I really want to see The King’s Speech. World War Two and stuttering heavily shadow me. I stutter. I would not exist without WW2 and my Newfoundlander grandfather travelling to the north of England, where he met and married his wife. (Sometimes I feel tremendous guilt just for existing.) My mother’s name is Vera Lynn. And I study tyrannies and tyrants as I try to write about the human condition. I’m also most interested in early twentieth-century British colonies and dominions, so I need to understand early twentieth-century Britain. All in all, can’t wait to see The King’s Speech.

I also love reading Christopher Hitchens. Why Orwell Matters deserves serious study. Hitchens loves to start a fight for the sake of a fight, but he also strives — struggles — to be honest. Truth and honesty, and their political servants lies and bullshit, are his major concerns. He takes on the troublesome lies-and-bullshit varnish of historical storytelling here.

I still want to see a stuttering man confront his stutter. Because stutters, literally and metaphorically, of the individual and the society, thicken and seize when lies and bullshit abound.