has to find you working.“ (Pablo Picasso) Above: Spanish artist Pablo Picasso (1881 – 1973) “I had a poem in my head last night, flashing as only those unformed midnight poems can. It was all made up of unexpected burning words. I knew even… Continue reading Dear Diary

Complete Works

Eskişehir, Türkiye Friday 22 March 2024 “Advice is like snow. The softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon and the deeper it sinks into the mind.” (“Confessions of an Inquirer“, Samuel Taylor Coleridge) Perhaps Allah is reading my blogposts? I mentioned abandoning my winter coat for sweaters of spring, but this morning has proven… Continue reading Complete Works

Egghead

Eskişehir, Türkiye Thursday 21 March 2024 “You are an incomparable genius.” (Russian Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna to Peter Carl Fabergé, on receiving her annual egg, 1914) There is a long history of decorated eggs in Russia and pre-Fabergé porcelain eggs had been popular for many years. The first Fabergé egg was made for Tsar Alexander… Continue reading Egghead

The Donkey Trail 1: Dream

He draws breath and pauses on the path with deliberate precision. The ground is dry leaves with patches of deep snow beneath the boughs of mighty oaks. The forest is a maze of shadows. Branches reach out like spikes to stab the unwary. Cold wind whips through the trees, cutting and slicing into his face.… Continue reading The Donkey Trail 1: Dream