Out of body

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Jamie Jauncey

I have always thought that the last word in disembodiment was Tenniel’s illustration of the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland. ‘I have often seen a cat without a grin but never a grin without a cat,’ says Alice, watching … Continue reading →

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Born storytellers

Posted on April 21, 2017 by Jamie Jauncey

“We’re a narrative species,” said the scientist on Radio 4 the other day. “We understand the world in terms of stories.” He was talking about the MMR vaccine and how the stories of danger that have grown up around it … Continue reading →

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Dreaming spires

Posted on March 31, 2017 by Jamie Jauncey

Six years ago, in March 2011, we were about to set out for our second ever Dark Angels masterclass at Merton College, Oxford. I had written the previous week in this blog about a strange dream I had had, in … Continue reading →

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Secrets and lies

Posted on March 17, 2017 by Jamie Jauncey

Last autumn I started giving an illustrated talk which, I now realise, has been waiting more than six decades for its moment. The subject is my great-great-uncle, the writer, politician, horseman and adventurer, RB Cunninghame Graham, about whom I’ve written … Continue reading →

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Other hearts

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Jamie Jauncey

I was brought up in the Scottish countryside. Home was a house with a field and a wood, an old stables building and a walled garden. It was a late 18th century manse, elegant though not grand. In earlier times, … Continue reading →

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A fine balance

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Jamie Jauncey

Over the last 20 years I’ve made nearly a dozen trips to India. Each time I find myself re-enchanted by it, and each time by some new or different aspect of the place. I was born two years after Indian … Continue reading →

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Time in Hampi

Posted on February 3, 2017 by Jamie Jauncey

Even in Goa it’s hard to avoid politics. Apart from the constant temptation to check on the latest Trump outrage or Brexit dumbfoolery, it’s state election day here tomorrow. That means, among other inconveniences, that the whole place is dry … Continue reading →

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What love requires

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Jamie Jauncey

Last time I mentioned the Night For Angus concert, a tribute to the life and music of fiddler Angus Grant, which takes place tomorrow at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall.  Yesterday, in preparation, I listened to a live recording of a … Continue reading →

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Peaks and troughs

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Jamie Jauncey

Six months ago I decided to take a break from A Few Kind Words. It was a spur of the moment decision, though one that had been brewing for a while. One Thursday afternoon I sat down at the usual … Continue reading →

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Pause for breath

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Jamie Jauncey

After nearly seven years of continuous weekly posting, A Few Kind Words is taking a short sabbatical. I’ll be back  in the autumn – by which time the United Kingdom might be slightly less of a madhouse …

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