Nov 4The horror! The horror!The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is among one of the most famous novellas ever written. Conrad had effectively travelled the Congo river from Matadi where it flows into the Atlantic to its other end in the east, Stanleyville or Kisangani. He probably met the infamous Stanley, but there…Kurtz6 min readKurtz6 min read
Oct 26Poems of Charles BaudelaireCharles Baudelaire was probably the first of France’s many poètes maudits, so dubbed because of their nonconformism and for their refusal to consider any subject taboo, and for which he was castigated by the literary establishment of the day. He had travelled extensively, and indulged in many of the activities…Poete Maudit12 min readPoete Maudit12 min read
Sep 20Annie Green, Gypsy Princess (Part Two)(Annie finds herself in New South Wales, and is put in the care of the Coldwells who are running a farm. Also there, are transportees from England, including the so-called Tolpuddle Martyrs who were sent to Australia for rising against their working conditions. …Magnetite22 min readMagnetite22 min read
Sep 20Rimbaud and Le Bateau Ivre(The Drunken Boat) He wrote what is probably his best poem, Le dormeur du Val at 16, and a bit later the stunning Le Bateau Ivre, written in the voice of a drifting boat, much of it inspired by his reading of Jules Verne’s fantastic tales, and stopped writing at…Poete Maudit8 min readPoete Maudit8 min read
Sep 3Annie Green, Gypsy PrincessA tale of transportation — An extract from Magnetite by San Cassimally. (The pictures are all in the public domain) The complete novel is available free at magnetite.com/San Cassimally Content warning: sexual assault Annie Green — only, having changed colour through no fault of her own, she was Annie Browne now — was mighty scared…Magnetite21 min readMagnetite21 min read
Aug 25Lamartine’s Le LacLamartine wrote arguably the most famous lines of French poetry: Ô temps, suspends ton vol! et vous, heures propices suspendez votre cours: laissez-nous savourer les rapides délices des plus beaux de nos jours! A desperate entreaty to time to slow down its course, from Le Lac. He was born in…Lamartine5 min readLamartine5 min read
Jul 24Arabian Nights ReduxThe book has just been published by Create Space and is available on Amazon. Many of the stories in the collection have appeared on Medium. It is available in print and will shortly be a Kindle item as well. A collection of seventeen stories from the Arab world, as one…Stories From The3 min readStories From The3 min read
Jul 19On the 17th of July 1936 …For centuries in Spain a grand coalition Of monarchists and zealous catholic bishops Had ruthlessly ruled the Iberian nation Leaving the poor to starve or feed themselves on slops. With the possible exception of czarist Russia Spain’s the poorest nation in the whole of Europe Kings and priests getting wealthier…Spanish Civil War4 min readSpanish Civil War4 min read
Jul 14The Oyster PotProfessor Hiroshi Matsumoto was reputedly the most illustrious cardiologist of Japan, and his colleagues at the Tokyo Institute of Cardiovascular Science expected him to win the Nobel Prize for Medicine one day, soon, for his discovery of how sudden happiness can cause a heart attack, leading to death. He called…Flash Fiction Series3 min readFlash Fiction Series3 min read
Jul 12Was Shakespeare Shaikh Asbeer of Baghdad?Was Shakespeare Shaikh Asbeer of Baghdad? May I begin by extending a very hearty welcome to you my faithful friends. For today I have reserved a treat for you. It is a little known story by no less than Shaikh Asbeer born in our fair city of Baghdad in the…King Lear26 min readKing Lear26 min read
