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Fairytale of New Yoik (Catering to the Everyday Needs of a Six Year-Old)

27th February 2013

It was early January. I had arrived in New York a few days previously to begin my month’s holiday in the States. The jetlag and subsequent aeroplane sickness had worn off and I was hungry for all New York had to offer (incidentally, I did consume an obscene number of cream cheese bagels over the course of the duration of the holiday- though I may have branched out to Swiss cheese).

The sun poured into the spacious living room, warming up the floor... that was littered with children’s toys, baby wipes and breast pads. (Oh, and I think there may have been some furniture in there too.) Through the slightly open window I could hear children playing, native New …

Leanne Davis: The Littlest Hobo has an Epiphany

16th January 2013

‘Please Help the Littlest Hobo Find a Room’ was the title of the Facebook group I set up in desperation two weeks ago. I had already been searching for somewhere to live for a month through all the usual channels and hadn’t found anywhere I would actually enjoy living. The thought of having to advertise myself like a second hand B&Q barbeque was pretty mortifying.

In the past I have without a thought, moved in with friends, my sister or boyfriends. But things are different now. All my friends have fiancés or husbands. My sister has a serious partner. And ex-lovers mostly have wives and children and I’m not sure how they’d fee…Read more

Courtney Cornfield is The Knitcracker

21st December 2012

I was on the train recently and I overheard someone say “Don’t let her pull the wool.” This simple phrase silently slipped me into a woolly daydream inspired by the hit BBC4 Danish TV series The Killing. The mere mention of the word wool made me feel – some might think strangely - empowered and excited. Prior to the broadcast of The Killing, wool was wool - it kept me warm, reminded me of 35 degrees Farenheit Canadian winter days, skiing and cosy studies. I appreciated wool but my feelings now towards the fibre are rather extreme post Sarah Lund. I feel powerful when I wear my jumpers… not to mention warm.

If you are a fan of The Killing then you will be…

17th December 2012

I’m finding that, increasingly, the plight of being a graduate in this climate of austerity is similar to that of a single person aspiring to find the perfect relationship with the perfect partner. When uttered at the appropriate times, the words “I love you” are received eagerly by requiting ears. This is probably not the case when being shouted down the phone at 3am after a particularly heavy night of drinking, unless the lucky recipient is a liberal, modern romantic/is also very drunk.

When I am socially coerced into telling people that “I’m a graduate”, the phrase often receives mixed responses. These can be summed up as a concoction o…

13th December 2012

This afternoon I sit writing in a coffee shop in Stoke Newington. Feeling momentarily reckless, I have branched out and tried a different cafe to the one I normally frequent three doors down. The Americano (“with just a drop of milk”) has been ordered. The seat by the window, taken. The failing laptop, plugged into the wall. I am set for the day. This is my radical bid to try something new, avoid becoming stale in my surroundings and give another local tradesman a piece of my humble financial pie.

But try as I might, I just don’t like it.

The problem is I am averse to change. I …Read more