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Tuesday Thoughts: 1

john baker — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:59:09 +0000

There will be, in the next generation or so, a pharmacological method of making people love their servitude, and producing dictatorship without tears, so to speak, producing a kind of painless concentration camp for entire societies, so that people will in fact have their liberties taken away from them, but will rather enjoy it, because they will be distracted from any desire to rebel by propaganda or brainwashing, or brainwashing enhanced by pharmacological methods. And this seems to be the final revolution.
Aldous Huxley to George Orwell in a letter of 21 October 1949.

The Joy of Books: a lovely short film.

Conservatism: “mental gestures which seek to resemble ideas.” Lionel Trilling.

“What would one do without women? Explore other channels.” Samuel Beckett.

White, contemptuous, millionaires looking to be president of the USA.

In 1958 John Steinbeck had some words of advice for his teenage son, Thom, who believed he had fallen in love.

St Francis of Assisi was the guy who first pointed out that when you own something, it owns you.

Butterfly of Hope

john baker — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 17:10:52 +0000

I’ve sent my butterfly in solidarity with girls and women in #Nicaragua. Have you? http://bit.ly/butterfly50 #mariposa #demanddignity #fb

Writer’s Notebook

john baker — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 11:01:24 +0000

Before Blogger’s Block kicked in, way back when I was a regular contributor to this blog, I wrote an occasional column with extracts from my notebook.

Here’s a couple of entries from the day before yesterday.

At the gym, the guy sitting next to me beside the pool stared for a good while at my toenails before catching my eye and asking:

‘Are you transgendered?’

I told him no, and that it was just nail varnish.

Later, in a thrift shop I overheard the assistant at the till ask a customer if she wanted a bag.

‘No,’ I’ve brought my own,’ the customer replied. ‘We have to stop this environment.’

Spare Ribs

john baker — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:45:45 +0000

At the pool today, Julius, 8 foot tall anorexic Tanzanazian with eagle-eyes asks me why I have one toe with gold nail varnish. I don’t have an answer that comes anywhere near satisfying him.

Later in the sauna, Azra, the Egyptian goddess, talks incessantly about herself, how she and her world interact, how the universe hangs on her every breath. I ask her about the wearing of the niqab and she tells me it should only be worn by a beautiful woman to stop men fighting over her and an ugly woman to hide her face. I nod until my head comes loose, topples, bounces once on the slatted bench and rolls over the glistening tiles of the floor, but she doesn’t notice.

And in the entrance to the steam room, Chen Ming, the diminutive Chinese chef from Acomb, has a long story about the poisonous ribs prepared by his chief rival. ‘You can write it in your book,’ he tells me unnecessarily.

Long after they’ve left, rejoined their various streams of life, I’m still reading the Life and Times of Michael K by the poolside. Can’t seem to drag myself away.

Winged with Death Virtual Tour – 17

john baker — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:43:19 +0000

Today I’m in the Palermo neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina, at Donigan Merritt’s blog, Random Literary Blogging.
Donigan has been reading Winged with Death, my latest novel, for the last week or so. Winged with Death is partially set in Montevideo, on the other side of the River Plate.
As well as his blog, Donigan Merritt is a novelist. Born in Arkansas in 1945, Merritt has lived in Africa and Europe since 1991, most recently in Washington, DC. He has BA and MA degrees in Philosophy, and an MFA degree from the Iowa Writers Workshop.
He has some thoughts about Winged with Death, which he is ready to air on his blog.
Why not come over to Donigan Merritt’s Blog today and see what’s happening?

Winged with Death Virtual Tour – 16

john baker — Wed, 13 May 2009 06:55:31 +0000

Today I’m in Berkeley, California, at Lily Hamrick’s blog, Bloglily.
Lily has been reading Winged with Death, my latest novel, for the last week or so.
As well as her blog, Lily Hamrick is a reader, a fiction writer, and a lawyer. She works in San Francisco and has three young sons. Her first novel, The Secret War, was a finalist for the 2008 Fabri Literary Prize and the 2008 James Jones First Novel Fellowship. She also writes short fiction. Lily Hamrick has a B.A. in English from Yale and an M.A. in English from UC Berkeley.
She has some thoughts about Winged with Death, which she is ready to air on her blog.
Why not come over to Bloglily today and see what’s happening?

Winged with Death Virtual Tour – 15

john baker — Sun, 10 May 2009 23:11:40 +0000

Today I’m in Frome, Somerset, at Crysse Morrison’s blog, A Writer’s Life.
Crysse Morrison has been reading Winged with Death, my latest novel, for the last week or so.
As well as her blog, Crysse Morrison is a novelist and writer. She runs workshops and courses for writers. She enjoys reading and dancing.
She has some thoughts about the tour for Winged with Death, which she is ready to air on her blog.
Why not come over to A Writer’s Life today and see what’s happening?

Winged with Death Virtual Tour – 14

john baker — Sat, 09 May 2009 10:44:00 +0000

Today I’m in Swansea, Wales, at Daisy-Winifred’s blog, Asynchronous Process.
Daisy-Winifred has been reading Winged with Death, my latest novel, for the last few weeks.
As well as her blog, Daisy-Winifred is a woman of the 21st century, a gardener, a writer and an artist craftswoman creating objects for both decoration and use.
She has some thoughts about Winged with Death, which will, I am sure, be as original and thoughtful as the rest of her posts.
Why not come over to Asynchronous Process today and see what’s happening?