The April/May issue of The London Magazine features:
Poems by Andrew Barrow, Beverley Bie Brahic, David Cooke, Carrie Etter, Janice Fixter, Robert Hamberger, Christopher Sparkes and Jonathan Taylor.
Short stories by Allan Massie and Helen Simpson and an excerpt from Trilby Kent’s latest novel, Smoke Portrait.
‘Assaying Essaying Saying: Montaigne’s Poetics of Identity’: Peter Abbs continues his survey of modern man’s path to self-awareness with an assessment of Michel de Montaigne’s contribution, which includes observations as diverse as the importance of nonchalance and the ability to hold in pee.
‘Rediscovering Thackeray’: John Aplin exposes the fraught personal life of the Vanity Fair novelist on his bicentenary.
‘The Arrival of Gastronomy’: Frank Armstrong shows us Europeans how we learned the fine art of indulgence.
‘W. H. Auden and “September 1 1939”’: Norman Buller analyses the poem Auden wished he had never written.
‘Lionel Trilling’s Mad Students’: Jeffrey Meyers considers how to handle the troublesome ones – Ginsberg included.
‘Nigel Hankin and Hanklyn-Janklin’: David Spiller remembers a precious eccentric from the days of British India.
‘John Soane, and the Light of his Life’: Simon Tait rejoices in the magnificence of the newly-refurbished museum.
‘State of the Arts’: Chief Executive of the RSA, Matthew Taylor, looks at the role of the arts in the ‘big society’.
‘The Power of Literary Criticism’: Stephen Vizinczey, author of In Praise of Older Women, reminds us of the perils of being told what to read.
‘Bigotry Against Faith’: Baroness Warsi, Chairman of the Conservative Party, speaks about the need for respect and understanding on questions of faith.
Poetry
Andrew Barrow, Hot Air
Beverley Bie Brahic, Conkers (Forêt de Saint Germain en Laye)
David Cooke, Fenians
Carrie Etter, The Return
Janice Fixter, Fleming Ward
Robert Hamberger, Serenade
Christopher Sparkes, Martin Luther Reads ‘The Pardoner’s Tale’
Jonathan Taylor, Josiah Wedgwood (1730-95)
Fiction
Allan Massie, ‘Out of the Dark’
Helen Simpson, ‘Squirrel’
and an excerpt from Trilby Kent’s new novel Smoke Portrait
Features
Peter Abbs: 'Assaying Essaying Saying: Montaigne’s Poetics of Identity'
John Aplin: 'Rediscovering Thackeray'
Frank Armstrong: 'The Arrival of Gastronomy'
Norman Buller: 'W. H. Auden and ‘September 1 1939’'
Jeffrey Meyers: 'Lionel Trilling’s Mad Students'
David Spiller: 'Nigel Hankin and Hanklyn-Janklin'
Simon Tait: 'John Soane, and the Light of his Life'
Matthew Taylor: 'State of the Arts'
Stephen Vizinczey: 'The Power of Literary Criticism'
Sayeeda Warsi: 'Bigotry Against Faith'
Reviews
Peter Carpenter: No Hooting or Fuss (Bernard Spencer’s ‘Complete Poetry’)
Sean Elliott: At Your Own Perils: Shakespeare and Sir Thomas More (‘Sir Thomas More’ from Arden Shakespeare)
Terry Kelly: Long Day’s Journey into Night (David Harsent’s ‘Night’)
Eleanor Kilroy: 'Barbarous Goings On' in 1930s Portugal (Antonio Tabucchi’s ‘Pereira Maintains’)
Erik Martiny: Singing the Body Electra (Sharon Olds’ ‘One Secret Thing’)
Poems by Andrew Barrow, Beverley Bie Brahic, David Cooke, Carrie Etter, Janice Fixter, Robert Hamberger, Christopher Sparkes and Jonathan Taylor.
Short stories by Allan Massie and Helen Simpson and an excerpt from Trilby Kent’s latest novel, Smoke Portrait.
‘Assaying Essaying Saying: Montaigne’s Poetics of Identity’: Peter Abbs continues his survey of modern man’s path to self-awareness with an assessment of Michel de Montaigne’s contribution, which includes observations as diverse as the importance of nonchalance and the ability to hold in pee.
‘Rediscovering Thackeray’: John Aplin exposes the fraught personal life of the Vanity Fair novelist on his bicentenary.
‘The Arrival of Gastronomy’: Frank Armstrong shows us Europeans how we learned the fine art of indulgence.
‘W. H. Auden and “September 1 1939”’: Norman Buller analyses the poem Auden wished he had never written.
‘Lionel Trilling’s Mad Students’: Jeffrey Meyers considers how to handle the troublesome ones – Ginsberg included.
‘Nigel Hankin and Hanklyn-Janklin’: David Spiller remembers a precious eccentric from the days of British India.
‘John Soane, and the Light of his Life’: Simon Tait rejoices in the magnificence of the newly-refurbished museum.
‘State of the Arts’: Chief Executive of the RSA, Matthew Taylor, looks at the role of the arts in the ‘big society’.
‘The Power of Literary Criticism’: Stephen Vizinczey, author of In Praise of Older Women, reminds us of the perils of being told what to read.
‘Bigotry Against Faith’: Baroness Warsi, Chairman of the Conservative Party, speaks about the need for respect and understanding on questions of faith.
Poetry
Andrew Barrow, Hot Air
Beverley Bie Brahic, Conkers (Forêt de Saint Germain en Laye)
David Cooke, Fenians
Carrie Etter, The Return
Janice Fixter, Fleming Ward
Robert Hamberger, Serenade
Christopher Sparkes, Martin Luther Reads ‘The Pardoner’s Tale’
Jonathan Taylor, Josiah Wedgwood (1730-95)
Fiction
Allan Massie, ‘Out of the Dark’
Helen Simpson, ‘Squirrel’
and an excerpt from Trilby Kent’s new novel Smoke Portrait
Features
Peter Abbs: 'Assaying Essaying Saying: Montaigne’s Poetics of Identity'
John Aplin: 'Rediscovering Thackeray'
Frank Armstrong: 'The Arrival of Gastronomy'
Norman Buller: 'W. H. Auden and ‘September 1 1939’'
Jeffrey Meyers: 'Lionel Trilling’s Mad Students'
David Spiller: 'Nigel Hankin and Hanklyn-Janklin'
Simon Tait: 'John Soane, and the Light of his Life'
Matthew Taylor: 'State of the Arts'
Stephen Vizinczey: 'The Power of Literary Criticism'
Sayeeda Warsi: 'Bigotry Against Faith'
Reviews
Peter Carpenter: No Hooting or Fuss (Bernard Spencer’s ‘Complete Poetry’)
Sean Elliott: At Your Own Perils: Shakespeare and Sir Thomas More (‘Sir Thomas More’ from Arden Shakespeare)
Terry Kelly: Long Day’s Journey into Night (David Harsent’s ‘Night’)
Eleanor Kilroy: 'Barbarous Goings On' in 1930s Portugal (Antonio Tabucchi’s ‘Pereira Maintains’)
Erik Martiny: Singing the Body Electra (Sharon Olds’ ‘One Secret Thing’)