Russell Hoban – K. A. Laity

Review: NT Live – Coriolanus

Thanks to mega-Hiddles fan Jay I got to see the NT Live production of Coriolanus with Tom Hiddleston and a very fine cast broadcast from the Donmar Warehouse all the way to Glasgow, which gave me an excuse to visit that fine city again. My visit included a stop by the Glasgow Women’s Library in…

SA4QE 2013

It is Russell Hoban‘s birthday again, even if he’s not in this world to share it. We celebrate on his behalf by sharing his words in a project known as the Slickman A4 Quotation Event, in which fans of the writer copy out quotations on yellow A4 paper (or whatever is to hand) and leaving…

Six Sentence Sunday: Horse Clock

This story was inspired by — wait for it — the clock on my mantelpiece and the Sekhmet postcard my friend Joey gave me. It started as a caption for the picture on my Facebook page. I liked the blue tone which resulted from the wrong setting on the phone (“fluorescent”? maybe). My friend Richard…

Friday’s Forgotten Books: Angelica Lost and Found

When Russell Hoban died, I was among those who went first to Riddley Walker in mourning his passing. Somewhat neglected in the encomia was his latest book at the time, Angelica Lost and Found (though now Soonchild is out, too). Angelica finds its inspiration from Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso and from a painting of a key…

SA4QE Tenth Anniversary

“Everything is real, Angelica. Reality is a house of many rooms, and sometimes we can enter more than one.” Angelica Lost and Found RIP Russell Conwell Hoban 4 February 1925 – 13 December 2011 SA4QE: spreading the words The Kraken: sharing the dreams UPDATE: in situ, James Hardiman Library, NUIG (nestled next to Chandler; no…

Friday’s Forgotten Books: Riddley Walker

Russell Hoban was a singular writer; when asked what kind of a writing I do, I have generally offered up Hoban as the “genre” in which I write. Sadly, his name didn’t always resonate with people — and that includes NY Times obit writers; though most memorials mentioned Riddley Walker, too many seemed to be…

Goodbye, Russ

Sad news today that Russell Hoban has died. The author of Riddley Walker and so many other wonderful books has left this world without me ever having the chance to say how much I loved his books and how much I learned from them and from him. He taught me to trust being “friends with…

London with Four Essex Lads, Alan Moore, and Ruth

Because no one would want to travel ruthlessly, surely: I zipped off to London this weekend because I could. Is there any better reason? Well, I suppose fun and a couple of Alan Moore performances were also a good reason. I got in rather late, so Friday also got a late start but my pal…