Christopher Candy's Writings

Christopher Candy's Less Efficient Interests

This page, and the various bits, bobs, and particles attached to it, represent those things which perhaps aren't as useful as the history work I do, the world politics and events I discuss while at the pub, the bills we all pay, or such other mundane things. In some ways, I'm two people - one is the cynical, pragmatic realist who deals with the here and now, while the other is much more of a closet romantic. This is an expression of some of that feeling, some of that artistry.

A warning, though... I am proud of what is here, but not because of quality, quantity, or any other yardstick that can be applied to them. Some of this is probably, almost surely, not even worth being used to manure a field, let alone see wide publication. But it is mine, and for that is worth being proud of. We all should do things we are mediocre at, or bad at - provided that we feel good for doing it, regardless of results.

Definitely Not Sartre... a bit of philosophy from my younger days.
Bits and Bobs: some poetry and prose


The Columns

My favoured format of writing are what I call 'columns'. They aren't necessarily newspaper columns - most are much longer than any newspaper would accept except perhaps in serialization. They aren't philosophy, they aren't poetry, yet they're not serious articles or expositions. They range widely on subjects, with some being fictional, some based on my life or that of others, and some are a bizarre synthesis of the two. They differ in format from one to another, but all reflect my views on life and some of the absurdities of it.

A Romance Story, I Suppose - the story of a fateful Valentine's Day and how romance can happen at the oddest times.
Me Dance, Never... - Observations on my attendance of a ball in Newcastle and the characters we were.
The Romantic Rules of Dating - A tongue-in-cheek but sincere view of pursuing a girl for the romantically challenged male.


The Sketch Gallery

I like sketching, usually with pencil and paper rather than inks or paints. Until I overburden this page with images, I'll just put them at the end. Regardless of what you've read or the images you've seen, let me know what you think.

This sketch was done in May of 1999, in Durham, England. The view is from that along the river path that runs alongside The Racecourse, the university's cricket ground, on the east side of town. It looks east, upriver as it flows towards the main part of town. The stairs on the very left leading into the river lead upwards to one of the College fo St. Hild and St. Bede's boathouses, while the fence separates the river walk from the Racecourse. At the time of the sketch, I lived in Fisher House, one of the graduate halls lying just on the other side of the Racecourse in the Parsons Field Complex.


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Email to: ccandy@chs.cusd.claremont.edu * Updated 7/6/99