Author Archives: Charles Lambert

Boxes, texts

Posted on January 11, 2008 by Charles Lambert

I wonder how many writers would rather have been visual artists. We know that Frank O’Hara would (see “Why I would rather be a painter than a poet”), but I’m sure he’s not alone. The idea of working a field … Continue reading →

Posted in art, dh lawrence, frank o'hara, writing | 2 Comments

Malpertuis

Posted on January 11, 2008 by Charles Lambert

Glancing through the New York Times Books Update a few moments ago, I found a review of a novel. I quote: Marie Phillips’s first novel, “Gods Behaving Badly,” in which the 12 major deities of ancient Greece uneasily cohabit in … Continue reading →

Posted in film | Leave a comment

Pontification

Posted on January 11, 2008 by Charles Lambert

Ratzinger’s campaign against Italy’s newly-formed Partito Democratico (PD) continues apace. Not content with planting his emotionally warped moles (read, self-mortifying Paola Binetti and the other so-called Teodems – though what they understand of theology or democracy is anybody’s guess) into … Continue reading →

Posted in berlusconi, corruption, italy, politics, pope, rome, vatican | Leave a comment

Memory

Posted on January 11, 2008 by Charles Lambert

This is the second poem I’m planning to commit to memory as a whole, instead of in half-recalled scraps. It also, maybe incidentally, acts as a corrective to the over-devout tones of the final verse of my first choice, by … Continue reading →

Posted in frank o'hara, memory, poem | Leave a comment

Edward St Aubyn: On the Edge

Posted on January 9, 2008 by Charles Lambert

Much as I admire the Some Hope trilogy and its sequel Mother’s Milk, this novel, written between the two, is an odd – and to my mind unsuccessful – book. It’s concerned with the adventures of a group of people … Continue reading →

Posted in crank, review, writing | 2 Comments

Icons

Posted on January 8, 2008 by Charles Lambert

I was reading a review in a recent London Review of Books (Vol 29, No 23) of a book called No Caption Needed: Iconic Photographs, Public Culture and Liberal Democracy, by Robert Hariman and John Louis Lacaites. The book, as … Continue reading →

Posted in holocaust, perec, photography, sebald, writing | 2 Comments

Size

Posted on January 7, 2008 by Charles Lambert

I see that Sharp is about to market an LCD television with a 108 inch screen. This reminds me of a conversation I overheard last Christmas during an idle half hour in a Costa queue (see post below). Middle-aged man … Continue reading →

4 Comments

One frappuccino, to go

Posted on January 7, 2008 by Charles Lambert

Those of us who’ve read Naomi Klein’s compelling account in No Logo of how Starbucks mark out, invade and conquer new territory will not be sad to hear that the caffeine empire may have outstretched its effective reach. Read more … Continue reading →

Posted in customer care | 6 Comments

As though I didn’t have better things to do with my time…

Posted on January 6, 2008 by Charles Lambert

Your Brain is 47% Female, 53% Male Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female You are both sensitive and savvy Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed But you also tend to wear your heart … Continue reading →

Posted in gender | Leave a comment

Travelling

Posted on January 5, 2008 by Charles Lambert

Coming back to London after Christmas, Jane and I were forced by engineering works on the lines to change at Birmingham. Not just trains, but stations. We had to cross the centre of Birmingham on foot, from New Street to … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, photography, travelling | Leave a comment