In an occasional series Daniel Kalder examines the literary endeavours of the world's dictators. This week we look back at Enver Hoxha and his turgid, book-length love letter to another old monster. Even by the standards of psychotic 20th-century communist dictators, Albania's Enver Hoxha (1908-1985) stands out as exceptional. Born in ... Read More...
Month: April 2011
The BBC’s adaptation of D H Lawrence’s Women in Love looked lovely (viewable on the iPlayer). There was a lot of white, from the white horses at the beginning to the sheets hanging in the garden, the tiles in the kitchen and the women‘s blouses and petticoats. There were muted soft ... Read More...
For today's Sunday of Sloth we look at art and artists somewhat out of context: an iconic picture, re-examined by technological advance: glam-rockers doing a music-hall knees-up: Velvet Undergrounders scaling it back to a jaunty duet; a chilly Schubert song 'expanded', but retaining a stark beauty. In March of next year ... Read More...
If you happen to be visiting Paris, there’s a hidden gem of a museum that’s well worth a visit - whether or not you’re an animal lover. With the current fascination for taxidermy, cabinets of curiosity, natural history and animals in art, fashion and interiors, Musee de la Chasse et ... Read More...
No, really. ...And Berlusconi trial celebs... Go here for more cartoon brilliance from recently-relaunched internet legend The Spine. ... Read More...
Back in January, our Irreverent Covers music post garnered an enthusiastic response, particularly for Brazilian musician/actor Seu Jorge’s Portuguese-language cover of David Bowie’s Changes. Jorge’s Bowie songs thread through the soundtrack of the movie The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and here, for your delectation, are a few more. Enjoy! Life on Mars: Lady ... Read More...
Tim Birkhead’s splendid post on The Wisdom Of Birds reminded me that all too often we overlook the equally fascinating topic of ornithological ignorance. Fortunately, I have to hand a document that came into my possession when I was fossicking about in an old bin near the pollarded willows by ... Read More...
