Category: humour as medicine

‘Lost Connections’ and ‘A Heart That Works’

Dec 6, 2023

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by

Pen

in Andrew Solomon’s The Noonday Demon, Democracy, depression, Dorothy Rowe, humour as medicine, Inequality, Inequality – Australia, Johann Hari’s Lost Connections, mental illness, National Health Service UK, Public Good, Rob Delaney – A Heart That Works

How to find hope in a world gone mad During a week at the coast recently with four others, one of the books I’d brought was Johann Hari’s Lost Connections: Why you’re depressed and how to find hope (Bloomsbury, 2018). Three of those friends at different times picked up the book and couldn’t stop reading…
Why read? Why write? Why bother? On reclaiming our language and our lives and having a laugh

Sep 13, 2020

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by

Pen

in capitalism, Comedy writing, Democracy, humour as medicine, Living creatively, social capital, value of the arts

The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity Because I’ve been writing a new novel (working title: Tumult) I’ve postponed writing a new blog post. Immersed in the world of the novel, it’s only when I feel super strongly about a book I’ve read that I’m desperate to tell people about it. Two small books stand out.…
Gently altering the world – the arts

Mar 30, 2020

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by

Pen

in art, arts and health, Common Good, creativity, humour, humour as medicine, rural Ireland, Stand-up comedy – Australian, stress management, value of the arts, writers’ health

Returning from a writing residency in Cill Rialaig, in Ireland’s County Kerry – https://cillrialaigartscentre.com/residencies/ – it was weird to be back yet not be able to hop on my bike and see friends, go to tango lessons, films, cafés and libraries or walk around the lake. I watched that ingenious ABC program You Can’t Ask…

Category: humour as medicine

‘Lost Connections’ and ‘A Heart That Works’

Why read? Why write? Why bother? On reclaiming our language and our lives and having a laugh

Gently altering the world – the arts