Freedom From The Mundane

Image: RichardWalter

The rain is back. Summer is over. I knew it was raining heavily because Lothian Buses were running late yesterday morning; the two often go hand in hand. I could feel the waves of precipitation soaking through my jacket, running down my head and under my shirt while I was waiting for the bus [...]

September 8th, 2010 | Tags: Anthology, audio, Autumn, cancer charity, chapbook, Edinburgh Book Festival, Editing, Fiction, GDR's, hardware, Papal visit, podcasting, Poetry, Priests, Publishing and Marketing, rain, sexual abuse, software, summer, the Pope, The Queen, Weather, Writing | Category: Day Job, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Editorial Comment, Fiction, I.T., Interviews, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (2)

Image: TampaBay

While perusing the pages of the electronic version of The Guardian yesterday lunchtime, I was delighted to discover that this very blog was highlighted for its Edinburgh Book Festival coverage in their Edinburgh Today supplement. This isn’t the first time The Guardian has surprised me like this and it’s great to see our [...]

September 3rd, 2010 | Tags: Alan Spence, Anthology, Apple, Autumn, book fair, commissionn, Edinburgh Book Festival, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Edwin Morgan, Fiction, GDR's, gig review, iPhone, Leith, Limp Bizkit, Macmillan Cancer Support, magazine, Music, newspaper, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, Ranfurly Review, short story, summer, The Guardian, Walking, weater, websites | Category: Books, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Fiction, Freelance, Internet, Leith, Music, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, Reading, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (4)

Image: Forward Press

A bath of ice. That’s what I need to cool my skin and return to a more normal temperature. I’m not really enjoying this week’s “great weather” because I can’t find a balance with clothes.
It’s not sunny but icky and sticky and sweaty (I’ve used that phrase before but I like it). The [...]

June 30th, 2010 | Tags: Anthology, clothes, Day Job, Edinburgh Book Festival, Fabio Cappello, Fiction, Forward Press, hot, iPod, iTunes, performance, poems, Poetry, Poetry Rivals competition, poetry slam, sweaty, Tommy Cooper, UNESCO, Weather | Category: Day Job, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Editorial Comment, Fiction, Music, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (1)

Image: Franklin Regional Middle School

The advent of yet more school holidays has seen me working my day job mornings from home this week. Honestly, the amount of holidays kids in Edinburgh get leads me to conclude why a large percentage of Edinburgh University’s intake comes from outside the city. There seems to be more of [...]

May 19th, 2010 | Tags: acceptances, Anthology, Books, Day Job, e-zines, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, education, lit-zines, magazines, novels, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, publishing cycle, Ranfurly Review, Reading, rejections, school holidays, Scruffy Dog Review, Submissions, Val McDermid | Category: Books, Day Job, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Editorial Comment, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, Reading, Writing | Leave a comment

Image: Me

I’ve been gone a few days. If you were following me on Twitter you’ll already know I was on a wee trip to Amsterdam with the lads, soaking up all the bevy and sunshine we could permit ourselves the luxury of enjoying.
It was a great few days but as is always the case [...]

May 18th, 2010 | Tags: Amsterdam, Anthology, bevy, Gus MacPherson, lads weekend, poem, publication, St Mirren | Category: Editorial Comment, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, Politics, Travel, Writing | Comments (1)