Blogs

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0dm3cwv/the-us-and-the-holocaust-series-1-1-the-golden-door-beginnings1938 https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0dm3fnf/the-us-and-the-holocaust-series-1-2-yearning-to-breathe-free-19381942 https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0dm3gdg/the-us-and-the-holocaust-series-1-3-the-homeless-tempesttossed-1942- https://dirkdeklein.net/2022/01/20/the-wannsee-conference-minutes/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/...

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/dreamland In one of Flannery O’Connor’s most famous short stories ‘A Good Man Is Hard To Find,’ the grandmother doesn’t want to go to Florida on vacation. This is the era of the Great Depression in America. She rattles on about this fellow that’s escaped from the State Pen, ‘The Misfit’. She doesn’t want to go anywhere with such a fellow ‘aloose’. Dreamland has Alison Wells (Margot Robbie) aloose with a $10...

Notes on writing We all write for different reasons. I returned to ABCTales in October 2020 after a hiatus of fourteen years. In my case, it was an attempt to process two recent deaths of people close to me. That first story came and went. I felt a bit better for it, self-disclosure not being my strong suit. Then things kinda went from there and as a senior member on here remarked one day, I had the “bug” of posting. 2022 was kind to me. A...

I’ve seen the film, now I’ve read the book. Yeh, I know that’s the wrong order. Books are better. But I got there in the end. That gives me a pivot to spin on and talk about endings being beginnings. When you’re young, you never think you’ll get old. And when you’re old you never think about dying, until you have to. ‘Make death proud to take you.’ I’ve hung that out there. A quote from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar . Noodles is the man for quotes...

It has been awhile since I’ve posted my thoughts here, not for lack of thoughts just lack of time…or fleeing time I should say. Time is constant but not always amenable to my desires. The days are shorter in the midst of January and although my area of the world will not see snow and ice, it is cooler at times and begs at least a sweater if you venture out. For me, winter brings introspective thoughts with the darker, cooler months of the year...

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/bombshell A topical film in the week the moron’s moron and 45 th American President mistakes the woman he’s accused of raping as being his ex-wife. And you can’t rape your wife, right? Here we are in the sleaze pit of Fox News. Donald Trump has put himself forward as a candidate for the Presidency. Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) has primed herself to ask Trump some critical questions about his attitude towards...

The latest release from Cerasus Poetry...

Never easy any Friday to choose, but I'm going to plunge straight in with the picks this time. Story of the Week is newcomer Steve Hoselitz's 'Eavesdropping' . A strong voice and quirky story makes for an excellent read. I'm sure we are all looking forward to reading more from Steve. Speaking of quirkiness, one of the most distinctive voices on ABCTales belongs to Lavadis. His work is always identifiable and his latest poem is as remarkable as...

I often find it easy to say what I don’t like about a book, or film or documentary. But books are my thing. And if I met Ryan O’Connor (which is highly unlikely) I’d shake his hand and tell him his debut novel is fucking great. Dan O’Connor writes about people like us. Chris Leslie (2016) Disappearing Glasgow: A Photographic Journey summed it up. ‘I always presumed the Red Road flats would last forever, but when you see it now in this state you...