Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Andrew Crowther

@andrewcrowther.bsky.social

330 followers 270 following 1.9K posts

Unprofessional writer, author of "Down to Earth" published by Stairwell Books and also "Stupid Stories for Tough Times" published by Renard Press, Secretary of the W S Gilbert Society, brunch liberal, and twit Bradford, Yorkshire

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · Aug 17

It's no use denying that part of the reason I'm on Bluesky is to publicise myself as a writer. I don't really know how to do it, but I'm guessing the best thing is to let people know what my books are like & how to get them; give an idea of my style and viewpoint; & warn them that I look like this:

A picture of me. I wear glasses and I have a little beard and moustache. I am smiling faintly and I stare into the camera with an expression that says, "Trust me with all your money." The picture is by Mark Bailey.

1 2 11

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 36m

I don't quite agree, but I wonder if this is partly because I grew up in the 1970s & 1980s when even new paperbacks were often bound with hard, brittle gum that would snap in the middle, leaving the book to disintegrate into a loose sheaf of pages, if you didn't treat the book with incredible care

Nick Pettigrew @nick-pettigrew.bsky.social · 13h

The veneration of Books As Objects misses the point entirely. If you're reading a book, turn the corners down, break the spine, spill soup on it. It's your book, go nuts. A pristine, unread book is a tragedy in a way that a beloved, much-read book that looks like the dog's been at it could never be.

Rachel Feder @rachelfeder.bsky.social · 21h

Tell me your most unhinged literary opinion, as a little treat

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 54m

The idea that plays only really exist in performance, not as texts to be read, is factually incorrect: Shakespeare, for instance, can only really be understood as both performance *and* text. The prevailing opinion against drama as text is causing great harm to the development of drama.

Rachel Feder @rachelfeder.bsky.social · 21h

Tell me your most unhinged literary opinion, as a little treat

Reposted by Andrew Crowther

Patriciajaydee @patriciajaydee.bsky.social · 6h

The rikishi are taking-in the town and doing what we all do when in London.
Seeing the sights, admiring the parks, shopping on High Street, taking tea at Fortnum's, using the olde phonebox, eating Chinese, and having a terrific time.

3 3 29

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 14h

But I'll keep reading.....

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 14h

Reading a violent thriller set in Bradford; I'm afraid I am unconvinced. There's a very active low life in the city of course, but surely at a very local, small time level. To associate this shabby old town with the baroque villainies the book describes gives an air of unreality to the whole thing.

1 2

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 19h

No comment

Moose Allain @mooseallain.bsky.social · 19h

There's a bit of Andrew in all of us.

www.worldofmoose.com/collections/...

Cartoon of a man leaning on a table looking pensive. Caption: Andrew daydreams about having his novel serialised, if he can be bothered to write it.

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 1d

I certainly agree.

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 1d

Rodgers and Hammerstein always sounds to me like a strange throwback to Edwardian or even late Victorian musical comedy; the attempt to pretend Jazz never happened seems especially uncomfortable to me.

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 2d

Today's Octordle includes a word that I do not think they would have used if they were British.

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 2d

Dammit

Wordle 1,576 X/6*

⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩

1 1

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 2d

(also "memorable")

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 2d

I don't think BBC presenters would use a phrase like "the world's top orchestras" if they were more familiar with "1066 and All That"

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 2d

I especially enjoy the mischief and wit his theatre music, which has been rather neglected in the past, even in comparison with his film music.

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 2d

Delighted to see a new recording is about to be released this month of Shostakovich's incidental music for The Human Comedy and The Shot,* along with discarded bits of The Nose

* not to be confused with The Bolt, of course

www.naxos.com/FeaturePages...

Shostakovich – The Human Comedy • The Nose • The Shot | Discover now at Naxos

www.naxos.com

1 1

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 2d

Just noticed this very nice new mural on the outside of the Broadway centre in Bradford, elegantly touching on the city’s past associations with the wool industry

The mural shows brightly coloured threads forming a weave, merging with grey industrial chimneys and their smoke

1 1 4

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 3d

I'm also wondering what could possibly be worse than being a patchy composer

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 3d

www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...

A digital dark age? The people rescuing forgotten knowledge trapped on old floppy disks

From lectures by Stephen Hawking to the letters of British politician Neil Kinnock – it's a race against time to save the historical treasures locked away on old floppy disks.

www.bbc.co.uk

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 3d

Is that... a Castle of Otranto reference?

Detail from the cartoon cover of Puffin Post, showing a medieval helmet with puffin legs sticking out underneath. A caption states: "Bodyless head from the haunted castle".

1 1

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 3d

There’s a lot of real wit and humour in Rachmaninov’s Paganini Rhapsody; I always especially enjoy the typewriter imitation near the end

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 4d

If they're staggering, and accelerating at the same time, I anticipate an impressive pratfall in the immediate future, possibly into a pile of bins

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 4d

Inevitably, I have managed to add an extra typo in the alt-text. Sorry.

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 4d

I don't like to judge* but is someone at the BBC all fingers and thumbs this morning?

*liar

Screenshot from the BBC website showing music recently played on BBC Radio 3, including Weber's Andante and "Hungaian" Rondo, and "Mr.Fox in the Feilds" from"The Fantasitic Mr.Fox" by Akexandre Desplat

1 1

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 4d

I keep forgetting that the ONLY reason I am on here is to enjoy myself; but I suddenly remembered it, and have muted the names of a couple of horrible people who only cause anger and sadness in my life. I'm hoping this might help.

1 3

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 5d

One of the presenters of "In Tune" on Radio 3 says the name of the programme in a way that makes me want to respond, "Bless you".

Andrew Crowther @andrewcrowther.bsky.social · 5d

I may have made a tactical error

renardpress.com/books/stupid...

Stupid Stories for Tough Times – Renard Press

In Stupid Stories for Tough Times a woodland spirit causes havoc in suburbia; a wayward uncle causes suspicion in the family; a ferocious troll seeks a friend; and Churchill’s statue goes walkabout in...

renardpress.com

1 2