The Swipe Volume 3 Chapter 18
A week full of drama and astonishing changes in fortune, none of which I can sensibly talk about in a public-facing forum. That sounds like a big fat tease, I know, and I hesitate to even mention it. But at least I’m entering the weekend in a slightly more stable frame of mind than on Monday night. The garden, as ever, remains a place to regain perspective and get grounded. I pulled a handful of gherkins from the plants this week, and the squashes we planted last Saturday are already shouldering up out of the bed. Now those are events I’m happy to celebrate loudly.
Wherever you are, whenever you are, however you are, welcome to The Swipe.
Rob is reading…
The Overstory by Richard Powers. One of those huge multi-character, multi-era books which take on Big Ideas and Big Themes in a mildly science-fictional way. It’s as dense and chewy as malt loaf, but luckily just as tasty. If you like trees, you’re in for a treat.
Rob is watching…
The Bear Season 4, duh.
Rob is listening…
Bruce’s Tracks 2: The Lost Albums, duh.
Rob is eating…
Home hot-smoked salmon, 40 mins over applewood from a tree we chopped down in Copse End last year. Perfectly juicy, a little smoky. Lovely in pasta, on a bagel, tossed into a salad. I really must talk about my pal Joe Junior at some point soon.
Rob’s Low-Key Obsession Of The Week…
I know gambling is a mug’s game and subsequently keep away from it. The mechanics of the pastime fascinate me, though, and this run-down of some common cheats and scams grabbed hard and would not let go.
A blog about interfaces in SF movies. You’re lucky I managed to peel myself away from this one, it’’s a not-so low-key obsession. Funny how real-world data screens never look that cool.
Yes, yes, more on the new Springsteen box set. It’s not every day one of your favourite artists drops seven previously unheard complete albums. There’s more to come too, apparently.
Secret Histories And Other Directions
A really great long interview with Lyle Lovett. I’ve been a fan sine Pontiac, and the dude comes across just I expected, calm, cool, polite, a real gentleman. I was amused by the connotations of being labelled a cowboy, though—it’s very different for someone to call you that to your face in the UK
Hamburgers are definitely part of the deal
Elise Wortley is an absolute badass, but the women in whose steps she’s followed must have been utter forces of nature.
Please, take your time with this long read on New Orleans chef and restauranteur Frank Brigtsen. It’s a loving portrait of a highly talented cook, and a potted history of how food culture in the city radically changed, thanks to him and his indomitable boss ‘K’ Paul Prudhomme.
The downfall of modern literary fiction has been gloomily forecast for as long as it has existed as a discrete genre. Yet, somehow, people still read the books and they keep being published. Something is off. Lincoln Michel runs the numbers. Again, a long one, but Lincoln’s dry wit carries you through.
I make no apologies for the knot your brain will tie itself into by the end of this post. I have the headache, so you must have the headache too.
On the (probably quite small) likeliehood that you need to carry water or make fruit tea while stranded in a forest, take wisdom from your pal Sergio. Thumbs up.
https://www.tumblr.com/jartita-me-teneis/786773767325171712/sergio-outdoorsOne last thing.
We’ll outro with a Granada TV special which reunited the original lineup of Fairport Convention years after their acrimonious split. This could be twice as long and I’d still be happy. A delightful rarity. YouTube is sometimes a very happy place to be.
See you in seven, fellow travellers.
