In this very first guest post, the very well-read stivalineri tells us about his reading shelf...

It's not a shelf actually, I have books in every room.

At bedtime, I'm reading Samuel Steward's "Chapters from an Autobiography". Steward is better known for his erotica written as Phil Andros, but this book talks about his sexual and intellectual life, and ( Read more... )

This blog is tagged Writing Worth Reading. I'm hoping that most of the time it lives up to that rather presumptious billing. But I'd like to try something different, and I need your help ( Read more... )

Unsurprisingly, Steven Slater is getting a lot of coverage today after his unorthodox resignation.

The Washington Post reports that cabin crew were "smiling the secret smile of the righteously vindicated."

One of them remarked:

"He lived my fantasy. He is the Thelma and Louise of flight attendants."

Another took time out from folding a grumpy Texan ( Read more... )

The view from the top of West George Street, looking towards St George's Parish Church.


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Listening to a travel show on the radio this weekend,  I learned how venomous Italian football can get.

At a match between Verona and Naples, the fans from Verona unfurled a message to the opposition:

May Vesuvius erupt and destroy you all
In response, the Neapolitan fans held up their own banner:

Juliet was a slut

On the north coast of Peru, two men fall in love, risking family break-up and the wrath of a small community with minds to match. Sounds familiar. But Contracorriente is no Brokeback-on-Sea.  It's an immensely powerful film that goes beyond the experimental fumblings of same-sex sex.

Miguel, a well-liked fisherman is excited about becoming a ( Read more... )

Last month, a waiting world rejoiced as Her Majesty the Queen joined Flickr.

I'd like to imagine her sitting down with a techno-flunky to select her choice of photographs: "This is me opening Parliament in the Bahamas. And this is Phillip opening a sewage pump station in Coventry. Oh, and there's that horrid little man, Berlusconi trying to look ( Read more... )

Good writing is always worth celebrating, but sometimes so is bad writing.

So, three cheers for the Bulwer-Lytton prize, showcasing the best of the worst.  The 2010 winner is Molly  Ringle, from Seattle:

"For the first month of Ricardo and Felicity's affair, they greeted one another at every stolen rendezvous with a kiss--a lengthy, ravenous kiss, ( Read more... )

The Guardian newspaper today presents a gallery of images from a census of the world's sea creatures.

Among the striking images is this scary monster.


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St Vincent Street is Glasgow's central business boulevard. Lined with fine Victorian buildings, it's here that you'll find finance houses and legal firms, insurance companies and consultants.  The street's prosperity  is reflected in the stylish features used by enterprises to announce their presence.


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