the audiobook of demon copperhead is brilliant, the narrator’s voice is perfect for demon. like you, i took quite a while to read it, it’s pretty hard going often, and i needed breaks.
I subscribed to your site because of the Bluestocking title. So glad to get an email from your name announcing the latest post because I hadn’t made the connection before. I’ve been praising your “Difficult Women” book as required reading. Now you’ve given me a reading list for the new year. Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year as we post-war generation used to say.
The Louis Wain bit reminds me of the time, decades ago, friends of mine put on an exhibition of his work at Kingston Museum (don't think there was a connection, but anyway) and the opening night created the glorious happening of a social event attended by the person in charge of the Bedlam art collection, alternative hipster and founder of Current 93 David Tibet, who had a huge Wain collection, and local MP Ed Davey, who in his opening speech referred instead to David **Tibbet**. Fun times.
Worried now. I have a tendency to say things like, "No, you can't have any. Dogs don't like fillet steak anyway." This is gaslighting isn't it? Think I am part of the problem.
Thanks for all your newsletters this year. Used to live in Hong Kong and it arrived in my inbox just as I was leaving work to go home on a Friday afternoon and was perfect start to the weekend. Not quite as keen on receiving it on an early Friday morning with another day of work ahead but still my favourite weekly read.
Great recommendations: my mate Simon Stephenson wrote the Lois Wain film (and helped out with Paddington 2). Look out for his great books Set My Heart to Five and Sometimes People Die : https://www.simonstephenson.com
Wonderful newsletter as always. Thank you for the slice of thought.
On the Google/SEO topic, I’d argue that whether the internet is worse or not depends on the type of content we are looking for. I find that factual searches are generally much better than ever before (eg: what are the properties of an apple?).
However, research related questions without clear factual answers have become horribly painful given the massive quantities of junk pages and that search engines seem to assume that every search should result in a location to visit or thing to buy.
I’ve given up using search for research (eg: what hifi set is best for my house) and now use a mix of GPT Q&A chains and going to a physical place with real people who know about the topic and asking them (or friends/family!).
That Bennet article.. the NYT Comment section has/had *hundreds* of people to produce the most minimal output. You could staff three British newsrooms with that number. Truly US journalism has an underemployment problem - there can’t possibly be enough work for all those people just doing NYT Opinion.
Anyway, thanks for all this year’s newsletters. Already looking forward to 2024.
I also loved Demon Copperhead - took me a couple of days to recover when I’d finished. Also, at the close of 2023, I am *delighted* to have (on this one occasion) read something before you Helen.
Love this newsletter - thanks for all the good stuff you’ve recommended in 2023, hope you have a blast in 2024.
Will Sharpe so much more than abs ! Wonderfully heartbreaking in dark comedy series “Flowers”, what he wrote. Brilliant also with the magnificent Katherine Parkinson in “defending the guilty”. Both very recommended bits of telly 👍🏻
Helen, your newsletters never fail to put a smile on my face. Thank you.
the audiobook of demon copperhead is brilliant, the narrator’s voice is perfect for demon. like you, i took quite a while to read it, it’s pretty hard going often, and i needed breaks.
Thanks Helen for all the work you do to compile this Friday morning treat for our inboxes. Hope you have a great Christmas.
I subscribed to your site because of the Bluestocking title. So glad to get an email from your name announcing the latest post because I hadn’t made the connection before. I’ve been praising your “Difficult Women” book as required reading. Now you’ve given me a reading list for the new year. Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year as we post-war generation used to say.
The Louis Wain bit reminds me of the time, decades ago, friends of mine put on an exhibition of his work at Kingston Museum (don't think there was a connection, but anyway) and the opening night created the glorious happening of a social event attended by the person in charge of the Bedlam art collection, alternative hipster and founder of Current 93 David Tibet, who had a huge Wain collection, and local MP Ed Davey, who in his opening speech referred instead to David **Tibbet**. Fun times.
Worried now. I have a tendency to say things like, "No, you can't have any. Dogs don't like fillet steak anyway." This is gaslighting isn't it? Think I am part of the problem.
Stay alert in case your dogs ghost you.
That would make it a cat.
😾
“: “I will not project colonial, capitalist, or patriarchal concepts on my dog,”
I think we need to unplug the world and plug it back in again
Thanks for all your newsletters this year. Used to live in Hong Kong and it arrived in my inbox just as I was leaving work to go home on a Friday afternoon and was perfect start to the weekend. Not quite as keen on receiving it on an early Friday morning with another day of work ahead but still my favourite weekly read.
Great recommendations: my mate Simon Stephenson wrote the Lois Wain film (and helped out with Paddington 2). Look out for his great books Set My Heart to Five and Sometimes People Die : https://www.simonstephenson.com
That’s a banger CV. You must be proud of him!
Wonderful newsletter as always. Thank you for the slice of thought.
On the Google/SEO topic, I’d argue that whether the internet is worse or not depends on the type of content we are looking for. I find that factual searches are generally much better than ever before (eg: what are the properties of an apple?).
However, research related questions without clear factual answers have become horribly painful given the massive quantities of junk pages and that search engines seem to assume that every search should result in a location to visit or thing to buy.
I’ve given up using search for research (eg: what hifi set is best for my house) and now use a mix of GPT Q&A chains and going to a physical place with real people who know about the topic and asking them (or friends/family!).
I had no idea what SEO stood for. Had to Google it to find out.
Happy holidays and thank you for your dedication to reportage! You’re up there with the best.
That Bennet article.. the NYT Comment section has/had *hundreds* of people to produce the most minimal output. You could staff three British newsrooms with that number. Truly US journalism has an underemployment problem - there can’t possibly be enough work for all those people just doing NYT Opinion.
Anyway, thanks for all this year’s newsletters. Already looking forward to 2024.
I also loved Demon Copperhead - took me a couple of days to recover when I’d finished. Also, at the close of 2023, I am *delighted* to have (on this one occasion) read something before you Helen.
Love this newsletter - thanks for all the good stuff you’ve recommended in 2023, hope you have a blast in 2024.
Will Sharpe so much more than abs ! Wonderfully heartbreaking in dark comedy series “Flowers”, what he wrote. Brilliant also with the magnificent Katherine Parkinson in “defending the guilty”. Both very recommended bits of telly 👍🏻
Oh I know! He’s also brilliant in Giri/Haji, which is a beautiful and ambitious bit of TV.
Which I’ve not seen yet but must - thank you for the nudge !
Yes, the Atlantic ran a good piece on how SEO meant the internet was written by humans, for machines.