Q Combinations 11: Christmas darkness and light with de la Tour and Levertov
Wishing all Q readers a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS! In celebration of this astonishing commonplace, here is a combination that evokes the shocking naturalism of the Incarnation. Georges de la Tour was a brilliant painter of chiaroscuro (literally Italian for light-dark) in seventeenth century France, often using candlelight to illuminate his subjects. He was very influenced by […]
Inconvenienced and Uninformed… but it’s not the same
Regular air travel increases the likelihood of delays, missed connections and disrupted plans. Especially in winter. I’m writing this in Skopje, Macedonia (my 4th visit) – and I love returning because of the chance to revisit great friends. But the weather can be decidedly uncooperative. This time last year, I was trapped for three extra […]
Q Combinations 10: mystical restoration through Hafiz and Redon
I’ve loved Odilon Redon for a while… but at a distance. I know very little about him, and know only a little bit of his work. So I’ve very little to say about it, other than to mention my almost visceral attraction to they way he can convey the inner workings of his mind. So […]
The cost of a revolutionary vision
I had a remarkable week last week. It was my 12th trip to Turkey in 8 years, but in many ways saw the culmination of so many things that a number of us had been working towards. A 3 day residential conference on the south Turkey coast, with friends drawn from all 4 corners of […]
Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 87 (December 2015)
Sacred Treasure Archbishop Cranmer gets apocalyptic about the Investigatory Powers Act The Transformation of David Brooks: a fascinating article about one of America’s most important writers today as he grapples with the concept of sin All of Lloyd-Jones’ sermons are now available for free download Antony Billington quotes Michael Gorman’s remarkable ONE SENTENCE summary of […]
Scatter to the winds: Some Wilderness Quotes
I’m wondering about writing a post or two about the sheer oddness off being an author. In particular about how one pours oneself into the construction of paragraphs, arguments and theses, only to find that one’s work has only just begun on publication. But no one really prepares you for that! But that’s for another day. […]
One field, rather a lot of trees and a post-arable parable
From the Q Archive (originally posted in October 2012) 20 years ago my parents bought a south-facing wheat-field off a local farmer. As an investment. It’s about 10 acres in beautiful rural Norfolk (see the photo at the bottom of the page). So how would you invest? A nice tidy property deal, perhaps. Just think of […]
Q Combinations 9: Mark Rothko and Emily Dickinson cling to hope
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) and Mark Rothko (1903-1970) might not seem natural subjects for a Q combination. She was an American poet who rarely, if ever, left her hometown in Massachussets or even her bedroom. Yet she managed to convey real depth through an effortless lightness. He was from a Jewish family from Russia, which emigrated […]
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The Unforgiveness of The Surveillance State
It’s big news these days – after all, it was only yesterday that MI5 was revealed to have been storing phone data for the last 10 years. The impact of the surveillance state is barely understood by most of us – but some had the genius and foresight to be way ahead of the game. […]
Q marks the spot – Treasure Map 86 (Nov 2015)
Sacred Treasure David & Heather Jackman are old friends – and they’ve just contributed this essay on marriage to the Cambridge Papers There is something wonderfully redemptive about this – bride’s father grabs stepfather to walk down the aisle too… Simon Parke has a lovely short piece to inspire writing See what happens when an ISIS […]
Q Combinations 8: Robert Frost & David Hockney at the Road’s Fork
Frost’s reflection on a wander in his deeply-loved New England has become one of the most loved poems of the twentieth century. It’s not hard to see why. A totally straightforward decision about which path to take has such resonance. Probably for everyone. We relate to Frost’s hesitation, as he tries to see as far […]
