Poetry and other writing

http://www2.eng.cam.ac.uk/~tpl/lit.html

The name, 'LitRefs: Tim Love's literary references,' doesn't do justice to the site. It's a very useful and comprehensive listing of references, including links, but much more than that. Tim Love is a writer - a very interesting and perceptive one - rather than simply a compiler. See, for example, his pages of reviews.

'The articles on poetry and other aspects of literature, at http://www2.eng.cam.ac.uk/~tpl/texts/ cover a wide range of topics - sound and sound patterns, many aspects of form, metaphors and simile, layers in literature, painting in poetry, poetry and gardens, jokes and poetry, the poetry mainstream and the poetry avant-garde, William Blake, the world of small poetry magazines, and much else. Tim Love is a poet and writer of prose fiction with abilities in clear, systematic - consistently stimulating - thinking. The articles benefit very much from this union of practice and thinking.

http://www.jaredcarter.com

The personal Web site of the American poet Jared Carter.When I first saw this site, I was reminded of a mature garden - but of a garden which is not only beautiful but also functional, easy to use. My one reservation about the design of the site concerns the use of the symbol in the lower right hand side of each page which takes the user back to Home. Its use isn't at all apparent at first sight and if these non-standard symbols were in general use, Web sites would be harder to navigate.

http://www.literaryhistory.com

A project which isn't just invaluable but essential - a resolute attempt, informed by strong literary values, to sort the worthwhile from the dross amongst literary Web sites.

http://www.greatworks.org.uk/

GreatWorks is the site of Peter Philpott, a very useful, interesting and comprehensive site which is particularly concerned with innovative and experimental writing.

http://www.textetc.com

The Web site of C. John Holcombe, whose approach to literature is very wide-ranging, for example, in his references to philosophy and literary theory. His adventurous cultural and intellectual interests energize his site but he also offers advice and comment which is balanced, practical, genuinely helpful. The site gives a vast number of references.

http://www.edwardpicot.com

Edward Picot is a notable commentator on the new media, but also a notable practitioner himself, whose writing is spare and unadorned. And the author of a valuable book, 'Outcasts from Eden: Ideas of Landscape in British Poetry since 1945'

http://www.michaelpeverett.com

The personal Web site of the writer Michael Peverett. His comments on other writers are well worth reading and his long poem FOTO has great individuality. His nature writing is accomplished and beautifully illustrated.

Humanitarian sites

The death penalty (there are a very large number of superb sites, particularly in the USA.)

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/
Indispensable, very comprehensive source of information concerning the death penalty as applied in the USA.

University malaise

Political correctness and other issues at American universities:

http://www.mindingthecampus.org

Islamism: terrorism and free speech

A comprehensive record of the threats posed by Islamism, with incisive comment. The site would be even more impressive without its constant assumption of American virtue (except where Americans are complacent in their acceptance of Islamism).

http://www.jihadwatch.org

Animal welfare

http://www.wspa.org.uk
The World Society for the Protection of Animals.

http://ciwf.co.uk/default.htm
Compassion in World Farming: sustained action against factory farming.

http://www.captiveanimals.org
The Web site of The Captive Animals' Protection Society.

http://www.bornfree.org.uk

Born Free - action to end the miserably restricted conditions of animals in circuses and zoos. Information about enlightened and unenlightened governments, amongst so much else - for example, Bolvia, which has banned the use of domestic and wild animals in circuses, Croatia, which has banned the keeping of captive dolphins, and India, which has banned the keeping of elephants in zoos.

Food, gardening, farming and the environment

http://www.sustain.web.org/index.asp
'Food miles,' and other matters.

http://www.cpre.org.uk
The campaign to protect rural England.

Web design

http://webstyleguide.com
The site which, very generously, gives most of the content of the second edition of the book 'Web Style Guide.'

Articles and reviews

http://www.complete-review.com
A very useful and comprehensive set of reviews.

Skepticism

The Skeptic's Dictionary by Robert Todd Carroll. Comprehensive, realistic, well informed.