Jeanette Winterson on Kate Bush
Music fans have been beside themselves about Kate Bush’s recent return to the stage, in her full first live show in 35 years. One of those passionate Kate Bush fans is Jeanette Winterson, who’s published a tribute to the artist for the Guardian this week.
Dos and don'ts of workplace swearing
Is it a no-no to swear at work? Traditional wisdom says it is, but there is evidence to suggest that moderate swearing at work, at the right place and time, can humanise you, or help you fit in. Though it can also backfire, of course. Find out the dos and don'ts of workplace swearing.
Emily Perkins on Robyn Davidson
Internationally acclaimed New Zealand novelist Emily Perkins has published an intriguing reflection on Robyn Davidson’s Tracks and the difference between confession and candour when it comes to memoir.
Confessional work asks to be forgiven, or to be liked, whether ingratiatingly or confrontationally; candid work has other motives. In candid writing the writer and reader are equal, with cost and reward to both in the investment. No one is showing her pain to elicit sympathy, and no one is falsely comforted by a sense of superiority or ‘there but for the grace of God’. Candid writing generates more clear-eyed recognition than misty sympathy.
Heart of Darkness: Illustrated
The Guardian has published the results of a competition that invited entrants to illustrate scenes from Joseph Conrad’s classic Heart of Darkness. The winning illustrations will be used in a new edition of the book, to be published by the Folio Society.
Sneak peek at Lena Dunham’s book in the New Yorker
Lena Dunham’s first book, Not That Kind of Girl, is due for release soon - and in typical TV-star-memoir fashion (think Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling), an early excerpt has been published in the New Yorker. It’s a personal essay about her many years in therapy, working through anxiety issues. And yes, sections of it do evoke her alter-ego Hannah Horvath. (No, there’s nothing about Q-tips.)
