Bill Logans love affair with the works of Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw goes back to his days as a college student at the University of Houston in the late 1970s.

But throughout the intervening years, he had never had the opportunity to work on a production of one of Shaws most popular plays, Candida until now.

Logan directed the play for The Gingerbread Players of Saint Lukes Church in Forest Hills. It opened last weekend and two performances remain on Nov. 18 and 19.

Logan, who lives in Forest Hills, got his feet wet as a Shavian actor early in his theatrical career, appearing in a production of Getting Married. Four decades later he came full circle when he directed the play for the Gingerbread troupe.

Among the other Shavian plays with which he has been involved either as actor or director are The Philanderer and You Never Can Tell.

So delighted is he by Shaws writing that he claims, One of my most pleasant discoveries was on a business trip to Boston where I found a six-volume set of the complete works of Shaw for $35.

He appreciates that Shaws plays have a serious yet humorous way of approaching topics that are still relevant.

Candida, which was written in 1894, is a case in point. The themes, among them the examination of a womans place in marriage and the meaning of marriage itself, are pertinent to today, Logan said.

Shaws portrayal of independent women must have startled audiences back then, Logan said.

The plays three central characters are James Morell, a well-known English reverend and moralist (played by David Ezra Stein); his devoted wife, Candida (Lauren Snyder); and a passionate young poet, Eugene Marchbanks (Joey Mignone), who tries to win Candidas affections.

Snyder says her character is surprisingly a lot like me. She is good-natured and likes taking care of people a bit more than I do.

She first became acquainted with the role when she took a workshop at HB Studio, one of the original acting studios in New York City, under famed actor and teacher Austin Pendleton. He had a wealth of knowledge about Shaw, she said. I worked on my character in class. Now, she says, I notice things differently about her.

Rounding out the cast are Farah Diaz-Tello, Andrew Dinan and Mike Miller.

Not only does Candida question Victorian notions of love and marriage, but, as is typical in many of Shaws works, it also touches upon political issues of the day, though, according to Logan, theyre not central in this play.

Following open auditions, rehearsals for the production began in late August. Logan has found the experience to be great. The cast is very dedicated. They work very hard. Theyve learned how to play Shaw; they get the humor and all his points across.

Remaining performances take place at Saint Lukes Church, at 85 Greenway South, on Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 19 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $15. For more information, visit gingerbreadplayers.org or call (718) 268-7772.

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Shaw's 'Candida' probes the power of love - Queens Chronicle

PEN TO PAPER: Letters shape history and peoples political and personal lives.

In 1527, King Henry VIII put ink to paper to write his future second wife, Anne Boleyn, telling her that he had written with the hand of him who wishes he were yours.

Letters now have a place in museums and estate houses, as well as on stage.

On Thursday evening in London, Letters Live, the literary event that brings together celebrities and critically acclaimed writers to read letters to a live audience, celebrated its 10th anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall with a helping hand from Montblanc, the German luxury goods brand dedicated to writing instruments, as well as timepieces, leather goods, accessories, fragrances and eyewear.

A jam-packed audience at the concert hall listened, laughed, cried and clapped as letters were read aloud by Benedict Cumberbatch, Gillian Anderson, Olivia Colman, Minnie Driver, Stephen Fry, Will Sharpe and Woody Harrelson.

It was only natural for Montblanc to unite with Letters Live, as both share an unwavering devotion to the written word and the influence it wields on individuals and communities. Montblancs very inception was rooted in a visionary concept to transform the way people connect through the art of writing, and we are thrilled to extend this incredible legacy through our partnership, opening fresh avenues for people to rediscover the magic of words, said Vincent Montalescot, chief marketing officer at Montblanc.

Cumberbatch, a coproducer of Letters Live, kicked off the evening with a letter by playwright and critic George Bernard Shaw to The Times of London from 1905.

Shaw wrote about of his evening at the Royal Opera House to watch a performance of Don Giovanni, which was disturbed by a woman wearing a large white bird, which looked exactly if someone had killed it by stamping on the beast, and then nailed it to the ladys temple.

I wore the costume imposed on me by the regulations of the house. I fully recognize the advantage of those regulations. Evening dress is cheap, simple, durable, prevents rivalry and extravagance on the part of male leaders of fashion, he wrote.

Other famous letters in the lineup included Jackie Morris note to the BBC; one from Nina Simone to Andy Stroud, and Anas Nins message to The Collector, an anonymous collector that would pay a dollar a page for the erotic stories of Nin, Henry Miller and their group of friends.

