Posted inLifestyleMedia

Writers and the fallacy of fame

Margaret Atwood wrote: “Wanting to meet an author because you like his work is like wanting to meet a duck because you like paté.” She continued by saying “that’s a light enough comment upon the disappointments of encountering the famous, or even the moderately well known — they are always shorter and older and more […]

Posted inLifestyle

Letting the sky into your heart

It’s Christmas and I’m tired of politics, I want to inject some meaning into my life. It’s fashionable to scoff at Christmas but I’m impressed by the way Muslims respect Ramadan, Jews observe Hanukah and the Passover, and Hindus celebrate Diwali and Holi, because these special times are designed to make us pull back and […]

Posted inNews/Politics

Hamba Mbeki! Welcome, hope

It’s raining in Johannesburg. In Africa, we believe rain is a blessing, that it cleanses, brings new life. This week African National Congress delegates at Polokwane make the most important political decision the movement has taken since 1956 when it voted to allow white members, and pan-Africanists under Robert Sobukwe broke away. In the same […]