Thoughts and words

Broken Families

The monkey candle-holder stands next to a row of books in my sitting-room. The poor monkey has not held a candle for years. On the wall beside the animal is the oil paining still in its ornate gold frame. I wonder if it misses its sibling picture - somewhat smaller... Read more →

Creating in the Garden

In his memoir, "Goodbye to all that," Robert Graves recalled his meeting with Thomas Hardy. Graves Writes: "As we walked around the garden, Hardy paused at a spot near the greenhouse. He had once been pruning a tree here when an idea for a story suddenly entered his head. The... Read more →