Slightly Foxed No. 71 – Autumn 2021 issue, quarterly literary publication, 94 pages
In 2022 I subscribed, getting a few back issues at the same time, to Slightly Foxed, which describes itself as “an independent-minded quarterly that combines good looks, good writing and a personal approach. Slightly Foxed introduces its readers to books that are no longer new and fashionable but have lasting appeal. Good-humoured, unpretentious and a bit eccentric, it’s more like a well-read friend than a literary magazine.”
I dip into each issue when it comes, reading the short essays with pleasure. I just finished reading this issue, here’s the issue blurb, followed by the full contents.
“Andrew Joynes goes back to the Middle Ages • Margaret Drabble gets to the truth of the matter with Doris Lessing • John Smart dreams of cheese • Rachel Kelly finds consolation in poetry • Charles Elliott follows a paper trail • Clarissa Burden falls for Inspector Grant • Ken Haigh takes the Tolkien test • Caroline Jackson rides with the Irish RM • Patrick Welland reads an elegy to a family, and much more besides . . .
Contents in full:
- Jocelin’s Folly • ANDREW JOYNES – William Golding, The Spire
- Elegy to a Family • PATRICK WELLAND – George Clare, Last Waltz in Vienna
- A Down-to-Earth Visionary • MARGARET DRABBLE – Doris Lessing, The Four-Gated City
- Paper Trails • CHARLES ELLIOTT – Richard Altick, The Scholar Adventurers
- Plenty to Say • OLIVIA POTTS – The novels of Mary Wesley
- Gone Fishing • ADAM SISMAN – Hugh Falkus, The Stolen Years
- Magical Talisman • SUE GAISFORD – Rosemary Sutcliff, Sword Song & The Shield Ring
- The Ubiquitous Canadian • MICHAEL BARBER – Charles Ritchie, The Siren Years
- A Smooth Man in a Trilby • CLARISSA BURDEN – Josephine Tey’s Inspector Grant novels
- Dreaming of Cheese • JOHN SMART – John Squire (ed.), Cheddar Gorge
- A Strangulation of the Soul • MAGGIE FERGUSSON – Brian Masters, Killing for Company
- The Price of Virtue • FRANCES DONNELLY – Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac
- The Tolkien Test • KEN HAIGH – J. R. R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
- Winston and Clementine • JANE RIDLEY – Mary Soames (ed.), Speaking for Themselves
- Innocent or Not? • CHRISTIAN TYLER – Rita Monaldi & Francesco Sorti, Imprimatur
- Out with the Galloping Major • CAROLINE JACKSON – Somerville and Ross, Some Experiences of an Irish RM
- Poetry, My Mother and Me • RACHEL KELLY – The consolation of poetry
Slightly Foxed also is a publisher. Are you a Slightly Foxed reader?
Tip the Wink 
Never heard of it before. Too many essays about things I don’t care about. The one on Josephine Tey is the only one that appeals to me.
The piece on Churchill’s letters was very interesting, and I’m learning about some Brit authors that are new to me. Did you look at the website?
No, never heard of it.
Published in the UK, it’s not well known here, I think.
Love the cover! I’ll have to check SLIGHTLY FOXED out.
You may find it of interest, George.
Heard of it (here?) but never read it. I’d be curious about Margaret Drabble on Doris Lessing. Years ago I read her biography of Arnold Bennett (I know, odd choice) and enjoyed it.
I just commented. Disappeared.
It came through, Jeff, it’s here, Jeff. These articles are short but interesting.
I was out all day yesterday for jury duty, very tiring. I have to go back again on Friday. But luckily I have two days at home to enjoy.
The Slight Foxed journal looks very interesting. When you wrote a post about E. B. White’s essays I started reading more essays but never really got into the habit. The focus here on books sounds like something I would enjoy. I will have to look into it more.
The one on Josephine Tey’s Inspector Grant novels looks good. Unlike a lot of people, I like the Inspector Grant novels more than the standalones. Likewise the one on the Anita Brookner book and the one on Rosemary Sutcliff’s books. I haven’t read anything by those authors.
Here, if you are 70 years or older, and ask to be excused, the Court must excuse you from jury service. If you want to serve as a juror, you may serve. So, too young, eh?
I like Slightly Foxed, but it may not be for everyone. Did you look at the website (I put in the link)? I heard of it from Rosemary on Lesa’s blog.
I am definitely not too young, I am 73. There is no opportunity to asked to be excused based on age here, unless you have a medical condition. [And I did not know about that until I just checked it out, so thanks for mentioning that.] I have plenty of small ailments but nothing serious.
The judge went on at length about all of the hardships that they would excuse people from jury service for and even those were only for putting it off to a later time.
I had not checked out the website for Slightly Foxed, but I will do that now. I do remember your comments and Rosemary’s at Lesa’s blog.
I suppose the pandemic made getting juries difficult.
I think that is true, Rick, and they postponed a lot of trials.
I was going to subscribe a few years back to them, but I have a terrible habit of signing up for journals and magazines but never actually reading many of the articles or essays.
But there are a few that sound interesting there, so I might investigate a bit further