I (Don’t) Wanna Hold Your Hand
Walk down the street. As long as it’s a street with a few people in it, there are probably some who insist upon being in relationships. You might feel pleased for them or you might feel bitter that they have what you so desperately crave. Either way, you may not think to pay much attention [&helli
Raising Hell: America’s Religious Rollercoaster Ride
Imagine taking your child to a place where they will watch graphic simulations of abortion, rape and suicide. Alternatively, imagine taking them to a place where they will see demonstrations of charity, forgiveness and faith. In terms of the child’s welfare, the choice seems obvious. In term
For here are the people: Britain by Mass Observation since 1937
“While Europe was tensely watching the crisis over Czechoslovakia, Herr Hitler paid a surprise visit to the French frontier to-day.” So began Britain by Mass Observation, a 1939 Penguin Special by Charles Madge and Tom Harrisson. They were not endorsing this characterization of the start of the
The K. of F.
The routine was simple. We board the train and the King of France gives the speech I’ve heard a hundred times: “Excuse me ladies and gentlemen I am a single father with two children / my son was hit by a drunk driver / he is in a wheelchair / I have no insurance / […]
In Praise of Americana: on the road with Ed Freeman
All photographs used by kind permission of the photographer, whose work can be purchased at www.edfreeman.com If Anglophilia is love of things old, small, and restrained, Americana celebrates all that is big. It expresses the massive scale of America, realised in spirit and aesthetic. Its kitsch is
The Killers
Second runner-up in the ISIS short story competition, Trinity 2014 Though they strained with all their might, the killers could not move the corpse, which was fatter than the full moon and beginning to stiffen. They had tried with Sparrow at the head and his Crowe at the feet, and then the other wa
The ISIS All Souls Essay Competition Launch
The ISIS is now accepting entries for its short essay competition, featuring questions from the famous All Souls College entrance exam. The winning entry and runner(s) up will be published in the Hilary 2015 issue of the magazine. We’re looking for writing that’s original, distinctive and though
The Flies
Over our lunch break, we consider the implications of an existential hero who can’t act. Anina is sunk into a primeval gloom. She orders three donuts and pokes her way through them while we jabber. The way some stick-thin people can eat. I used to know a Latvian girl who ate a whole pizza every [&