Let’s Talk About Walking
Friedrich Nietzsche isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. But he did get one thing right when he said, "All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking."
Cartoons Aren’t Just for Kids
“Laughter,” the philosopher Henri Bergson once said, “is the corrective force which prevents us from becoming cranks.” He was on to something there.
The Masque of the Red Death: A Reminder of Our Mutual Interdependence
The Masque of the Red Death is one of Edgar Allen Poe’s finest short stories. Published in 1842, this terrifying tale relates the story of a medieval prince who retreats to his castle with his courtiers to avoid the horrific plague sweeping the land.
Gerda Taro: Pioneer War Photographer
Photography is a relatively recent art form. Photojournalism even more so. But photography’s power to capture ‘reality’ was soon applied to document historic events, including the various wars that scarred the 19th century.
Rahsaan Roland Kirk: Music Is a Beautiful Thing
Breaking the mould is a phrase often encountered when people talk about a paradigm shift in some sphere of human activity. Doing something, in other words, in a completely new or original way. And it’s become the phrase of choice for the vacuous, centrist politicians who periodically seek to challenge the political status quo. Usually resulting in their ignominious disappearance from the political firmament.
Turner’s Vision: The Release of Elemental Forces
The reports that the new £20 note issued by the Bank of England features one of JMW Turner's most celebrated paintings, The Fighting Temeraire, invites an interesting reflection on how we understand our history.
Ubu Roi: The Power of Satire
Satire has been with us since Ancient Greece. But there are times when its potency as a political tool for exposing society’s ills is more than usually necessary.
Our House Is on Fire
“One of the first conditions of happiness,” wrote Leo Tolstoy, “is that the link between man and nature shall not be broken.” Yet this is precisely what has happened. We face an unprecedented climate and ecological emergency. We have pushed the planet’s ecosystems beyond their capacity to support life. We are in the middle of a mass extinction of our own making.
The Importance of Play: And Why the Naming of Cats Is a Difficult Matter
“A child who does not play is not a child,” said Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, “but the man who does not play has lost forever the child who lived within him and who he will miss terribly.”
The Good Soldier Svejk: Or How to Stay Sane in an Insane World
Albert Camus once remarked, “It is the job of thinking people not to be on the side of the executioners.” The latest round of violence in the Middle East should give us all pause for thought. As Lindsey German of the Stop the War Coalition said earlier this week, “The US has to accept that it can’t go around illegally killing generals.”
The Fabric of Friendship
Friends are important, right? They provide companionship. Make us feel good. And steer us through bad times. That’s why we hang out with them.
Bartleby the Scrivener: A Tale of the Modern World
Mention Herman Melville and most people will assume you want to talk about Moby-Dick. It’s one of the all-time great novels. Though, along with Cervantes’ Don Quijote, possibly more talked about than actually read. But one of Melville’s finest works is a much shorter proposition. A short story called “Bartleby the Scrivener”, published in 1856.
Tsundoku: Or Why There Are Never Enough Books
It’s that time of year again. Christmas is looming. And my family have been asking what I want from Santa. Surprise, surprise, I’ve come up with a list of books. It’s a short list. But it’s all books. Apart from a new coffee gadget to keep me sharp while I read them.
Road Movies: Journeys Rather Than Destinations
The enduring appeal of the road movie should come as no surprise. The films are centred on the contradictory possibilities offered by the open road. This can be a metaphor for freedom and adventure. Or a descent into danger and despair.
The Common Air That Bathes the Globe
The great American poet Walt Whitman once said: Do I contradict myself?/Very well then I contradict myself;/(I am large, I contain multitudes.) These striking lines come from his poem "Song of Myself". It’s a celebration of the body as well as the soul.
The American Dream: A Broken Promise
Al Capone, the notorious gangster of 1920s Prohibition-era Chicago, once said, “Capitalism is the legitimate racket of the ruling class.” Organised crime has always represented the underbelly of the American Dream: the belief that anyone can achieve wealth and success, regardless of their background.
Nina Simone: An Artist's Duty Is to Reflect the Times
Every now and then a song comes along that defines an epoch. “Mississippi Goddam” by jazz and blues singer-songwriter Nina Simone was one such song.
Man: The Imperfect Librarian
I’m not particularly fond of quoting United States Defense Secretaries, but Donald Rumsfeld's attempt in 2002 to articulate a theory of knowledge is actually quite interesting: “There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know….”
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins: Why Everybody Started Getting Weird
Screamin' Jay Hawkins was one of those unforgettable musicians who changed the shape of rock ‘n’ roll. He created a bizarre performance style all his own. Emerging on stage out of a coffin, carrying a skull on a stick (affectionately called Henry) and performing with live snakes does raise the bar! And he influenced a range of artists, including Dr. John, Arthur Brown and Screamin’ Lord Sutch.
Why Playing Cards Matters
Ambrose Bierce famously defined cribbage as “A substitute for conversation among those to whom nature has denied ideas.” Admittedly, this is from his achingly funny satirical work, The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary. But you don’t have to be a fan of cribbage to consider this a bit unfair. Both to card games generally and the people who play them.