Taking the rap
Since his suicide, David Foster Wallace has made the transition from major writer to major industry. Hence this UK issue…
It’s never too late
In 1998, the Jamaican singer Bounty Killer released a single, ‘Can’t Believe Mi Eyes’, which expressed incredulity that men should…
Helpful hints for Holloway
For some reason you don’t expect people to be fans of the Mitford sisters, as others are fans of Doctor…
Love rekindled
How and when do you become ‘a fan’, exactly? You can usually spot pop stars who are losing touch with…
Porn and pontiffs
Suddenly they’re all at it. Actors, that is, writing plays. David Haig, Rory Kinnear and Simon Paisley Day are all…
Root and branch
A mixed exhibition of paintings, drawings and prints devoted to the subject of the tree might sound an unexciting event,…
Reincarnations of Wagner
The many opera performances at the Proms this year have all been so successful, especially the Wagner series, that I…
Explosive fun
Just do it, quoth the Nike advert — and these men just did it. Grass, asphalt, fear, pain, doubt and…
Comic relief
Funny what rises from the rubble. In 1916 British army officer Captain Fred Roberts was searching the bombed-out remains of…
Take five
Five women, five very different stories of arriving in the UK, often unwillingly and always alone. How did they cope…
Yet another side of Bob Dylan
So, there’s this guy called Bob Dylan and, across just seven years in the 1960s, he’d released nine albums that…
High life
To London for a brief visit to meet Spectator readers, as nice a reason as I can think of for…
Low life
One evening last week, I trotted over to the caravan site’s clubhouse to use the wifi and pick up emails.…
Real life
‘Congratulations! You’ve qualified for The Sunshine Tour!’ beamed the lady judge, as she pinned a rosette to my horse’s bridle.…
Long life
It is exactly 40 years since my elder brother John gave up a successful career as a publisher to set…
Hot Candy
Cape Peron was my easiest choice for our Twelve to Follow. When Henry Candy smiles his gentle smile, as he…
Bridge
In any sport, a sense of elation is a dangerous thing. When a player does something good, he can’t afford…
Lord of the flies
It is often said that the great chessboard artist, Polish Grandmaster Akiba Rubinstein, was afflicted during tournament play by an…
No. 283
Black to play. This position is from Rotlewi-Rubinstein, Lodz 1907. This is the conclusion of one of Rubinstein’s most famous…
Genesis
In Competition 2814 you were invited to describe how a great writer stumbled upon an idea that he or she…
2130: Elusive
Each of 23 clues comprises a definition part and a hidden consecutive jumble of the answer including one extra letter.…
Solution to 2127: Dire straits
Twelve unclued lights are names of ARTISTS which are ANAGRAMS (9) of superfluous words in clues. First prize E.…
To the Slaughter
I was at a surprise birthday party for a member of the cabinet last week when a Conservative minister spotted…
