Ally
@genteelblackhole.bsky.social
Ally (they/he), late 30s, UK. Musician, BookTuber, wheelchair user. Fan of Shakespeare, Pratchett, weird old music, terrible puns and exhaustive lists.
Music here: http://bugprentice.bandcamp.com
BookTube here: https://youtube.com/@genteelblackhole
Music here: http://bugprentice.bandcamp.com
BookTube here: https://youtube.com/@genteelblackhole
I'm easing back into #BookTube with this October catch-up. I chat about one book, one film, and one album I enjoyed last month. It's a lower-pressure approach than my old monthly wrap-ups, and I'm happy with how this video turned out. youtu.be/UhzmzyRDHwU
Easing back into BookTube
YouTube video by A Genteel Black Hole
youtu.be
November 5, 2025 at 7:05 PM
I'm easing back into #BookTube with this October catch-up. I chat about one book, one film, and one album I enjoyed last month. It's a lower-pressure approach than my old monthly wrap-ups, and I'm happy with how this video turned out. youtu.be/UhzmzyRDHwU
Friday Haiku #31:
Iambic music
Waking up my sleeping ear,
Measure by measure.
Iambic music
Waking up my sleeping ear,
Measure by measure.
August 8, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Friday Haiku #31:
Iambic music
Waking up my sleeping ear,
Measure by measure.
Iambic music
Waking up my sleeping ear,
Measure by measure.
Friday Haiku #30:
Round the corner, leaves
Beckon in a gentle breeze:
Befriending a tree.
Round the corner, leaves
Beckon in a gentle breeze:
Befriending a tree.
August 1, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Friday Haiku #30:
Round the corner, leaves
Beckon in a gentle breeze:
Befriending a tree.
Round the corner, leaves
Beckon in a gentle breeze:
Befriending a tree.
For the first time, Tom Lehrer has made me cry with something other than laughter.
Farewell Mr Lehrer, and thank you for the funniest songs ever written. Have fun in Lehrer Heaven. (Which is the same place as Pigeon Hell. It's a very efficient system.)
Farewell Mr Lehrer, and thank you for the funniest songs ever written. Have fun in Lehrer Heaven. (Which is the same place as Pigeon Hell. It's a very efficient system.)
July 27, 2025 at 5:48 PM
For the first time, Tom Lehrer has made me cry with something other than laughter.
Farewell Mr Lehrer, and thank you for the funniest songs ever written. Have fun in Lehrer Heaven. (Which is the same place as Pigeon Hell. It's a very efficient system.)
Farewell Mr Lehrer, and thank you for the funniest songs ever written. Have fun in Lehrer Heaven. (Which is the same place as Pigeon Hell. It's a very efficient system.)
Friday Haiku #29:
The Prince of Darkness
Unfurls his leathery wings,
Soars into the void.
(Rest in Noise, Ozzy.)
The Prince of Darkness
Unfurls his leathery wings,
Soars into the void.
(Rest in Noise, Ozzy.)
July 25, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Friday Haiku #29:
The Prince of Darkness
Unfurls his leathery wings,
Soars into the void.
(Rest in Noise, Ozzy.)
The Prince of Darkness
Unfurls his leathery wings,
Soars into the void.
(Rest in Noise, Ozzy.)
I've been extremely low on energy (thanks, heatwave!) so I haven't been able to record much this month. But I did finish editing this bumper edition of my haiku series: A double episode, comprising all my Friday Haiku from May and June. Give it a watch, why don'tcha? youtu.be/H8dAD0kluJ4
My Haiku Diary, Episode 5... Every haiku I wrote in May & June
YouTube video by A Genteel Black Hole
youtu.be
July 24, 2025 at 2:25 PM
I've been extremely low on energy (thanks, heatwave!) so I haven't been able to record much this month. But I did finish editing this bumper edition of my haiku series: A double episode, comprising all my Friday Haiku from May and June. Give it a watch, why don'tcha? youtu.be/H8dAD0kluJ4
Friday Haiku #28:
My waterbody:
Where veins are tributaries
Flowing with life force.
(This poem was inspired by Robert Macfarlane's book 'Is A River Alive?', which I'm currently reading.)
My waterbody:
Where veins are tributaries
Flowing with life force.
(This poem was inspired by Robert Macfarlane's book 'Is A River Alive?', which I'm currently reading.)
July 18, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Friday Haiku #28:
My waterbody:
Where veins are tributaries
Flowing with life force.
(This poem was inspired by Robert Macfarlane's book 'Is A River Alive?', which I'm currently reading.)
My waterbody:
Where veins are tributaries
Flowing with life force.
(This poem was inspired by Robert Macfarlane's book 'Is A River Alive?', which I'm currently reading.)
When was the last time you thought about trees?
Here's a little 'a cappella' demo I recorded in 2022, set to some more recent footage of trees (and bees). youtu.be/xINV1V4V0AA
#MyMusic #OxfordMusic #ACappella
Here's a little 'a cappella' demo I recorded in 2022, set to some more recent footage of trees (and bees). youtu.be/xINV1V4V0AA
#MyMusic #OxfordMusic #ACappella
When was the last time you thought about trees?
