Slipping into darkness: Mysterious disappearance of feminist icon explored in new Betty Davis film

“People always talk about Betty as the wife of Miles Davis when I’d like to think that Miles Davis was more likely the wife of Betty.” Neneh Cherry’s intro at the recent UK premiere of ‘Betty - They Say I’m Different’ perfectly captures the influence and spirit of one of the greatest funk musicians of … Continue reading Slipping into darkness: Mysterious disappearance of feminist icon explored in new Betty Davis film →

Top 10 songs about obsession to inspire your writing

Songs about obsession can offer writers an emotional gateway into love's dark and edgier cousin. From The Police's 'Every breath you take' and The Human League's 'Don’t you want me baby' to Morrisey's 'The more you ignore me' and Blondie's 'One way or another', there's so much inspiration! Here’s my Top Ten tunes about the … Continue reading Top 10 songs about obsession to inspire your writing →

Original girl power: celebrating funk feminism in YA

Summer 2018 will see the 20th anniversary of the era-defining The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and er, Destiny's Child self-titled release. But one landmark is unlikely to be on your radar: the 45th anniversary of Betty Davis' self-titled LP. Betty who, you ask? Betty was the first of her kind: a musician completely at … Continue reading Original girl power: celebrating funk feminism in YA →

Romancing the stone: The man who built a magic castle to lost love

To say that the man who claimed to have mastered the building techniques of the ancient Egyptians was enigmatic is somewhat an understatement. Edward Leedskalnin’s monumental love letter in stone to his teen fiancé is as mysterious and incredible a feat as any Old Kingdom pyramid. You see, Ed knocked up his megalithic mega-structure(s) single-handed. … Continue reading Romancing the stone: The man who built a magic castle to lost love →