Libre Paley's Blog: Libre Paley - Thoughts on Literary Erotica, page 2

Making the best of it: negative reviews

There’s quite a lot of advice around on how to handle – and how not to handle – negative reviews… don’t take it personally; don’t bite back; take it constructively, if possible; negative reviews are better than none (not sure about that one!), etc… There are, however, more daring alternatives, with some writers having sought … Continue reading Making the best of it: negative reviews

Is it worth it?

The phrase I don’t like writing, but I like having written has previously been attributed to writer, critic and wit Dorothy Parker. There is doubt that Parker can be credited with this observation. It appears, instead, to have been 19th century author Frank Parker, who also added, in a letter discovered after his death that … Continue reading Is it worth it?

Life no longer fits? Take a leaf out these books

There is, or so my daughter tells me, a rash of films on YouTube and TikTok of people trying on their ‘pre-pandemic’ wardrobes. Do those before-quarantine designer jeans and favourite tops still fit? And do their owners care? There is a vague metaphor somewhere in there. Many of us are now reflecting, to see what … Continue reading Life no longer fits? Take a leaf out these books

Waiting for the muse

It’s something of a slippery concept. A muse (noun) is, the dictionary tells us: ‘a person, or an imaginary being or force that gives someone ideas and helps them to write, paint, or make music.’ On the one hand, that sounds fairly concrete. On the other, this definition tells us a muse can be, well, … Continue reading Waiting for the muse

Literary comment and ecological crisis

Today is World Oceans Day, designated by the United Nations as a “reminder of the major role oceans play in everyday life”. Over seventy per cent of the Earth’s surface, our oceans are under threat – from plastic pollution, waste, overfishing, the destruction of coral reefs, and a calamitous raft of human activity.  Not least … Continue reading Literary comment and ecological crisis

Lost for words

It was coming across, quite by chance, the phrase ‘brown study’ that made me think about this. The phrase means, so the Cambridge English Dictionary tells us, [to fall into] a mood in which you are very involved in your own thoughts and not paying attention to anything else (old fashioned). There is an example … Continue reading Lost for words

Doing it by halves: to keep or not to keep books

Argentine writer Carlos María Domínguez observed that ‘It is often much harder to get rid of books than to acquire them.’ How true. I acquired a bagful of new volumes last weekend – physical books, that is, yet more have amassed on the kindle – yet I am part-way through halving my collection. Why? A number of … Continue reading Doing it by halves: to keep or not to keep books

Take me to book town

A ‘book town’ is, loosely, ‘a town or village with a number of used book or antiquarian book shops’ as well as, commonly, associated literary festivals. Many are members of the International Organisation of Book Towns (IOB). The IOB concept was developed and launched by the late bookseller Richard Booth. Mr Booth’s business was in Hay-on-Wye in Wales, … Continue reading Take me to book town

Daughters, darkness, and deadly domiciles: judging a book by its title

Several years ago, I posted an item called Choosing a Title for Your Book; it was intended as a tongue-in-cheek look at some of the popular ‘formulas’ commonly used to create book titles. The number of titles that contain ‘society’ or ‘club’, for example, as in Richard Osman’s highly successful The Thursday Murder Club. The … Continue reading Daughters, darkness, and deadly domiciles: judging a book by its title

Books on books

UN World Book and Copyright Day is this week, on 23 April. Its broader purpose is to promote the enjoyment of books and reading. In honour of that sentiment, below are a few novels that celebrate books, writers, reading, and the transformative powers of literacy. The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald (1978) A little gem that … Continue reading Books on books