Cover: Photo (c) J. G. Betts. Autumn foliage Dartington Hall Gardens Devon
Lighten Up Online 55 for September 2021 here emerges into a rapidly changing meteorological and political climate with contributors’ thoughts on communication with Him, Her or It Up There, digital disasters, evolution, family fights, hypochondria, jobs domestic and academic, parenthood, sailing, smells but not bells, social media, sympathy for Longbourn's Lydia, tiger tops, and other topics. Odysseus rubs shoulders with Tirso de Molina and Gerard Manley Hopkins, Stevie Smith, William Dunbar and Oklahoma appear strangely transformed. There are also cats and dogs, guppies, an octopus, a quagga, silverfish, springhares (which are not hares in spring), a whale, and other members of the animal kingdom.
In the Intervals no less than twenty-eight troupers or troupes perform at greater or lesser length, to wit Damian Balassone, Jerome Betts, Jane Blanchard, Claire Booker, Alexander Blustin, Pat D’Amico, Bob Eccleston, Martin Elster, John S. Eustis, Richard Fleming, Julia Griffin, Max Gutmann, Brad Gyori, Robin Helweg-Larsen, Brian S. Lee, L.A. Mereoie, Bruce McGuffin, Mike Mesterton-Gibbons, Alan Millichip, Chris ‘O Carroll, Martin Parker, Karen Petersen, Kathy & Tony Peyser, Alex Steelsmith, Henry Stimpson, Wendy Videlock, Paul Willis and Russel Winick.
Fresh from their launching of brickbats or bouquets through the lych-gates of the land come the winners of Competition 54, that is to say Steve Bremner, Susanna Clayson, John Cooper, Freddie Collingwood, C.R. Edenhill, L.A. Mereoie, Mike Mesterton-Gibbons, Martin Parker, and John Wood.
As well as the return of writers not seen for some time, LUPO, as always, warmly welcomes its new names, in this case the Talented Ten. aka J.P. Celia, Sandi Christie, John S. Eustis, Bradford Gyori, Colin McNairn, George Myerson, Don Nigroni, Samantha Pious, K. D. Taylor and Leroy Thomson.
With thanks for the use of photographs to Susan Jarvis Bryant, Karen Petersen and Heather Simpson, the usual apologies to those whose work has had to be held over and best wishes for the coming season to all LUPO’s contributors and readers.