Tom Odell, Angelique Kidjo, The Spirituals Choir and Kae Tempest performed musical and spoken-word numbers in between the letter readings.

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Montblanc Fetes Letters Live 10th Anniversary With A-list Celebrities - WWD

If Thomas Edison hadnt repeatedly tried and failed (1,000 times), paid attention to results, and modified his approach to fix each flaw, the invention of the light bulb might have been in question. Trial, and error, admitting mistakes, acknowledging the obvious, and correcting course is the basis of scientific endeavor. Unfortunately, any such objective scrutiny of results and applied remedies is often missing in the public policy process, particularly when it comes to sanctuary policies for illegal aliens. Unlike Edison, leftist politicians who put in place sanctuary havens for lawbreakers now refuse to recognize the cause and effect of their colossalmistakes.

Yet, in the midst of Bidens Border Crisis that fuels massive flows of migrants to states and major urban areas within them, the evidence is now crystal clear: Sanctuary policies are an abject failure resulting in skyrocketing costs, increased gangs, drugs, crime, housing shortages, and publicoutcry.

Sanctuary policies generally referring to municipalities (or even entire states) that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities exist in some 600 cities and counties. Three sanctuary jurisdictions, in particular, are currently experiencing dramatic cause and effect due to theirpolicies.

George Bernard Shaw once observed, No question is so difficult to answer as that to which the answers are obvious. While sanctuary-supporting politicians, blinded by the pursuit of power and corrupted by special interests, may have difficulty seeing the obvious, the citizens of New York, Chicago, and Boston can see it, and for them the answer is easy: End sanctuary policiesnow.

Sanctuary policies lack any inherent public benefit and impose adverse impact on local communities. They must be reversed because if not now in the middle of unprecedented turmoil with incontrovertible proof of failure, then when if ever would it betime?

The rest is here:
Time to End the Sanctuary Cities Experiment: It Couldn't Be More ... - Federation for American Immigration Reform

Check out all that Carlow has to offer this November weekend.

Friday 17th November:

Palatine GAA Clubhouse will host a fundraiser table quiz at 8pm on Friday.You can enter the quiz as a table of four for 40, with raffle prizes up for grabs on the night. The fundraiser is in aid of Carlow'sBrooke Cassidy whowill travel to Cape Town, South Africa in March alongside thirty-five other volunteers withFreeland projects.

Man Down byCarlow based choreographer Roisn Whelan will be in the George Bernard Shaw Theatre at 8pm on Friday. This dance show brings together evocative lighting and a foreboding set design that amplify the turmoil of one mans internal world. Tickets cost 16 and can be purchased online HERE

"Chopin by Candlelight" is a mesmerizing concert that will take place inSt Mary's Church of Ireland, Carlow at 9pm Friday night. Tickets cost21.35 and can be purchased online HERE

Saturday 18th November:

Dance Republic's 2023 show will take place on Saturday in the George Bernard Shaw Theatre. They will take to the stage and show off what they have been working on all year at classes and rehearsals. The shows will take place at 12pm, 3.30pm and 7pm with tickets costing 10-15 available to purchase HERE

Mayor Cllr. Tom O'Neill & Santa will turn on the Christmas lights this Saturday atLightfest. The familyevening will be filled with music, fireworks, and much more. Gates open at 4pm with lights being turned on at 6pm. The event is free to attend but you must reserve your place on eventbrite

Irish contemporary folk harpist, singer and composer BRDNwill perform at Carlow Pembroke club D'Art on Saturday at 8pm. Tickets cost 17 and can be purchased online HERE

The Foundry presents a Party Powerhouse night with DJ A/K at 10.30pm on Saturday. Tickets cost 8 and can be purchased online HERE

Sunday 19th November:

The Step House Hotel will host their Winter Wedding Showcase on Sunday between 2pm and 5pm.

Dorothy DoLittle's Magical Adventure Puppet Show comes to the George Bernard Shaw Theatre on Sunday at 3pm. Tickets cost 7-10 and can be purchased online HERE

WAR PONY film comes to the Visual this Sunday. It is a tender portrait of two boys' troubled passage into adulthood and a winner of the top prize in the Cannes Film Festival's Un Certain Regard. The film will be shown at 7.30pm onSunday November 19th 2023. Tickets cost 7 and can be purchased online HERE

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What's On: We've compiled a list of everything Carlow has to offer ... - Carlow Live

Compiled by Dr Cormac Moore

18 November, 2023 01:00

November 20 1923

THOUGH nothing will be done in the matter of the Ulster boundary until after the election, we are assured that at the same time considerable anxiety is felt amongst politicians who are friends of the Six Counties over the question.

