Plashing Vole
@plashingvole.bsky.social
Mild-mannered lecturer by day…mild-mannered lecturer by night. Welsh lit, politicians’ fictions. Fencer, cyclist, UCU. Dysgwr Cymraeg; tá gaeilge agam. Barnau fy hun.
Read books; join unions; block cookies.
Read books; join unions; block cookies.
Today’s first-year class was Jim Crace’s The Gift of Stones, led by my excellent colleague Nicola. It’s a wonderful, tricky novel, an allegory of the social effects of deindustrialisation and of the role of the storyteller in any society, set at the end of the Stone Age.
November 10, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Today’s first-year class was Jim Crace’s The Gift of Stones, led by my excellent colleague Nicola. It’s a wonderful, tricky novel, an allegory of the social effects of deindustrialisation and of the role of the storyteller in any society, set at the end of the Stone Age.
Idly plucked off the office bookcase my first (only) American edition of Dorothy Edwards’ Winter Sonata (1930). Dutton seemed to think it’s an untroubled novel set in England by an English author. Place not specified: subject is psychological distress: author Welsh and ended her own life in 1934.
November 10, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Idly plucked off the office bookcase my first (only) American edition of Dorothy Edwards’ Winter Sonata (1930). Dutton seemed to think it’s an untroubled novel set in England by an English author. Place not specified: subject is psychological distress: author Welsh and ended her own life in 1934.
I’m still mostly re-reading class texts but did squeeze in another Penguin Crime: Spotted Hemlock by Gladys Mitchell (1958). Good evocation of the atmosphere and culture of twin men’s and women’s agricultural colleges; plot becomes obscured by needless elements; very racist indeed.
November 10, 2025 at 8:27 AM
I’m still mostly re-reading class texts but did squeeze in another Penguin Crime: Spotted Hemlock by Gladys Mitchell (1958). Good evocation of the atmosphere and culture of twin men’s and women’s agricultural colleges; plot becomes obscured by needless elements; very racist indeed.
Someone at a Russell Group university was moved to almost-poetry by their Faculty Meeting… Can anyone do better?
November 7, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Someone at a Russell Group university was moved to almost-poetry by their Faculty Meeting… Can anyone do better?
Change of tone for the next one, which I taught today: Pride and Premeditation by @tirzahprice.bsky.social which went down quite well. Discussion centred on the intersections of genre, and the history of Austen rewrites/sequels etc.
November 6, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Change of tone for the next one, which I taught today: Pride and Premeditation by @tirzahprice.bsky.social which went down quite well. Discussion centred on the intersections of genre, and the history of Austen rewrites/sequels etc.
Note the ‘British soil’ bit. My uni has plans to open a campus in China. The VC scoffed at me when I expressed concern that staff and students wouldn’t be able to speak freely, and that - as he said - the curriculum would be censored. It’s the price of doing business.
November 6, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Note the ‘British soil’ bit. My uni has plans to open a campus in China. The VC scoffed at me when I expressed concern that staff and students wouldn’t be able to speak freely, and that - as he said - the curriculum would be censored. It’s the price of doing business.
Very useful starting point: here's my slide for the Research Methods class:
November 5, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Very useful starting point: here's my slide for the Research Methods class:
This afternoon’s topic: racism in terrible children’s books. Exhibit 1: The Secret Mountain by Enid Blyton. The illustrations have been toned down in this one but I have scans of the original.
November 4, 2025 at 12:52 PM
This afternoon’s topic: racism in terrible children’s books. Exhibit 1: The Secret Mountain by Enid Blyton. The illustrations have been toned down in this one but I have scans of the original.
Altogether now: Oh no it doesn’t!
November 3, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Altogether now: Oh no it doesn’t!
Not often I read two books by the same author - or by men - in a row but I was still in the mood for a pageturner so went for the latest Slow Horses novel. The plot and the denouement approach farce, and not only the structure but the dialogue are getting beyond enjoyably formulaic to just formulaic
November 2, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Not often I read two books by the same author - or by men - in a row but I was still in the mood for a pageturner so went for the latest Slow Horses novel. The plot and the denouement approach farce, and not only the structure but the dialogue are getting beyond enjoyably formulaic to just formulaic
Bristol looked good in the rain yesterday too.
