Okay. No more Mr 'Sports-fans'. If you'd wanted a celebration of Middlesbrough's exploits you'd be reading the Tees Mouth blog. Today is all about the books and the lovely sunny festival vibes. Also on a point of style, Mr B (here B stands for Boss) kindly advises me that yesterday's post was 'macro'. In response, here's a mere snippet of my Sunday best.
Firstly, the most sprightly of speakers I've seen so far. Dr Ben 'Bad Science' Goldacre is a fierce, frizzy mop of intelligence in a tanktop who is cool and nerdy and righteous (dude). Check out his stuff in the Grauniad, online or, even better, buy his book from Mr B's Emporium. Science or statistics classes across the country are sorely missing the enthusiasm and incision this chap has at his finger-tips. Cue a mile-long line to get autographs - or is that medical advice? - from the goodly doctor.
Shoes of the day? Jonathon Stubbs, Development Officer. Effortlessly brown leather and apparently from a charity shop. Well done.
The Poetry Taxi - winsome undergraduates lure unsuspecting bloggers into the back of a taxi whereupon they unleash a tirade of abuse. 'You're a drawing-pin stuck in my sock,' I was told, 'you're a serious mistake in a nightie.' Oh. I get it. It's a poem by James Fenton. But I saw him speak this morning. He seemed so nice. But here's a pome by Mr Rosen. Now you're talking at my level! (Precisely down behind the dustbin.)
Nod Knowles, Chief Executive, kindly gives me a moment out of his busy schedule to provide you his top tip for the week: Hugh Lupton and Chris Wood, Sunday 8th March in the Guildhall at 5.30pm.
'I know that's going to be brilliant,' Mr Knowles tells me. Unfortunately, 'I know that's sold out,' the website tells me. 'There's something here for everyone,' says Mr Knowles. Quite so. And very generous to give me his thoughts in the middle of a very busy day.
Personally, I'm looking forward to Jon Ronson, Monday at 7.30pm at the Guildhall. Also, at the other end of the week, two events starting at 7.30pm at the Guildhall - New Writing, The Anthology and Focus on Hungary: Anna Szabó and George Szirtes. What is a blogger to do?
One last thing before I sign off then - there is more but it'll have to wait as I'm already rambling on - Rose George talking to Robin McKie about her book, The Big Necessity. It's about poo. It's a serious thing though - were it not for our First World sanitation and sewage systems, we'd all be in the shit. As t'were.
From the outset, Rose George says that she doesn't like toilet humour as she's 'not a 14 year old boy.' Just to say then, as she has previously published a book, this is her number two release. Sorry.
As always, remember that Mr B's is the official bookseller for Bath Literature Festival 2009 and if you've seen anything you like, do pop in and say so. Or just come and visit us for a little bookish pampering - we're always pleased to see you.
Sam 'The Uncommon' Reader
1 comment:
Re: James Fenton's "God, a Poem"
I don't know who stole what from whom, but there's plagiarism afoot. A rather famous ad from the London Review of Books Personals, as reprinted in David Rose's book "They Call Me Naughty Lola", reads "Grave disappointment all round would like to meet serious mistake in a nightie."
It's an evil world, indeed it is. Fenton probably got rich with that poem, and all Grave Disappointment got was a lousy nightie.
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