Winamop has published my short story on Cyrenaic presbyter and theologian Arius. Here's the description on the website: 'Simon King takes us right the way back to the first century when Christianity was in it's infancy. Here we find Arius who has some controversial ideas.' Except that that's wrong, as this took place during the fourth century AD, not the first, but nevermind!
https://www.winamop.com/sk2503.htm
This is part eleven from a forthcoming book called Fifteen Characters: Volume Two.
Winamop has published my short story about English comedian Peter Cook. This is the description on the website: 'Simon King drops in on another famous name from history, comedian and satirist Peter Cook. Cook was perhaps best known for his "Pete and Dud" sketches with Dudley Moore (and Derek and Clive!). Cook is the title.'
https://winamop.com/sk2502.htm
This is part ten from a forthcoming book called Fifteen Characters: Volume Two.
New acquisitions. 😊
Seven books: I, Claudius by Robert Graves, Count Belisarius by Robert Graves, The Secret History by Procopius, Jorge Luis Borges by Colin Wilson, The Seventh Seal by Melvyn Bragg, Caspar David Friedrich by Robert Wolf and The Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell: Henry VII’s Most Faithful Servant.
Late antiquity is a fascinating period in history. Robert Graves was a trained classicist who wrote fiction (and a soldier in WWI to boot), so I thought that I’d buy this classic novel about the Roman emperor Claudius. It starts off with Julius Ceasar’s assassination, into Caligula’s assassination and into Claudius’ accession to premiership until his death. The book was adapted into a famous television serial by the BBC. Additionally, Graves also wrote a novel about Justinian’s primary military commander, Belisarius. I thought that I’d buy that, too.
Talking of Belisarius, Procopius was a historian who was there at the time and most historical accounts of this period are based on his books. He followed Belisarius on his campaigns against the Vandals in North Africa and reconquering Rome from the Goths. I’ve been reading secondary sources about this recently, but I thought that it would be delightful to read the primary source. Apparently, he wrote in a very literate arcane Greek, but hopefully the English translation will be intelligible to me.
I’ve bought two books written by men who I appreciate about other men who I appreciate. I’ve been interested in Colin Wilson since my early 20s but, scandalously, I haven’t got around to reading him yet. He seems to have written a lot of garbage on the occult, crime and UFOs, but I was looking at his bibliography and I saw this book about Jorge Luis Borges and I thought that there was no-one stopping me from buying it, so I bought it. Melvyn Bragg wrote this book about The Seventh Seal by Ingmar Bergman, a great film, so I thought that I’d buy it. Bragg saw the film in the late 50s and, after growing up in a working class town in Cumbria in the 40s and 50s, it blew him away. He had not seen anything like it, so he later wrote a book about it.
I have a poster of ‘Wanderer above the Sea of Fog’ by Caspar David Friedrich in my flat. As soon as you walk into the living room of my flat, it is palpably visible. I’ve loved this painting since I was about twenty. It encapsulates the European values of the individual, freedom, the sublime, beauty and autonomy. It has been my favourite painting for a long time, so I thought that I’d buy a book of art criticism about him.
I thought that it’d be interesting to read about the Protestant reformation in England, so I thought that I’d buy this book about Thomas Cromwell, Henry VII’s adviser.
New acquisitions. 🙂
Five CDs: Edge Bamyasi by Can, The Songs of Leonard Cohen by Leonard Cohen, The Best Band you Never Heard in Your Life by Frank Zappa, 88: The Last US Show by Frank Zappa and The Light User Syndrome by The Fall.
New acquisitions. 🙂
Six CDs: Symphony No. 3 by Henryk Gorecki/Dawn Upshaw/London Sinfonietta/David Zinmann, Heroes by David Bowie, Room to Live by The Fall, Flutter by Otomo Yoshihide, Blue by Otomo Yoshihide and Belladonna by Mary Halvorson.
https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2024/5993530?fbclid=IwY2xjawKDOzdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHvcqtBvWQPE4oZv2VmUv8ynrN9M4_0U18m_zBd8Ta3w8huW7_p3sK3vdPm1E_aem_L22pYKVN10R-a_4IR3jThQ
Winamop has published my short story about Ancient Greek sculptor, painter and architect Phidias. This is the description on the website: 'Simon King looks in on the life of another notable figure from history. This time it's the ancient Greek sculptor, painter, and architect Phidias who was active in the 5th century BC (thanks Wikipedia, who needs A.I. when I can use Wiki?).'
https://winamop.com/sk2501.htm
This is part nine from a forthcoming book called Fifteen Characters: Volume Two.
I have completed my new novel, 'Digital Papyrus.' This is my second novel and my seventh book. (They're all slim little volumes.)
I find it hard to gauge the quality of my writing. I have no idea if this is a masterpiece or a pile of garbage (or something in between). When some people tell me that they enjoy my books, I can't tell if it's genuine or they're being polite.
I'm printing twenty copies of this. I toyed with the idea of charging for this, as I don't have much money, but I'm still not sure many people would be willing to pay for this, so I'm still giving them away. There are still five copies available.
SYNOPSIS: Paul Harloe is a classicist at Oxford, specialising in ancient Greek political history and philosophy. His friend Edward Mackintosh, a computer scientist, has invented a groundbreaking device aimed exclusively for him...
Cover illustrated by Sofia Lindgren.
Email simonking19965@gmail.com if you would like a copy.
Winamop has published my short story about American blues musician Blind Willie Johnson. This is the description on the website: 'Simon King looks into the lives of well-known figures from the past. This time it's blues man Blind Willie Johnson who met a sad demise... as so many did. Read Johnson.'
http://www.winamop.com/sk2500.htm
Part eight from a forthcoming book called Fifteen Characters: Volume Two.