YouTube video by Ally Craig
youtu.be
July 15, 2025 at 6:03 PM
When was the last time you thought about trees?
Here's a little 'a cappella' demo I recorded in 2022, set to some more recent footage of trees (and bees). youtu.be/xINV1V4V0AA
#MyMusic #OxfordMusic #ACappella
Here's a little 'a cappella' demo I recorded in 2022, set to some more recent footage of trees (and bees). youtu.be/xINV1V4V0AA
#MyMusic #OxfordMusic #ACappella
Friday Haiku #27:
Mortification:
The reeking fertiliser
Through which our souls grow.
(Perhaps a little over-dramatic, considering the inspiration: I was learning a new card game today. My first move was so idiotically bad that I suddenly understood the rules MUCH better. 😅)
Mortification:
The reeking fertiliser
Through which our souls grow.
(Perhaps a little over-dramatic, considering the inspiration: I was learning a new card game today. My first move was so idiotically bad that I suddenly understood the rules MUCH better. 😅)
July 11, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Friday Haiku #27:
Mortification:
The reeking fertiliser
Through which our souls grow.
(Perhaps a little over-dramatic, considering the inspiration: I was learning a new card game today. My first move was so idiotically bad that I suddenly understood the rules MUCH better. 😅)
Mortification:
The reeking fertiliser
Through which our souls grow.
(Perhaps a little over-dramatic, considering the inspiration: I was learning a new card game today. My first move was so idiotically bad that I suddenly understood the rules MUCH better. 😅)
Friday Haiku #26:
White cassette, red sleeve,
Blaring in my preteen ears:
You really got me.
(This past week I've been revisiting The Kinks. I had a best-of cassette when I was little. I keep forgetting how much I adored those songs. Then I revist them and it all comes flooding back.)
White cassette, red sleeve,
Blaring in my preteen ears:
You really got me.
(This past week I've been revisiting The Kinks. I had a best-of cassette when I was little. I keep forgetting how much I adored those songs. Then I revist them and it all comes flooding back.)
July 4, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Friday Haiku #26:
White cassette, red sleeve,
Blaring in my preteen ears:
You really got me.
(This past week I've been revisiting The Kinks. I had a best-of cassette when I was little. I keep forgetting how much I adored those songs. Then I revist them and it all comes flooding back.)
White cassette, red sleeve,
Blaring in my preteen ears:
You really got me.
(This past week I've been revisiting The Kinks. I had a best-of cassette when I was little. I keep forgetting how much I adored those songs. Then I revist them and it all comes flooding back.)
Friday Haiku #25:
Hope is mere kindling:
If you want there to be fire,
You must strike the match.
Hope is mere kindling:
If you want there to be fire,
You must strike the match.
June 27, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Friday Haiku #25:
Hope is mere kindling:
If you want there to be fire,
You must strike the match.
Hope is mere kindling:
If you want there to be fire,
You must strike the match.
My latest #BookTube video is a chatty review of Mervyn Peake's Titus Groan, the first book of his #Gormenghast series. It's long, slow, strange, impossible to categorise... and it's maybe my favourite read of the year so far! youtu.be/E1BG5L1ayPU
Book review: Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake
YouTube video by A Genteel Black Hole
youtu.be
June 26, 2025 at 2:32 PM
My latest #BookTube video is a chatty review of Mervyn Peake's Titus Groan, the first book of his #Gormenghast series. It's long, slow, strange, impossible to categorise... and it's maybe my favourite read of the year so far! youtu.be/E1BG5L1ayPU
What are the names of the three witches in Macbeth?
Tamara, and Tamara, and Tamara.
Tamara, and Tamara, and Tamara.
June 23, 2025 at 7:48 PM
What are the names of the three witches in Macbeth?
Tamara, and Tamara, and Tamara.
Tamara, and Tamara, and Tamara.
Friday Haiku #24:
Window yawning wide,
Curtains dancing in the breeze…
Still too bloody hot.
Window yawning wide,
Curtains dancing in the breeze…
Still too bloody hot.
June 20, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Friday Haiku #24:
Window yawning wide,
Curtains dancing in the breeze…
Still too bloody hot.
Window yawning wide,
Curtains dancing in the breeze…
Still too bloody hot.
My latest #BookTube video is responding to a set of prompts about gratitude and joy. I chat about authors that make me laugh, books (and bands) I'm grateful for, the importance of community, and other such joyful subjects. I hope it sparks joy for you too. youtu.be/7_FL4L4zNAI
The Gratitude and Joy Tag
YouTube video by A Genteel Black Hole
youtu.be
June 14, 2025 at 3:36 PM
My latest #BookTube video is responding to a set of prompts about gratitude and joy. I chat about authors that make me laugh, books (and bands) I'm grateful for, the importance of community, and other such joyful subjects. I hope it sparks joy for you too. youtu.be/7_FL4L4zNAI
Friday Haiku #24:
[In memory of Sly Stone and Brian Wilson]
In my room, surf’s up:
There’s a riot goin’ on —
Dance to the music!
[In memory of Sly Stone and Brian Wilson]
In my room, surf’s up:
There’s a riot goin’ on —
Dance to the music!
