Giles Turnbull

TMN Contributing Writer Giles Turnbull finds it hard to write a meaningful bio, despite being a professional writer for some 15 years now. That’s horrifying. It’s frightening. You can visit him online at gilest.org.

A Common Nomenclature for Lego Families

Thousands of different Lego exist, yet when your seven-year-old asks for “a clippy bit,” you know exactly what to hand him. GILES TURNBULL surveys a caucus of children. (Opinions | November 4, 2009)

The Babysitter

The kids are asleep upstairs, and the sitter waits alone in a darkened house—and then the phone rings. If you think you know what happens next, think again. THE WRITERS finish the story. (Spoofs & Satire | October 30, 2009)

First Scary Movies

You can sleep with the closet light on, you can crawl into your parents’ bed, but you can never forget your first truly frightening horror movie. Our STAFF AND READERS agree. (Of Recent Note | October 29, 2009)

OK Genius

Apple’s iTunes software claims to be a Genius at making mixes. GILES TURNBULL begs to differ, knowing how mixes should be made, and proposes a duel of “Fingertips.” (Opinions | September 18, 2009)

Superpowers, Revealed

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s…someone who can divide a dinner bill five ways! Sometimes the best abilities are the ones the world can’t see. Our STAFF AND READERS share their talents. (Of Recent Note | September 2, 2009)

When the Lights Went Out

At 4:15 p.m. on Aug. 14, 2003, tens of millions of people across the Northeast and Midwest U.S. and Ontario were suddenly without power. Our STAFF AND READERS tell us what happened next. (Of Recent Note | August 14, 2009)

The Present Sound of London

A big city creates a unique din and racket as recognizable as its skyline. Presenting a day in the sounds of London, with GILES TURNBULL and his recording device. (Letters From London | July 8, 2009)

Favorite Worst Movies

Summer movies tend to crush box-office records, dumbfound critics, and be terrible. Our STAFF AND READERS tell us about the movies they know they shouldn’t love. (Of Recent Note | July 2, 2009)

The Pride of the Bernard-Barnards of West Wickingham Is Wounded

Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week, GILES TURNBULL receives a letter from a student in distress and does absolutely nothing to assist her. (The Non-Expert | June 12, 2009)

When the Going Was Good

British elites have been caught using public money to clean their moats, and a nation seethes. GILES TURNBULL offers a primer on Parliament and the latest controversy sweeping Great Britain. (Letters From London | May 14, 2009)

Wait a Minute, Mr. Postman

The U.S. and the U.K. have much in common, but not postage. ROSECRANS BALDWIN and GILES TURNBULL account for the mysteries of two very different mail systems. (Spoofs & Satire | May 5, 2009)

Viva Print

As the industry stands ready to pulp entire newsstands, devotees of periodicals refuse to give up on their first love. Our READERS AND WRITERS extol their favorite ink-based publications. (Of Recent Note | May 1, 2009)

Attractive With Glasses

Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. This week, GILES TURNBULL, a man who’s more attractive with his glasses on, counsels a reader on the beauty of frames. (The Non-Expert | April 10, 2009)

Your Favorite Thing About the Recession

Times are tight—but must they necessarily be bad? We asked our READERS AND WRITERS to find the upside to the downturn. (Of Recent Note | April 2, 2009)

One Spring Day

As winter wanes, everyone grows tired of the cold and damp, whether they live in San Francisco, Austin, or London. A day in the life of TMN’S EDITORS & WRITERS on the first day of spring. (Profiles | March 23, 2009)

Love Sic

Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. Our mailbag is stuffed with questions about love, often oddly phrased. GILES TURNBULL addresses one of the more curious examples. (The Non-Expert | February 27, 2009)

People I Wish I Knew

We asked: “Who are your would-be acquaintances, your potential best friends, your maybe-someday muses?” With hopeful associates living and dead, renown and unknown, the TMN READERS AND WRITERS respond. (Of Recent Note | February 24, 2009)

The Crippling Fear of Corriearklet

Pity the English. Not only are they cursed with bad weather, and the habit of talking about it all the time, they also fear eye contact with strangers in long corridors. GILES TURNBULL explains one nation’s syndrome. (Op-Ed | January 21, 2009)

Mr. Bowyer’s Fantastic Machine

Lots of machines can manufacture things. What about one that could produce everything, including itself? GILES TURNBULL visits the man who taught a machine to replicate. (Profiles | November 12, 2008)

A Writer by Any Other Name

Describing a character over 300 pages is one thing—reducing yourself to three lines is another. GILES TURNBULL struggles with a writer’s greatest challenge: the byline. (Personal Essays | February 13, 2008)

Please Spool to End of Tape Before Playing Other Side

For music listeners of every era, our audio formats define us—until we grow up and upgrade. GILES TURNBULL remembers the sweet squeak of cassettes. (Personal Essays | January 17, 2008)

Murder and the Masseuse

Many of us imagine killing our bosses; some people actually take it a little further. GILES TURNBULL meets a woman who got into the massage business to avoid a homicide rap. (Profiles | October 9, 2007)

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Archives