I was going to write about Eva Figes and Penelope Fitzgerald after reading Linda Ann Strang’s great piece on women writers. Two amazing writers, two truly amazing writers, two writers I would jump through hoops for. But then I had a thought. It came quickly, surrounded in a nebulous cloud of words. (more…)
Articles
Finding Role Models for Women Writers
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011I feel compelled to jump onto my feminist soapbox and wave my agro feather-duster whenever I think about Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf. All three of whom have been celebrated as a kind of holy trinity in works such as Bowditch’s The Ophelia Project. Not that there’s necessarily anything wrong with celebrating these writers’ lives and I’m sure Rachel Bowditch had nothing but noble intentions. (more…)
The Existential Life of the Lonely Writer
Saturday, May 14th, 2011Paul Kavanagh’s recent blog about the use of the word existentialism got me thinking about this utterance and how, more than any other profession, a writer must be an existentialist in order to simply survive while he or she still claims to call one’s self a writer. (more…)
The Problem with Blurbs
Wednesday, May 11th, 2011Masterpiece. Tour-de-force. Genius. Visionary. Momentous. Gripping. Unique. Hilarious. Phenomenon. Luminous. Take ten random books from your shelf. Turn them over. Chances are, you’ll see a few of those words. (more…)
Pipe
Monday, May 9th, 2011I am perplexed by the word existential. I can’t fathom the word. I don’t know how to use it. When it appears in one of my sentences it glows neon and mocks me. (more…)
Thank You for Not Answering
Saturday, May 7th, 2011I know I don’t offer much – I’m no Tom Cruise or Tom Thumb, fame and fortune does not blow doors open for me. I need to actually prise them open, force them sometimes, dislodge them. I also realise that the issue here is this: I require something from you. It may be a review, a favour, distribution, a place on your shelves, something along those fevered lines. (more…)
Chair
Saturday, April 30th, 2011Where and how the writer sits or stands is maybe not as important as the final product but nevertheless it is important. A writer cannot escape the fact that he or she must have space to write. A chair is just as important as a pen or a typewriter or a computer, the chair maybe a conventional chair, four legs, a stable, raised surface, or it could be unconventional; Erasmus tells us that he composed The Praise of Folly while sat on a donkey. There is a great deal of humour in this fact as there is in the book. One wonders if a slight bump in the road caused a passage to be composed. It is a very funny book. A small book but very funny. It is not surprising that it is a small book. I do not think Gaddis could have written The Recognitions on the back of a donkey. (more…)
Honest Publishing Requests the Pleasure…
Thursday, April 28th, 2011Honest Publishing would like to cordially request the honour of your presence…
(more…)
Do you re-read?
Thursday, April 28th, 2011Wedding Underwear for Mermaids Out Now in Paperback
Wednesday, April 20th, 2011If you’re looking for an alternative read this Easter then you’ve come to the right fish, I mean place. Linda Ann Strang’s beautiful collection of poetry is now available in scintillating paperback – and we mean scintillating (see below). So if you happen to love subjects like femininity and African culture then this poetry collection will prove to be a real treat under the mistletoe, I mean lamb. (more…)
