Take a lucky dip in this refreshing pool of posts, randomly selected like literary Russian roulette (but more fun and much safer). Or filter by category to take a deeper dive into specific themes. Enjoy!
Of smoke and goats
A refreshing image for a choking smoke. I tried to find a picture of goats who looked as though smoke...
A sense of happiness in the light of spring
What a beautiful corrective lens for the 'nasty, short and brutish' view of distant human lives. I did not realise...
A page per year
Taleb is an erudite and provocative writer, sometimes coming across as intellectually arrogant, though always interesting. Here he shows a healthy...
A sensible sort of room
The boy slips out of a deadly dull afternoon tea in which two ladies are talking about clothing. He finds...
A long day’s night
As the month of June stretches to a close, I wanted to share this, an image of the day staying...
As gentle and powerful as …
An unusual pairing of adjectives and a surprising simile to embrace both.
'No thundering from a pulpit, no...
Knitting as twittering antennae
Fast-moving knitting needles clicking and flicking like a crab's antennae.
'Knitting with fierce rapidity, as if that movement were a...
Beware the Idomeneus spear
Famed with good reason - see his bringing another warrior to meet his 'dark-named destiny'. However, the most graphic...
Basket-hilted sabres
Seems an odd juxtaposition, woven hilts for metal sabres, but I have a vague notion of having seen them in...
Fuchsia and ruby
A gift from the eccentric but kind-hearted and protective physician to the young daughter of the Earl and Countess of...
Gladness and despair
A finely phrased evocation of the twin elements of human experience of time, every new morning or moment heralding good...
Lime-green river
In the context of Gormenghast, this intriguing river colour would unlikely be a sign of toxic effluent or bloom, so...
Potent as…
I vote for this to enter standard speech, even if you question the power of a pope in modern times....
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