As the editor of Charcuterie Monthly, I was delighted when Professor Campbell asked me to write an introduction to this book. There was a brief period of confusion when I realised that only the first essay is in any way connected with the meat industry, but the Professor assured me I would find the remaining pieces 'entertaining, erudite and stimulating'. The essays are based on posts that Professor Campbell wrote during 2013 mostly on his Stubooks blog, which he says is about 'writing fiction, reading, cinema, and just about any aspect of contemporary culture that takes my fancy'.
Stubooks received more than 6,000 page hits in one year. If you eliminate the bogus clicks by dating and diet websites that infest free blogs, the real hit rate is around 5000. Someone is reading this material besides the staff at Charcuterie Monthly!
Stuart (if I may be permitted to use his given name) tells me that when he reviewed the posts he realised they might form a coherent body of non-fiction work. He selected the best and edited them as an anthology.
The pieces fall into three broad categories: Books, writing, and a mixed bag of things covering language, culture and travel. Stuart confesses that the short essays on writing include plugs for his novels, but insists that they are of literary merit in their own right.
We've found that Stuart's essays are best enjoyed quietly in the open air with a platter of cold cuts and a good rosé.