This anxiety, it is hardly necessary to say, was discovered by the Northern Whig's expert in revelations. He had a weird and disquieting tale to tell yesterday: -

Some time during last week a Government Departmental Committee sat to discuss what steps should be taken in the future so far as it concerns the Imperial Government.

No fault can be found with the Imperial Government for asking a Departmental Committee to discuss what steps should be taken regarding either the boundary question or the future which of the two concerns the Imperial Government is left doubtful in the text though Mr [Stanley] Baldwin and his colleagues are more concerned with the future than with the boundary for the passing time. But and here are the terrible facts that causes considerable anxiety amongst friends of the Six Counties: -

This committee's activities were kept very strict indeed, so much so that I understand even ministers who should have known about its existence were kept in the dark. Another most important fact, so far as Ulster is concerned, is that the composition of the committee is extremely unsatisfactory. Scarcely a member of it could be described as a real friend of the province.

If the friends of the committee are not friends, they must be enemies. Neutrality is unknown nowadays Crazy bogies which would not delude an intelligent infant elsewhere are paraded before the eyes of the loyalist electorate.

(Irish News editorial deriding the paranoia and conspiracies propagated by Ulster unionists looking to maintain a siege mentality, where no threat existed, to gain electoral advantage.)

A 'Twelfth' Story in Liverpool

With as much pride in his native city as any other son of Belfast, Mr St John Ervine has no great relish for its celebrations of July 12th, says a contributor to the Liverpool Daily Post. He made that quite evident in the story he told, with a rich Belfast brogue, to the Rotarians yesterday.

An American who was in Belfast for a day was amazed at all the processioning and the drum-beating that was going on. What's up? he asked a bystander. It's the Twal'th. he was told. I know it's the Twelfth, but what's all this about? he persisted.

Such ignorance was too much for the fervent Belfastian. For God's sake, man, he burst out, away and read your Bible.

(An amusing anecdote from novelist, playwright and biographer St John Ervine who wrote biographies of James Craig, Edward Carson, Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw, amongst others.)

Visit link:
Crazy Bogies Paraded Before 'Loyalist' Electorate - On this day in ... - The Irish News

Some served as settings for great written works, others hosted renowned authors while they worked on their masterpieces. They might house stunning libraries or celebrate written word traditions with special events. If youre a true bibliophile, consider adding these eight literary destinations to your travel list!

Die-hard book fans will find themselves right at home in Buenos Aires. The Argentinian capital boasts more bookshops nearly 700 than any other city on the planet. El Ateneo Grand Splendid, converted from an old theater, is routinely named one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. The city also organizes an enormous annual book fair, bringing in more than a million readers each year.

Trinity College Library in Dublin

Irelands capital with its long storytelling tradition and definite love of craic produced a total of four literary Nobel laureates: W.B. Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett, and Seamus Heane. You can get to know the men and their works over a few pints during a literary pub crawl. Pay homage to another favorite Dublin son in Merrion Square, where a colorful statue of playwright Oscar Wilde lounges across a large boulder. And make time for a stop at Trinity College to peek at the ancient Book of Kells, the incredible gospel books illustrated by Celtic monks.

Many famous authors have made Edinburgh their home, from Sir Walter Scott to J.K. Rowling who dreamt up Harry Potter. You can learn more about them all at the citys Writers Museum. Edinburgh also hosts festivals and celebrations throughout the year focused on the written word. Perhaps the most famous Burns Night is held January 25. Scots host traditional dinners and toast Scotlands most beloved poet, Robert Burns.

It might be a small Midwestern town, but Iowa City punches above its height when it comes to literary tradition, thanks to the University of Iowa Writers Workshop. Established in 1936, 17 Pulitzer Prize winners have completed the prestigious creative writing program. Star alums include Kurt Vonnegut and Flannery OConnor. Even UNESCO took notice, naming Iowa City one of its Cities of Literature in 2008.

In Istanbul, I was captivated by the history, the daily calls to prayer, and all the books! Used bookshops, or sahaflar, are all over the city. One of the oldest and most popular is Sahaflar ars, not too far from the iconic Grand Bazaar. Writers have gathered here since the 16th century, and today, its still a great place to pick up older tomes and rare finds. The sultans loved their books, too; make sure to wander through the Iznik-tile-laden library if you visit Topkap Palace.

