Paul Magrs's Blog, page 4
October 22, 2020
October 18, 2020
October 16, 2020
Guest Blog From Novelist Alan McClure
Alan's a great writer - and his second book is just out. Here he is, writing about being a part of an indie imprint.
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October 13, 2020
An Interview with Novelist Elsie Mason
Do you take elements of characters or overheard phrases from people you’ve observed..?All the time! My antennae are twitching! It’s very important for a writer to be interested in people and how they behave, and how they express themselves in their day-to-day lives. I love listening to people. One of the very difficult things about lockdown this year, and the on-going emergency is that it’s hard to be out in the world, people-watching. I spend hours usually on buses and walking about and shopping and sitting in places, just listening. That’s heaven to me. But not this year. TV is no good for that. That’s terrible for people-watching, and no substitute. On television people are trying too hard to be themselves. They are only pretending to be themselves and that never rings true. I can’t bear it!
October 12, 2020
October 7, 2020
Me and the Male Nude
"When I realised that my true subject was the male nude, I set about drawing my friends and myself: men of various ages, mostly gay. Most of us fairly shy, but interested and excited by the idea of showing off, perhaps: of standing before each other saying, here’s me. This is me in all my glory.
So many men I know have bodily hang-ups of all kinds. Too fat, too thin. Not enough muscle. Cock size. Cock shy. Scars and lumps and bumps and the everyday damages done to a body that’s lived in the world.
I started – of course – by drawing myself. I wanted to prove to my volunteers that I wasn’t asking them to do anything I wouldn’t do myself. And when others joined me I painted and drew them and I made them look like the superheroes they are. All the gay men I know are absolute heroes. They have fashioned themselves into the proud and fabulous men they are. When you’re a gay kid no one tells you how to be. You’re left to get on with it. You have to create yourself. It’s only later you get to look back and realise this.
And so here they are. No shame in looking. No shame in wanting to see. No shame in wanting to show off."
You can see my first online exhibition of male nudes here at The Exhibit: https://theexhibit.io/exhibitor-profi...
October 4, 2020
Christmassy Tales - Available now!
“And so they stood together watching the extinct and rare creatures twirling away from the party. Light as snowflakes, fading in the dawn...”
'Spend Christmas in Venice, Paris, Whitby and on the planet Mars! Fourteen festive tales… from a fabulous story-teller.Featuring the magical tale of the Goblin King and his Invisible Mask… and a new story for Brenda and Effie and Iris Wildthyme at Christmas...'
September 21, 2020
Books Still Bring Us Together
I've just carried in all the boxes of books from our 12th day of the Levenshulme Little Free Library. I can't believe it's stayed warm and dry for a dozen days in a row - here in Manchester! The whole thing so far has been lovely and life-affirming in so many ways. Just the simple thing of having little conversations with people we've not see for a while. People dropping by to drop off bag-loads of donations and to choose something new to read. Some of them complete strangers - but books, I think, always bring people together. Meeting new people is a wonderful novelty these days.
Company is something that we've all been starved of, throughout this year. And it looks like things aren't easing up any time soon. BUT as long as the decent weather holds, I'll keep putting out the Little Free Library, and if you're happening by, you're free to take away armfuls of books to spend time with. Keep them or pass them on. Keep the books moving in circulation. Stop by for a socially distanced chat! Books are never less than vital at any time... but with fewer libraries and more time at home, maybe they're even more important now.
No promises... but I *might* just have started my week by writing a small bit of a potentially Christmassy new story for Brenda and Effie... It might turn out to be nothing at all. But I wrote two scenes and... hmmm... just maybe...
