misc.
The god of cover art.
A flurry of e-mails from the art department at Penguin has inspired today’s post, with various versions of the cover for the proof of There Is No Dog. The book title comes from the joke about the dyslexic atheist (if you can’t figure it out, google Dyslexic Atheist), which is not necessary to understand in [...]
The King’s Speech
What a lovely film, with more British stars of screen and stage than Harry Potter. And who could resist a browse around in history to find out a little more about George VI…..? Herewith a few programme notes. 1. Bertie was forced to buy the well-known royal residences Balmoral (in Scotland) and Sandringham (Norfolk) from his [...]
My 2010 roundup of Best Things. Slightly late.
1. True Stories Told Live. Thank you Kerry, Kate and David. This event is becoming so cool, I’m not even going to tell you to come. The waiting list stretches for miles already. 2. Humboldt’s Gift, Saul Bellow. OK, I’m 54 and I’d never read Saul Bellow. Now I understand why Philip Roth is so [...]
How to write. I mean ride. No, write.
I’ve been writing There Is No Dog for almost as long as I’ve been learning to ride, and if I’d known how long either would take, I’m not sure I’d have embarked on the journeys. How often does this happen in life? If I’d known how long it would take to sort out my career [...]
How I Live Now, soon to be a major motion picture
OK folks. This is the blog we’ve been waiting for. Kevin MacDonald is going to direct the film version of How I Live Now – and I’m completely thrilled about the choice. Though not a household name like, say, Steven Spielberg, Kevin is best known for directing The Last King of Scotland, which won two Baftas [...]
Inspiration for the new year from Dorothy Parker.
My lovely New York editor sent me this telegram from the Viking archives, and it deserves re-posting as a reminder to all writers that it doesn’t always go to plan and that even Dorothy Parker wrote entire chapters covered in the wrong words. Will keep this in mind as I read my ms with a [...]
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