Ian Gouge's Blog, page 25

“Life on Other Planets”

It seems that I’m not having much luck in my recent reading choices. I now realise it was supposed to be laugh-out-loud funny, but I’m afraid Matt Cook’s “Life on Other Planets” didn’t have that effect on me. The occasional smile of amusement perhaps. And I also confess that when I bought it, I didn’t … Continue reading “Life on Other Planets” →

“Proof of Life on Earth”

There is a tightrope poets walk when they are writing personal poetry i.e. poems which tackle specific instances or relationships in their lives. Because the poet is intimate with their subject, often there are references and images in the poem which work solely because they are privy to the other half of the handshake. So … Continue reading “Proof of Life on Earth” →

Twitter saddens me…

…because it’s like some vast goldfish bowl where millions of small fish are desperately trying to get to the very few crumbs of food that are thrown on the surface from time to time… …because people are competitive – in a nice way, usually – about the number of followers they have: “I have 1,800”, … Continue reading Twitter saddens me… →

Getting my act together…

Following on from my recent rumination about time and what to do with it (“Today’s the day“), over the last few days I have turned my attention to kick-starting some new Coverstory books publishing initiatives. The first of these is a new short story collection following on from the 2022 volume Making Marks in the … Continue reading Getting my act together… →

Today’s the day…

…I had ear-marked as the beginning of a new era. Perhaps that makes it ‘era-marked’. The house move is now half a month behind us and I suddenly find myself with the chance to look forward from a refreshed perspective. Where should I start? Perhaps with the house. I’m on the patio listening to the … Continue reading Today’s the day… →

“Isaac and the Egg”

There is nothing wrong with Bobby Palmer’s “Isaac and the Egg”. Indeed the central conceit as to whether the egg is real or simply a figment of Isaac’s imagination – or some kind of metaphor for his mental and emotional state – is handled well and maintained throughout. Perhaps what’s even more satisfying is that … Continue reading “Isaac and the Egg” →

When one door closes…

This was how my study looked yesterday. Today everything in the picture has gone and the room is bare. Tomorrow afternoon it will belong to someone else – and my new study will probably start out by looking much like this image… A strange continuum. Or the end/beginning of an era. At least that’s how … Continue reading When one door closes… →

“The Stranger in the Boat”

Although I am not a religious person, the essentially Christian message behind Mitch Albom’s “The Stranger in the Boat” didn’t really bother me. I think you have to take it for what it is (a little bit like Young’s “The Shack”, which is a wonderful novel) and move on. If such a theme bothers you, … Continue reading “The Stranger in the Boat” →

“Antarctica”

Although Claire Keegan’s collection of short stories, Antarctica, has won numerous plaudits, there was something about them which bothered me. It was as if there was something missing – or, more likely, something I hadn’t spotted. Perhaps I was put off by the title story which I found unrealistic and a little clichéd. If the … Continue reading “Antarctica” →

Yesterday & Today: 30th July

After 211 consecutive daily posts I think current circumstances are conspiring to bring the curtain down on “Yesterday and Today“. Not only is the house move beginning to be all-consuming, I have little to report in the way of projects and progress. Yes, I can pad posts out with thoughts on semi-related topics, but it … Continue reading Yesterday & Today: 30th July →