A man in police costume stands outside the Sherlock Holmes Museum

Londons long been known as a star of the global literary scene. Shakespeares original Globe Theatre was built here in 1599 but destroyed by a fire 14 years later. Today, audiences from around the world visit the new Globe, a replica of the historic spot. The Sherlock Holmes Museum on Baker Street is dedicated to Sir Arthur Conan Doyles famous detective. You can step through the space where Dickens wrote Oliver Twist at the museum bearing his name on Doughty Street and also check out the Poets Corner in Westminster Abbey, where many of Londons most loved authors are buried or memorialized.

Many critically acclaimed American authors lived and wrote in New York City and still do! From James Baldwin and Jack Kerouac to Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote, theres no shortage of literary glitterati associated with New York. You can still grab a drink at the White Horse Tavern, frequented by Hunter S. Thompson and where poet Dylan Thomas spent his last night alive. The Chelsea and Algonquin Hotels both played host to author meet-ups and still retain a funky feel. For the ultimate glam bookstore experience, head to Albertine. Housed inside the Payne Whitney mansion, here youll find books in both French and English.

Last but certainly not least, the City of Light has had its share of learned luminaries. A century ago, Paris enjoyed a writing heyday when expats, including Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, all flew to France for its creative and bohemian salon scene. Retrace their steps and pick up some of their work at Shakespeare & Co. the Left Banks legendary bookshop.

Building a trip based on books and the people who penned them can be a terrific way to really get to know the culture, people, and traditions of a place. While they make a great take-home gift or souvenir, make sure to do your reading beforehand, too. Engaging in just a bit of research about a city is one of the best ways to build excitement and boost your confidence as you head to a new destination!

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8 Top Literary Destinations Around The World - TravelAwaits

George Bernard Shaw famously said that you could spell "fish" in English as ghoti; gh as in enough, o as in women and ti as in any of the words ending in tion such as motion. There are 44 sounds in English, which could be represented by our current alphabet with a few hybrid additions. Words could then be spelled phonetically (feneticaly) and phonics would rule. Of course, we would need the political will to do this (Congress could not even adopt the simpler metric system used by the rest of the world), and we know that the most pressing political issue is whether Biden stole the 2020 election from Trump.

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Letter: Re: the Nov. 7. article Local opinion: Support those taking ... - Arizona Daily Star

Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

17 November, 2023 00:16

A letter written by Joe Lycett to the former home secretary Suella Braverman has been read out at the Royal Albert Hall.

Stephen Fry gave a rendition of the communication, on behalf of Lycett, at the 10th anniversary of Letters Live which is held in association with a charity supporting refugees.

Mrs Bravermans name being mentioned on Thursday night attracted shouts of boos from some in the audience.

Before being ousted as home secretary, the Conservative MP attracted criticism over her comments about rough sleeping being a lifestyle choice, people from the LGBT+ community seeking asylum in the UK and the Metropolitan Polices managing of pro-Palestine protests.

The letter from Lycett, who has identified as pansexual, was previously revealed by the comedian in October.

Fry read it out saying: Dear Home Secretary, I am contacting you on an urgent matter as I was very interested to read your claim that asylum seekers are attempting to abuse the immigration system by pretending to be I too am disgusted by men pretending to be gay and think we should weed out this scourge from our society.

He added a radical plan has been devised that would involve Lycett monitoring applications through setting up a company to help the Government with asylum claims.

The Lycett letter also read: Just because you or your family have benefited from a system doesnt mean that system should not be smashed to bits.

For example I am vehemently against people pretending to be gay simply to achieve a better life, despite that being exactly what I did to progress in showbusiness.

Following Frys rendition, there were cheers and claps from the audience.

Ahead of performances at the event, Choose Loves chief executive Josie Naughton said: We dont believe in deporting people to Rwanda.

The reference to the Governments immigration policy attracted applause.

Earlier this month, Lycett referenced Mrs Bravermans remarks as part of a campaign to raise 50,000, which he reached, for homelessness charity Crisis UK.

Elsewhere, Jodie Whittaker performed a letter sent by fellow Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi to a nine-year-old fan of the BBC science fiction series.

Whittaker had followed Capaldi in playing the Time Lord, known as the Doctor.

Benedict Cumberbatch also dramatically rendered George Bernard Shaws voice as he read out his letter of complaint to the Times about an opera event.

