Category Archives for Belles-Lettres
Golden Summer 1963
Tweet published in Wisden Cricket Monthly December 2021 My Golden Summer? A tough assignment for a player in the twilight of a cricket career which never really had a dawn. But I will name the English summer of 1963. There … Continue reading
Mortimer’s Christmas
Tweet Santa’s deliveries will be hit this year by a shortage of reindeer. Four have left him for better positions in the haulage industry. ‘Twas the night before Christmas and in the big house The last creature stirring was Mortimer … Continue reading
The Light Fantastics
Tweet An animation project turned here into an illustrated story for people of 7+ Meet the Light Fantastics. This is Lady in Red. This is Green Go-to Guy. They live in two little spaces in a traffic light in the … Continue reading
Paradise In The Post
Tweet Published in Good Housekeeping ca 1984 I live in Bonar Law Mansions: the street is called Nash Terrace and that’s a false trade description if ever there was. Nash Terrace runs off Coldview Lane and so do I if … Continue reading
Meet Mortimer Mouse
Tweet Mortimer Mouse comes from a distinguished family of literary rodents which includes Terence Ratagain and Mousehole Proust. He lives in South-East London with Richard Heller, the distinguished man of letters, and kafkaa, the poetic cockroach, cousin of the famous … Continue reading
A Plea For All Unknown Successors Of P G Wodehouse
Tweet Letter to Four Communications, organizers of the Bollinger Everyman PG Wodehouse Award Thank you for informing me that this year’s P G Wodehouse Prize for comic fiction is not open to self-published books. This letter is a plea for … Continue reading
seasons greetings from kafkaa the poetic cockroach cousin to the famous archy
Tweet twas the night before christmas and in the big house the last creature stirring was mortimer mouse devising some uplifting sentiments new to fill up his masterpiece keep squeaking through the book that will soon be the talk of … Continue reading
Poor Swift (from my lockdown diary for 28 May)
Tweet In my distant schooldays I read Jonathan Swift for English A Level. I read him again intermittently for pleasure and possible literary larceny, since he is of course out of copyright. Then and now, I would sometimes have to … Continue reading
For Your Listening Pleasure
Tweet Two coronaballads… A Viral Romance A fine romance with no clinches A fine romance at 78.7 inches We should be making each other feel desirous But we’ve been kept apart by this blasted virus. A fine romance, with no … Continue reading
A Murder Of Note
Tweet The best screenplay what I have written this week. Available to investors as a fun way to make a tax loss. Xander (have always liked names beginning with X) is a handsome young pianist of extraordinary talent. He is … Continue reading
