Category Archives: Literature

Stephenson on Spam

Posted on 2 January 2009 by Robert

This quote seems prescient of our computer culture, our obsession with gagetry, and the vogue for cosmetic surgery. It also made me laugh. Continue reading →

Posted in Internet Philosophy, Literature, Media | 1 Comment

A Story for the Weekend

Posted on 8 June 2008 by Robert

The Last Dance by Sophie Khadr: There is a shelved alcove in the living room. Neither of them has ventured near the top shelf in years; it is an unspoken rule between them. That is the urn’s place, its curves … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | 5 Comments

The Voice of the People

Posted on 5 June 2008 by Robert

Well, the voting is over, and the winners have been announced. I refer of course to Britain’s Got Talent and I’d Do Anything, where the victors were revealed to much fanfare. Congratulations George and Jodie. But the march of reality … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Theatre | 1 Comment

Shakespeare the anti-semite

Posted on 3 March 2008 by Robert

No concessions whatsoever were made to the girls’ religious beliefs, and they failed their exams accordingly. Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Multiculturalism | 9 Comments

Bride of Funes

Posted on 14 February 2008 by Robert

Today’s Metro reports on a woman who can remember every detail of her life. Like many things in the Metro, its recycled news, in this case at least a couple of years old. Nevertheless, its a captivating story, reminiscent of … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Media, Science | 1 Comment

Taking advantage of Potter-mania

Posted on 21 July 2007 by Robert

Hooray! The final installment of the Harry Potter heptlogy has hit the shelves. Those who bought it at one minute past midnight are, by this time, deep into the plot, and might even have discovered which characters have met an … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Media | 4 Comments

Living With a Computer

Posted on 12 July 2007 by Robert

It could be the case, though rare, that the author – narcissistic and fanatical about his own changes, and using some kind of special computer program – has kept somewhere, inside the memory of the machine, all these intermediate changes. But usually this does not happen. Those “ghost” copies have vanished; they are erased as soon as the work is finished. Continue reading →

Posted in Internet Philosophy, Literature, Media | 4 Comments

Rushdie diplomatic row escalates

Posted on 20 June 2007 by Robert

It seems to be fashionable to complain about what a smug bore Rushdie is. I can’t speak for the man himself, but I’ve always enjoyed reading his iconoclastic prose. Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Literature, Religion | 3 Comments

Cult footballers and followings

Posted on 20 December 2006 by Robert

Dave Hill amusingly plugs his book 33 times over at Comment is Free. The novel is called The Adoption and is of course available online. I fear this plug may be too late for Christmas, however. I do enjoy Dave’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Football, Internet Philosophy, Literature | 1 Comment

Brevity

Posted on 26 October 2006 by Robert

This week, brevity is all the rage. Labour MP Tom Watson finds that plenty of sites are issuing six word story challenges. Meanwhile, over at The Sharpener, Bondwoman has posted her take on John Reid’s immigration policies in equation form. … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Politics | 3 Comments