Online goodies john lanchester biography
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The Debt to Pleasure
This is an odd little book, but one that is hugely rewarding.
There is a trend in English writing towards "lad lit", by way of imitation of "chick lit".
Most chick lit that I’ve read (e.g., Kathy Lette – nobody does upwardly mobile English bourgeois quite like an Australian) seems to be at home in its genre, whereas most lad lit seems to me to be lost in imitation, as if the author was writing down to this level, while waiting to be discovered and offered the opportunity to write something more ambitious and literary.
Otherwise intelligent men descend upon this genre in the hope of generating some fame and filthy lucre (which might fund their indulgence in literary fiction), whereas women engage in it as either writer or reader with a sincerity and pleasure that men cannot seem to match.
"The Debt to Pleasure" is not quite lad lit. John Lanchester is made of Sterner stuff. He has been restaurant critic of the Guardian and deputy editor of the London Review of Books. He has a formidable intellect and presumably has a qualification akin to a Classics Degree from Oxford. He knows about food and alcohol (as does any quality journalist), but like the best authors he knows both how to write and how others write and have
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OPENER / ANDREW TUCK
Breath of fresh air
- The radio studios at Midori House can have a magical quality. You head down from the busy editorial floor thinking about too many things, push open a heavy door and enter one of the studios, where the lighting is low and the walls are covered in sound-absorbing acoustic panels. Through a window you can see the engineer and producer but, once you have your headphones on, the world that you just left outside suddenly seems a long way away. It means that when a guest is on the line or, even better, there in front of you, you can connect with them in a way that sometimes floors you and at other times leaves you impressed with their knowledge, compassion, business skills or perhaps abilities in the kitchen.
This week alone I have spoken to people about Joe Biden, the crisis in Yemen and to the former mayor of Washington, Anthony Williams. I also spoke to Deirdre Mask, a former editor of the Harvard Law Review who’s originally from North Carolina and is now a resident of London. She has a new book out, The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth and Power. Now I might have also added a little sticker to say, “This book is fun too”.
Mask was just one of those guests who grabs your attention. Over 20 min
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The Small Holding Future Blog
Violent social meltdown: a order offer
Posted regulation January 6, | Comments
Happy new year.
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