The Swipe Volume 2 Chapter 14
Off on adventures this weekend, to celebrate birthdays in Essex. Off on adventures next weekend to meet up with TLC’s side of our extended family. Meanwhile, the garden is waking up, stretching and groaning and putting out feelers. I love this time of year, when the world seems to brighten a little. If you’re happy to let that mood in, it can do you all sorts of good.
Wherever you are, whenever you are, however you are, welcome to The Swipe.
Rob is reading…
Sarah Gailey’s four-part story on love, food and survival in a future where hope is in short supply. Somehow, though, there’s always time to gather round the table and break bread. This is really good SF, warm, human and thought-provoking. Settle in and enjoy.
Rob is watching…
Life with a cat, absolutely nailed. The observation is pin-sharp, the animation on point.
Rob is listening…
Reading Writers enjoyed their Not The Oscars night this week, when five members advocated for their favourite film adaptation of a novel. Pal Jillian championed Brokeback Mountain, at a perfect time as discussions on the tropes, cliches and exclusions of the Old West are high and loud. Willie Nelson, along with the pokiest of cowpokes Orville Peck, reiterates the point he made in the movie. What do you think all them saddles and boots was about?
Rob is eating…
Wild garlic pesto. I have a clump in the garden which, whizzed up with some oil, salt, lemon and cashews (pine nuts are waaaay too expensive) make a delicious, potent, lurid green addition to pasta. Also great mixed in with peas and that half-pot of tartare sauce hanging around in the fridge, warmed through and served with fish and chips for a Friday supper.
Rob’s Low-Key Obsession Of The Week…
The new car. I will bore you extensively on my burgeoning love affair with Harvette next week.
Frankly, given the current state of worldwide politics, I think we could all use a step change away from the old order. Have a read of this manifesto from Tom Hopkinson of The Idler and tell me you don’t agree with at least some of his arguments.
I would never be able to read this children’s classic—I’m far too emotionally fragile. The overview is triggering enough…
A perfectly judged story on technology, delivery culture and doughnuts. That’s it, that’s the post.
Delighted to hear the mighty Bryan Talbot is getting the highest award the comics field can deliver. He is a giant of the Ninth Art and his achievements should be yelled from the rooftops. I proudly own an omnibus edition of Luther Arkwright and love his badger detective character Archie LeBrock in the ongoing Grandville book series. Congratulations, Bryan!
We are big fans of the Jack Reacher books and even bigger advocates of the Amazon series which finally get the character right. Alan Ritchson’s story is as wild as some of Lee Child’s plots. Are we surprised that he comes over as a genuinely good guy in this interview with the Hollywood Reporter? No, we are not. It all makes perfect sense.
A little poetry for you on this Saturday morning, which accurately describes the sense of helplessness we all feel in the face of so much—stuff. My advice—build a schedule of works and go through it point by point. Do the weeding, tidy the house, then save the world.
There’s laundry to do and a genocide to stop.
A fine new example in the journalistic sub-genre of cruise writing from Gary Shteyngart. Seriously, if you’ve ever thought about getting on one of these sea-bound fortresses, read Gary’s piece. It will help you straighten out your thought processes.
The loneliness of the long-distance cruise passenger
A history of New York told through restaurants. They’re all here from the toniest of the tony to the punk hangouts. A long read, but nicely broken up into easy-to-digest portions.
Words are magic. In some cases, literally so.
There were discussions on the socials last week regarding the best 90s album or band that wasn’t one of the usual suspects—Nirvana, Pearl Jam et al. I nominate one of the hardest groups to find in a Google search, Live, whose 1994 album Throwing Copper is, in our house at least, a stone classic. Famously combative, they reunited last year for a celebration concert, raging out of the gates in fine high style. Put this on loud while you plough through your schedule of works. This is music to save the world by.
See you in seven, fellow travellers.
