-
Let Love Rule
I created this Valentine’s Day image today, from a photo I took recently. Whatever you think about the commercial qualities of this ‘holiday’, take a moment to consider all the people who love you today. And let them know how much you value them. And if you are feeling unloved, take this to be your Valentine’s Day card from the world.
-
Women In Horror Mixtape
Mark West asked me to contribute to his Women In Horror Mixtape, the third in his series of recommended works, which was scheduled to be part of the Women in Horror Month celebrations. This time I picked ‘Red as Blood’ by Tanith Lee. Partly it’s a tribute to the history of fairy tales, which have always been part of the horror tradition, and Lee’s version of ‘Snow White’ is a beautiful, complex re-imagining of the story. But it’s also to recognise the importance of writers like Lee who were trailblazing for women in horror long before that was an acceptable genre for women to populate. She, and other writers like…
-
Kindred – the graphic novel
I recently appeared on RTÉ Radio 1’s culture and arts show, Arena, in which I gave a brief overview of the graphic novel adaptation of Kindred, the award-winning novel by science fiction legend Octavia E. Butler. The graphic novel is adapted by Damian Duffy (writer) and John Jennings (artist), and published by Abrams ComicArts. You can listen to the show as a podcast online, and my segment is at the end. It’s a pity I didn’t have more time as I could have talked for longer about this fine work. Butler was a writer hero of mine when I was a teenager; her sf novels about the struggles with identity,…
-
Waiting for Andre
Need some cheering up? If you have access to Sky Arts then I highly recommend the half-hour short, ‘Waiting for Andre’, which is part of their Urban Myths series of shorts. In it the writer Samuel Beckett agrees to drive the young Andre Rousimoff (who became famous later in life as the wrestler Andre the Giant) to school every day as a favour to Andre’s father, who is building Beckett’s new house in the French countryside. This is based on a core, true story. The cast are all terrific, with David Threlfall (Frank Gallagher in the original UK version Shameless) as the laconic, astute Beckett who is in between plays,…
-
Disappearing Migrant
Past lessons about the need for humanity and empathy erode under the force of belligerent selfishness. Based on ‘Migrant Mother’ (1936) iconic Depression era image by photographer Dorothea Lange, who met Florence Owens at Nipomo, California.
-
Shalom
For Holocaust Memorial Day – the final speech by Charlie Chaplin from his film The Great Dictator. It remains incredibly stirring and appropriate. Shalom to everyone today. Support kindness, empathy, and compassion. Resist fear, despair, and autocrats. We must not revisit our great mistakes.
-
Deluxe Madness
I recently received the deluxe edition of the anthology The Madness of Dr Caligari, edited by Joe Pulver, published by Fedogan and Bremer, encased in a slip cover, signed by all the contributors, and with beautiful artwork on the endpapers by Nick Gucker. What a beauty! There are other editions too: Kindle, Paperback, and Hardback. Here’s the impressive Table of Contents: Ramsey Campbell – The Words Between Damien Angelica Walters – Take a Walk in the Night, My Love Rhys Hughes – Confessions of a Medicated Lurker Robert Levy – Conversion Maura McHugh – A Rebellious House David Nickle – The Long Dream Janice Lee – Eyes Looking Richard Gavin…
-
Resistance is Fruitful
It should comes as no surprise to any readers of my blog or Twitter that I’m not a fan of the soon-to-be elected President of the USA. I have taken a policy on social media of not posting any of the stream of prophesies of doom of what’s coming over the next four years, but I’m making an exception with this segment from the recent episode of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. This show has provided exceptional, pointed, satirical reporting since it was first aired, and I think it’s essential viewing (you can find it all on its YouTube channel, including extra online material). At least you can laugh while…
-
parade your glorious bones
So you’re a skeleton. Grab your gaudy glad rags and celebrate your pirate past. Dance. Rattle. Shake. Imitate the life you once possessed. Your damned style outshines the costumes of the living. 2017: the year to parade your glorious bones.
-
Happy New Year!
Every day, every minute, and every second contains the potential for change. Don’t doze. Crack open 2017 and race it with madcap abandon! Happy New Year!
