Conclave – or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Accept the End of Western Storytelling

I made the mistake -the blunder - of watching Conclave the other evening. A decision roughly on par with licking a battery to see if it’s working. It wasn’t entertainment. It was a two-hour slow-motion shrug, like watching a dying man cough into a linen napkin. Now, I’d been seduced, you see. Hoodwinked by the timing. A … Continue reading Conclave – or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Accept the End of Western Storytelling

“Drop, Drop, Slow Tears” – A Meditation in the Margins

By a hopeless penitent with a bookshelf and a leaky conscience At the opening of Elizabeth Gaskell’s Ruth, before we meet the orphaned seamstress or the soft-hearted Bensons, we are met with tears. Not sentimental ones, but slow, penitential tears - each drop a silent argument for mercy. The chosen epigraph, “Drop, drop, slow tears”, … Continue reading “Drop, Drop, Slow Tears” – A Meditation in the Margins

Christian Science: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Misdiagnose Everything

Before we begin, a quick word of warning: if you’re a devout Christian Scientist, a fan of metaphysical reasoning, or simply allergic to sarcasm, you may wish to pop the kettle on and find a gentler corner of the internet. What follows is a light-hearted take on Christian Science - a movement born in 19th-century … Continue reading Christian Science: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Misdiagnose Everything