Michael Shallcross
@michaelshallcross.bsky.social
Wrote a book about G.K. Chesterton and literary modernism. Now working in uni admin, but still doing research - see pinned thread for info on my current project, 'Inscribing Pandemonium'. Also posting about music, culture, politics, random nonsense.
#NowPlaying Been hoping for an affordable vinyl reissue of this wonderful record for years. Adam Green and Binki Shapiro casting themselves as a 21c Lee and Nancy, with an absolutely gorgeous set of chamber pop miniatures.
October 28, 2025 at 10:02 PM
#NowPlaying Been hoping for an affordable vinyl reissue of this wonderful record for years. Adam Green and Binki Shapiro casting themselves as a 21c Lee and Nancy, with an absolutely gorgeous set of chamber pop miniatures.
Another instalment in the occasional series, 'what is the TLS reviewer talking about?'
Obvs few things more aggravating than an author being readily in command of their chosen material.
Obvs few things more aggravating than an author being readily in command of their chosen material.
October 27, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Another instalment in the occasional series, 'what is the TLS reviewer talking about?'
Obvs few things more aggravating than an author being readily in command of their chosen material.
Obvs few things more aggravating than an author being readily in command of their chosen material.
Improbably, the museum currently has Lennon's genuine school desk on loan as an exhibit.
October 26, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Improbably, the museum currently has Lennon's genuine school desk on loan as an exhibit.
Taking a short break in Liverpool, brought the latest issue of Mojo to read on the train, then ran into a familiar sight in the Beatles Museum.
October 26, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Taking a short break in Liverpool, brought the latest issue of Mojo to read on the train, then ran into a familiar sight in the Beatles Museum.
Not the most elegant dish, granted, but Indian spiced chicken livers = desert island dinner. Comfort food of the very highest order.
October 25, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Not the most elegant dish, granted, but Indian spiced chicken livers = desert island dinner. Comfort food of the very highest order.
#NowPlaying Finally picked up a vinyl copy of the most recent Parquet Courts album, 4 years after it came out. Wasn't initially sold on the 80s electronica angle, but now think it's ageing well. Probably my favourite US band of the last 15 years, hope their recent silence is just an extended hiatus.
October 25, 2025 at 2:26 PM
#NowPlaying Finally picked up a vinyl copy of the most recent Parquet Courts album, 4 years after it came out. Wasn't initially sold on the 80s electronica angle, but now think it's ageing well. Probably my favourite US band of the last 15 years, hope their recent silence is just an extended hiatus.
Anyway, moving on to more U-rated fare. Rainy Days and Mondays eh.
October 20, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Anyway, moving on to more U-rated fare. Rainy Days and Mondays eh.
Reposting pics with strategically placed sticker, to see if that gets around the AI adult content mod...
October 20, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Reposting pics with strategically placed sticker, to see if that gets around the AI adult content mod...
So spotify is just making up new releases by dead artists now
October 19, 2025 at 7:40 PM
So spotify is just making up new releases by dead artists now
Thomas and I made a cake for his school Halloween party - simple but effective!
October 17, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Thomas and I made a cake for his school Halloween party - simple but effective!
This new phone update just makes me feel incredibly demoralised. Before long it'll be considered eccentric not to fake our own photographic histories as a matter of course. I simply don't want to live in the world these people are creating. 'Easily erase unwanted people'. Jesus Christ.
October 15, 2025 at 8:14 PM
This new phone update just makes me feel incredibly demoralised. Before long it'll be considered eccentric not to fake our own photographic histories as a matter of course. I simply don't want to live in the world these people are creating. 'Easily erase unwanted people'. Jesus Christ.
And home in time to put my feet up with a nice mug of hot chocolate. Aah, that's better.
October 6, 2025 at 10:39 PM
And home in time to put my feet up with a nice mug of hot chocolate. Aah, that's better.
billy woods, shown here being *extremely good* in Leeds
October 6, 2025 at 9:26 PM
billy woods, shown here being *extremely good* in Leeds
Absolutely smashing it on the bramley apple preservation front this weekend
October 5, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Absolutely smashing it on the bramley apple preservation front this weekend
Tfw your street is a few hundred yards from one of the country's biggest racecourses
October 4, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Tfw your street is a few hundred yards from one of the country's biggest racecourses
Just cooked up a small batch of this and it is gooood stuff
October 4, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Just cooked up a small batch of this and it is gooood stuff
The most startling revelation is that Select initially wanted to digitally retouch this photo to render each band member as a different ethnicity, apparently to cast them as representatives of modern multicultural Britain!? Yikes. Imagine how notorious that image would be now if it had gone ahead.
October 4, 2025 at 10:41 AM
The most startling revelation is that Select initially wanted to digitally retouch this photo to render each band member as a different ethnicity, apparently to cast them as representatives of modern multicultural Britain!? Yikes. Imagine how notorious that image would be now if it had gone ahead.
You'd really think the council would have the wherewithal to take down the flags that have been flying for weeks in front of the city's most famous tourist attraction, considering that a bunch of locals got it together to pull down dozens of flags in more suburban areas.
October 3, 2025 at 8:50 AM
You'd really think the council would have the wherewithal to take down the flags that have been flying for weeks in front of the city's most famous tourist attraction, considering that a bunch of locals got it together to pull down dozens of flags in more suburban areas.
I know Far Out is a tacky phoned-in content-scraping site and I shouldn't have clicked the link, but I'm genuinely very confused about why these two otherwise unremarkable paragraphs have a random f-bomb thrown into them. AI going haywire? Authorial cry for help?
September 29, 2025 at 8:06 PM
I know Far Out is a tacky phoned-in content-scraping site and I shouldn't have clicked the link, but I'm genuinely very confused about why these two otherwise unremarkable paragraphs have a random f-bomb thrown into them. AI going haywire? Authorial cry for help?
September 19, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Heading down to the big smoke to see Lisa O'Neill at the Royal Festival Hall tomorrow night. Will be spending this afternoon in the British Library poring over 1925 editions of G.K.'s Weekly. Another Venn diagram of leisure interests I can claim sole central occupancy of.
September 19, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Heading down to the big smoke to see Lisa O'Neill at the Royal Festival Hall tomorrow night. Will be spending this afternoon in the British Library poring over 1925 editions of G.K.'s Weekly. Another Venn diagram of leisure interests I can claim sole central occupancy of.
My partner's latest masterpiece, inspired by Ivor Cutler.
September 17, 2025 at 8:22 PM
My partner's latest masterpiece, inspired by Ivor Cutler.
On this topic, here's a good anecdote about Blake and the Beatles' publicist Derek Taylor, at the 1996 Q Awards
September 14, 2025 at 8:19 AM
On this topic, here's a good anecdote about Blake and the Beatles' publicist Derek Taylor, at the 1996 Q Awards
The TLS review includes a slightly finessed version of the same detail:
September 7, 2025 at 8:38 AM
The TLS review includes a slightly finessed version of the same detail: