Coming to the end of February, with Valentine’s Day long passed, we also come to the end of our monthly theme on love. You’ll either be basking still in the warm glow of affection, or feeling as wilted as the bouquets now look in their vases. Hopelessly in love or hopeless at love, here are a few characters who are a bit of both.
Have you ever read a book- a work of fiction- that reminds you so starkly of the world around you that you sit up straight, as though your improved posture will somehow further push you into the narrative? Well, that’s Welcome to Braggsville for you. This novel, written by T. Geronimo Johnson, presents to us a world of race relations, of cultural naivety, and of the repercussions of the realisation that you can live the same life as your peers, your colleagues and your confidantes, but that doesn’t mean that you’re all navigating through that same life in the same way.
‘Write Here’ takes us into our authors’ writing spaces across the globe, where they tell us about how they go about their craft. We mark each location on the map at the bottom of each post. Scott Blackwood is a hard man to pin down, as he likes to write on the move…
THE MORNING AFTER
I hate the term ‘Walk of Shame’ because when I’ve wandered home after a fun night with a man I’ve invariably felt on cloud nine – giddy and satisfied, not shameful and sheepish. Nonetheless, on these occasions I have not looked great. There have been times when, having been invited out for eggs and bacon the following morning, I’ve spent the whole time covering the dry, flaky skin on my chin with my hand, and hastily rubbed off smudged mascara using a fry-up knife as a mirror. An entirely spontaneous shag is hard to plan for (this is why it’s good to end up in your own bathroom), but for a big date that is likely to end well, packing a small survival kit means you can extend to brunch the next morning – or even the following week. Shove it in your bag (another reason why tiny clutches are useless) and you’re sorted.
Hadley Freeman’s ‘Every Dating Guide You’ll Ever Need’ (taken – and edited – from Be Awesome: Modern Life for Modern Ladies)
‘With the help of this little guide, you’ll see that you won’t have to change anything about yourself to get your man, other than your behaviour, personality, natural desires and looks. Once you do all that, you can have ANY man eating out of your hand. Yes, I said ANY man. The only stress you’re going to have in your life now is … which guy to choose!
First of all, how to meet this special someone? You need to break out of your usual social circle as that pond is too small for you to fish in – aim for the ocean! Give internet dating a go – honestly, EVERYONE’S doing it these days (except anyone who ever advocates that you try it) and how about joining an evening class? Not a girly one like ‘vegetarian cooking’ or ‘beginners French’ because you’ll only meet girls and gays there, which would be a total waste of your time and money. Be ruthless and choose ones that don’t interest you at all but sound hot and hetero, like ‘car maintenance’ and ‘how to make your own app’. But also bear in mind that when you meet someone that way there is a risk that you’ll have nothing at all in common, especially if you met him in an evening class that doesn’t interest you at all or on some internet site where decisions are based purely on aesthetics. Read more…
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
‘Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but – I hope – into a better shape.’ Read more…
A bit of lateral thinking is required to produce a dough that will be thin enough for a pizza base and yet not fall to bits as it is being handled.
This recipe can be adapted to make pancakes or wraps to be used for filling and eating cold. For a sweet pancake, add some honey or maple syrup. The trick is to get the right sloppy consistency so that the mixture flows out thinly enough in the frying pan.
