I am a second-year creative writing postgraduate research student (thesis working title: ‘Reclaiming Cabaret. A Queer Haunted Autoethnography Of Real, Researched And Imagined Stories Of Cabaret Past And Present’). The creative element of my thesis is my autoethnographic novel, Blond Angel, - a queer haunted recollection of my life in a small touring cabaret dance company in Italy between 1980-1986. This exposes the gap in recent dance history, pertaining to British dancers who worked the cabaret nightclubs of Europe in the 1970s and 1980s. I also story people and places from the origins of the modern cabaret in fin-de-siècle Paris, bringing the past and present together in a magically real space, where real, researched and imagined lives meet, haunt and interact within my lived experience. The critical reflection evolves the use of the autoethnographic novel as a qualitative research methodology, valuing personal and evocative writing as equal to conventional academic research. This approach resists the patriarchal discourse of traditional academic narratives.

Building a Rainbow: Ideas and Coalition Building on the American Left, c. 1973-88

To some observers, the emergence of Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other parts of the American left can appear to have come from nothing. Yet by looking at the intellectual and political changes of the 1970s and 1980s, we can see that they in fact have clear historical origins. The idea of a ‘rainbow coalition’ in particular reveals how they owe much to concepts developed in this foundational period.

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Floundering First Steps: The First Month Of Starting A PhD

Starting a PhD can be daunting at the best of times, but even more so during a pandemic. In this article, Olivia Eve Arkley shares her experiences and advice for making the most of the first month of a PhD, including practical tools and mental skills to aid completion. She also discusses the importance of becoming part of the academic community and carving out your own place within it.

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Neurodivergence, Mental Health and the PhD: A Compilation of Advice and Support

Are you navigating a PhD with neurodivergence and mental health challenges, or want to find out how you can support those who do? In this article, our Editor-in-Chief reflects on five impactful stories from PhDers who’ve been there. Discover their strategies for success and prioritising wellbeing in an often-unaccommodating world. Click the subheadings to enjoy the full articles for yourself!

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