Originally published in print September 2022 In a world where opinions are more plentiful than virtually anything else, do we have and share so many of them because we love to have them, or because human nature simply wouldn’t allow … Continue reading The impossibility of impartiality Is it actually possible to be truly impartial on any topic?
Photo by Pierre Bamin on Unsplash In its many shapes and forms it is not usually a struggle to find an argument to link literature to politics, whether a novel’s political intentions are working silently in the background or being explicitly expressed. … Continue reading Are Politics and Literature Inseparable? What is a war novel without war? Read on
●●●●● Art that claims to tackle the big issues facing society is nothing new. However, in the rush to inform and highlight, the true power behind the works can be diminished. It is too often the case that art of … Continue reading Potent Imagery: the 8×8 “Freedom” Exhibition The real power of the exhibition lies in the immediacy of its imagery.
Defying the stereotype that “women’s movie ideas aren’t commercial enough for Hollywood,” Wonder Woman, with a female lead (Gal Gadot) and a female director (Patti Jenkins), may be this summer’s great hit movie, grossing nearly $800 million worldwide as of August … Continue reading The Bechdel(-Wallace) Test “Pretty strict, but a good idea.”
I spoke to award-winning director Tom Ryan ahead of the release of his latest independent film, Twice Shy. The film is about a young couple, Andy and Maggie, and their relationship as they move from Tipperary to Dublin for university. … Continue reading Under Pressure: interview with ‘Twice Shy’ director Tom Ryan
Forget everything else you’ve read about the referendum. This is What we Talk about When we Talk about TV. There are many great TV events for which we can thank Europe. From the Eurovision to the Euros, I have raised … Continue reading What we talk about when we talk about TV: The BBC EU Referendum Results Coverage
The cover art of rapper Vince Staples’ album, Summertime ‘06, is a visual reference to Joy Division’s album, Unknown Pleasures. On his Instagram, Staples explains the resonance of Joy Division’s 1979 album for his own: “Summer of 2006, the beginning … Continue reading Never Played It By The Book – Vince Staples Interview