Putting on a voice, Cumberbatch as Shaw objected to a woman wearing a bird on an outfit.

Oscar winner Olivia Colman, Outlander star Tobias Menzies and Sex Education star Gillian Anderson also performed other letters.

Anderson read out American writer Anais Nins letter to a client who was paying her for erotic fiction.

Colman, who starred in an BBC adaption of Great Expectations, read a letter written to the corporation in which childrens author Jackie Morris objected to being asked to pay the licence fee when she had no TV aerial.

The actress also soliloquised aletter of complaint to a funeral parlour by novelist Lydia Davis.

American actor Woody Harrelson, who is performing in the Ulster American at the Riverside Studios in London, read letters from novelists Kurt Vonnegut and John Cheever.

The show supports Choose Love, which help refugees and displaced people.

Excerpt from:
Joe Lycett letter to Suella Braverman read at refugee charity event - The Irish News

The incomparable James Baldwin pronounced with profound simplicity that one writes out of one thing only ones own experience, and from that experience tries to wrench out the last drop, sweet or bitter it can give. How true of the writers craft, even that of a lowly hack! This composition is, after a fashion, the upshot of an association of ideas, events and people relating to the experience of corruption. In the end, it is a story of a nemesis confronting hubris!

A recent essay on the monstrous corruption under the present regime provoked remonstrations from some critics who chastised me for describing the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement steered by Arvind Kejriwal as messianic and a force for good, for ramming through the groundbreaking Lokpal Act in 2013. I was admonished for bestowing a halo on what was a sanctimonious and disingenuous middle-class uprising against political corruption that, in tandem with the infamous Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Vinod Rai and his trumped-up national loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crores to the Exchequer apropos of the 2G spectrum allotment, cleared the way for the alleged but now absolved conductor of Gujarat 2002.

In my critics view, it was ultimately not about fighting corruption but a deep-rooted RSS-backed plot to wrest control of the polity. One should have but didnt smell the rat when Kejriwal roped in Hindutva icons Ramdev and Sri Sri Ravishankar to the IAC fold. Much later, Prashant Bhushan, one of IACs leading lights, conceded that his outfit was propped up by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Ironically, almost all my critics were at one time passionate devotees of Kejriwal and gang. Who wasnt? The entire country was initially suckered into believing the third-rate cops-and-robbers narrative spun by these self-righteous do-gooders. A decade ago, Kejriwal and his cabal with Anna Hazare as bewildered talisman were perceived as starry-eyed idealists on a mission to awaken people to the rot in the system. Despite a host of seasoned professionals and intellectuals in the IAC, it was chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, the upstart who usurped the leadership mantle through sheer ingenious guile. To give the devil credit, he was undoubtedly the moving force in the crusade against corruption.

What was unknown at that time was his absolute craving for power. And his unbridled ambition was far from quenched by bringing the venal UPA government to its knees and forcing through the Lokpal Act. Having got a taste of power, albeit without accountability, he lusted for more. Kejriwal realised that the anti-corruption movement had run its course and he needed to migrate to where the real power was to remain relevant in the public sphere.

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In late 2012, Kejriwal broke away from Anna Hazare who had, in any case, expended his usefulness as titular head of the anti-corruption campaign. But the rumoured trigger for the parting of ways was the issue of converting the IAC movement into a political entity. Even as the old man faded into insignificance, Kejriwal formed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), determined to exploit the mass public support and goodwill generated by the IAC movement. His instincts were spot on as the new kids on the block emerged ahead of the Congress and BJP with 28 of the 70 Assembly seats in the 2013 Delhi election.

Also read: Arvind Kejriwals Latest Gambit is Politics as Deadly Poker With Deities as Cards

In the 2015 Delhi assembly elections, this fledgling party won a resounding victory, claiming 67 of the 70 seats, decimating the two major political parties. AAP struck a chord among all sections of the masses with its message of a moral political order based on the sovereignty of the people and devolution of powers to the grassroots. It denounced caste and community-based politics and upheld the dignity of the individual and her right to essential goods including free water and subsidised electricity. It purveyed an ideological neutrality that sought to absorb the best in capitalism and socialism. A party comprising academics, lawyers, technocrats, bureaucrats, actors, holy men, et al spoke an audacious democratic idiom that held out hope of a brave new form of governance free of corruption and based on the well-being and collective will of the people.