November 2, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Bristol looked good in the rain yesterday too.
Bath looking good in the autumn weather.
November 1, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Bath looking good in the autumn weather.
A very interesting @privateeyenews.bsky.social story about this former Sri Lankan president accused of misuse of public funds for a visit to the UK. One British university certainly has questions to answer about security costs for his oddly unpublicised appearance. was the invoice inflated?
October 30, 2025 at 11:02 PM
A very interesting @privateeyenews.bsky.social story about this former Sri Lankan president accused of misuse of public funds for a visit to the UK. One British university certainly has questions to answer about security costs for his oddly unpublicised appearance. was the invoice inflated?
I do hope you all watch Gogglebox. Here’s a clip that works for anyone who works in British higher education. And indeed everybody else.
October 29, 2025 at 10:47 AM
I do hope you all watch Gogglebox. Here’s a clip that works for anyone who works in British higher education. And indeed everybody else.
Next up was Mick Herron’s The Secret Hours. Some good knockabout political satire at the expense of Johnson and Cummings, with a decent Fall-of-the-Wall background plot.
October 28, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Next up was Mick Herron’s The Secret Hours. Some good knockabout political satire at the expense of Johnson and Cummings, with a decent Fall-of-the-Wall background plot.
Having now read it, I understand why the government’s recently-published plan for Higher Education is called a White Paper.
October 26, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Having now read it, I understand why the government’s recently-published plan for Higher Education is called a White Paper.
I’ve had almost no time for reading books I’m not teaching recently, but a friend gave me a big bag of green Penguin Crime novels so I started with Mizmaze (1949) by Mary Fitt. An overheated melodrama about an awful family who all deserved murdering, it’s good fun but apparently not her best.
October 24, 2025 at 10:35 AM
I’ve had almost no time for reading books I’m not teaching recently, but a friend gave me a big bag of green Penguin Crime novels so I started with Mizmaze (1949) by Mary Fitt. An overheated melodrama about an awful family who all deserved murdering, it’s good fun but apparently not her best.
Today’s soda bread was moderately successful.
October 19, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Today’s soda bread was moderately successful.
Day 320 of not regretting leaving Labour.
Reeves leads attack on the environment (which includes us!)
But bankers will get their bonuses more quickly.
Reeves leads attack on the environment (which includes us!)
But bankers will get their bonuses more quickly.
October 15, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Day 320 of not regretting leaving Labour.
Reeves leads attack on the environment (which includes us!)
But bankers will get their bonuses more quickly.
Reeves leads attack on the environment (which includes us!)
But bankers will get their bonuses more quickly.
Today in Writing for Children we tackled narrative authority. Thanks to the storm who volunteered to read BJ Novak’s The Book With No Pictures without knowing what it does. She did brilliantly.
October 14, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Today in Writing for Children we tackled narrative authority. Thanks to the storm who volunteered to read BJ Novak’s The Book With No Pictures without knowing what it does. She did brilliantly.
My favourite bit: Mail columnist Richard Littlejohn explains that he’s a better writer than Tolstoy.
October 13, 2025 at 1:37 PM
My favourite bit: Mail columnist Richard Littlejohn explains that he’s a better writer than Tolstoy.
It does. He returns to the theme later:
October 13, 2025 at 1:36 PM
It does. He returns to the theme later:
Straddling both sides with a murder-subway you say?
October 13, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Straddling both sides with a murder-subway you say?
Just finished Gladys Mitchell’s Death at the Opera (1934). A mixed bag: as a dry, witty study of an enclosed society (the staff and a few students at a progressive private school) it’s superb; the psychoanalyst pensioner detective Mrs Bradley is fun; the plot is pretty poor.
October 13, 2025 at 7:05 AM
Just finished Gladys Mitchell’s Death at the Opera (1934). A mixed bag: as a dry, witty study of an enclosed society (the staff and a few students at a progressive private school) it’s superb; the psychoanalyst pensioner detective Mrs Bradley is fun; the plot is pretty poor.
Golden Age detective novelist Gladys Mitchell on the Irish;
October 10, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Golden Age detective novelist Gladys Mitchell on the Irish;