Echoes of the Gothic in ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’

Next to the works of William Faulkner, Flannery O'Conner or even the camper world of The Southern Vampire Mysteries, the 1991 movie, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe, and the 1987 novel seem a far cry from the dark, disturbing Southern Gothic. Marketed as a comedy, the light hearted Alabama romp, in spite of it's murderous undertones, stays on the light side of the Mississippi. Nevertheless, this offering from Fannie Flagg does have hints of the darker side of Southern life pulsating beneath the surface.

Drifting through heaven’s gate

I dip my feet into the water; first one, then the other. The water isn't cold, but it refreshes all the same, washing off the thick swamp air. Around the pier, the water is dark, mosses and ferns thriving in the murk. Beyond the pier however, spill out from the dark, the river is bright,...

French Echoes in Mexican Towns

The cobbled streets of central Yucatan are exactly as one would expect from the Mexican Caribbean, at least to the novice eye. Mayan ruins, technicolor facades, swaying palms: the towns of Merida, Valladolid or Izamal drip with the deliciousness of a Latin dreamscape. Iglesia de Santa Ana, Merida Yet peeking through the palm fronds, you...

The Accidental History of Cheese in the Yucatan

When travelling to Mexico for the first time, I had a lot of preconceived notions of what i would find in terms of the food. And for the most part I was correct. Tacos, empañadas, slow roasted meats and chillis were all around. Edam Cheese Empañadas But there was one food stuff that I was...

Three Weeks in Yucatan

As those of you who know me will be aware, 2020, like so many of us, has been a difficult year for me and my family, as well as an exciting one. I should currently be sat with my husband in our new apartment in the outskirts of Washington DC, expecting my work permit for the USA any day now in the post.

This has not happened.

Reclaiming Country

As a left-leaning Englishman with many American friends, I'm often a source of confusion due to my love of country music. More-so is the knowledge that I have visited Nashville eight times. This is often put down to country's association with the conservatism, backwardness and right-wing social views of rural white folk. Whether it is...

Weighing anchor…Part 2

Between 1995 and 2003, a collection of musicians were brought together, under the eye of fiddler Aly Bain and guitarist Jerry Douglas, to explore the musical relationships that span the North Atlantic. Broadcast jointly between the BBC and RTÉ, The Transatlantic sessions brought together the unique sounds of Irish, Scots, English, Gaelic, Cajun, Breton, Appalachian...

Weighing anchor… Part 1

Looking back at this blog, I don't know whether beginning writing in June 2020 will induce an eye-roll or not. This year of coronavirus is momentous. enough, but the ruptures in the fabric of society left by the Black Lives Matter movement of recent weeks has opened up a new sense of social engagement for...