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Oliver Mantell @olivermantell.bsky.social · 6h

‘You are willing to assume responsibility for everything! Except, that is, for your dreams! What […] lack of consistent courage! Nothing is _more_ your own than your dreams! Nothing _more_ your own work!… we really are not responsible for our dreams - but just as little for our waking life…’.

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Oliver Mantell @olivermantell.bsky.social · 6h

Some intriguing thoughts from Nietzsche on dreams/the waking self (in Daybreak):

‘there is no _essential_ difference between waking and dreaming… all our so-called consciousness is a more or less fantastic commentary on an unknown, perhaps unknowable, but felt text… To experience is to invent’

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Oliver Mantell @olivermantell.bsky.social · 7h

There’s a very odd tone in this article:

“What can the King do about Prince Andrew scandals?” www.bbc.com/news/article...

The obvious answer that it’s trying to avoid (or explain away, or justify) is: ‘more than they choose to’…

What can the King do about Prince Andrew scandals?

What sanctions could King Charles apply to Prince Andrew after the latest claims about links to Epstein?

www.bbc.com

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Oliver Mantell @olivermantell.bsky.social · 7h

I’ve got that impression from some people, too…

Reposted by Oliver Mantell

Clare Hooper @clarehooper.bsky.social · 2d

Open letter on the future of small press publishing in the UK.

www.thebookseller.com/comment/open...

Open letter on the future of small press publishing in the UK

The industry must work together to ensure the longevity of the UK’s independent presses.

www.thebookseller.com

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Oliver Mantell @olivermantell.bsky.social · 11h

That looks *good*…

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Oliver Mantell @olivermantell.bsky.social · 20h

In anticipation of today’s reading of V in Holbeck cemetery, here’s another Tony Harrison poem, A Cold Coming: youtu.be/Z5K_2gtJVS8?...

Rear Window - A COLD COMING BY TONY HARRISON

YouTube video by The World Today with Tariq Ali

youtu.be

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Oliver Mantell @olivermantell.bsky.social · 1d

You weren’t wrong.

(And his celebration… 😡)

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Oliver Mantell @olivermantell.bsky.social · 1d

It’ll be nice to see Wareham again too (as long as he doesn’t score…)

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Oliver Mantell @olivermantell.bsky.social · 1d

Feels like some attacking intent, with Ahmed and Doyle - but also some experienced heads around them.

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Bloodaxe Books @bloodaxebooks.bsky.social · 2d

Ahead of the Slung Low/ @lrb.co.uk special readings of the late Tony Harrison's long poem v. in Holbeck Cemetery on Sunday 12 October, John Newsham discusses the poem in the Morning Star.
morningstaronline.co.uk/article/vers...

V. A Homecoming: 12pm, 2.30pm & 5pm.
slunglow.org/v-a-homecoming/

Verses versus

“NEXT millennium you’ll have to search quite hard/ to find my slab behind the family dead.”With these words, poet Tony Harrison, who died last week aged 88, opened his unflinching, state-of-the-nation...

morningstaronline.co.uk

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Oliver Mantell @olivermantell.bsky.social · 2d

I’d say the time they spend there seems inefficient (and based on needing to be seen to put things ‘on the record’ more than co-developing wisdom…). And the late sitting/votes feel unreasonable.

I agree re tension between roles: perhaps more support re case-work would help to rebalance things?

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Oliver Mantell @olivermantell.bsky.social · 2d

Nice to see two excellent academic collections on audiences, data and policy [including my only (!) academic article] in new (more affordable) editions:

www.routledge.com/A-Reader-on-...

www.routledge.com/Audience-Dat...

Credit to @sdjhadley.bsky.social for editing/making them happen…

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Oliver Mantell @olivermantell.bsky.social · 2d

I’m really looking forward to this…

Brian Groom @groomb.bsky.social · 13d

Tony Harrison’s poem V to be performed in the Leeds cemetery that inspired it. www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/s...

Tony Harrison’s poem V to be performed in the Leeds cemetery that inspired it

The site-specific performance of the once controversial poem was planned for its 40th anniversary in October, but will now double as a tribute to the writer who died last week

www.theguardian.com

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Oliver Mantell @olivermantell.bsky.social · 2d

Sounds sensible.

