Sam Redlark

This is my response to a question that appeared on the Notes & Queries page of The Guardian website on 18th December, 2022. The Guardian is apparently no longer happy to host my comments on their site, so it is appearing here instead. This blog is obviously not affiliated with The Guardian. Its reference to a question that appeared in Notes & Queries is presented here under the terms of fair use. ~ Why is it OK to sing Christmas carols in the weeks leading up to Christmas, but not in the weeks following? image generated by Craiyon When I last visited Evelyn Kaye, her world had shrunk to a single, low-ceilinged room that was more like a cave. The curtains were drawn against the winter evening. Her doctor was of the opinion that she would not survive to see the light return to its June zenith. A kitten played in the flickers of shadow that were cast by fireplace onto the flagstone floor and the dust ripples made by the stiff broom-head. When she dozed, the young cat played on the...

image generated by Craiyon This is my response to a question that appeared on the Notes & Queries page of The Guardian website, on the 18th September, 2022 The Guardian is apparently no longer happy to host my comments on their site. I am replying here instead because it is too good a writing exercise to give up: How quickly can you go from a prompt, a blank mind, and a blank page to a finished piece? And how good can you make it? This blog is obviously not affiliated with The Guardian. Its reference to a question that appeared in Notes & Queries is presented here under the terms of fair use. ~ Are there any foods that have not at some time been considered harmful in a study? This happened back when Wiggins was still serving God in a professional capacity and I was still capable of washing down the red meat with red wine, without risking jaundice and/or a sudden floor-bound collapse from ensuing abdominal pain. Time has caught up with both of us, and has laid down a few clause...