During the occupation of Paris the actress Arletty had a relationship with Hans Jürgen Soehring, a Luftwaffe officer, and gave the famous riposte to a member of the French Forces of the Interior interrogating her after the Liberation: ‘My heart is French, but my ass is international’ It seems that the French authorities had Ms … More THE SNOW WHITE TIGRESS by Mike Steeden
DISCOVERING NANCY London, England, Midsummer 1941: Was London the dullest city in the whole of Europe? Perhaps ‘dullest’ was the wrong word? The question irked. Afterall the natives of the East End were far from ‘dull’. Intuitive, sharp-witted comics as they were they could get away with murder and, in reality, often did that very … More DISCOVERING NANCY
A COUNTRY NAMED ‘LONDON’ Humourless Satire with a soupçon of French France allowed…after all, proper Londoners own multiculturism I met with a streetwise professor who was on my side…or was it the other way around? Matters not and regardless, we vented our respective fury upon each other as well as the very ground where inexplicit … More A COUNTRY NAMED ‘LONDON’
(artwork by Ted Giffin) A fragment from within my new book, ‘Notoriously Naked Flames’. This piece is taken from near the beginning of the tale. The picture above, by artist Ted Giffin (www.tedgiffin.com) captures perfectly the look of my heroine as I perceived her. EARLY SUMMER 1952 – SUSSEX, ENGLAND She examines her defenceless giant … More EARLY SUMMER 1952 – SUSSEX, ENGLAND
In the early hours, around the time of the summer solstice of 2016 the torturous drip, drip, drip of a blocked guttering woke me up from a zonked-out nightmare. I found myself contemplating the fact that for reasons unclear I was bored beyond measure. I’d previously written a couple of books of what I had … More NOTORIOUSLY NAKED FLAMES
‘No other capital city in the world can do grey quite like London,’ her passing thought. A thought dismissed almost as soon as it arrived. For as of now, there was the little matter of the naked Ambassador lying as prone as prone could be, upon his back atop a plainly hideously expensive Afghan rug … More OF ASSASSINATION & GITANES
Inspired by a true, sad story unearthed with only scant timeline facts left in historical record and subsequently the subject of a post by the wonderful photographer and lovely gal, Inese (https://inesemjphotography.com/ ) Her exquisite photo heads this ‘almost poem’. Plainly, I have availed myself of poetic licence in penning this. CIRCUMSTANCE OBSERVES NO PREFERENCE … More CIRCUMSTANCE OBSERVES NO PREFERENCE
Faberge eggs and assassinations ‘Weather permitting’ suicides and venom charged pin pricks pickled wódka brains and this and that diced red cabbage, rock salt mined dreams lost to circumstance also How soon a great Empire crumbles when bloated and so very tired of caviar She spoke a little English sufficient to seduce as and when … More ONE-TIME BALLERINA WEARING DOC MARTENS
A not so ‘fine’ drizzle blankets both lenses and optimism dampens the spirit too, mucks up a walk in the park “A penny for your thoughts angel?” That she did not reply did not deter “Christ girl you’ve a face like a slapped arse…what’s up, maybe I can help?” “I hardly think so…leave … More A WALK IN THE PARK
In an opium den in Kentish Town she was serving previously boiled River Wandle water ‘fresh’ from the jug into almost clean ceramic beakers. Such was the fervour she was all but in her birthday suit. Most punters paid her little heed though, lost as they were in both the purple haze and their private … More THE CUBAN’S MUSE
- MIKE STEEDEN - 