Tag Archives: books

Two novels with jazz

Posted on August 5, 2016 by John S

I’ve read two novels this holiday in which jazz plays a part. Sometimes subversive, always arousing emotions, inspiring the writer. When I wrote about jazz in my book, “I Was There – A Musical Journey”, I described a music that … Continue reading →

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“The Chimes” by Anna Smaill

Posted on April 11, 2016 by John S

  I’ve just finished reading a rather intriguing and gripping novel called “The Chimes” by Anna Smaill, a New Zealand author. It was long listed for last year’s Booker prize, but I only came across it when I googled “dystopian … Continue reading →

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From Bethnal Green to Elephant and Castle: the language of place, the roots of English music and its twisted offspring

Posted on March 10, 2016 by John S

Two rather different evenings yesterday and today. Last night I was at St John’s Church in Bethnal Green to hear three talks on the Language of Place and some folk music from the Memory Band; tonight it was the irrepressible … Continue reading →

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I Was There is here!

Posted on February 27, 2016 by John S

Eight years in the making, my music book, “I Was There – A Musical Journey”, finally emerges from the printers! This edition isn’t for sale, but I’m working on a version that will be ready for selling soon. So watch … Continue reading →

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Unfaithful Music and Disappearing Ink, by Elvis Costello

Posted on February 14, 2016 by John S

I’ve just finished reading Elvis Costello’s autobiography, “Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink”. The book got mixed reviews when it came out. Good in parts, seemed to be a theme. Some critics objected to the length, the detail, the supposed name-dropping. … Continue reading →

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Peter Ackroyd’s History of England

Posted on March 29, 2015 by John S

I’ve recently finished reading the first two volumes of Peter Ackroyd’s history of England. Ackroyd, if you don’t know him, is an acclaimed novelist as well as a respected historian and biographer. His best known novel is probably “Hawksmoor”; his … Continue reading →

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“I Was There” – my musical journey

Posted on January 18, 2015 by John S

  A big thing happened for me today. I finished the first draft of my music book, working title “I Was There – A Musical Journey”. The title reflects how I’ve always been there in spirit if not reality and … Continue reading →

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Morrissey – the Autobiography

Posted on May 15, 2014 by John S

I’ve just finished reading Morrissey’s “Autobigraphy”.  And an excellent read it is too. It’s written in a discursive, sometimes quite poetic style. There are no chapters – just a long narrative, which is mostly chronological. There is a lot of … Continue reading →

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A great read: “The Sleepwalkers” by Christopher Clark

Posted on April 6, 2014 by John S

In this year, 2014, the one hundredth anniversary of the start of the First World War, we are not short of commemorative books and films, with much more to come, I’m sure. The BBC had a brilliant three part drama, … Continue reading →

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On reading “Bleak House” and “David Copperfield” by Charles Dickens

Posted on October 3, 2013 by John S

This summer just past, inspired by reading Clare Tomalins’s biography of Charles Dickens, “A Life”, I’ve read two of his magnum opuses, both around a thousand pages long. “Bleak House” and “David Copperfield”. Both were truly magnificent. The kind of … Continue reading →

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