Breathless – David Morley’s Enchantment
Gerard Manley Hopkins was snotty about Oxford’s outskirts. In Duns Scotus’s Oxford, he reserves his praise for the ivory towers …
Previous articles
All you need is love – Mark Doty’s Theories and Apparitions
My childhood soft toy, a blue waistcoated Peter Rabbit, is a mess. You might expect him to be threadbare after …
For the poor and beaten down – David Caddy’s Man in Black
Perhaps the little black dress epitomises haute couture because black is the perfect foil for a dirty great swag of …
In vino veritas – Matthew Stewart’s Tasting Notes
Only someone who follows no football can understand the feelings of confusion and fear that accompany the convergence of their …
Belfast Child – Leontia Flynn’s Drives
I was standing at the counter of a Belfast tourist office watching as a biro was waved over a map. …
Cigarettes and Alcohol – John Hartley Williams’ Café des Artistes
The world’s weirder than we imagine. On a whim, I drove to the Uffington White Horse for the winter solstice. …
Howl, howl, howl! Paul Durcan’s Praise in Which I Live and Move and Have my Being
You lash out at the strange and frightening; you lack the ability to control your bowels; you’re helpless and depend upon …
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s Sophie Mayer’s Catechism: Poems for Pussy Riot
Post Live Aid, I’ve always viewed the charity concert or album with cynicism. Sure, the cause is worthy but you wonder whether …
Liberating constraints – Tom Chivers’ Adventures in Form
Reporting back from the Edinburgh International Book Festival, George Szirtes quotes Jackie Kay: “Why do novelists so fear the death of …
You’ll never walk alone – David Morley’s The Crowd
At midday, those expecting Ian Payne’s Sunday Review show on Radio 5 Live were thrown into David Morley’s The Crowd, …
Poor Rude Lines 