Barry Graham's Blog, page 6

Daytime moon, Wyndford, Maryhill, Glasgow

Literary Community, Social Network, or Mob?

What some warmly call “community,” others may experience as a mob. A friend of mine who’s a crime fiction author recently told me they were glad that the Mystery Writers of America had withdrawn its Grand Master award from Linda Fairstein, who, before becoming a novelist, was the prosecutor of the Central Park Five.

“I don’t think there’s a place for Fairstein in the community,” my friend said.

This told me I didn’t want to be part of “the community,” though, in Gary Snyder’s terms, my friend i...

Why American socialists should not vote Democrat

And why socialists like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez should leave the Democratic Party which is trying to sabotage her.

The following is from The Intercept.

Nancy Pelosi: I have to say, we’re capitalists. That’s just the way it is.

Elizabeth Warren: I’m a capitalist, come on. I believe in markets.

Mehdi Hasan: Donald Trump speaking on Tuesday night at his belated State of the Union address in Congress. His mention of the word socialism got boos from the Republican side. His pledge to never allow Ame...

Haiku

tower block kitchen window
falling snow
knife chops pepper and onion

Cries of the world

Through the morning's wind and rain comes a woman's voice: "Will somebody help me? I'm blind. I can't find my way." I look out the window and see someone (I assume it's her, but I don't know) sheltering at the side of the tower block that faces mine. She has a shopping trolley and, I think, a stick. I'm about to get dressed and go down and ask if she needs help, but she slowly moves to the front of the building and goes inside. I don't know if she had a key, or if someone buzzed her in.

The ne...

The Lodge by Sergio Casci gets compared to Hitchcock and Carpenter

Sergio Casci is one of my oldest and dearests friends, so I'm happy to report that the latest film he wrote, The Lodge, has just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and is getting excellent reviews and word-of-mouth. Here's what Bloody Disgusting said about it.

Robert Burns: Scottish Zen

Today is the birthday of Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet and one of the great Zen poets of the west, though it's unlikely he ever heard of Zen.

But pleasures are like poppies spread,
You seize the flower, its bloom is shed;
Or like the snow falls in the river,
A moment white — then melts for ever;
Or like the borealis race,
That flit ere you can point their place;
Or like the rainbow’s lovely form
Evanishing amid the storm.

Winter, Glasgow

Celebrating Rosa Luxemburg, 100 years on

I just realised that two days ago was the 100th anniversary of the murder of Rosa Luxemburg. In tribute, I'm going to reread Red Rosa , the great graphic biography by Kate Evans.

The Killing Song

The Killing Song from Dogo Barry Graham on Vimeo.

Audio of me reciting a poem from my book Traffic and Murder. Not safe for work. Probably not safe for anywhere.