Introduction

Introduction to the memoir Until Further Notice, I am Alive, by Tom Lubbock, art critic of the Independent. The work is a record of two years following diagnosis of a brain tumour. It is a meditation on language and mortality and was published by Granta in 2012 to great acclaim. I wrote the 2200 word introduction, giving the text the contextual framework of an experience both of us lived through

Great Works: 50 Paintings Explored

Great Works: 50 Paintings Explored is a fully illustrated collection of essays on individual paintings drawn from his Great Works column in The Independent that ran from 2005 - 2010. As literary executor for the estate of Tom Lubbock I facilitated the production of Great Works together with Andrew Dunn from Frances Lincoln: proofing, editing, image calibration, working from the essay schedule set by the author

Will the electoral system continue to ‘skew’ towards Labour in 2015?

With less than one week to go until polling day, and irrespective of the fact that the polls are extremely close (they are), we should focus on whether the electoral system helps one or other of the two largest parties, argues Tom Lubbock. In recent years the system has had a skew to Labour resulting from its biases. Will it this time around

Lubbock Entertainer

"The Lubbock Entertainer is a new and unique publication idea devoted to and dedicated to the entertainment activity of the community. Its purpose and objective is to stimulate interest and fulfill the need for a one-stop consolidated printed reference easily available."The collection is focused on periodicals published by Leandro Rivera regarding Tejano music acts. It also includes numerous other publications relating to Hispanic Texas and its business community in Lubbock during the late 20th century.The publisher and entrepreneur Leandro "Lee" Rivera was prominent in the founding of several West Texas business associations for Hispanic merchants. In addition, he was active in community events, scholarship fundraising and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). After moving from Lubbock to East Texas in the 1990s, he has recently retired to Mexico.Newsprint periodicals have been separated to prevent deleterious impact on other materials. Publications are grouped by title and placed in date order. The collection is in good condition and is part of the Crossroads of Music archive

The new “skew” of the electoral system in 2015

Historically, the electoral system has tended to help Labour in the way it translates votes into seats. In 2015, the skew changed, giving a significant advantage to the Conservatives, argues Tom Lubbock

Thinking specifically about your own constituency…

The 2015 election has seen more constituency-level opinion polls than any previous election, most of which have been administered by Lord Ashcroft. In this post, Tom Lubbock examines the differences in reported vote intention when those polled are asked to think about the candidates in their specific constituency, rather than a more general question. The results suggest significant differences from national polls, particularly for the Liberal Democrats

Imperialism and the Geopolitics of COVID-19 in Venezuela

The impact of COVID-19 in Venezuela has merely compounded an already existing health crisis within the country. Like the rest of the Venezuelan economy and society, the breakdown of the healthcare system is largely due to the legacy of class conflict and the contradictions of Bolivarian oil-dependent development policy, which finally came to breaking point with the end of the commodity super-cycle. And yet, despite the domestic sources of the crisis, the current unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela is inherently geopolitical in nature. Central to this story is the manner in which Venezuela’s domestic and electoral dynamics have become inextricably embedded within the ‘imperialist chain’ centred on Washington. The conflict between chavista and opposition forces, the constitutional crisis of 2017, the unilateral declaration of Juan Guaidó as ‘interim president’ in 2019, and an intensified sanctions regime are all differentially conditioned by US imperial strategy. This paper will unpack the interconnections between the domestic and international dynamics of Venezuela’s socio-political crisis, explore the ways in which COVID-19 has been weaponised by the Trump administration, and attempt to understand the prospects for radical political renewal under conditions of increasing geopolitical conflict

Lubbock Entertainer

"The Lubbock Entertainer is a new and unique publication idea devoted to and dedicated to the entertainment activity of the community. Its purpose and objective is to stimulate interest and fulfill the need for a one-stop consolidated printed reference easily available."The collection is focused on periodicals published by Leandro Rivera regarding Tejano music acts. It also includes numerous other publications relating to Hispanic Texas and its business community in Lubbock during the late 20th century.The publisher and entrepreneur Leandro "Lee" Rivera was prominent in the founding of several West Texas business associations for Hispanic merchants. In addition, he was active in community events, scholarship fundraising and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). After moving from Lubbock to East Texas in the 1990s, he has recently retired to Mexico.Newsprint periodicals have been separated to prevent deleterious impact on other materials. Publications are grouped by title and placed in date order. The collection is in good condition and is part of the Crossroads of Music archive