Shades of gray are seldom unfashionable and currently quite trendy, especially in the field of literature. Generally I find gray has a lot going for it. Classical and unassuming, even in the opinion polls gray zones do not reflect indecisiveness, but simply highlight the number of those whose views are neither entirely black nor white. But in one area I find it extremely hard to become enthusiastic about grayness at all. I’m referring to the blurred boundaries Continue »

When, as a child, I went with my parents to visit family friends on Sundays, an event that occurred more frequently than I would have liked, I knew from the outset that during the critique, which inevitably followed the visit, the host family’s sofa set would play a central role. The quality of the sofa set closely linked to the standing the family accorded them- selves. "Did you notice? The armchair was worn, the sofa wobbled and the furniture was old." Unmistakable signs that Continue »