As it has turned out, AAPs success is based on a big lie! The Bible proclaims that God created man in his own image. Likewise, a powerful leader inevitably moulds his party into a mirror reflection of his personality and character. And when the leader is self-obsessive, the party is subsumed under the sheer weight of his egomaniacal persona. Both AAP and the BJP have been morally crippled by such supermen.

There are striking similarities between Kejriwal and the Vishwaguru. Although the bush shirted and mufflered aam aadmi (common man) is sartorially very different from the dandy accoutred in Maybach shades and flashy kurtas, they share much in common. They are machiavellian realists possessed of an all-consuming lust for power, who refuse to be distracted by considerations of right and wrong. They traffic in falsehoods and are so addicted to lying that exaggeration is their nearest link to the truth. They shamelessly parade religion in the public square for personal benefit, heedless of the damage it does to the secular fabric. They take credit when things are going well but are deft at deflecting blame when anything bombs. The universe is only about them!

Very early in the piece, Kejriwal decided to hitch his lot to self-serving power politics. Autocratic to the core, he went about neutralising anyone who was seen as a competitor or pricked his conscience. Much like the Vishwaguru who, without ado, consigned BJPs veteran leaders L.K. Advani and M.M. Joshi to the margdarshak back burner, Kejriwals first significant move was to banish Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav who represented the conscience of AAP and incessantly reminded him of the moral code that was the raison detre of the party. In another cynical move, he nominated two nonentities a businessman and a CA belonging to his caste to the Rajya Sabha, ignoring luminaries who had slaved for the party, provoking allegations that he had traded the seats.

Perhaps the clearest pointer to Kejriwals metamorphosis into an amoral, power-hungry politician has been his stance on the Lokpal as head of the Delhi government. The Jan Lokpal Bill passed in 2015 by the Delhi assembly has still not been ratified into law the casualty in an unending saga of obfuscation and bitter recrimination between the AAP and the Lieutenant Governor, neither keen on an independent ombudsman. Another indicator of his transformation into a hardened, reprobate leader was his abortive attempt to wrest control of the Anti-Corruption Bureau of the state in direct contravention of the IACs sacred credo that anti-corruption units should be independent of the political executive.

Also read: Neither Pro-Hindu nor Anti-Hindu, Kejriwal is a Monetary Genius in Modis Mould

A mans real character is revealed in dire adversity. Long ago, Dante said that the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who are non-aligned in times of grave crisis. The riots in North-East Delhi in 2020 called Kejriwal out for the diabolically amoral politician that he is. The mayhem over four nightmarish days was an awful exhibition of human depravity, perhaps the worst since the Sikh pogrom in 1984. At this critical time, the chief minister went missing, using the fig leaf that law and order was not his domain. A man who has sought the limelight in every situation, played the artful dodger when his people needed him most for the treacherous reason that any intervention would antagonise the majority community; so he let people die. English revolutionary Thomas Paine had people like Kejriwal in mind when he observed that the cunning of the fox is as murderous as the violence of the wolf.

A memorable quotation credited to Kejriwal reads: Power does not corrupt men; fools (and I would add knaves), however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power. The author of the phrase is, in truth, Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. Ironically, the Shaw quote that he usurped fits him like a glove. Having betrayed the enormous faith and goodwill of his people, the hubristic preacher on public morality is today running scared, fearful of being sent to jail for alleged corruption. Is it karma catching up?

And yet, in the next election, confronted with a Hobsons choice of deciding between the devil and a bigger devil, the elector might still opt for the devil. Thats how far gone we are in the all-pervasive venality of our politics!

Mathew John is a former civil servant. Views are personal.

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Arvind Kejriwals Fall From Grace - The Wire

One of the most fascinating aspects of artistic creation involves the mysterious origins of inspiration. Some artists claim their works are inspired by an elusive muse, while others claim the subconscious mind is responsible for coming up with ideas. Beyond conventional explanations, however, some artists have fueled their creative sparks from otherworldly sources.

This list considers the eerie and transcendent inspirations that fueled ten remarkable works of art, ranging from modern progressive rock to 20th-century poetry. What links these 10 creations is the assertion by their creators that otherworldly spirits were summoned to collaborate in the act of artistic expression.

Related: 10 Strange Stories From Americas Spiritualist Craze

The Mars Volta devised a story about their fourth album, The Bedlam in Goliath, which might be real or mere fabrication. Allegedly, while on holiday, member Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of The Mars Volta purchased a Ouija board that he called the Soothsayer while at a Jerusalem curio shop. The band soon implemented the board into their post-show wind-down process. Soon after, the band was visited nightly by the same spirit called Goliath. The subsequent album, The Bedlam in Goliath, reflects the bands interactions with Goliath.

