Richard D North.

On culture, Nature, liberal issues, monasticism, spirituality

Page 12 of all posts

Poem: In a space

I am not clubbable, though I used to be rather more sociable. I have never been a loner. I dislike any sort of trap, seeking aisle seats and the back row. But I have always fantasised about the satisfactions of small spaces. The problem is: how to avoid self-pity or self-aggrandisement when one is fantasising about voluntary - chosen - isolation or confinement? Read more...

Published

26 February 2015

Filed in

RDN's poems

Following Sachs’ advice to let go a bit

Oliver Sachs writes beautifully about growing old and, in particular, about his imminent death. The essence of his message in the New York Times is that he remains interested in life and quite cheerful about it, but.... Read more...

Published

20 February 2015

Filed in

Mind & body

Prof Cox, fusion and the wonder of risk

Brian Cox has already suggested that mankind is alone, and should celebrate the wonder of it.  But, as he is foremost in reminding us, we are also the shards of star-dust that have become conscious and clever. Indeed, in creating industrial scale fusion reactors, if we ever do, we will have succeeded in not merely imitating our sun, but have found how to deploy its forces. Read more...

Published

20 February 2015

Filed in

Mind & body, On TV & Radio

Mr Turner’s inaccuracies

Mike Leigh's film of Turner's later years is almost always lovely, occasionally very touching,  and often instructive. But some of its assumptions and presumptions are amazingly and even ruinously impertinent...... Read more...

Published

17 January 2015

Filed in

On art, On movies

The Anthropocene, Prof Cox, and more

The idea of the Anthropocene has been gaining traction, not least in a spate of books (as exemplified in an FT books review roundup, "Masters of the Earth", 13/14 December 2014). Unfortunately, most takes on the Anthropocene seem misanthropic. Luckily, Professor Brian Cox makes a sort-of exception.  We are alone, and it is exciting. Read more...

Published

19 December 2014

Filed in

Mind & body

Interstellar (vs Gravity)

There's a lot to like in Interstellar, and much of it has been caught by professional reviewers. I think there are several dimensions (oops) one needs to reckon with. One: is the story a convincing human - personal - drama? Two: is it a good morality tale? Three: is it a good cinematic theme park ride? Four: is its science robust? If you've the patience here's my unpick of some of those, below the fold. Read more...

Published

11 November 2014

Filed in

Mind & body, On movies

War and art on BBC R4’s BH

I had an outing on this Sunday morning show as a paper reviewer (and squibbist on Strictly Come Dancing) and said one thing which may have seemed distasteful. Can I try to put things right here, below the fold? Read more...

Published

02 November 2014

Filed in

Mind & body, On art, RDN's media outings

Stanley North’s glass portrait of Vera Bax

Before he married his second wife HelenKennedy, and adopted her name, my grandfather Stanley married Vera Rawnsley, and they produced my father, Paul. She later married, first, Filson Young, and, second, Clifford Bax.

Here is Staney’s stained glass portrait of a young woman, by family tradition, his wife Vera.

Read more...

Published

20 October 2014

Filed in

On art

Stanley Kennedy North’s Norwich glass #3

This is the third of three posts on Stanley Kennedy North’s work for the Colman family of Norwich mustard fame. (See #1 here and #2  here.)

SKN did three pieces of stained glass for the great Norfolk mustard makers, and this, the third, is a large (I guess… Read more...

Published

20 October 2014

Filed in

On art
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