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AbigailAmpersand's avatar

“this is an irregular feature and I promise not to do it again…”. Well, I thought it was great and the whole post is full of interesting things and I wouldn’t shy away from an irregular feature if I were you.

June Girvin's avatar

What a cornucopia of 'stuff'! The Odyssey,the Rooney, your time in politics, Christian in a year...all a delight. And I love Diarmaid MacCulloch!!

Henry Oliver's avatar

Isn’t he splendid!

June Girvin's avatar

Totally! When I worked at Brookes Uni we would invite him from time to time to give a speech at graduation or to join us at some function or other. He was always a delight and I used to beg to sit next to him at lunch. He once wore his knighthood medal (?) with his academic dress and I was so awestruck by it. He was terribly sweet and and told me all about it...

Henry Oliver's avatar

Ah what a nice man

Naomi Kanakia's avatar

Loved this Naipaul article. I went through an intense Naipaul phase ten years ago, which is when I read Paul Theroux's memoir _Sir Vidia's Shadow_. He was such a wild man. The details in that memoir! And his work had two distinct phases too. The beginning comic, compassionate phase. And then later it became harder, more realistic, brutal. Nice to see memories of him still percolating

Henry Oliver's avatar

Wasn’t it so good? I have not read Theroux but I really want to. I still have some Naipaul to read first. Have you read much of the nonfiction?

Naomi Kanakia's avatar

Very little of the nonfiction. House for Mr Biswas is a justifiable classic.

Henry Oliver's avatar

Also A Bend in the River and In A Free State