Scruffy Theory

“Unless poetry can absorb the machine failed of its full contemporary function” Hart Crane Cafeteria Scene Two young people are hunched over a laptop at a corner table in the back of a fluorescent-tube lit cafeteria. The tubes are flickering a little too slow, and not in sync with each other. Perhaps their starter motors need replacing. Several customers have already left due to strobe-induced nausea....

Image Persistence “Unless poetry can absorb the machine [it has] failed of its full contemporary function” Hart Crane Cafeteria Scene Two young people are hunched over a laptop at a corner table in the back of a flu…

Former Punk Rock firebrand turned turgid reactionary John Lydon throws his hat into the Eurovision fiasco, for some reason. He has stated himself, this week on RTE's Radio 1, that he has never watched a single broadcast of the event, which has run since 1956, branding it as ‘awful’ and ‘disgusting’. Lydon hopes to represent Ireland in the heavily politicised song contest....

Public Image Ltd. – Hawaii Former Punk Rock firebrand turned turgid reactionary John Lydon throws his hat into the Eurovision fiasco, for some reason. He has stated himself, this week on RTE’s Radio 1, that he has neve…

Happy new year everyone. Today I have begun studying the period between 1870 & 1940 as part of my degree in English Language & Literature. The module I am part way through is entitled 'Literature in Transition: from 1800 to the present'. The introduction to book 2 (entitled Movements: 1870-1940) of the module examines the contexts around what we think of as Modernist literature and art....

Notes on the contexts of Modernism Happy new year everyone. Today I have begun studying the period between 1870 & 1940 as part of my degree in English Language & Literature. The module I am part way through is entitled & #821…

“I’m the guy with no shirt who rocks." Peter Pan of Punk Rock is an iffy title that calls to mind dodgy allusions to everyone’s nana’s favourite pop star, Cliff Richard, but Iggy Pop is 75 and has just released a single he says will “beat the s**t out of you." Frenzy is a three minute punk thrasher that starts with the sound of an amp gently humming to itself with barely contained menace....

Iggy Pop – Frenzy “I’m the guy with no shirt who rocks.” Peter Pan of Punk Rock is an iffy title that calls to mind dodgy allusions to everyone’s nana’s favourite pop star, Cliff Richard, but Iggy Pop is 75 an…

For historical context, this short story was written in June or July of 2020. The story was initially supposed to continue in further instalments, hence the subtitle taken from a song lyric, but the attempts to follow it up didn't really go anywhere & I think (with 2+ year hindsight) that it works fairly well as a standalone, self contained, piece....

http://scruffytheory.com/2022/08/28/whiteness/

Whiteness For historical context, this short story was written in June or July of 2020. The story was initially supposed to continue in further instalments, hence the subtitle taken from a song lyric, but th…

Here are some hilarious reviews of Disco Elysium. I found them in Disco Elysium Cunoposting and the general idea behind sharing them is that if you want to convince someone to play Disco Elysium, don't show them the positive reviews, show them the negative ones.

http://scruffytheory.com/2022/05/23/disco-elysium-reviews/

Disco Elysium Reviews Here are some hilarious reviews of Disco Elysium. I found them in Disco Elysium Cunoposting and the general idea behind sharing them is that if you want to convince someone to play Disco Elysium, d…

A couple of days ago I Tweeted that I had just completed Elden Ring and that life is now empty. This was a little tongue in cheek, but I have played nothing else for the last two and a half months, clocking up around 190 hours of gameplay. There's a strange feeling of loss attached to finishing a game which burrowed so completely into my consciousness....

http://scruffytheory.com/2022/05/22/citizen-sleeper-first-impression/

Citizen Sleeper (first impression) A couple of days ago I Tweeted that I had just completed Elden Ring and that life is now empty. This was a little tongue in cheek, but I have played nothing else for the last two and a half months,…

Buoyed by the success of last years late career highlight, As The Love Continues, their first UK number one album, Mogwai return with triumphant new single, Boltfor. Initially conceived during the studio sessions for As The Love Continues, Boltfor sees Mogwai at their epic best. Heavily dominated by atmospheric synths and glitchy percussion, the track begins lowkey, before ascending into a glorious crescendo of melodic synths and distorted guitar....

http://scruffytheory.com/2022/04/26/mogwai-boltfor/

Mogwai – Boltfor Buoyed by the success of last years late career highlight, As The Love Continues, their first UK number one album, Mogwai return with triumphant new single, Boltfor. Initially conceived during the …