Monthly Archives: February 2007

Big foot, big mouth…

Posted on February 8, 2007 by Charles Lambert

Berlusconi does it again. Not content with upsetting his long-suffering wife, he’s managed to alienate a fair slice of the Forza Italia vote by announcing that all gays vote left. If only this were true.

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Towards the watershed…

Posted on February 8, 2007 by Charles Lambert

The latest news is that a Cabinet meeting this afternoon may reach a decision on the civil union bill. Let’s hope it isn’t in Latin.

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God’s ferret strikes again

Posted on February 8, 2007 by Charles Lambert

Cardinal Ruini appears to have made use of L’Avvenire, the Vatican newspaper, in his latest offensive against civil unions. An unsigned editorial (but undoubtedly the ferret’s work) threatens that the kind of legal recognition of unmarried couples likely to be … Continue reading →

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Women in wartime

Posted on February 6, 2007 by Charles Lambert

If you happen to be in Amsterdam in March, don’t miss this exhibition of photographs by Patrizia Casamirra. They’re powerful, necessary works, moving yet unrhetorical. They deserve a wider audience.

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How to become a full professor in Italy

Posted on February 6, 2007 by Charles Lambert

a) Wait until the university in which you work as a lecturer invites applications for a full professorship.b) Write a book of no academic value by throwing together work from other books and stealing material from colleagues further down the … Continue reading →

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Bulgarian charm

Posted on February 5, 2007 by Charles Lambert

Bulgaria joined the EU this year and we were lucky enough to have a Bulgarian friend (Hello, Izzy!) in our house on New Year’s Eve. This meant not only that we celebrated twice (once at 11 and once at midnight, … Continue reading →

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Legless

Posted on February 4, 2007 by Charles Lambert

I’ve been fretting about an article I read a few days ago, written by a woman with something now known as body identity integrity disorder (BIID). This is apparently short-hand, if that isn’t too loaded a term, for the overwhelming … Continue reading →

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And another pot

Posted on February 4, 2007 by Charles Lambert

A painted one this time. A pot that looks like an egg, a seed, the head of a spermatozoon. Giuseppe did it some years ago now and I want it as the cover of a book I still haven’t written. … Continue reading →

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Violent passions, horror and suspense

Posted on February 3, 2007 by Charles Lambert

I’ve recently been discussing Paul Bowles with Brian Howell (Hello, Brian!) on Zoetrope and it sent me off to re-read a couple of his short stories in The Delicate Prey. Hmm. I’m still not convinced by Bowles, but I love … Continue reading →

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Pots

Posted on February 3, 2007 by Charles Lambert

I’ve got three small ceramic pots by Christiane Perrochon that are among the loveliest things I’ve ever owned. They’re no more than four or five inches high. In the photograph, they’re standing on my study floor and I’ve only just … Continue reading →

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