All the things I do instead of writing…
Back in the blink of an eye As ever, autumn is a busy news month. This year, I mainly seem to find stories about AI destroying humanity, as well as the rather more tangible risks posed by Russia. We briefly explained to the kids that nice countries don't invade other countries, so they said, "well... Continue Reading →
This morning, I should have been taking my daughter to her swimming lesson. Instead, she is currently having a Minecraft lesson from her older brother, which is rather cute: She has broken her arm in two places, unfortunately one near the elbow, so hopefully it won't be too painful when the cast comes off. She... Continue Reading →
I have successfully set fire to my New Year's resolutions. I lasted until the middle of February with my resolution to write more, and in particular, to try writing the novel I want to write. Everybody wants to write a novel, not an actual marketable screenplay, because everyone wants the idea of posterity and legacy,... Continue Reading →
I went to a dinner at college the other day, and admired much smooth, dewy skin. The boat club invited Alumni along, either in the hope they would give more money, or in gratitude that they had stumped up for a new boat. Personally, I was aggrieved that the women have fallen so far down... Continue Reading →
I cannot stop thinking about Brett Easton Ellis's new novel. I read it on a business class flight to Washington, and finished it up at 8pm, which felt like the middle of the night. I got up at 5 the next day, did my calls and went to the weird 90s gym, which came complete... Continue Reading →
Like most parents of small-ish children, I spend a lot of time reading fairy tales. I was reading my four year old a very short, slightly boring version of Cinderella, and my 9 year old snuggled in. He was quite aggrieved at the details being "wrong". In the version he reads, the coachman is crafted... Continue Reading →
One from the distant past of January 2012: Friday night came around again, and once again I was busy trying to clear out my inbox in an effort to attain the elusive Monday morning with time on my hands to actually think and plan. Before I knew it, it was 9 pm, so I cleared... Continue Reading →
Captain hindsight is in full swing at the moment. Everyone apparently knew FTX was not solvent, and would obviously crash. Everyone thought lockdowns were a terrible idea that would leave us all paying the bill for a decade. They weren't all hankering for more restrictions and judging people for having a cup of coffee with... Continue Reading →
Every year since I graduated twenty-one years ago, the phone rings with an Oxford prefix. Nearly all of us who matriculated in 1997 get this call, and each year we want it to be over before it has begun. I seem to be almost alone amongst my contemporaries in always picking up, despite knowing how... Continue Reading →
Yes, it's the 3rd of September, and the Christmas ads are already poking out of the woodwork. It's that rather mournful time of year, when everything at work and at school goes back to being busy and overwhelmed with tedious chores that need doing, but we don't yet have the benefits of sticking the heating... Continue Reading →
The resting writer 