Category Archives: writing

Chillingly close

Posted on July 24, 2009 by Charles Lambert

Want to read a highly skilled hatchet job of the first paragraph of the Da Vinci Code? Of course you do. Not because you’re jealous of the book’s success and the enormous earnings of Dan Brown, of course. Or the … Continue reading →

Posted in schadenfreude, writing | 5 Comments

Yes, my neighbour…

Posted on June 6, 2009 by Charles Lambert

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/yxschLOAr-s&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&border=1

Posted in book launch, publishing, writing | Leave a comment

Proper

Posted on April 27, 2009 by Charles Lambert

There’s an interview with Ishiguro in today’s Guardian, during which the interviewer, Decca Aitkenhead, says: “I wonder if some of his (Ishiguro’s) semantic unease stems from a worry about the popular perception of short stories as not quite “proper” literature.” … Continue reading →

Posted in short stories, writing | 8 Comments

Once upon a time and a very good time it was

Posted on April 16, 2009 by Charles Lambert

Over at Eratosphere, Tim Love has kicked off a fascinating discussion on child narrators in adult fiction. As part of his thoughtful and stimulating introduction, he’s quoted from interviews conducted during the Cyclone tours that Elizabeth Baines and I completed … Continue reading →

Posted in cyclone, elizabeth baines, the scent of cinnamon, writing | 2 Comments

Apologies

Posted on March 19, 2009 by Charles Lambert

If you’re wondering a) what the odd little widget to the right, the one with the numbers and the blue bar, is all about, and b) why my contributions to this blog are so erratic these days, well, there’s one answer to … Continue reading →

Posted in any human face, writing | 7 Comments

A sudden calm

Posted on January 27, 2009 by Charles Lambert

Well, there were moments I thought I might never make it, moments in which the idea of draggging my weary wine-addled braincells across seemingly endless virtual tundra towards the temporary succour of one more virtual oasis (if that isn’t too … Continue reading →

Posted in cyclone, something rich and strange, the scent of cinnamon, wendell ricketts | 3 Comments

Omega Minor

Posted on January 1, 2009 by Charles Lambert

I’ve just finished reading Omega Minor by the Belgian novelist Paul Verhaeghen, a cognitive psychologist now working in the States. Originally published in Dutch, this enormous novel – 700 pages of closely-printed text – was translated into English by its … Continue reading →

Posted in omega minor, review, verhaeghen | Leave a comment

Everything I Have is Blue

Posted on December 12, 2008 by Charles Lambert

I’ve just finished reading the anthology Everything I Have is Blue (helpfully subtitled: Short Fiction by Working-class Men about More-or-less Gay Life). It’s edited by Wendell Ricketts, who also contributes a gripping short story of his own and a final, … Continue reading →

Posted in gay, short stories, wendell ricketts, work, writing | 2 Comments

Nel mezzo del cammin

Posted on December 9, 2008 by Charles Lambert

Five down, five to go. The latest leg of my Something Rich and Strange tour is posted today on Vanessa Gebbie’s News. I’ve been a fan of Vanessa’s work for as long as I’ve been blogging (and here’s the proof), well … Continue reading →

Posted in cyclone, something rich and strange, the scent of cinnamon, vanessa gebbie | Leave a comment

Iran, Jamaica, Vatican, Sudan….

Posted on December 2, 2008 by Charles Lambert

Surprise news from the Holy See. Someone called (Father) Federico Lombardi claims that the Vatican’s refusal to endorse a proposal for the UN that homosexuality be decriminalised, signed by all EU states, presumably including Poland (!), does not mean that … Continue reading →

Posted in homophobia, vatican, wendell ricketts | Leave a comment