Category Archives: Uncategorized
Last Night of the Proms
I caught the end of the Last Night of the Proms on television last night. The Royal Albert Hall was once again filled with people, many wearing blue berets with yellow European Union stars, but most waving small Union Jacks … Continue reading
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Tagged katherine gregor, Last night of the proms, scribe doll, writing
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The High-Brow Author and the Best-Selling Writer*
I head straight for the bar as soon as we come in. “Buona sera,” I say to the barman: hair slicked back, not one crease in his black cotton shirt. I tell him I very much hope he’ll be able … Continue reading
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A Book Review by me for the European Literature Network: Teffi, ‘Other Worlds’
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Learning about Mink
There was a black-and-white photograph of Anna Sergeyevna* in Spanish dress, standing on one of the many cluttered, dusty surfaces in her Cimiez flat. It stood out amid numerous pictures of family members scattered around the world and assorted knick-knacks … Continue reading
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After the Solstice
A sound. I become aware of a sound. It finds its way to me through the whirring of my laptop, the hissing of the electrical devices, the faint but constant buzzing of wattage adaptors in the ceiling, the dull, oppressive … Continue reading
The rain is calling
The rain is calling. Stop hiding. I’m sitting at my work table, reading the Saturday papers online while trying to psych myself up to work. My eyes keep drifting away from the screen to the raindrops landing sharply on the … Continue reading
And what of Italian Fairy Tales?
I would like to draw your attention to an interview I did with fellow Italian-English translator Lori Hetherington about her recently published translation of Emma Perodi’s TUSCAN TALES. There is a link to the interview on the website of the … Continue reading
My Citrine Quartz Ring
My friend F. gave me a ring two summers ago. Even elegant Autumn stomped in this year, perhaps sensing that subtlety was wasted on us. The bay tree on our balcony is waterlogged, the French windows are streaked with rain, … Continue reading
Posted in Odds & Ends, Uncategorized
Tagged Citrine, friendship, katherine gregor, rome, scribe doll, writing
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Twenty-Five-Hour Day
I’ve written about this before. After Christmas Eve, this is my favourite day of the year. I look forward to it for weeks and, the night before, I go to sleep cradled by the joy of genuine hope and anticipation, … Continue reading
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Tagged british summer time, clocks go back, katherine gregor, scribe doll
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A Red Hair Drier
I threw away a hair drier last week. It had been lying around for weeks while I tried to find someone to fix it. The prospect of throwing it away made me sad. I haven’t used a hair drier for … Continue reading
