Not a lot to write about over the recent past. Unlocked down Britain has been incredibly dull. The arrival of variants has been greeted with the hyperventilating hysteria that would be suited to Ebola but is a dash over the top for most of us faced with Covid. The trend to reach for the fascist solution of excluding a minority on health grounds and to coerce people to do things that they rationally believe to be wrong for them has been deeply troubling… I have responded by hiding away, sailing as much as possible over the summer and trying to set myself for a new start in life.
Writing, has, for the most part taken a back seat. I have been doing a text book, under my real name, but that is largely a mechanical act. Create a structure, detail what needs to be said and flesh the bones. No great creative impulse required beyond clarity and perseverance.
Isolation due to Covid has caught up with me and had a depressing effect on both home and work. In a bid to improve things I have taken up leatherwork. I get a mindful state from stitching seams and the joy of having made a physical object at the end of my sketching, cutting, stitching and swearing… oh yes dear reader, the language chez Hope is not of the best.
I shall post some of my creations at a future date… for now Christmas preparation as best can be managed is at the front of my mind. I hope you all have a peaceful season and a good start to the new year.
Jeremiah Hope 