Alison McQueen

Blog

Morons In Our Midst

Posted: April 24th, 2012

It is most unusual for me to comment about anything to do with local government, most of which bring a new dimension to the meaning of incompetence. Yet that is the way it has been since before I was born, and I have come to the sad conclusion that you can’t fight City Hall. You can, however, throw your hands up in despair when they go and do something like this. Continue Reading »

So Close And Yet So Far

Posted: April 20th, 2012

I have ground to an eerie halt, which usually means that the first draft is down. This one (my seventh novel) has been particularly complicated, and has felt like wrestling an elephant to the ground. It’s all very well to have it pinned down, but at some point I’m going to have to decide what to do with it next. Continue Reading »

Another Thread of History

Posted: April 18th, 2012

I met Patrick recently in Goa, where he has lived for some time while working on his extraordinary project to document the history and cultural context of Indian quiltmaking. He is clearly a gifted photographer, and his passion for textiles is contagious. The result of Patrick’s many years of dedicated research is a sumputuous volume called Timeless Textiles of India. He really does know his onions. Continue Reading »

Every Cloud, And All That

Posted: April 12th, 2012

The monsoon broke early this morning. I heard it outside the window. Great crashing explosions of thunder. Bolts of lightning splitting through the sky. Then the rain, like stair rods. The hotel cat, Lucy, a skinny little white thing with cream patches, is not happy. She doesn’t like the storms, and wanders around howling. I love storms, the more violent the better, and have been up since six, drinking tea and watching the landscape disappear behind the weather.  Continue Reading »

Total Wipeout

Posted: April 11th, 2012

I am no stranger to travelling in India, and over the last dozen years I have only once fallen foul of the digestive problems that befall so many. So when I started feeling unwell on Monday, I thought (hoped) it was nothing. Twenty-four hours later, after seeing a homeopath who came highly recommended (but gave me tablets which taste of sugar and seem to do nothing much), I am now lying in a darkened room feeling utterly grotesque. Continue Reading »