When the band was recording the new album, the Ouija boards messages turned scary. Not only did the studio flood, but various equipment also malfunctioned. These foreboding events overshadowed the albums creation. An engineer working on the album later expressed concerns about its production, believing the band was attempting to capture something malevolent.

To remove the negative effects of the Ouija board and the associated curse, guitarist and songwriter Rodriguez-Lopez broke the board in half and buried it in a remote location. The band also included traps in the albums songs to reverse the perceived ill fortunes associated with the cursed board.[1]

James Merrill created one of the most ambitious modern poems, The Changing Light at Sandover, by writing a seventeen-thousand-line-long poem with the help of a Ouija board. The spirits Merrill communicated with were described as droll and aesthetic, with a tendency for whimsical speculation.

The poem was created with Merrill acting as the scribe and his lover, David Jackson, serving as the hand. The poems first book, The Book of Ephraim, is organized alphabetically, while the books second volume, Mirabell: Book of Numbers, is arranged numerically. The books third volume, Scripts for the Pageant, is divided into three sections: Yes, &, and No. Merrill incorporated fragments of spirit speech into his poems, blurring the line between reality and fantasy in his poetry.[2]

Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, both renowned poets and novelists, were not only celebrated for their literary contributions but are also remembered for their fascination with the paranormal. Using an overturned brandy glass as a planchette and a ring of letters placed on a table, Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes utilized a handmade Ouija board for inspiration. The couples usual spirit guide, Pan, addressed a range of topics, including the spirits favorite poems by each poet, what the couple should name their children, and even what publisher would print Plaths next book.

While some scholars have suggested that Hughes might have suggested the use of a Ouija board, both Hughes and Plath engaged in an interaction with the alleged spirit. In one 1958 journal entry, Plath even described the Ouija experience as more enjoyable than watching a movie.

These interactions with the alleged spirit inspired countless Plath poems, including Ouija and Dialogue over a Ouija Board, which involves a conversation between a couple about channeling and explores the nature of channeling and its impact on real people in a real room. Some scholars have also suggested the Ouija board let Plath temporarily shut out external influences and focus on her inner creative voice.[3]

Jap Herron is a novel that was written by Emily Grant Hutchings, a novelist born in 1870. Published in 1917, Grant Hutchings claimed the novel was the result of channeling Mark Twain from beyond the grave using a Ouija board. Grant Hutchings had corresponded with Twain 15 years earlier. During their exchange of letters, the alleged spirit of Twain gave her advice and wrote in one of her letters, Idiot! Must preserve.

Grant Hutchings and a female friend began receiving messages from Twain in 1915 when playing with the Ouija board at a spiritualist meeting in St. Louis. Experimenting with occult techniques was not uncommon at the time. The novel borrows heavily from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as well as attempts, and by most accounts fails, at humor reminiscent of Twain.

Twains daughter, Clara Clemens, was especially upset by the book and even pursued the matter in court with the publishers, Harper and Brothers, who for over a decade had owned the sole right to Twains works. The case, however, never went to trial because Hutchings agreed to stop publishing the work and destroy any copies that she could locate. As a result, surviving copies of Jap Herron are difficult to find.[4]

An early 20th-century artist, Pearl Curran is best remembered for her alleged interaction with a 17th-century spirit referred to as Patience Worth. Born in 1883, at the age of 13, Curran experienced a nervous collapse and dropped out of school. Then, in 1933, Curran and her friend, Emily Grant Hutchings, began experimenting with a Ouija board. The two claimed to have contacted the spirit of Worth. Currans home soon became a gathering place for people who wanted to witness her interact with Worth through the Ouija board. Curran transcribed Worths messages, sometimes at the rate of 1,500 words an hour.

Under the influence of Worth, Curran wrote several novels, including The Sorry Tale, which was published in 1917. This novel is set during the time of Christ and focuses on one of the thieves who was crucified beside Jesus. Worth also authored poetry, prose, and plays under the alleged inspiration of Worth. After her husbands death, Curran was left to support herself and her children, which caused her to travel around the country providing demonstrations with her Ouija board.

While some people believed Currans claim of divine inspiration, others questioned the authenticity of these writings and whether Currans own creative abilities and subconscious mind were responsible for the work rather than the supernatural. Strangely, Currans writings inspired by Worth displayed an extensive knowledge of historical details, raising the question of how Curran would have possessed such knowledge.[5]

Channeled by Jane Roberts from 1963 to 1984, The Seth Material has significantly influenced many New Age works. In the early 1960s, Roberts and her husband used a Ouija board to research extrasensory perception. The couple, however, soon began receiving coherent messages from a male spirit, Seth.

