Start Here! (a Table of Contents)
My posts, organised by theme
As a long time [semi-retired] English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Teacher and teacher trainer, a love of language is at the heart of everything I do.
(Okay, so I’ve copied and pasted that from my About page, just in case you haven’t read it yet.)
This newsletter started off as a resource for language learners, but it has since evolved into a completely different beast. I take an eclectic, wide-ranging and niche-less approach, and I like to call my writing genre-fluid.
This Table of Contents will help make sense of things and guide you to find what you’re looking for. Some posts appear in two categories and I’ve included a few key words with each post to offer additional insight.
Almost everything here - I think/hope - is a valuable resource for language learners, but I’ve also included a dedicated section at the bottom. You’ll find a few words and phrases in bold in many posts.
Here’s what others are saying about me in their recommendations:
My first post + a Re-introduction
Welcome, students, colleagues, friends, readers (The start of something new)
Central Asian derring-do and a re-introduction (We reflect on 18 months of Substacking) - I revisit the beginning of my blogging days in 2009 in Kyrgyzstan
Bibliophilia, Reading & Writing
Never-ending processes (Things often take longer than anticipated) - an update on my first book; why I self-published it; reading distractions and a couple of my favourite travel books
Read and enjoy life with less pressure and more pleasure (Be more selective and productive, with less guilt) - being a better reader; reading advice
Can you judge a book by its cover? (A better question: do you ever buy books because of (or despite) their cover?) - ebooks v print; translations; my favourite covers
F**k the algorithms (The most interesting discoveries are often the least expected) - discovering unexpected reading pleasures; the joys of Substack; being more well-rounded
Who’s joining me in my writing challenge? (Writing my first novel for NaNoWriMo)
It's my 30 year anniversary of voting! (a special audio post where I reminisce on elections) - plus recommended reading to understand America better
It’s flash fiction, baby - my first attempt to write flash fiction
Readers, help! It's my 2025 Reading Challenge (You choose what I read this year) - reflecting on reading; undiscovered pleasures; the endless TBR pile; book plans
Serialising fiction, a podcast with Hanna Delaney, 'prolific hack' and leader of the 'inarticulate cretins' - we discussed Hanna’s serialising experience; I share some resources from other Substackers
The Alchemist, a Barmaid, and an Unexpected Life Lesson (a Book I Hated, a Love I Lost, a Life I Chose; plus, a Reading Challenge update) - the impact of bad books; fate; heartbreak/relief
Ukraine
My return to Kyiv: part I (a journal entry with heartfelt commentary)
My return to Kyiv (the audio version)
I gave a 22-year-old the best advice of her life, apparently - a Vienna book festival where I met some Ukrainian writers, including Iryna Tsilyk, Tanya Malyarchuk and Oksana Maslova; hanging out with Andrey Kurkov in Bratislava
On living in Ukraine and ending up in Austria (I was featured in Elizabeth.Ink’s 'Should You Move?' series: Should You Move to Austria (via Ukraine)?
