Author Archives: susan

Gurus differ widely from each other in a variety of ways, but most claim the possession of special spiritual insight  based on personal revelation. Gurus promise their followers new ways of self-development, new ways to salvation. Since there are no … Continue reading →

      This is wot it is like when we go back on the school trane. There are lots of new bugs and all there maters blub they hav every reason if they know what they were going to. … Continue reading →

I am stockpiling antibiotics for the apocalypse, even as I await the blossoming of paperwhites on the windowsill in the kitchen. The news of late has captured the fever dream of modern life: everything exploding, burning, being shot, or crashing … Continue reading →

  Numbers are my friends, and they are always around me. Each one is unique and has its own personality. The number 11 is friendly and 5 is loud, whereas 4 is both shy and quiet – it’s my favourite … Continue reading →

She…quite liked to talk to her mother, but somehow her mother was always about to go out, or into another room, and by the time Maria had got to the point of the conversation, she had gone. Her father when … Continue reading →

While twelve readings of Pride and Prejudice give you twelve periods of pleasure repeated, as many readings of Emma give you that pleasure, not repeated only, but squared and squared again with each perusal, till at every fresh reading you … Continue reading →

A couple of days ago I was with a group of friends, all constant readers, talking about re-reading books. Some of us – never. Having read a book once, there was no need to read it again. Or, there are … Continue reading →

This book is a Wine and Cheese Book Group choice, and when I picked it up, the coordinator lamented that it was a bit of a dud, and predicted that nobody would enjoy it. Well, always one to be different, … Continue reading →

I could start where I was: myself and those family stories. I had the image of a tight little frame, and my family stories neatly enclosed within it, telling their narrow bit of truth, and then the frame expanding out … Continue reading →

This year, I thought I’d manage at least a post a week, but no. I’ve been reading, reading, reading – as usual – but not writing about it. Especially lately. We’re 27 weeks into the year, but I’ve only posted … Continue reading →