Later, Seth communicated through Jane while she was in a trance. For over twenty years, Roberts held sessions where she conveyed Seths teachings. From the late 1960s until Roberts died in the 1980s, she offered small psychic classes and public channeling sessions in her home.

The teachings stress that consciousness shapes matter and that individuals create their own reality through their beliefs and expectations. Seth also revealed that he had once lived in a lost civilization, Lumania, and was reborn in the legendary lost city of Atlantis. Seth also allegedly performed paranormal feats, including transforming Robertss hand into an animal paw and appearing occasionally as a tall, robed apparition.[6]

One of the best-known Irish poets and playwrights, William Butler Yeats, is also remembered for his interest in the mystical, along with his literary contributions. Published in 1925, A Vision is a nuanced work that explores metaphysics, spirituality, and the supernatural. The book explores a series of automatic writings and mystical occurrences experienced by Yeats and his wife, Georgie Hyde-Lees.

Using channeling to write the book, Yeats believed that he had tapped into a higher realm of knowledge and transcended ordinary human understanding. A Vision is divided into two parts: the Phases of the Moon and the Mask, with each section presenting a unique perspective on the human journey, historical cycle, and the interplay of opposites in the universe.[7]

In an unpublished 1970 James Bond novel, the author of Take Over: A James Bond Thriller claimed the work was written by the spirit of Ian Fleming six years after Flemings death. The mysterious author, known only as Mrs. A, was the deceased sister of a retired bank officer who lived in Hertfordshire, England. Mrs. A. had dictated the work longhand from the alleged spirit of Ian Fleming. The woman also claimed to write works channeled by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H.G. Wells, Edgar Wallace, and George Bernard Shaw.

Mr. As presence was first noted in October 1970, when he wrote to Flemings brother, Peter, offering some unusual news about the author. Mr. A. asked to meet Flemings brother, who hesitantly agreed to do so. Despite his skepticism, Flemings brother agreed to read the manuscript, which was written in a tone vastly unlike Ian Flemings other work. Few details are known about the plot other than it involves a poisonous gas that allows users to take over the world.

Flemings brother later grilled Mr. As daughter, who could not recall how many children Flemings brother had, their names, or their gender. Despite his skepticism and deciding Ian Fleming was not involved in writing the work, Peter Fleming remained fascinated with the manuscript and claimed that the author was trustworthy.[8]

The 19th-century work A Dweller on Two Planets is a work about the fabled city of Atlantis. The book was allegedly channeled by Frederick S. Oliver, who claimed he was directed to write it by a spirit called Phylos. Oliver claimed that Phylos began sharing spiritual messages with the man when he was only 17. The channeled writings became such a preoccupation of Olivers that the mans parents planned to even have him treated for approaching imbecility. In 1884, Oliver finally began writing down Phyloss channeled stories.

Even though Oliver completed the book in 1886, A Dweller on Two Planets was first published in 1905 by Fredericks mother following Olivers death. The book is divided into two sections: the first describes Phyloss 11,160 BC Atlantean incarnations, and the second telling is of Phyloss California gold rush incarnation as Walter Pierson.[9]

This five-volume work about the life of Jesus was written in the 1940s by an Italian woman, Maria Valtorta. The poem offers additional narratives about parts of Jesus life that are not described in the Gospels. Valtorta claimed to be the secretary of Jesus and Mary and stated that her poem was divinely inspired by Jesus life, even though the Catholic Church has rejected this claim. Despite its heretical nature, the poem has gained many readers. The work was even included in the Index of Forbidden Books until the index was abolished in the 1960s.

When she was 32, Valtorta was attacked and beaten by a mugger, from which she never fully recovered. After 1933, Valrotra was left unable to leave her bed. After first receiving dictations on Good Friday, 1943, Valtorta handed in 10,000 handwritten pages four years later to Father Romauld Migliorini, who gave them to another religious leader who bound them. The workers were later brought to Cardinal Augustin Bea, S.J., who was the spiritual director of Pope Pius XII. Despite initial confidence in papal approval, the Holy Office condemned the work in 1949, but it was still published in 1956.[10]

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10 Unusual Works Allegedly Channeled from Beyond the Grave - Listverse