Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus! Happy St. David's Day

Evening.

Good morning, and a happy new Resident Evil game day to all who celebrate.

Book 13 of 2026 #Booksky An entirely apt number for a peculiar, unsettling book. One of Jackson's earlier novels, and therefore less successful for me. But her writing is still sharp and unpredictable and full of people being hilariously awful to each other. Until it stops being funny. #Booksky

I'm sitting in Costa, waiting for my car to come out of ICU and planning Y12 lessons for next week. And what's struck me is how much easier it is after resting for a week over half term, and not being flat out exhausted.

Sorry, me again and this bloody painting. But I think one reason I find art (and literature) so fulfilling is because it has taken time, and it is considered. It is a balanced diet, against the junk food served up online and via social media: superficially tasty, but with zero nutrition.

Something else: that dot of light on the end of his finger. That's God on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel, right, his fingertip bringing Adam to life?

This is Joseph Wright of Derby's 1768 painting 'An Experiment on a Bird in an Air Pump', and seeing it in the flesh today reminded me of the immense power of art.

Excellent day out in London, and as per over far too quickly. I thoroughly enjoyed the Joseph Wright exhibition at the National; seeing the paintings live and at scale is something you can never replicate in a book or on a screen.

Okay, bed. Tomorrow: London, art, lunch out, bookshops.

'One more thing...'

Book 12 of 2026 #Booksky And that's that: Lew Griffin Book 6, and the last of the series.

Book 11 of 2026 #Booksky Lew Griffin Book 5, and the shortest in the series. On the surface, it's a story of white supremacists, and Griffin putting himself back together after a prolonged stay in hospital, after bring shot on the street. But...

Book 10 of 2026 #Booksky Lew Griffin book 4, and favourite so far on this re-read through the series. Also the first I read, back in the late 2000s. As compelling now as it was then.

Happy half term #Edusky

Book 9 of 2026 #Booksky Lew Griffin Book 3, and a sniper prowls the rooftops of 1968 New Orleans. Not as powerful as the first two, but still a cut above your regular PI tale.

Billboard in Dundee. Pic: Alistair Heather

Book 8 of 2026 #Booksky Lew Griffin book 2, and just terrific. The prose is deceptively simple, but you can feel the depths that lurk beneath.

I've got that exhausted, end of half term feeling where I just don't feel like doing anything. I slept really well last night and the one before, and had a nap on the sofa yesterday - and yet here I still am.

If a blog post uses an AI image, chances are I won't read it.

What do we reckon?

Book 7 of 2026 #Booksky In memory of James Sallis, I bought and am re-reading (in order, for the first time) his Lew Griffin novels. This is episodic, lots of heart, and also the sense that it is setting up something much darker and complex. Highly recommended.

Okay #Edusky, anyone else got Year 7s persistently asking 'what's the time?', purely to be annoying?

Sir Ian McKellen performing a monologue from Shakespeare’s Sir Thomas More on the Stephen Colbert show. Never have I heard this monologue performed with such a keen sense of prescience. Nor have I ever been in this exact historical moment.TY Sir Ian, for reaching us once again. #Pinks #ProudBlue

Book 6 of 2026. #Booksky Lots to chew on, not least the need to be wary about making assumptions.

My story 'The Circular Book' has been published in the latest edition of Thin Skin magazine. thin-skin.com/shortstory/t...

This is great - bought it yesterday, and if I don't finish it tonight I surely will tomorrow. It's also making me think about school - not a prison (clearly), but similarly dynamic and challenging.

My story 'The Circular Book' has been published in the latest edition of Thin Skin magazine. thin-skin.com/shortstory/t...

RIP James Sallis, a wonderful writer and lovely man. When I wrote this post on his first Lew Griffin book, Sallis messaged me to thank me for writing it. #Booksky whatareyoureadingfor.wordpress.com/2015/10/18/j...

Book 5 of 2026 #Booksky Much like 'Gatsby', this is full of some pretty unlikeable characters, but I had more pity for Anthony Patch. Some terrific descriptions of New York, and Patch's descent into alcoholism is unflinching. And FSF was only 26 when he wrote it!

New on my Substack: a found narrative open.substack.com/pub/libraryr...

New on my Substack: a found narrative open.substack.com/pub/libraryr...

Book 4 of 2026 #Booksky I've lost count of how many times I've read this beast since I bought it 35 years ago. But this time around I took my time with it, soaking up every panel. I'm also closer in age to the protagonists, which made me approach it differently.

Elon Musk is a white supremacist. Case closed.

Book 3 of 2026 #Booksky Huck's an engaging narrator, and I especially liked the meta-bits of this. But it's also really dark: slavery is a constant threat, and the n-word a chilling presence. Very much a book of its time.

Great thread about Shakespeare and time. #Edusky

Book 2 of 2025 #Booksky I loved how kaleidoscopic and full of energy this was. Also a beautiful plea for tolerance and individuality.

No surprise. An excellent piece of investigative journalism.

Powerful thread.

5. Budicao

JD Vance supports murdering American citizens. He's made that perfectly clear today. If he's willing to defend the murder of Renee Good, he would defend your murder, too.

Make this go viral. Labour MP Louise Haigh.

New on my Substack: a found narrative. open.substack.com/pub/libraryr...

Well said.

Good morning. I'd like to invite anyone who is interested to make a small gesture of kindness today. It's up to you to decide what that can be. The key is for you to act on the idea. With so much out of our control, we can choose how to be with each other today and every day.

New on my Substack: a found narrative. open.substack.com/pub/libraryr...

Full day of teaching. Lost my voice at lunchtime, limped through final lesson. Now mainlining throat sweets.

Get. Off. Twitter.