Category Archives: Uncategorized
Send in the clowns
A while I wrote something about clown collars for Metro magazine, but a month later Metro folded. I thought I’d post this here anyway – something from the Before times. I remember being a bit nervous about this piece because … Continue reading
Rehashing (ii)
It’s a strange feeling to revisit some of my old Canvas columns. Last week I was trying to write a short piece for Essential Services, a new magazine by former Metro editor Henry Oliver, about writing a column and why … Continue reading
Rehashing
I had a thought that I might revisit (well, rehash), every week or so, a column from my old(ish) Canvas column. This one is from October last year. I had just been to a writers’ festival. Looking back on some … Continue reading
Excitements
I was eating an apple when I got self-conscious. The student on work experience sitting at the table nearby would be able to hear my crunching and was probably bothered by it. But I also thought how freeing it would … Continue reading
Feet of clay
Feet of dirt. Feet of tree that will not fruit. Feet of elephant that died and was buried at the school. Feet of someone walking down the driveway with torch. Feet of pay day. Feet of landlord at the door … Continue reading
Eleven
I was cleaning up my desktop while avoiding writing my column, and I came across this old photo of Jerry. It’s him at the vet’s in July 2014 after he’d been hit by a car. Not pictured is his big … Continue reading
The haircut
My childhood sweetheart rang. We hadn’t spoken in twenty-five years. He said, ‘Also, I am seeing somebody else now.’ He’d wanted to tell me earlier, but hadn’t been able to come out with it. My body started to tremble. I … Continue reading
The fastest route
I was riding my bike to the train station. With me was a large dog that was very old and sick. I was carrying it in a large white sling. Behind us in a trailer were all the things we … Continue reading
New Year’s Eve Paragraphs
A couple of years ago a friend asked me, ‘Are you someone who is easily contented?’ I don’t know why I’ve always remembered that question. We were sitting in a bar next to a window and the sun was shining … Continue reading
Petition
I was reading the weekend newspaper when I came across a story about a prolific writer who had started a petition. Tens of thousands of people had already signed, even though the petition had only started the day before. The … Continue reading
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