UCU Strike Notebook

A passerby comes up to my group and hands us a brown paper bag. ‘It’s full of flat whites,’ she … More

Late February notebook

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

#NaBloPoMo 24 – See you later

Today is the last day of NaBloPoMo, that month in the year when someone decides it is a nice idea … More

#NaBloPoMo 23 – Prayer

Dear God   Do you think you could fix it so that I might have some of Martin’s playfulness, his … More

#NaBloPoMo 20 – On ambition

It wasn’t much of a day. I was in noodle-mode, sticking things into my day book, quotes and articles and … More

#NaBloPoMo 19 – My son’s coats

Come to me as a heap on his bed, the Jurassic layers of his early adulthood here in Exeter abandoned … More

#NaBloPoMo 18 – Afterwards

After they left, the house went very quiet. No one really knew about the quietness but me. I played a … More

#NaBloPoMo 16 – To autumn

What I love about autumn is the night arriving early. What I hate about autumn is the day leaving even … More

#NaBloPoMo 14 – Some secrets

One of the signs of my anxiety is when I start to look obsessively at stationery blogs. I adore NCIS. … More

#NaBloPoMo 13 – His notebook highlights strewn

Dean Paul Granny § ‘What students in classrooms say is an exceptionally precious learning resource. Every time a teacher receives … More

Cooking in a Bedsitter

There is still no sign of the book. I go for a walk; it is not there. I visit our … More

The empty house

True to its word, the book has disappeared. There isn’t a trace of it in the house, not even a … More

The Half-Finished Heaven, by Tomas Tranströmer

The Half-Finished Heaven Despondency breaks off its course.Anguish breaks off its course.The vulture breaks off its flight. The eager light … More

Tracks, by Tomas Tranströmer

Tracks   2 am: moonlight. The train has stopped out in the middle of the plain. Far away, points of … More

Remission anniversary ten

The way I found out, just as with my diagnosis, was via a segment of a conversation about other things. … More

Are you lonely?

‘Are you lonely?’ says the book. ‘Why are you asking?’ ‘Are you?’ ‘Do I look lonely?’ ‘Does it come on … More

A few days to read

and James, it’s taken me a few days to read A Few Days, but I have loved every line, especially … More

and (Dear James)

and (Dear James) it occurs to me now, just thinking out loud, that in a way Kenneth and Frank actually were … More