Failure

I have been thinking a lot about failure recently because life seems full of it. I have had a disastrous start to the calendar year, bowing out of a couple things I quite wanted to do and losing all the work from three projects I was hoping to finish for February 1st. I didn’t realise…

#FolkloreThursday Review: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT (2021) Reppion & Penman No, I haven’t got around to the film. The blu-ray sits on a pile back in NY whilst I am idling in Michigan. So I was gratified to get an advance copy of the new comics version of this terrific medieval story AKA the only…

51%: Witches

No, I’m not claiming 51% of the population is witches — would that it were! — rather I am one of the folks interviewed on the timely edition of this venerable radio program 51%. Host Jesse King interviewed me along with Pam Grossman (readers of this blog will be well familiar with the host of…

Radio Radio

My half of the Xmas split single on French radio!

Is It Funny? Episode 12: Rauf Coilyear

It’s Yuletide so I’m getting medieval on you! Yes, it’s the medieval Scots tale of the coal-maker who meets King Charlemagne and despite making some questionable choices due to his testy temper, things turn out pretty well. Bonus of me reading the opening lines in genuine medieval Scots (no comment on the veracity of my…

Magic on the BBC

Tune in next Tuesday to hear me on Matthew Sweet’s ‘Free Thinking’ programme along with Jessica Gossling, John Tresch and Chris Gosden. Matthew had seen me speak at the Magickal Women conference and invited me along for the free-ranging chat. You will be able to listen to it live or on catch up, because unlike BBC…

From Dundee to Prague

I should have been in Scotland weeks ago. I miss my family, I miss Dundee, I miss livable weather, too. I miss idling in the Howff and dropping by my favourite paintings in the McManus or standing on the little observation deck in the V&A watching the Tay flow past. I miss all of us…

#NationalUnicornDay Medieval Style

In Scotland it is National Unicorn Day, the day they celebrate the national beast. With the lockdown and everyone staying indoors, they have become plentiful again, so I hear. Thus from medieval Scots history I offer you a tale told by a unicorn (on good authority!) from The Talis of Fyve Bestes (beasts that is,…

Live Tweet Transcript: Sword of the Valiant

Inspired by the forthcoming A24 film of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight which actually looks fantastic, Carol and Angela, renowned of the Cultural Gutter (and other famous deeds of valour) and me had a cracking good time live tweeting a viewing of the incredibly terrible Sword of the Valiant, much of which I had forgotten since…