The first time I encountered the term “imposter syndrome” was when I became a Royal Literary Fund Fellow. As I started in the role, I wondered whether there had been some kind of mistake. Over the decades I’d taught myself to write. This was through a combination of writing a lot, reading a lot, and… Continue reading Imposter Syndrome 🫣
Tag: life
The Writer’s List
How to work out who’s on yours, and what to do with it Screenshot courtesy of the author, via bbc.co.uk Your name will also be added to the list. What is it?Don’t tell him, Pike.— Dad’s Army episode The Deadly Attachment, by Jimmy Perry and David Croft We all write for different reasons: it’s the… Continue reading The Writer’s List
Rock Star Eulogy 🎸
Reflections on a difficult relationship Photo by N Kamalov on Unsplash When David had to deliver his first eulogy, he was forced to consider the realities of his relationship with a rock star in the making. In 1989 Dave joined a band. He'd been playing guitar for a few years, and sent an ad to the local paper.… Continue reading Rock Star Eulogy 🎸
Giving Away Dad’s Sax 🎷
The old man's gone, but the music lives on Photo by Molnár Bálint on Unsplash It's approaching the third anniversary of Mark’s dad's death. And he’s just given away the old man's saxophone. It was the day of their son's graduation. Mark and his wife, Sue, went to the university for the ceremony, accompanied by Mark's mum, Mary.… Continue reading Giving Away Dad’s Sax 🎷
A lollipop man without a lollipop, is just a man
There’s a lollipop man near us. A wizened, grumpy old sod who looks like Albert Steptoe. He wears a fluorescent yellow jacket and cap, both of which are at least two sizes too large for him. Almost every day as I approach he makes me stop to allow various mothers and kids to cross. I… Continue reading A lollipop man without a lollipop, is just a man