stringerquartet

Self, Myself, and I

I had the honour recently of attending a roundtable conference hosted by an ex-PhD student at the Buddahpadipa temple in Wimbledon in recognition of his recent appointment as Abbot. It was a very inspiring event in which monks alongside lay members and visitors to the temple were all asked to reflect on four questions thatContinue reading “Self, Myself, and I”

Reflection on Some Waves of African Scholarship

I have been reading three books recently, all of which have reminded me of something I knew perfectly well, but like so many others, had actually forgotten. Alongside the independence movement across Africa there was a flourishing of confident African writing, both literature and scholarship that began to have a significant impact well beyond AfricaContinue reading “Reflection on Some Waves of African Scholarship”

Shostakovich, Leningrad and Ukraine

I first heard Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony at about the age of twelve, played by the Halle orchestra on one of their seasons of concerts in Sheffield City Hall. I was absolutely bowled over, particularly by the first movement and when visiting Bedales, the public school attended by Princess Margaret’s children, as part of a schoolContinue reading “Shostakovich, Leningrad and Ukraine”

Walking Across London

There is something wonderful about walking through a city. Don’t get me wrong, I love walking, full stop, rural or urban. However, there is something about walking in a city that is unique. There is also something extra special about walking in London, I am not sure what it is, but the intellectual heritage ofContinue reading “Walking Across London”

Community Building for Students

I have been slowly re-establishing links with local universities here in the Midlands over the last few weeks, and catching up with friends and old colleagues. As part of this I have been contacting the chaplaincies at various Universities and have had some very interesting conversations. One of the things that has come through fromContinue reading “Community Building for Students”

Challenging Data and Dominant Discourses in Higher Education

There is a persistent discourse in higher educations, as I am sure there is in many walks of life, that things just ain’t what they used to be. This is in part a nostalgia for a half forgotten ‘golden age’, whenever that might have been. It is also seen in the seemingly ever-present discourse onContinue reading “Challenging Data and Dominant Discourses in Higher Education”

The Future of Queer

Tasmin Spargo wrote a wonderful little book, back in 1999 tracing the relationship between Michel Foucault’s work and what was then current queer theory. It is an excellent analysis, tracing the positive and negative aspects of Foucault’s work on queer theorists writing at the end of the last century. That, however, was over twenty yearsContinue reading “The Future of Queer”

Looking Back to when Religion was Golden

I am currently wading my way through J. G. Frazer’s multi-volume Golden Bough. I always tell my students about the importance of reading the original text, rather than relying on other people’s summaries or even the popular edited versions. So, I am now in the middle of many different examples of May Kings and MayContinue reading “Looking Back to when Religion was Golden”

Robin and Marion: Reworking Medieval Structures.

While travelling back and forth between Kidderminster and Swansea I listened to a great deal of music and a sizeable proportion of that was medieval music. One CD struck a chord with me and got me thinking. It was a performance of Le Jeu de Robin et de Marion by Adam de la Halle. ThisContinue reading “Robin and Marion: Reworking Medieval Structures.”

Backs to the Wall: Learning from Clause 28

There has been a certain amount of discussion in the higher education press recently about legislation passing through several States across the Atlantic that aims to curtail the teaching of critical race theory or particular approaches to trans-gender issues. The response, at least from those on the left, the so-called ‘woke’ community, is, understandably oneContinue reading “Backs to the Wall: Learning from Clause 28”