An extraordinary woman

Monday 22 April 2024 Eskişehir, Türkiye The lemon-coloured MG skids across the road and the woman driver brings it to a somewhat uncertain halt. She gets out and finds her left front tire flat. Without wasting a moment she prepares to fix it. She looks towards the passing cars as if expecting someone. Recognizing this… Continue reading An extraordinary woman

The Donkey Trail 3: A view to die for

Eskişehir, Türkiye Friday 31 May 2024 Above: Mount Säntis, Switzerland Here is my problem. Two problems, actually. I have the workings of a plot, but I cannot decide what details to include or exclude from the story. I also want to capture the emotions of the characters by showing, not telling, what they are feeling.… Continue reading The Donkey Trail 3: A view to die for

The house of the rising sun

Eskişehir, Türkiye Sunday 21 April 2024 “The brevity of life, the failing of the senses, the numbness of indifference and unprofitable occupations allow us to know very little. And again and again swift oblivion, the thief of knowledge and the enemy of memory, makes a void of the mind, in the course of time, even… Continue reading The house of the rising sun

An unknown country

Eskişehir, Türkiye 20 April 2024 “What sort of diary should I like mine to be? Something loose knot and yet not slovenly, so elastic that it will embrace anything, solemn, slight or beautiful that comes into my mind. I should like it to resemble some deep old desk or capacious hold-all, in which one flings… Continue reading An unknown country

The Woman in Room 101

Eskişehir, Türkiye Thursday 18 April 2024 (continued) “At each stage of his imprisonment Winston had known or seemed to know whereabouts he was in the windowless building. Possibly there were slight differences in the air pressure. This place was many metres underground, as deep down as it was possible to go. “You asked me once… Continue reading The Woman in Room 101

Child heroes

Thursday 18 April 2023 (continued) Eskişehir, Türkiye “With those children, Winston thought, that wretched woman (Mrs. Parsons) must lead a life of terror. Another year, two years, and they would be watching her night and day for symptoms of unorthodoxy. Nearly all children nowadays were horrible. What was worst of all was that by means… Continue reading Child heroes

Middleton and other musings

Eskişehir, Türkiye Thursday 18 April 2024 “It will be difficult to please everyone in the audience because everyone has come for different reasons: some for the wit, some for the costumes, some for comedy, some for passion, and some to arrange a lascivious meeting. But, despite this, I am confident that, as long as everyone… Continue reading Middleton and other musings

The Ministry of Story

Barlinnie Prison, Glasgow, Scotland 17 April 1976 “I thought of the beautiful cool evening, how I long to be walking in it outside this cell. All of this took place while I sat in the semi-dark reading a book. The thoughts on freedom were only momentary but so powerful that they seem to tear my… Continue reading The Ministry of Story

The inner light

Eskişehir, Türkiye Friday 5 April 2024 “We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love,… Continue reading The inner light