I love books. I’ve got a stash of books in the toilet, by the side of every chair I’m likely to sit on and that includes the lavvy pan. Under my bed and by the side of my bed. But I don’t read enough and a book has never saved my life in the way it did Ashoke Ganguli after a train crash 209 kilometers from Calcutta he is involved in when going to visit and read to his grandfather, who also loves books and in particular the giants of Russian...

Donald J Trump’s mother, Mary came from the Isle of Lewis. There’s more than one Scottish word for her son. Bawbag is a good Scottish word to start with. Perhaps Robert Burns, our national bard, put it better in The Cotter’s Saturday Night , the kind of dwelling his mother Mary came from: An honest man’s the noblest work of God; And certes in fair virtue’s heavenly road; What is a lording’s pomp? a cumbrous load, Disguising oft the wretch of...

How To Be a Woman has Caitlin Moran on the front cover surrounded by a proscenium arch of accolades. ‘Galaxy Book Awards Book of the Year.’ ‘Funniest Book of the Year,’ Evening Standard. ‘The book EVERY woman should read,’ Grazia. Well, I’m at a disadvantage here because I’ve read it and I’m a guy, or at least like to think so. I’m normal that way, obviously when you’re lying in bed, you’ve had sex with someone you don’t know very well, and she...

Moravia's women are often independent and practical, taking every day as they find it. Often they live for sex. In 'Two women', his tough on-the-road tale of a mother and daughter they also live for food which is in scarce supply. The time - World War Two. Cesira, played by Sophia Loren in the 1960 movie is a hard-headed country girl who moved to Rome after a loveless arranged marriage to an older man, a tight-fisted shopkeeper. We meet her as a...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08bfww6 I spent three and a half hours with Marlon Brando, which is quite a long time for an old buddie like me without falling asleep, especially on a Saturday night, when there’s football on, and I’ve not got a beer in my hand, but I don’t feel that it was time wasted. I’ve watched On the Waterfront before. Don’t ask me when, or what it’s about, that’s a bit like asking me if I’ve read a book, and I say yeh,...

This week from Philip Sidney: It may be cold outside but abctales' writers are on fire this week; there are so many wonderful pieces to choose from. Poem of the week is Rosa Cruz's, At the Hotel for the off-Kilter, an insightful poem using the most exquisite language: https://www.abctales.com/story/rosa-cruz/hotel-kilter The story of the week goes to celticman's deeply touching: Grimms5: https://www.abctales.com/story/celticman/grimms5 It's...

It may be cold outside but abctales' writers are on fire this week; there are so many wonderful pieces to choose from. Poem of the week is Rosa Cruz's, At the Hotel for the off-Kilter, an insightful poem using the most exquisite language: https://www.abctales.com/story/rosa-cruz/hotel-kilter The story of the week goes to celticman's deeply touching: Grimms5: https://www.abctales.com/story/celticman/grimms5 It's Friday the 13th, so this week's IP...

In this ever changing landscape of life the decades move in lightning speeds. If I had known the pace would pick up in such flying seconds, I would have savored more youthful moments and captured them in present time for refocus. I am not saying my life has passed me by …no, not at all…I am filled with all the days I’ve lived…and look to the rest of my days with wide eyes as eager as a five year old….And I intend to learn and experience more of...

Last night went very well. Many thanks to Chris Launder our Library Manager for his helpful hospitality again. Thanks to my co-organiser Trish Leake, we work as a pair,and thanks to our great readers; Jenny Keevil, Jenny Johnson, Joy Edwards, Marian Ridgewell, Dave Woolger, Noel Harrower, Malcolm McLennan, Mike Baker, Leo and George. We all did well and the great thing about Open Mic is the diversity of theme, mood and style. A gift box of good...

A big thank you to Accidentallyexisting for her performance based brief last month. Here’s three favourites: Accidentallyexisting gives us lyrical flavours of a most authentic character: https://www.abctales.com/story/accidentallyexisting/tim-timpany-poetry-monthly Londoncalling’s sort-of-nonsense is steeped in a love of Ireland: https://www.abctales.com/story/londoncalling79/belfast-boun-poetry-monthly Elsie’s rhythm has the pound of the...