an update, three months overdue...

It's hard to understand how it can be that the last time I posted was in July... This summer, and indeed, most of this autumn, have vanished rather alarmingly. But today I found myself in the strange position, for the first time since January, of having no immediate deadlines ahead. So it seemed the perfect moment to post a quick update and explain where I've been.

In August, I was immersed in the process of finishing my new book. At the end of the month I completed the first draft, and put it...