One of my back teeth started aching this week. I’m wondering if it’s a reaction to the rapid decaying of truth that’s impacting politics and culture today, both in the UK and the US. I was aware of the term post-truth (Oxford Dictionaries’ Word of the Year in 2016), but hadn’t heard of truth decay until Obama started mentioning it in the interviews he’s been doing recently to publicise his new … [Read more...] about Why we’re suffering from truth decay
Storytelling
Escaping the tyranny of the “shoulds”
As I write, I should be sitting in a cosy stone cottage in front of a wood-burning stove, having just returned from an invigorating walk with a lovely friend in the beautiful Black Mountains of Wales. Instead, I am at home in Amersham, still in bed, gazing out of the window at a uniformly grey sky that is interrupted only by a brutally pollarded tree. Welcome to my winter “holiday”. Don’t … [Read more...] about Escaping the tyranny of the “shoulds”
The vulnerability of visibility
I’m currently writing my third book*. It’s about language and the powerful role that words play in creating our reality and the stories we tell about ourselves. I’ve curated a list of words that have had an impact on me at various stages of my life, and used them as gateways in order to explore how language affects us in positive and negative ways. And I recently had a wonderful conversation … [Read more...] about The vulnerability of visibility
Language in living colour
It makes me feel a little bit guilty to admit this but, for the most part, I’ve enjoyed lockdown. I’m acutely aware of the suffering of others, and like everyone else I’ve been affected by the collective stress of living through a pandemic, but I’ve been fortunate enough to stay healthy and present enough to allow creativity to blossom. I’ve managed to write the first draft of a book … [Read more...] about Language in living colour
Why we need the C-19 story to give us a symbol of hope
It started with a dry cough. Patient zero was found in China. The virus was highly infectious. Experts talked about contact tracing, social distancing and the importance of hand-washing. There were asymptomatic carriers. Schools were closed. There was panic buying. Conspiracy theories. Misinformation. Fake and untested cures. Emergency hospitals in sports arenas... No, I’m not telling the story … [Read more...] about Why we need the C-19 story to give us a symbol of hope
A new language for a new reality
Since I put myself in voluntary isolation on 14th March, I have been quietly observing the unfolding paradigm shift. And yes, that’s what I believe is happening right now. I’m not here to judge other people’s behaviour. My contribution is specifically about language - something I have been delving deeper into during the past year. It has been fascinating to observe just how quickly a … [Read more...] about A new language for a new reality