Already there is a historical quality to how things were pre-2016, above all in the way we talk about them, that feels entirely alien now. Deeply ideological acts, like austerity and the hollowing-out of the state, are no longer talked about in a parlance that makes them appear reasonable or common sense, for ‘common sense’ (if it ever existed) is no longer the all-pervasive … [Read more...] about A vote revisited
A pedestrian’s view of the Edinburgh Art Festival
The paradox of a city like Edinburgh is that to do anything spontaneous involves extensive planning.Despite its closes and little streets, for locals Edinburgh does not often afford itself to hidden gems. Very rarely does it come up with something you haven't seen before, or at least not heard of; seldom is there such a thing as a pleasant surprise that isn't pre-booked in … [Read more...] about A pedestrian’s view of the Edinburgh Art Festival
Neoliberalism, power and the nation state
It may seem befitting the name for a nationalist to claim their nationalism is in some way fundamentally different from others—and yet we find ourselves presented with that conclusion, and without batting an eye.The BBC’s survey earlier last month on ‘Scottishness’ went a long way in demarcating the lines between what it saw as the differences between Scottish and English … [Read more...] about Neoliberalism, power and the nation state
The prime that never comes: on Muriel Spark’s Miss Jean Brodie
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie will resonate with an Edinburgh locale in ways perhaps different from an international audience. We are talking here of a city where the marker of your identity is not distilled to the question of where do you come from, but what school did you go to. In Edinburgh the school you went to pierces through your upbringing before it, and anything in … [Read more...] about The prime that never comes: on Muriel Spark’s Miss Jean Brodie
On Halloween
But customs vary wi' the times At Hallowe'en.— John Mayne If there’s something to glean from our relentless cycles of epiphany in society, it’s to be wary of anybody too quick to say we should be very glad indeed to be done with All That Kind Of Thing. From the primordial soup we arose, and the pagans told us all was magical; the saints, strictly religious; the … [Read more...] about On Halloween