Anyone who was around in the 60's (sadly, I am too young), or knows their music and pop art, might be familiar with the Exploding Plastic Inevitable, an Andy Warhol show featuring music from the Velvet Underground alongside screenings of the artist's work. Andy Warhol was also famous for his Campbells Soup image. So, what's … Continue reading The Great Plastic Inevitable
What’s the soundtrack to your writing?
Music has always played a vital role in my writing process. Certain songs help to visualise key events in a story, even to the point that I find myself acting out a scene (complete with dialogue) with the track playing in the background. I'm sure this is not a new or unique approach to writing, … Continue reading What’s the soundtrack to your writing?
Heatwave
Seeing as we're skipping spring and going straight into summer and a mini heatwave, I thought this poem would be quite appropriate: The last breeze they remember seemed a lifetime ago, a legend passed down through generations to regale a time when they didn’t squirm beneath the arching sun that melted their brains. … Continue reading Heatwave
The Scream of the Butterfly
I’m not very clued up when it comes to art. In fact, I’m probably more attuned to the works of Tony Hart and Rolf “Can you guess what is yet?” Harris than I am to any of the greats (not saying you’re not great, Rolf!). Probably the only painting that has had much of an … Continue reading The Scream of the Butterfly
Wild Places: A Bucket List
I suppose we all have one, and even if it’s not written down on an official list it resides up there in grey matter, buffeted by a multitude of daily chores, soap-opera plots and countless other bits of mundane information, like this: there is approximately one chicken for every human being in the world. Which … Continue reading Wild Places: A Bucket List
Sunset
Sunset They watched the sunset from a rocky cliff, the wind rushing through their hair. Pale reflections of the setting sun danced upon the waves of the ocean, so beautiful was the evening light. They watched the sun sink without trace, spilling its light into fathoms deep. Folds of darkness rippled about them like the … Continue reading Sunset
Every Cloud needs a Silver Lining
Chances are you’ve been using the cloud today, even if you didn’t know it. Yet did you ever stop to wonder how the electricity needed to power the cloud was generated? Probably, like me, you hadn’t. But then I came across a Greenpeace campaign that wants to persuade three of the biggest providers of cloud-based … Continue reading Every Cloud needs a Silver Lining
Yay, I won!
Well, what do you know. I’m only into my second month of blogging and the awards are beginning to flood in! Okay, so I haven’t won the Booker prize…or an Oscar (actually, I have my very own Oscar, and I wouldn’t swap him for a dozen academy awards), but I was thrilled to receive the … Continue reading Yay, I won!
Rewild the Mind
Land of the Lost Wolves is a two-part documentary charting the reemergence of wolves in the US Cascade Mountains (if you missed it it’s available on the BBC iplayer). In part its a success story about the durability of nature and survival against the odds, yet it also serves as a reminder of the challenges … Continue reading Rewild the Mind
March Madness and April Fools
There’s a saying that we weather-obsessed Brits have: April showers bring May flowers; though I’m thinking that in light of the recent heatwave we should maybe get a new one - March Madness brings forth April Fools. For the past week or two it’s been like summer. The UK should average temperatures of 7 ºC in … Continue reading March Madness and April Fools
Blurred Worlds 