Who Cares About Ukraine? (A Simple Solution to the War and a Letter of Apology) - Part 1 (of 3) of my Ukraine-related reflections
A Decision I Never Wanted to Make (My last days in Kyiv on the eve of war) - Part 2 (of 3) of my Ukraine-related reflections
Hands Off My Raasay, Russians! (My whisky versus the Russian army) - Part 3 (of 3) of my Ukraine-related reflections
A Language Teacher Reacts: Zelenskyy at the White House (Fluency, Grammar, Buffoonery, and Trump's Linguistic Trainwreck)
Life Hacks
This advice will change your life (part 1) - Morgan Housel; reading beyond your field; being a more well-rounded person/generalist; realistic expectations
This advice might – possibly – change your life (part 2) (On avoiding FOMO and dealing with some of life’s annoyances) - Oliver Burkeman; time management; inbox/email overwhelm; living a fulfilled life
Happy New Year! (and Hello Autumn) (It’s never too early to start on resolutions, right?) - autumn New Year resolutions; bucket lists; obituaries
Being overwhelmed, dealing with overwhelm and losing my mind – literally - processing overwhelm; the Dunning-Kruger Effect; the rules of conversation
Putting off can pay off: the benefits of procrastination
F**k the algorithms (the most interesting discoveries are often the least expected) - discovering unexpected reading pleasures; the joys of Substack; being more well-rounded
Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay, No Way! (Should all content be free?) - the old days of newspapers; paying for content
Never mind a teacher – YOU be the teacher (Boost your brain by explaining complex topics to a rubber duck or cuddly toy) - Using the Feynman Technique to remember more of what you read; being a better critical thinker
I gave a 22-year-old the best advice of her life, apparently
I subscribe to you but that doesn’t mean I read you (sorry) (a video post where I share my screen and my browsing habits) - dealing with email/subscription/inbox overwhelm
To hell with resolutions: a podcast with Tim Dawkins from Beyond Our Walls - we talk about goals, resolutions, end-of-year lists, FOMO, valuing what’s important, and the tremendous power of reflection
Use Instapaper to improve your Substack reading experience (It's more comfortable and easy on the eye) - a 5-minute video demonstration
Personal/Introspective/Parenting/Kids
Is it okay to lie? Should you ever say 'I don't know'? Am I a good parent? Want to hear my ‘expert’ analysis of Christmas music? - lying to children and students; being a good father; Christmas music nostalgia
It’s so bittersweet: guilt and jubilation; tears and laughter; agony and ecstasy; war and peace (?); endings and beginnings; love and separation - I go to an Irish pub and watch my football team play, meet some funny Irish and Welsh people, reflect on the past 3 years since leaving Ukraine, get emotional and sentimental, and listen to Christmas music with my daughter
Is there a little (lurgy) Luigi lurking in all of us? (There’s more going on than you realise) - discussing Luigi Mangione and how well-known he is globally; trying to draw a connection to Luigi and all of us; anger, anxiety and distractions; my daughter lost her temper and did something awful to me
Last Christmas you gave me some tat (and the very same day I gave it away) (It’s a Christmas ex-tat-aganza!) - my mother’s terrible gift buying habits; American Christmas traditions; gift-giving; Christmas music opinions/rankings
A running diary where I make fun of my daughter’s holiday concert
A Decision I Never Wanted to Make (My last days in Kyiv on the eve of war) - Part 2 (of 3) of my Ukraine-related reflections
Is Éireannach go hoifigiúil mé. Nó an bhfuil mé? (“I’m officially Irish now. Or am I?”) - citizenship, identity, nationality and belonging; the Norman Tebbit test of sporting loyalty; reflections on football; what names mean and the embarrassing meanings of my name in different languages
Travelling Tales and Shenanigans
Stocious Shenanigans and Drunken Dublinian Debauchery (28 years later) - a trip to Dublin for a friend’s 40th birthday; reminiscing on an epic trip to Belfast in 1996
Central Asian derring-do and a re-introduction (We reflect on 18 months of Substacking) - the start of my blogging days in Kyrgyzstan (2009)
Reflections/Contemplation/Nostalgia
Reader questions and feedback: striking a balance between fun and serious - Remembering Matthew Perry and Friends; teaching tales; romance anecdotes; reminiscing on pumpkins past and autumn in New Hampshire
