Freelance writer and radio presenter
On a perfect day in Provence, I leaned against a wall and sketched a view of Le Thoronet. I loved this place because of its mathematical precision. As I sketched, I noticed that the tower is an isosceles triangle on top of a square. The windows are semicircles on top of rectangles. Some of the […]
Le Thoronet Abbey, Var, Provence, 83340 France
Born on March 6, 1806, Elizabeth Barrett Browning expanded the emotional and intellectual range of Victorian English poetry. Through works like Sonnets from the Portuguese and Aurora Leigh, she blended lyric passion with philosophical reflection, proving poetry could explore love, identity, and social justice with remarkable depth and rhetorical elegance.
Birth of Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–1861) — A Transformative Voice in Victorian Poetry
Well I am amazed always of the many wonderful monuments in my eternal Paris. I have to say better and more than anywhere else, one reason is call the most beautiful city in the world, and I agree. Here we have a wonderful building call the Petit Palais a wonderful expression of architecture and history. Glad to find me […]
The Petit Palais of Paris, part II !!!
The Beauty of Softness: Finding Peace in Paul Verlaine’s “Green” Green Paul Verlaine See, blossoms, branches, fruit, leaves I have brought, And then my heart that for you only sighs;With those white hands of yours, oh, tear it not, But let the poor gift prosper in your eyes. The dew upon my hair is still […]
Green ~ A Poem by Paul Verlaine
First published in 1963, The Barracks was John McGahern’s debut novel, written when he was in his late twenties. Now considered one of Ireland’s greatest authors, McGahern wrote about a world he knew very well, with The Barracks drawing on various experiences from his own childhood – particularly the early death of his mother, Susan, […]
The Barracks by John McGahern
At the conclusion of the recent three‑part Channel 4 documentary ‘The Tony Blair Story’, its subject stares into the camera for several awkward seconds before delivering a peculiar afterthought: “Also… very important to understand about me: I’m not into psychoanalysis. Right? I think there’s far too much of it, I think people spend far too […]
Tony Blair and the Subject of Psychoanalysis
Here’s another post from The Paris Corespondent, Shirley Riley. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I do. Take it away Shirley! While there is no question Paris is an incredibly special place, the quality of being special is not the context to this commentary. My focus is on the interesting, creative, and sometimes confounding use of space […]
Paris is a ‘Spatial’ Place….
Born on March 1, 1913, Ralph Ellison reshaped the American novel through symbolic layering, jazz-inflected rhythm, and philosophical depth. In Invisible Man, he fused political urgency with introspective narration, expanding the language of identity and redefining who could stand at the center of American literary expression.
Birth of Ralph Ellison (1913–1994) – The Voice That Made America Confront Its Invisible Self
Classic satire by Ismail Kadare
Book Review: The Successor by Ismail Kadare (Albania)
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