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Indelible Ink: Tom Morton’s ‘Red Guitars In Heaven’
Music and religion. Add in football and you’ve probably got the top three divisive topics in Scotland, even with the Yes/No vote on Independence approaching. In 1994 journalist and broadcaster Tom Morton wrote ‘Red Guitars In Heaven’ a novel which deals with the conflicting nature that a love of pop/rock music and a life devoted […]
Alistair Braidwood
March 5, 2013
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How Scotland Can Still Qualify For The 2014 World Cup
Virtually everyone has already written off Scotland’s chances of making the next World Cup. But as I watched us crush Estonia last night I started to wonder what needs to happen for us to make it. I know this is crazy but after crunching the numbers I think we can actually do it. Here’s how:
Pete Reid
February 7, 2013
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Indelible Ink: Frederic Lindsay’s ‘Brond’
Scottish writers have had an obsession with the nature of evil since they first placed quill to parchment. ‘Good’ is all very well, but the devil has all the best tunes, and the most charismatic representatives. Much of this interest is a result of culturally deep rooted religious belief clashing with a more folk tradition, […]
Alistair Braidwood
February 5, 2013
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14 Scottish Artists Now Confirmed for SXSW 2013
Earlier this week, Creative Scotland revealed that they would be supporting five Scottish bands and three DJs to attend this year’s SXSW Music festival in Austin. We can also add The Waterboys’ Mike Scott, Frightened Rabbit and more to the list of Scottish acts who’ll be there. Full list below:
Pete Reid
January 19, 2013
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Indelible Ink: Jackie Kay’s ‘Trumpet’
There have been a few novels featured in these columns by writers who are as well known, and sometimes better known, as poets. These include Ron Butlin, Kevin MacNeil, John Burnside, James Robertson, Alan Spence, and this month, Jackie Kay. Re-reading her debut novel ‘Trumpet’ I found myself asking if there are any conclusions that […]
Alistair Braidwood
January 7, 2013
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Scottish Bands at SXSW 2013 – 8 Bands Announced So Far
Last week the SXSW Music festival announced a ton of bands for the 2013 event to be held next March in Austin, Texas. Among them are 8 new Scottish bands that will be hoping to be the next big thing of buzz.
Pete Reid
December 12, 2012
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Indelible Ink: Jeff Torrington’s ‘Swing Hammer Swing!’
This month has seen two of Scotland’s greatest living writers in the news. Alasdair Gray has had his short fiction collected into one impressive volume, while James Kelman won the Saltire Book of the Year award for ‘Mo said she was quirky’, and in time honoured fashion managed to make the newspapers by forecfully restating […]
Alistair Braidwood
December 10, 2012
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Americans for an Independent Scotland – and why I am one of them
In less than two years, the people of Scotland will vote to decide if their nation should become an independent country. Today, on St. Andrew’s Day, I’m going to explain why I am supporting the Yes campaign. I am a Scot who now lives in Austin, Texas. I was born and raised in Glasgow, I […]
Pete Reid
November 30, 2012
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Indelible Ink: William McIlvanney’s ‘Weekend’
With the recent success at home and abroad of Scottish writers such as Irvine Welsh, Iain Banks, Ali Smith, Ian Rankin, A.L Kennedy etc, it’s perhaps odd to think of a time when having Scottish novels post R.L. Stevenson in a Scottish house was the exception rather than the norm, at least with most of […]
Alistair Braidwood
November 6, 2012