Writer / Woodcarver / Tree-whisperer
Do We Need Escapist Fiction? You don’t have to be a Houdini-type to escape reality. In the 21st century, we are inundated with distractions and entertainment to divert us from and numb us to the harsher realities of global capitalism and its consequences. Most are inconsequential fripperies quickly forgotten once “consumed”. What about Escapist Fiction?
Or "What Have Euphemisms Ever Done For Us?" (Euphemism: “The substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt.” Dictionary.com) I love the English language and the multitude of ways it can be used creatively to communicate, entertain and enrich our lives. There’s no denying I can… Continue reading Tell it How it is?
This well-known and well-used aphorism is self-explanatory, and few would dispute its veracity, except for perhaps the visually impaired. What appeals aesthetically to each individual is entirely subjective. Where did this saying come from? Some claim that versions of it date back to ancient Greece; Shakespeare coined a saying with a similar meaning in Love’s… Continue reading Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
I’m not a doggy person, so I’m not sure if the adage ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ is true for the canine race, but it is most often used when referring to humans. Whilst there may be numerous examples demonstrating the truth of the saying, I believe in a lot of cases… Continue reading Old Dogs
Everybody’s busy. Everyone I meet says they are. With so much to do in our Western, post-industrial lives, it is easy to resent being made to wait. It can seem like a waste of time, during which we are prevented from engaging in the many activities that fill the rest of our existence. Overstimulated, short… Continue reading Waiting is…
“The road to hell is paved with works-in-progress.” ― Philip Roth Often I have too many ideas about what to write and don’t know what to do with them. Scribbled thoughts abound in multiple notebooks, of which I have at least one per jacket or coat plus some spares to make sure there’s always one… Continue reading Works in Progress
In 1830, at the northeastern tip of the Black Isle in the Scottish Highlands, on the shore of the picturesque village of Cromarty, Hugh Miller discovered imprints of life sandwiched between layers of rock 400 million years old. Last week, embraced by walls fashioned from the same sandstone, thirteen undergraduates gathered to marinate in time… Continue reading Creative in Crom-Arty
I’m generally quite a calm, thoughtful, reticent kind of guy, not given to emotional outbursts or ranting. To a certain extent, this is due to my upbringing by parents who were children during World War Two, the “mustn’t grumble” generation. They faced food shortages and other hardships that could not be overcome or lessened by… Continue reading Alter Egos
“Erudite Vernacular Utilized Irrespective of Necessity” - Daniel Oppenheimer After my last blog, I thought I should confess that there are some words and phrases that bother me. Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE words and I love playing with them and I believe their creative use can entertain, enrich and educate. I love… Continue reading Mind Your L#ngu@ge – Part 2.
Mind Your L#ngu@ge. I find it interesting that some people consider certain words in the English language to be offensive. If I want to cause offence deliberately (which I generally don’t), I could do so quite easily without using any of these so-called expletives. I say ‘so-called’ because the Oxford English Dictionary defines expletive as:… Continue reading Mind Your L#ngu@ge.
Geoff King 