Category Archives: Newspapers

Joan Didion (1934-2021) R. I. P.

Posted on December 26, 2021 by Jeffrey Manley

American novelist, essayist and journalist Joan Didion (1934-2021) died earlier this week in New York City at the age of 87. A memorial column in the National Review remembers her as an early contributor to their pages in what was … Continue reading →

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Winter Solstice Roundup

Posted on December 23, 2021 by Jeffrey Manley

–The website Arab News has an article by James Drummond about how Armenians have succeeded as businessmen in many Arab countries. Here is one example: Armenians were famous builders. Indeed, Sinan Pasha, the great architect of the Ottoman Empire, was … Continue reading →

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Roundup: Flaubert’s Birth and Hitchens’ Death

Posted on December 9, 2021 by Jeffrey Manley

–Novelist Julian Barnes has written a rambling retrospective of Flaubert’s career covering all of his books and many of his own and Flaubert’s obsessions. This is on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Flaubert’s birth and is published in … Continue reading →

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Post-Thanksgiving Roundup

Posted on November 30, 2021 by Jeffrey Manley

–10 December will mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Christopher Hitchens. This is commemorated in the Financial Times by an article entitled “The World Christopher Hitchens Left Behind”. This is by Janan Ganash who might have used as … Continue reading →

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Brideshead and Beatles

Posted on November 28, 2021 by Jeffrey Manley

A feature length article about the making of the 1981  Brideshead Revisited TV series appears in the Sunday Post (Dundee). This is by John Macleod and is entitled “Brideshead Recelebrated”. It is, indeed, another celebration of that event’s 40th anniversary. … Continue reading →

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Septimus Waugh: Reminiscence

Posted on November 26, 2021 by Jeffrey Manley

The Tablet’s latest issue has a reminiscence of the late Septimus Waugh. This appears in the “Word from the Cloister” column and is based on an interview of Jimmy Burns, journalist and member of The Tablet’s board. He was a … Continue reading →

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Roundup: From Party Going to Boredom

Posted on November 20, 2021 by Jeffrey Manley

–A recent issue of Financial Times contains a “Weekend Essay” on the return of the party, to London and New York at least. This is by Alex Bilmes who is editor of Esquire. After reminiscing about how party going shut … Continue reading →

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John Saumarez Smith (1943-2021) R.I.P.

Posted on November 18, 2021 by Jeffrey Manley

John Saumarez Smith who was widely considered as the last of London’s “gentleman booksellers” has died at the age of 78. He was the son of an Indian Civil Service family and graduate of Winchester and Trinity College, Cambridge. After … Continue reading →

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Clarissa Churchill (1920-2021) R.I.P.

Posted on November 16, 2021 by Jeffrey Manley

One of the last of Evelyn Waugh’s contemporary friends died yesterday. This is Clarissa Churchill.  Her father was Jack Churchill, Winston’s younger brother, and she was always close to Winston’s family. She grew up in a house in South Kensington … Continue reading →

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Armistice Day Roundup

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Jeffrey Manley

–Perhaps in anticipation of today’s commemoration, this week’s Sunday Times reviewed a new book by Max Hastings. This is Soldiers: Great Stories of War and Peace. Here’s an excerpt from the review: The anthology opens with biblical warriors (Joshua at … Continue reading →

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