Feet of clay
I had a dream last night. Five little purple men from the planet Tralfamadore, representing the Universal Health Organisation Hortatory Orbit (UHOHO) appeared in the sky and broadcast a message … Continue reading
Mississippi John Hurt
The last few days I’ve been listening to the music of Mississippi John Hurt. It’s so rhythmic, so understated, it has an almost hypnotic effect, like voodoo drums. It’s good … Continue reading
Aphrodite, goddess of love and sex
An early statue fragment by an unknown 4th century BC master Aphrodité is the Greek god associated with love (and its various activities), and often referred to as Venus. Her … Continue reading
To Be Or Not To Be: The Big Sleep
from To Have and Have Not Last night I viewed Howard Hawks’ version of The Big Sleep (1946). It was the fifth or sixth time I’d watched it, and the … Continue reading
A Matter of Perspective
Where you are makes a difference to what you see. New York photographer Lorenzo Dominguez found himself in a difficult position when his marriage failed. He, like many others, had … Continue reading
Fred and Ginger: movie magic
In one of Groucho Marx’s books, Groucho and Me, he tells of meeting a couple, fans, in the street. The wife says: “You’re him, aren’t you. You’re Groucho!”. The husband … Continue reading
Gianmaria Testa: sotto voce
I want to talk about the music of Gianmaria Testa, an Italian singer and songwriter whose work I am fond of, and don’t know how to describe it. True, I … Continue reading