Astarte’s cornucopia and Pandora’s box
In the beginning was the Goddess. As far as we know (and apparently we don’t know much) the first widely spread religion was an adoration of the life giving force … Continue reading
Raymond Chandler’s mean streets
Last night I watched a rerun of a TV program on Raymond Chandler, one of my heroes (along with Philip Marlowe). George V Higgins the crime writer was interviewed and … Continue reading
Ancestors: James Gammell
James Gammell was my great great grandfather, my mother’s father’s father’s father. The photo shows his son James in Belmore Sydney c. 1940. The elder James was born 15 December … Continue reading
Ana Carolina
Ana Carolina is a pop singer and composer from Brazil, one of literally hundreds to emerge since the late ’90s in this most musical of cultures. In Brazil established stars … Continue reading
Zoe Oldenbourg’s Crusades
Zoé B. Oldenbourg (1916 – 2002) was both a highly esteemed specialist in mediæval French history and a critically acclaimed and prize winning historical novelist. She is best known for … Continue reading
A heart in winter
A Heart in Winter (Un Coeur en hiver) is a 1991 film by Claude Sautet (Nelly et Monsieur Arnaud, 1995, Sautet’s wonderful last film). It stars Daniel Auteuil, Emmanuelle Béart … Continue reading
L’Amant
Jean-Jacques Annaud (Two Brothers, Enemy at the Gate) made L’Amant (The Lover) in 1992. He wrote the script, but the story is from an autobiographical novel by Marguerite Duras. Anyone … Continue reading