Music lyrics: a poetic and beautiful language-rich resource - using songs in the classroom; all-time classic tunes
The long road back (A visit home) - reminiscing on my epic American Greyhound bus trip; my first trip back to Ukraine
I return to where it all began: Prague, the start of my teaching career - I reminisce about my teacher training course from 2005
An Ode to Autumn: an audio chat (Your author waxes poetic on the joys of autumn and lovely accents)
It's my 30 year anniversary of voting! (a special audio post where I reminisce on elections)
An election night sort-of-live running diary (I ruminate on my quadrennial overseas ritual, along with other things, like whisky and women)
Oh! Susannah (What have you done to me?) - musical nostalgia; an excerpt from my book
Stocious Shenanigans and Drunken Dublinian Debauchery (28 years later) - a trip to Dublin for a friend’s 40th birthday; reminiscing on an epic trip to Belfast in 1996
It's a Christmas Nostalgia [Project] podcast! (a video podcast with guest Faith Liversedge)
Embrace winter, ditch Instagram (Substack : winter :: Instagram : spring) - the joys of winter; a social media analogy; waxing nostalgic on winters past
Book News/Self-publishing
Never-ending processes (Things often take longer than anticipated) - an update on my first book; inventing new words; a sad umbrella story; a yummy recipe
Desperate times call for desperate measures (I’m not shaving or showering until this damn book is finished) - the steep self-publishing learning curve; editing; a tribute to the wit and wisdom of Charlie Munger
It’s raining cats and dogs, but that’s not my cup of tea - book updates; my daughter’s brilliant marketing plan;, misophonia, moving the goalposts
At long last, my cover is finally ready! - a not-so-funny (?) April Fool’s Day post ‘revealing’ my book cover
It's here. Finally - my first book, A Classroom in Kyiv, is revealed
Well, here we go - details of my book, where to get it, etc
What on earth are you waiting for? - more book news; excessive ‘thank you’s and ‘!!!’s
It feels wrong to promote my book right now - horrifying news from Ukraine
The long road back (A visit home) - reminiscing on my epic American Greyhound bus trip; my first trip back to Ukraine
Hey Kyiv, who's ready to have some fun? - news about book events in Kyiv; a story about almost losing my wallet and blaming it on genetics
Contradictory thoughts (My ‘specific’ ‘impressions’ on Kyiv and using the wrong words) - I decided to return to Kyiv for a 2nd book tour
New Book Out, Three More Coming (My latest release plus details of more on the way) - my prolific writing; a social media/branding update
Social Media
Being overwhelmed, dealing with overwhelm and losing my mind – literally (a deep dive into the self-publishing world of soft porn and erotica) - researching genres on reddit; the Dunning-Kruger Effect; the rules of conversation
Contradictory thoughts (My ‘specific’ ‘impressions’ on Kyiv and using the wrong words) - marketing advice; the challenges of social media for cranky GenXers like me
My social media dilemma (I’m not addicted to it – it just confuses the hell out of me and I’m not sure I need it for marketing purposes) - music nostalgia; digital v analog; do we need social media for marketing?; should I stay or should I go?
My Dark Descent into Social Media Hell (On arguing with idiots and embracing TikTok, etc) - my first online confrontation (over politics); being indecisive about embracing or shunning social media; complaining about tech issues; being a Luddite
Podcasts/Audio/Video Posts
My return to Kyiv, part 1: the audio version
I don't want to burn any bridges, but: the audio version
An Ode to Autumn: an audio chat
It's my 30 year anniversary of voting! (reminiscing on elections)
Who wants to Netflix and Chill? (No wait, don't go anywhere - it's not what you think!) - I try to make sense of millennial/Gen Z slang and emojis
It's a Christmas Nostalgia [Project] podcast! (my very first video podcast, with Faith Liversedge of The Nostalgia Project)
I subscribe to you but that doesn’t mean I read you (sorry) - dealing with email/subscription overwhelm
To hell with resolutions: a podcast with Tim Dawkins from Beyond Our Walls - we talk about goals, resolutions, end-of-year lists, FOMO, valuing what’s important, and the tremendous power of reflection
Serialising fiction, a podcast with Hanna Delaney, 'prolific hack' and leader of the 'inarticulate cretins' - we discussed Hanna’s serialising experience; I share some resources from other Substackers
A Language Teacher Reacts: Zelenskyy at the White House (Fluency, Grammar, Buffoonery, and Trump's Linguistic Trainwreck)
