My opinion pieces – it’s like having a fascinating debate where only I get to talk
One of the many unsettling experiences of ageing is watching your artistic heroes age with you. But stranger still is how your relationship to their art changes over time. You mature physically and mentally but (with a few exceptions) the content of the songs, the movies and books largely stays frozen in time. In your […]
First you’re the singer, then the subject Read More »
Unfeathered dinosaurs, drab pyramids and sepia-hued soldiers – why do we prefer the comforting falsehoods of a monochromatic past? Over time, even the most vivid traces of our collective past can become faded. They get bleached by the sun, blotted by water damage, eroded by high winds. That is, if they were colourful to start
The Vivid Colours of the Past Read More »
Two figures are locked in a battle of wills. One – a bearded, winged man – lifts a coffin away from the other: a hunched sepulchral figure, rearing up and grasping in response like a carrion feeder robbed of its prize. The sculpture is named for its two figures, ‘Time and Death’. It’s closer to
Can Fame and Reputation really transcend Death? Read More »
Of my many weird obsessions, arguably the most niche is my enjoyment of mistranslated toy packaging. Now, as a baseline, I can glean amusement from any kind of English-language packaging produced by a company without the resources to employ a professional translator. But with discount toys, this phenomenon reaches an awkward apotheosis. The hunting grounds
The Infinited Mistranslations of Discount Toys Read More »
Choosing songs for your wedding dance can be perilous. You’re kind of marrying the song, as well. You’re wedding your identity to it. This is who we are. The one thing you want to avoid is selecting music that secretly undermines your union. ‘Every Breath You Take’ is probably the most famous trap: a stalker’s
The power and peril of the satirical song Read More »
Grab your goggles: it’s time to dive into the timeless ritual of swimming in the public pool. Hey, no petting! As a swimmer, neither my technique nor my commitment is particularly strong. I don’t have much interest in improving my stroke, and there have been long stretches of time where I’ve fallen out of the
All the best things about public swimming pools Read More »
How much would you pay to meet Harley Quinn? Here’s an argument for keeping comics cheap, accessible and – gasp! – even disposable. It starts with The Batman Adventures, a comic that represents everything I love about the medium. The series, which began in late 1992, was spun off from the popular animated show. It
Collecting comics: pocket money is all I’ll pay Read More »
“Always Be Closing.” If there’s a scene everyone remembers from Glengarry Glen Ross, it’s undoubtedly the one where Blake (Alec Baldwin) briefly materialises to terrorise the jaded salesman of Premiere Properties. For my money, this is not the most unsettling scene in James Foley’s 1992 movie. There is a moment that I’m reminded of much
Glengarry Glen Ross: the rules come from downtown Read More »
Why do we only have a short-term relationship with certain artists? I’m not talking about one-hit wonders: those individuals who produced a memorable hit and whose follow-up single is only recalled by pop-culture trivia buffs. I mean those performers, many of whom – at least in the pre-streaming era – captured our attention and returned
Shakespears Sister, The Thrills and other musical flings Read More »
I received my final mixtape in 2005. In those days, receiving a cassette already felt slightly quaint, if not yet anachronistic or performative. Still, you could hand it over with some confidence that the recipient could find a way to play it, on a compact kitchen stereo or an exhumed walkman. This romantic mixtape was
A Mixtape and the Trough of Longing Read More »
