The world expert on John Ashbery

‘What else are you not telling me?’ says the book. ‘Nothing,’ I say. The book rolls its eyes, gives a … More

Kind of ashamed

‘What you reading?’ says the book. ‘Nothing.’ ‘No need to be shy,’ says the book. ‘Go on, what is it?’ … More

‘What’s wrong?’ says the book. ‘Nothing,’ I say. ‘Liar.’ ‘Am not.’ ‘Are.’ ‘Aren’t.’ ‘Pants on fire. You’re hopeless. You should … More

Aesthetics of Creating Something This doesn’t just happen: It happens to you. Kenneth Koch, from One Train, p.64 ∞ ‘Even … More

‘The whole culture is telling you to hurry, while the art tells you to take your time. Always listen to … More

I was having a coffee with a new writer friend the other day. Not having known each other for … More

[…] you write because you know them not because you understand them because you don’t you are … More

Dear Friends Here are the blog posts which you read most often in 2017, according to my WordPress stats: … More

There’s a problem with that title, isn’t there? While I have not been completely silent (fifteen blog posts at most? … More

Every September is the same. I pack a bag for work, set off into the still warm sunshine, and wonder … More

I was on the phone to a writer friend the other week. In itself this is a rare occurrence: normally … More

A Tuesday, appropriately. (Tuesday being the day I was formally diagnosed.) Poetic, it strikes me now. But at the time, … More

On Not Being Anthony Wilson I haven’t always been Anthony Wilson. For a long time I wasn’t even Anthony. … More

I was having a coffee with a new writer friend the other day. Not having known each other for very … More

Smith Objectionable, mercurial, fierce, wise, bandaged, solitary and irresistible, Phil Smith and I were not close. Only in our … More

One of the more interesting paradoxes of analysing the interviews of professional writers during the Teachers as Writers (TaW) … More

For a number of reasons –too much grief in my life, too sedentary, too much television, too out … More

Rupert Loydell is shouting at the countryside. I have got up at sparrow-fart to drive him to the Blandford … More