And, of course, we can't forget the mud:

Some Anita Brookner from my mother-in-law's shelves. Perhaps not canon, but hopefully something to get me started. Any recommendations among these @jacquiwine.bsky.social? 💙📚

Many thanks to autocorrect, which has decreed that the heir to the French throne was not in fact handed over 'aux hommes' – i.e. to the care & education of men rather than women – in 1787 No, he was handed over to 'his homies' If you find this wild misprint in my book, please blame Microsoft Word

Watched ‘The Wanderers’ again, inspired by buying OST. Wonderful, atmospheric, strong cast, great locations & music, strong elements of surrealism. Great on Bronx jitterbugging culture. Tight novel by Richard Price. Tagline: ‘It was the Wanderers against the world… and the world never had a chance!’

Performing desirable behaviour and "virtue signalling" is also absolutely core to human society. It's why we tell kids that stealing is wrong, rather than just that it's illegal and punishable by law. Living in a place where people only treat each other well when forced to by rules would be AWFUL.

Minus the hat and the Winchester (obv) this could be in GQ this week

In case anyone was worrying that I hadn't bought any books this week, I'd like to put your minds at rest.

I feel like we have the opportunity to turn David Lynch's quote into this moment's "Keep Calm and Carry On" and it's a far better rallying cry too.

Fun fact: several years after his Provisional Government was deposed by the Bolsheviks in 1917, former Russian prime minister Alexander Kerensky married Brisbane-born Nell Tritton and relocated briefly to peaceful, leafy Clayfield in Brisbane’s northern suburbs www.smh.com.au/world/alexan...

Funny how men who 'dream of being James Bond' always look like a deputy headmaster who's just been put on the register. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"Woke isn’t actually dead yet but I hope that my book will be the final nail in its miserable, joyless coffin" says Piers Morgan about his book "Woke is Dead"

Socialism is what they called public power. Socialism is what they called social security. Socialism is what they called the growth of free and independent labor organizations. Socialism is their name for almost anything that helps all the people. —Harry Truman, 1952

Writing about being a fan of an artist who does not want someone like me as a fan, and at what point, therefore, my insistence on being their fan represents, for them, the downside of fame. Good morning.

Why are ICE agents being paid during the shutdown, but not air traffic controllers? 🤨

Spinning in the kitchen. ‘Keepin’ The Faith’ a 1984 Northern Soul comp I’d not seen before. On Precision Records and Tapes. Found shelved along with punk comps, I think on the basis of the cover design & DIY flyers & dance photo. Concept & compilation by Matt Haywood & Tilly Rutherford.

Collecting TikTok avatars of ppl telling me New York will be under sharia law in six months

I need you all to know that my mother sent me this. 🤣 That is all.

Where I’m Writing From.

My mum just said to me "You should be hung like a horse". When I challenged her over saying such a thing, it transpires she thought it was a punishment horses got. Turns out she's been incorrectly using the phrase since the 90s in various settings

NEW! Columbo Decorations! Celebrating perhaps the greatest tv detective. They can be sent as cards and hung as decorations, the versatility is astounding! Just one more thing...head on over to heykidsrocknroll.etsy.com for these and LOADS of other quality merchandise.

It shouldn’t be forgotten that a big piece of Mamdani’s campaign was simply “cities are cool and lots of people enjoy living in them” which in and of itself dismantles alot of rightwing talking points

If there’s any of you who profess to be into noir and have not yet seen MR INBETWEEN, you need to fix that asap. If you need further convincing, my @crimereads.bsky.social piece from a few years ago #noirvember crimereads.com/mr-inbetween/

‘It takes a lot of energy to be an asshole’ Steven Soderbergh knows the score. Interview by @mattzollerseitz.bsky.social www.vulture.com/2017/11/stev...

Fact-Checking Claims About Zohran Mamdani https://theonion.com/fact-checking-claims-about-zohran-mamdani/

(1968) THE DAY OF THE OWL - Damiano Damiani Also rewatched GOMORRAH (movie & show) & SUBURRA (movie & book) in the first half of the year & I'm thinking maybe 2025 was not the greatest year to go deep on institutional corruption & hypercapitalism Nero & Cardinale are beautiful as always

(1967) Billion Dollar Brain - Ken Russell The combination of Michael Caine and Karl Malden in a Len Deighton 60s swingin spy caper directed by Ken Russell was an irresistible proposition. It was fun, but not the experience tantalizingly teased by the ingredients. How bout those opening credits tho

filthy cops

Seven days from today the Muscle Shoals: Low Rhythm Rising exhibition will open at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum. I wrote an essay on the great Wilson Pickett for the catalog, concentrating on his "Hey Jude" collaboration with Duane Allman. I tried to make it wicked.

Trying to think when "my" era of Sesame Street ended. Thought it was around the time that Mr. Snuffleupagus was revealed and before Elmo became prominent. Looking now, those happened literally at the same time, and a bit after I wouldn't have been watching anymore.

This

"What was your dissertation?" "Donuts." "What?" "Well, officially, 'The Baker's Dozen Isn't Enough: #History and and Societal Impacts of Donuts Since the Industrial Revolution.'" "Huh. What'd you glean from your research?" "13 isn't enough donuts. And about 20 pounds." #vss365 #amwriting

Different kind of NYC celebration: www.youtube.com/watch?v=izzM...

Nobody I hang out/work with dresses like the Rolling Stones. I feel what the Rolling Stones wear doesn't even count as clothes. They're like flagpoles draped in rags and headbands. You can count their age by the number of rags. It's like it started as a joke and then the rags just took over.

John Coltrane & Thelonious Monk

Thanks to The Ringer for republishing my 2022 piece on 'Nebraska' amidst the excitement surrounding 'Deliver Me From Nowhere'. It's one I'm very proud of- both a celebration of a transcendent album and a melancholy reckoning with the broken American labor movement. www.theringer.com/2022/12/14/m...

For those who will bear witness. For everyone who pretends there was benevolence from 'employers' & governments, and no slavery in Australia; who believes Tony Abbott's version of history. Debra Dank writes with beauty and anger of the truth we cannot dodge. theconversation.com/friday-essay...

Back to #EdMcBain’s 8-7. After disliking the last two installments, I was pleasantly surprised with THE BIG BAD CITY. Two interesting new cases as well as a callback to a previous storyline made for some great action. Plenty of twists, humor, and unique characters. Good stuff!

Cannot. Stop. Laughing.

Nobody put the Popemobile Baby in my timeline this year, and dammit, I want to see the Popemobile Baby every year.

Sherlock and I do our nightly patrol for monsters that lurk in the darkness around our neighbourhood. There’s vampires, werewolves and the undead galore but we do our best to keep things under control. Keep an eye out for more of our adventures. 😀🐶

There must be a long German word that perfectly describes the moment you make your bed in the morning and it looks so beautiful and inviting that you just want to climb back into it again.

Friday night spinning in the kitchen, new pick ups from the trip south. ‘Movin’ With Nancy’ 1st US pressing and an immaculate sounding Japanese ‘Wanderers’ soundtrack album.

The moment in Kiss Me Deadly when Ralph Meeker has had it up to here and takes it out on a snarky little guy who gets greedy.

The James Bond Book Club this week features Brian Baker in the ejector seat of our SAAB turbo 900 for John Gardner’s Licence Renewed podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/t...

I did not know that “Turn the Volume Up” was a KRS-One rap song from back in the day. The rest of the line says “…the devil’s time is up.” A deeper shade of shade! I love it. My mayor!