paratext

Pointless data

June 06, 2025 in Audio, Creative Writing, Oulipo, Short form

An article I wrote for a client is characterised by 24 pieces of data. More correctly: metadata. So what?

Data

June 06, 2020 in Audio, Creative Writing, Oulipo, Short form

The most recent article I wrote for a client is characterised by 24 pieces of data. More correctly: metadata.

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Bookshelf, Quick looks

Quick look: The Penguin Book of Polish Short Stories

Bookshelf, Quick looks

The stand-out aspect of this collection for me is the way it has been organised into categories, a brave choice I think.

Bookshelf, Quick looks

Quick looks, Bookshelf

Quick look: The Penguin Book of Bengali Short Stories

Quick looks, Bookshelf

These stories really provide a short glimpse into a culture of which I am almost completely ignorant.

Quick looks, Bookshelf

Bookshelf, Reviews

Review: Bookish words and their surprising stories

Bookshelf, Reviews

If, like me, you enjoy reading around a subject, and probing a little deeper than strictly necessary, and you are an avid reader or a determined writer, Bookish Words should appeal to you.

Bookshelf, Reviews

Compare and contrast #4

Bookshelf, Reviews

In this article, I republish a review of mine that was first published in Teach Secondary magazine. Next, there follows the article I actually sent in. The differences are only minor, but I thought you might find it interesting to examine the differences, and consider what difference they make, if any, to your experience and understanding of the review.

Bookshelf, Reviews

Bookshelf

Compare and contrast #3

Bookshelf

Bookshelf, Reviews

Compare and contrast #2

Bookshelf, Reviews

Taking the reader from the Middle Ages to more or less the present day, Gray shows how the kind of places we do our shopping in, and what we buy, have changed over the centuries.

Bookshelf, Reviews

Compare and contrast reviews #1

Bookshelf, Reviews

Review: The Bright Side: Why Optimists Have the Power to Change the World

Bookshelf, Reviews

I wrote this review wearing my school teacher hat. However, it struck me that optimism is something all writers need a great deal of!

Bookshelf, Reviews

Review: Small Habits Create Big Change

Bookshelf, Reviews

I wrote the review wearing my school teacher hat. However, it struck me that the “small habits” approach to writing is something useful to consider.

Bookshelf, Reviews

Should writing tutors embrace "produictive failure"?

Bookshelf, Reviews

My review of this for Teach Secondary magazine has just come out. Here is the published version, followed by the copy I submitted, which is slightly longer because it has a little more detail. I wrote the review wearing my school teacher hat. However, it struck me that the “productive failure” approach to teaching is something I’ve done, to some extent, in my creative writing classes.

Bookshelf, Reviews