Dave Higgins's Blog, page 126
July 23, 2014
What Garlic is to Salad, Insanity is to Art.
The very talented Neil Murton’s Magpie Tales come out in paperback next week; to celebrate (and because I am on holiday, so didn’t want to think too hard), today’s post is about his latest 100-word story, ‘Salad Days’. Which was … Continue reading →
July 21, 2014
That’s Magic!
This week, my wife and I are taking a stay-cation. Today we went to the Jeremy Deller: English Magic exhibition at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. As with many art exhibitions with a political message, some of the works stood … Continue reading →
July 18, 2014
Smart Girl, Dumb Love by Kelsye Nelson
Disdaining both the exceptional circumstances and people of traditional romance, and their mostly happy endings, Nelson draws interest from tales of average people facing entirely mundane issues. This collection, the first volume of the Breakup Girl series, contains three short … Continue reading →
July 16, 2014
An Honest Portrait
Today’s Daily Post was “A mad scientist friend offers you a chip that would allow you to know what the people you’re talking to are thinking. The catch: you can’t turn it off. Do you accept the chip?” Coincidentally, I … Continue reading →
July 14, 2014
One Improvement Does Not Progress Make
One of the default questions in the Goodreads’ ‘Ask the Author’ scheme is “What is the best thing about being a writer?” Best is a very big word, so I have been giving it due consideration. I am still considering … Continue reading →
July 11, 2014
Ralph and the Purple Fly by Christopher Brunt
Brunt’s novella is a satire of both bureaucracy and scientific excess reminiscent of Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Fatal Eggs. Mixing absurdities with looming threat, it leaves the reader uncertain whether the narrator is falling into madness or standing alone against terrible … Continue reading →
July 9, 2014
Tidings Told in Their Midst
As a gesture of respect to Odin the great communicator, whose day Wednesday is, today’s post will cover two new ways of communicating with your humble author (i.e. me.): Goodreads’ Ask the Author and a mailing list. First, Goodreads have … Continue reading →
July 7, 2014
Speaking Beauty From Power
North Korea’s response to The Interview, and the discussion of whether artists are responsible for other people’s reactions to their work it provoked, reminded me of this TED video: And also Dylan S Hearn’s discussion of the Facebook emotion manipulation … Continue reading →
July 4, 2014
Magpie Tales: The Tale Of Magpie And Mr. Snow by Neil Murton
Like a literary sushi restaurant or speculative tapas bar, this collection offers the reader a story to fit any mood. This second collection in the Magpie Tales series contains 50 drabbles, chosen from the 220 stories Murton wrote between November … Continue reading →
July 2, 2014
Million Words Challenge – June
Half of the Million Words Challenge is over, and I am still behind. June was not as productive a month for writing so I have not really caught up; but more importantly, I have not dropped any further behind. Which … Continue reading →
