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Plashing Vole

@plashingvole.bsky.social

4.6K followers 3.2K following 4K posts

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.

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Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 16h

She certainly does. They were all very comfortable with stereotypes.

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 1d

Sorry Bethan. Hope it’s not too rough.

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Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 1d

I’ve got the Rackham but not read it yet. I’ll put it on top of the pile.

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 1d

There’s a good 1960 murder mystery set in the Potteries called The Spoilt Kill. The potbank has just changed to electric kilns and the atmosphere is unsettled.

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 1d

I don’t know that one. Must look it up. Thanks!

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Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 1d

The Benedictines who beat an education into me seemed to manage it.

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 1d

I’d read that.

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 1d

Priestley’s English Journey described Stoke as a vision of hell rivalled only by Wigan (or possibly Sheffield - haven’t got my copy to hand). He marvelled at the beauty produced by people living and working in these conditions.

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Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 1d

He did. I’ve read one (passable) but I think there might be a couple more.

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 1d

Another of my politician-authors too - a fairly decent poet.

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 1d

Aha! Right, I’ll have to get that one. You have an excellent username by the way. I re-read Possession regularly.

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 1d

Better than expected, anyway!

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 1d

My first encounter with Christian prosperity rap. Hopefully my last.

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 1d

Apparently I’m wrong. My seatmate feels that everyone does want to hear his music.

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Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 1d

Possibly wise! I remember some discussion of your work (maybe on Twitter?) and thought it was very interesting. If you ever fancy doing something together let me know!

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 1d

Thanks! Need to find some funding and time to read them all.

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 1d

I’m focussing on English, Welsh and Irish-language material but keeping an eye on anything else (Napoleon’s romance novel, Stalin’s poetry etc).

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 1d

That’s literally what inspired me. The plan is to make a public database and write a book examining politicians’ creative work as the subconscious of political culture, the stuff they can say outside official speeches, memoirs etc. have found about 800 people so far.

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Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 1d

Won? Own!

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 1d

I’ve read a couple of hers and she won a few more, but not Yes. She’s definitely one of the better authors.

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Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 2d

Comparative media studies at its best.

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 2d

One thing I love about the Traitors is you really get a very profound insight into a country culture, and we really do love to kill the clever ones.

General Boles @generalboles.bsky.social · 2d

He's got a point #CelebrityTraitors

Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 2d

I haven’t done the league tables of constituencies yet but it will come. There are more poets than novelists, more novels than poems, and a small number of playwrights.

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Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 2d

school names and categories, degree subjects and professions (where known). So far Eton, Oxford, Cambridge, Law and lawyering head the league tables of legislator-poets

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Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 2d

It’s been quite a productive morning. I read a computational literary studies PhD chapter that blew my tiny mind, and worked on my Politcian Authors database. Found two more Bulwer-Lyttons (Robert and Henry) and a rare living Labour woman novelist: Baroness Janet Neel/Cohen. Also started adding…

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Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 2d

Golden Age detective novelist Gladys Mitchell on the Irish;

Extract from Death at the Opera by Gladys Mitchell (1934): ‘fanatically chaste and unreasoningly modest as only an Irish person can be’.

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