SAGE ADVICE: ‘We grow old because we stop playing’ — George Bernard Shaw
HENRY BELL is fascinated by the underlying curiosities and contradictions of one of the great poets of the Mediterranean
DAVID RENTON recommends a books that explores the ways in which disabled people are made to feel both of and not part of this world
JONATHAN TAYLOR is fascinated by the philosophical problems that permeate the art of life-writing
GORDON PARSONS steps warily in between the lines of Britain’s most famous diarist
SIMON DUFF recommends a recording of Arvo Part that takes the listener on a pilgrimage through seemingly distant times and events of the Bible
THE INTERTROPICAL Convergence Zone is known by sailors as the doldrums or the calms because of its monotonous, windless weather.
It’s a bit like that in week 10 of lockdown — or lockjaw, as there are less people to talk to. I’m not part of the gradual, ambiguous, sort of vague easing as I’m a member of the Oldish and I choose not to be out and about just yet. But then I’m on pensions so it’s a luxury choice.
I can only imagine the agonies people are going through whose livelihood depends on paid work. The platitudes about education coming from government are tired and predictable: “Children need to learn … missing out … ” etc. does not take into account that they or their teacher might get Covid and die.
JAN WOOLF examines work that aims to give viewers a material experience of the environments in the polar north and Britain equally affected by the climate crisis
JAN WOOLF is beguiled by the tempting notion that Freud psychoanalysed Hitler in a comedy that explores the vulnerability of a damaged individual
