→ This plan to make a conscious effort to get out from behind my desk, so I don’t go insane seems to be building up steam. One part of it is commissioning stuff for the newsletter that requires me to be out and about, talking to people. I emailed a few people about this recently and the response has been amazing, which makes me very happy. When people you admire, who you know are already busy, email you back and say ‘of course I’ll spend time chatting to you in the real world for your newsletter’ then that feels like nothing short of a miracle.
→ That doesn’t mean I can’t stay in on my own and watch films on the sofa though (especially if Nina is away and i can watch stuff she doesn’t want to see). This weekend I watched a double bill of All That Breathes (a sort of nature documentary that is unlike any other nature documentary, and is all the better for it - it’s up for an Oscar), and a ‘lost’ British horror classic starring Edward Woodward that isn’t The Wicker Man. The Appointment was released on Blu-ray by the BFI last year (I think) and it is weird and creepy and rather brilliant.
→ Written this week: The Second Annual Good News Issue (LiB). The Curse of the Curzon - part one (LiB) - a look at why the Curzon Mayfair cinema has shut its doors and who’s behind it (had to split this over two issues because it all got a bit rabbit holey).
→ Some interesting things I’ve read this week:
Meet the man quietly revolutionising publishing - a (paywalled) interview with Chris Jackson, “the executive vice-president, publisher and editor-in-chief of One World Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House known for titles that bear witness to the complexities of a diverse world”.
How I Use RSS To “Rewild” My Attention - by Clive Thompson on Medium. RSS is such an ingrained part of my daily schedule and work process now that I couldn’t live without it. Good to see that other people are discovering it. I am a total RSS evangelist.
Helen Garner on happiness: via Russell Davies. Beautiful.
Phaidon revisits forgotten art amusement park designed by Haring, Hockney and more - Look at these pictures!
The Dubious Rise of Imposter Syndrome from the New Yorker. I had no idea about the history or the people behind it - fascinating.
→ Listening to:
I have only recently discovered Oddity Radio. They have some great stuff on Soundcloud.