Who isn't Sick of this Sh*t? (A podcast with Rebecca Mack) - I talk to Rebecca about her newsletter and the absurdity of what’s going on with Trump and the US right now
A Hodgepodge - hard to categorise
I don’t want to burn any bridges, but…(Let's settle for ruffling a few feathers) - frustrations over my 2nd trip back to Ukraine; the risk of returning to old places; Instagram cringe/confusion; language advice/vocabulary
I don't want to burn any bridges, but…: the audio version
I gave a 22-year-old the best advice of her life, apparently - thanking people; a Vienna book festival where I met some Ukrainian writers; complaining about trains; a NaNoWriMo update; the challenges of socialising; confusion with millennial/Gen Z speech; giving a young woman life-changing advice; good/bad advice
(for) Language Learners: Ideas, Resources, Advice
Help! I Can’t Stop Writing! (teachers grading their speech and how to make the most of these posts) - idiomatic vocabulary; guessing meaning from context
Happy New Year! (and Hello Autumn) (It’s never too early to start on resolutions, right?) - funny article (a/an/the) examples; resolutions; bucket lists; obituaries
Reader questions and feedback: striking a balance between fun and serious - How Matthew Perry and Friends can help you with your English; cool vocabulary; reminiscing on romance and pumpkins; learning guidance
Desperate times call for desperate measures (I’m not shaving or showering until this damn book is finished) - self-publishing and editing challenges; lots of juicy vocabulary; US v UK English; a tribute to the wit and wisdom of Charlie Munger
Being overwhelmed, dealing with overwhelm and losing my mind – literally - researching book genres on reddit; vocabulary: word-building; not worrying about pronunciation; using ‘literally’ incorrectly; the Dunning-Kruger Effect; the rules of conversation
Is it okay to lie? Should you ever say 'I don't know'? Am I a good parent? Want to hear my ‘expert’ analysis of Christmas music? - lying to children and students; classroom tales; lovely vocabulary
Lie your way to better English! (Improve your fluency, creativity and critical thinking skills) - lying/exaggerating/embellishing to improve your speaking skills; IELTS tips
Read and enjoy life with less pressure and more pleasure (Be more selective and productive, with less guilt) - being a better reader; reading advice; pronunciation and grammar practice
It’s raining cats and dogs, but that’s not my cup of tea - good v bad idioms; book updates; my daughter’s brilliant marketing plan; misophonia; moving the goalposts
Music lyrics: a poetic and beautiful language-rich resource (Get the ‘gets’ from “Fast Car” (if you get my drift))
Putting off can pay off: the benefits of procrastination - grammar confessions; classroom grammar stories; grammar/vocabulary explanations
Grade the task, not the text: authentic materials (an additional resource from my first book, A Classroom in Kyiv) - how to guess meaning from context
Is being accurate and ‘correct’ in English always so important? (forgivable v unforgivable mistakes)
Contradictory thoughts (My ‘specific’ ‘impressions’ on Kyiv and using the wrong words) - inaccurate vocabulary and using the right words; book marketing challenges and social media
My return to Kyiv: part I (A journal entry with heartfelt commentary) - a lot of good vocabulary highlighted
Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay, No Way! (Should all content be free?) - improving fluency by paraphrasing content; nice vocabulary
Ready to read and listen differently? Spice things up and remember more with my favourite head-spinning tips - tips to improve speaking fluency
Never mind a teacher – YOU be the teacher (Boost your brain by explaining complex topics to a rubber duck or cuddly toy) - using the Feynman Technique to improve fluency and remember more
Using the Feynman Technique/protégé effect to talk to a lobster, and with a Ukrainian - ways to improve your fluency and remember more of what you read
Language learners (and teachers) rejoice! (We’ve got resources galore) - I reflect on good v bad teachers from my time studying Russian in Kyrgyzstan; I recommend some Substackers who offer excellent language resources
A Language Teacher Reacts: Zelenskyy at the White House (Fluency, Grammar, Buffoonery, and Trump's Linguistic Trainwreck)
Wowza! That’s a great table of contents, I can see a few I need to catch up on 😃
Wow. You have quite a large body of work here. This is most impressive.