Cultural highlights - April 2008
29 Apr 2008
Things that inspired me last month:
- Gig: All rise for Hamish Stuart (ex lead singer of the Average White Band) and his band who did a three-night residency at Ronnie Scott's in London's swingin' Soho. Play that funky music white boy...or rather mature older guy-type person.
- Book: 'The Gathering' by Anne Enright. If you like your literature quietly intense and beautifully crafted then this is the book for you.
- Film: 'The Orphanage.' Not since 'The Shining' have I had the bejesus scared out of me quite so much. A Spanish horror film made all the more poignant by the child abuse claims currently being investigated at the Haut de la Garenne care home in Jersey. The Orphanage (backed by Pan's Labyrinth director, Guillermo del Toro's production company) marks out Juan Antonio Bayona as a talent to watch.
- Theatre: 'God of Carnage' by Yasmina Reza. A strong cast (including Ralph Fiennes out-Leonard Rossitering Leonard Rossiter!) grapples masterfully with a play about middle-class hypocrisy, parental irresponsibility and the hate that lives alongside love in adult relationships.
- Websites: litup magazine and everyday yeah.
- Art: Duchamp, Man Ray and Picabia' at Tate Modern. An exhibition which takes in Impressionism, my favourite Fauvism, Eroticism and with a pinch of rayography and cinepoetry thrown in for good measure. The collection highlights the parallels between the three artists' work during the course of their careers and, more importantly, the support and inspiration each derived from the other. This idea of a group of like-minded creatives supporting and inspiring each other, is, to my mind, what the literary underground movement should be about. My fear is that it's becoming more about literary cliques and in-crowds. More info on the exhibition here.
'Love 2wice Removed' at dogmatika
29 Apr 2008
My story, 'Love 2wice Removed' has just been posted at independent lit mag dogmatika, a great place for books, culture and other stuff. It's a tale of obsessive love, taxidermy and puppets so yeah, way off the weirdness Richter scale with this one! To read, go to your nearest A&E department! Thanks to Susan Tomaselli for supporting my writing - puppetry of the pen is what it is, folks!!!
'Beetroot' at The Beat
23 Apr 2008
Online litzine The Beat has just posted a new story of mine, a tale of drink driving and dysfunctional families called 'Beetroot.' To get one of your five-a-day fruit and veg portions, visit the pickle section of your local supermarket. Serving suggestion: crusty bread, slab of cheese, pint of ale, sorted.
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