Tower and Town, November 2017

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Editorial: St John's Edition

This year’s contributions are perhaps more loosely linked than those seen in previous St John’s editions. Yet the link is undeniably there for, regardless of tone, genre and subject matter, each of them questions, explores or exemplifies some element of human nature.

We begin with Lily Beveridge’s delightful story My Dad is a Vampire, followed by Elizabeth Loudon’s beautiful, thought provoking poem, The Fisherman. Emily Coplestone’s haunting piece, Eyes, with its bleak, vivid imagery, explores the terrible ordeal faced by a soldier fighting on the front line. Sadly there is no room for Lily Beveridge’s lengthy The Seven about memory and the pain of loss but it can be read in the online edition of Tower & Town.  The Fisherman, already mentioned, also picks up these themes. Austin Wilson wrestles manfully with conflicting responses to the question he poses himself, while Izzabella Coombes explores the worrying trend of young models who are Dying to be Thin – not just in the metaphorical sense – and the effect that the demands of the catwalk have on body image and emotional stability.

So what makes us human? Well, for me, what makes us human is the spark of creativity that equips us to produce such richly varied pieces as these..

Alongside our main theme, Gabriella Venus reflects on the LitFest and reviews the latest art exhibition at the White Horse Gallery, while a book review and an account of the parish retreat at St Non's complete the issue.

It has been a pleasure, as ever, to work on this month’s edition; I hope you enjoy our contributions.

Georgie Hibberd