Blog | BEN PLATTS-MILLS

Mar 9
1 min

THE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL THAT FOUGHT FASCISM: an interview with Dan Snow

A few weeks ago I was interviewed for for Dan Snow's History Hit podcast on the subject of of Saint-Alban, the psychiatric hospital that...

Aug 22, 2022
7 min

CHISELED: on Madonna and the Marbles (**nudity and sexual imagery**)

This year is the 30th anniversary of Madonna's photo-book Sex. I was an adolescent when it was published but I clearly remember a...

Jun 25, 2022
2 min

SOME POEMS: that I wrote

I started writing poetry in April this year. Or, possibly, in April I started realising that some of my existing writing was already...

Jun 16, 2022
3 min

FRINGE SEMIOTICS: on the origins of Hulk's haircut

In the summer of 2020 I started revisiting Jack Kirby's artwork for Marvel Comics. In particular I was looking at his early drawings for...

Feb 28, 2022
2 min

MAN AND ULTRAMAN: a PowerPoint presentation

Back in 2008 I was asked by my friend, poet and Elder Bard of Ynys Witrin Wes White, to take part in some events in celebration of...

Dec 10, 2021
1 min

WEIRD GIFTS (***contains swear-words and farts***)

Wrapping presents? I enjoy it, usually more than buying the gifts. Here's some examples from the archive, starting with Christmas 2017....

Nov 17, 2021
1 min

LOCK-DOWN EMOTIONS: an art collaboration

During lock-down last year my cousin asked me to do some Zoom classes with her kids. In one session I set them the task of drawing...

Oct 15, 2021
6 min

ASYLUM: Crossing the Pyrenees, 4/4

This is the final part of Marie-Rose Ourabah’s story of asylum. Here she reflects on the impact of her experiences as a refugee during...

Oct 14, 2021
7 min

ASYLUM: Crossing the Pyrenees, 3/4

This is the story of how Marie-Rose Ourabah, daughter of François and Hélène Tosquelles, escaped Spain after her father was sentenced to...

Oct 13, 2021
4 min

ASYLUM: Crossing the Pyrenees, 2/4

In my correspondence with Marie-Rose Ourabah, daughter of François and Hélène Tosquelles, I asked her to tell me the story of how her...

Oct 12, 2021
3 min

ASYLUM: Crossing the Pyrenees, 1/4

During the research for my essay, Asylum, I corresponded with Marie-Rose Ourabah, daughter of François and Hélène Tosquelles, central...

Oct 5, 2021
3 min

MAGGIE NELSON IS RIGHT - about this at least

My essay, Asylum, for Aeon, ends with this paragraph: “We are all subject, to a greater or lesser extent, to the deadening, separating...

Sep 29, 2021
5 min

ON FREEDOM - Paul Éluard's poem

In 1936, the poet Paul Éluard helped to organise an exhibition of work by surrealists from across Europe. In June of that year, when the...

Sep 25, 2021
3 min

ELENITA TOSQUELLES

During my research for the Asylum essay, I’ve been corresponding with Marie-Rose Ourabah, author and daughter of Francois Tosquelles. I...

Sep 24, 2021
24 min

ASYLUM - an interview with Martine Deyres and Camille Robcis

Late last year, a friend invited me to watch a film called Our Lucky Hours. Directed by Martine Deyres, it tells the fascinating story of...

Sep 20, 2021
15 min

YOUR HUSBAND IS GONE... BUT STILL HERE

The following is an episode I wrote for my memoir, Tell Me the Planets, that wasn't included in the final version of the book. It tells...

Sep 17, 2021
2 min

SKETCHBOOK PAGES, WINTER 2019

In the winter of 2019 I attended Emily Haworth-Booth's Drawing the Graphic Novel course at the Royal Drawing School in London. Here are...

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