Articles written by Ian Smith

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About me - Ian Smith

I hold an MA in Creative and Life Writing from Goldsmiths, University of London. I have taught Flash Fiction at Reading University. I write satire, fiction, songs and poetry. I have many poems and short stories published in Eclectica, Verbsap, Surprising Stories

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Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Self-awareness: 25 of 235
The Cleverest Man in the WorldThe cleverest man in the worldIs not me or anyone I know.The cleverest man in the worldMight spend his timeWriting poems such as:Zeus at the End of the Garden,Or, A Houseful of Clocks.The latter might be selectedTo represent the genreIn a much-laudedInternational anthology.The cleverest man in th... More..
Entertainment > Celebrity Commentary Celebrity gossip: Has the media gone too far?: 3 of 21
The media cannot jump the shark with celebrity gossip. There is nothing too extraordinary. That's why celebrity gossip is so hard to ridicule in satire. You just can't make it up. Yet the media is driven by the market, by us. They respond to what we want to read and we want to read about Britney and Paris and the rest. And we... More..
Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Experiencing terrorism: 6 of 32
Moral Purpose PoemI was setting outTo write a poemFrom a simple ideaThat came from bombardmentWith images each day-Shoelaces.Were the victims thinkingWhen they tied them that morning-Just another day?But then I realisedI had a moral purpose.Should a poem have a moral purpose?Or should it be disguisedBeneath a bag of wordplay? More..
Creative Writing > Satire Satire: Depression: 1 of 5
New Solar Bulbs Give Hope to MAD Sufferers - by Libby HaughtyMidwinter depression, also known as Midwinter Affective Disorder (MAD), has only just been officially recognized by the Swedes, who discovered it in the 4th century BC, and kept quiet till now.They noticed that at the pagan festival of Maadvintersaal, the alcohol in... More..
Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Life's paths: 58 of 283
...IN 25 MINUTESIt was the 25 minute cab ride into hell.The driver started with:You won't remember me but I remember you well.And then proceeded to describeWhat came after he'd been expelledEach Glasgow gangland bombingEach prison cellEach beatingEach prison food smell.25 minutes laterThe old teacher was glad to beDelivered t... More..
Health & Fitness > Aging & Longevity Should elderly patients be cared for by family members or by health care professionals?: 9 of 39
There is a lot of pride to consider if you are facing having to care for elderly patients. My recent experiences in the UK, which claims to have a well-developed health service, have taught me that the health professionals will play on an elderly patient's pride to avoid their responsibilities. The elderly often believe in no... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Politics in the UK Predicting whether Labour will win the next election: 6 of 25
The UK electorate developed selfish and greedy habits during Margaret Thatcher's terms. To predict whether Labour will win the next election, look at how well-off the British home owner is. In the eighties and nineties, the British elected governments that allowed the value of houses to rise rapidly beyond the reach of ordina... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Catholicism The need for reform in the Roman Catholic Church: 6 of 18
'Reformed religion' is an oxymoron like 'honest politician'. The two terms contradict each other. To reform the Roman Catholic church would be to make it something else, Protestant for example, which is the reformed Roman Catholic church anyway. No, leave it alone. It is what it is by definition. If you want to reform the Rom... More..
Entertainment > Music Business Promoting world music: 1 of 3
I was asked to record some vocals for Murat Ses at the beginning of 2007 and I admit I had to look him up. Wikipedia lists amongst Murat's successes the Grand Prix du Disque for Danses et Rythmes de la Turquie d'hier aujourd'hui with Mo-ollar, and describes Murat as the creator of the Anadolu Pop style, the name given to a hi... More..
Relationships & Family > Divorce Psychology Why divorce rates have increased in recent times: 14 of 41
Rates have increased because it's the best thing you can do when you're unhappy in a marriage. There are lots of unhappily married people aspiring to something that isn't for them. Why are they so unhappy? Well, advertising agencies across the world bombard the married family unit, yet when they go to work to pay for the perf... More..