(Things like restructuring ‘debates’ to reduce hours in the chamber might also help).

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Oliver Mantell @olivermantell.bsky.social · 2d

It seems so obvious they’re overwhelmed I’m surprised it’s even a debate(!). [except maybe *how* to address it].

I think MPs office/staff costs being described as ‘expenses’ is also unhelpful: it makes it sound like they’re spending money on themselves, not on discharge of their duties.

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Mark Taylor @markrt.bsky.social · 2d

funded quants x cultural policy x sociology PhDs don’t come up very often. this looks great! please circulate!

Christiaan Monden @cmonden.bsky.social · 2d

Great (paid) PhD opportunity. Excellent environment, conditions, and supervisors. And a topic close to my heart. (Selfish reason for promoting this: I fear there won't be enough concerts for retired me to go to. Geen dag zonder Bach.) vacatures.knaw.nl/job/The-Hagu...

PhD position "Is the audience for classical music concerts fading out?"

vacatures.knaw.nl

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Reposted by Oliver Mantell

Rick Burin @rickburin.bsky.social · 3d

Has anyone ever used the gimmick of advertising, “… and Marlon Brando as Godot”, or whatever.

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Dorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · 3d

I love that Beckett is still confounding people after all these years. It’s like “I went to see The Rite of Spring. I don’t know what the hell that was but it sure wasn’t music. I felt like rioting. One star”

Lux "Nightmare" Alptraum @luxalptraum.com · 4d

TFW you paid $1400 to see Beckett’s most famous work without knowing anything about it

One Star Review of Waiting for Godot on Broadway
I recently attended Waiting for Godot on Broadway and spent over $1,400 for two Row C seats (103 and 104). I'm a longtime admirer of Broadway productions and even hold a season pass for Shea's Performing Arts Theatre, so I came in with genuine enthusiasm and high expectations. Unfortunately, this show was unlike anything ! have ever experienced —and not in a good way.
What I encountered was not the artistry, music, or emotional storytelling I usually associate with Broadway, but instead what felt like an endless cycle of nonsensical conversation between characters who seemed trapped in their own madness. I tried-truly tried-to find meaning, symbolism, or even a thread of emotional resonance. I stayed through the first half hoping the second would offer clarity. But by intermission, it was clear: this was a waste of both time and money.
Keanu Reeves is an actor I respect greatly, but I cannot fathom why he would agree to participate in such a disjointed, inaccessible production. His talent was lost in a performance that defied reason rather than provoked insight.
To anyone considering attending: unless you are drawn to highly abstract, nearly incomprehensible theater, I strongly caution you against this show. For the average, educated, thoughtful theatergoer, it is far more frustrating than fulfilling. In my opinion, this was the single most disappointing Broadway experience I've ever had - an unfortunate waste of money and, more importantly, of time.

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Oliver Mantell @olivermantell.bsky.social · 3d

Good to know, thanks (adds it to ‘the list’…)

Reposted by Oliver Mantell

Matthew Francis @mfrancispoet.bsky.social · 3d

An old poem of mine that has been having a bit of a moment on Facebook.

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Oliver Mantell @olivermantell.bsky.social · 3d

Oh my: that’s rather special…

(Which collection is it in?)

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Twlldun @twlldun.bsky.social · 3d

People are asking me my opinion on the Nobel prize for literature winner and I would say - firstly - that László Krasznahorkai (Hungarian: [ˈlaːsloː ˈkrɒsnɒhorkɒi]; born 5 January 1954) is a Nobel Prize winning Hungarian novelist and screenwriter known for difficult and demanding[click to enlarge]

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Oliver Mantell @olivermantell.bsky.social · 3d

FWIW I think @musicvenuetrust.bsky.social could say something about reductions in bar sales for younger gig audiences…

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Oliver Mantell @olivermantell.bsky.social · 4d

Surely the spiciest take on this topic…

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John Attridge @johnattridge.bsky.social · 4d

Instead of competing for limited resources, other humanities disciplines should accept that they are all essentially branches of literary criticism

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