June 13, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Friday Haiku #24:
[In memory of Sly Stone and Brian Wilson]
In my room, surf’s up:
There’s a riot goin’ on —
Dance to the music!
[In memory of Sly Stone and Brian Wilson]
In my room, surf’s up:
There’s a riot goin’ on —
Dance to the music!
Did I mention I made a Doctor Who-style title sequence for this video? Complete with my disembodied floating face in the credits, Classic Who-style. Even if you don’t stay for the rest of the video, you should watch that!
My latest #BookTube video is a review of Exterminate! Regenerate! — a comprehensive history of the making of #DoctorWho. I discuss what makes DW so beloved, and share some favourite quotes and anecdotes. Plus you can hear my cover of the theme tune for the title sequence! youtu.be/dECPJSk1VgU
Book review: Exterminate! Regenerate! The Story of Doctor Who
YouTube video by A Genteel Black Hole
youtu.be
June 7, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Did I mention I made a Doctor Who-style title sequence for this video? Complete with my disembodied floating face in the credits, Classic Who-style. Even if you don’t stay for the rest of the video, you should watch that!
My latest #BookTube video is a review of Exterminate! Regenerate! — a comprehensive history of the making of #DoctorWho. I discuss what makes DW so beloved, and share some favourite quotes and anecdotes. Plus you can hear my cover of the theme tune for the title sequence! youtu.be/dECPJSk1VgU
Book review: Exterminate! Regenerate! The Story of Doctor Who
YouTube video by A Genteel Black Hole
youtu.be
June 7, 2025 at 3:09 PM
My latest #BookTube video is a review of Exterminate! Regenerate! — a comprehensive history of the making of #DoctorWho. I discuss what makes DW so beloved, and share some favourite quotes and anecdotes. Plus you can hear my cover of the theme tune for the title sequence! youtu.be/dECPJSk1VgU
Friday Haiku #23:
Reading Titus Groan:
Gormenghast’s grim labyrinth
Haunting my mind’s eye.
Reading Titus Groan:
Gormenghast’s grim labyrinth
Haunting my mind’s eye.
June 6, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Friday Haiku #23:
Reading Titus Groan:
Gormenghast’s grim labyrinth
Haunting my mind’s eye.
Reading Titus Groan:
Gormenghast’s grim labyrinth
Haunting my mind’s eye.
Today was a good day. Finally, after weeks of low battery and brain fog, I was able to record a new video. Coming soon: A Whovian book review! 💙💙
#BookTube #DoctorWho
#BookTube #DoctorWho
June 3, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Today was a good day. Finally, after weeks of low battery and brain fog, I was able to record a new video. Coming soon: A Whovian book review! 💙💙
#BookTube #DoctorWho
#BookTube #DoctorWho
May 30, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Friday Haiku #22:
Razor blade in hand,
You Fantastic! musicians
Thwart the precedent.
Razor blade in hand,
You Fantastic! musicians
Thwart the precedent.
May 30, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Friday Haiku #22:
Razor blade in hand,
You Fantastic! musicians
Thwart the precedent.
Razor blade in hand,
You Fantastic! musicians
Thwart the precedent.
I finally finished editing my April haiku video, while April is still *technically* last month. Tune in for haiku about birds, insomnia, and a tribute to David Thomas from Pere Ubu. youtu.be/sfS0FzXG0Xk
#haiku #originalhaiku #poetry #booktube
#haiku #originalhaiku #poetry #booktube
My Haiku Diary, Episode 4... All the haiku I wrote in April
YouTube video by A Genteel Black Hole
youtu.be
May 30, 2025 at 12:27 PM
I finally finished editing my April haiku video, while April is still *technically* last month. Tune in for haiku about birds, insomnia, and a tribute to David Thomas from Pere Ubu. youtu.be/sfS0FzXG0Xk
#haiku #originalhaiku #poetry #booktube
#haiku #originalhaiku #poetry #booktube
A few years ago I tried to record a poetry podcast. In the end I scrapped it, but at least the attempt inspired a silly poem. My latest #BookTube video is a recital of that poem, plus a parody of Jabberwocky namechecking my favourite musicians. Y'know, normal stuff. youtu.be/mCA0CxVhFl0
Two Silly Poems What I Wrote... Podcast Blues & Abbaschlocky
YouTube video by A Genteel Black Hole
youtu.be
May 24, 2025 at 3:43 PM
A few years ago I tried to record a poetry podcast. In the end I scrapped it, but at least the attempt inspired a silly poem. My latest #BookTube video is a recital of that poem, plus a parody of Jabberwocky namechecking my favourite musicians. Y'know, normal stuff. youtu.be/mCA0CxVhFl0
Friday Haiku #21:
Pearly gates open:
Angelic chorus cheers, “Norm!”
So that’s where George went.
Pearly gates open:
Angelic chorus cheers, “Norm!”
So that’s where George went.
May 23, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Friday Haiku #21:
Pearly gates open:
Angelic chorus cheers, “Norm!”
So that’s where George went.
Pearly gates open:
Angelic chorus cheers, “Norm!”
So that’s where George went.