“I mean, the guys who are running newspapers over the last twenty or thirty years have to be singular in the manner in which they destroyed their own industry. It’s even more profound than Detroit in 1973 making Chevy Vegas and Pacers and Gremlins and believing that no self-respecting American would buy a Japanese car. Except it’s not analogous, in that a Nissan is a pretty good car and a Toyota is a pretty good car. The Internet, while it’s great for commentary and froth, doesn’t do very much first-generation reporting at all. The economic model can’t sustain that kind of reporting. They had contempt for their own product, these people.”

Just one standout quote from an interview containing many.

#david simon #journalism #the wire

My mum had this on cassette. I stole it and played it endlessly on long car rides from my home town west to Bath or east to Canterbury. I love Bruce Springsteen’s world-weary voice toward the end of this. I’d love to hear Bruce narrating Raymond Carver stories.

#lou reed #street hassle

This trilogy of books by the little-known writer Michael de Larrabeiti had me entranced as a ten-year-old. The Borribles are runaway kids, battling to stay out of the clutches of the grown-up world. Their ears grow long and pointy (their chief giveaway) and, once they’ve gone underground, they cease to age.

My memories of the books are hazy. I remember they lived underground, wore various headgear to hide their ears, and the catapult was their weapon of choice. If you have kids, seek these out and give them a treat they’ll treasure. (Though they will of course begin to resent you as the embodiment of the establishment.)

The covers above are taken from this wonderful Flickr set of Borribles imprints.

#Michael De Larrabeiti #The Borribles

I spent a good portion of my university years watching a now rare Paul Kaye sketch compilation called Dennis Pennis R.I.P. It features early appearances from David Walliams and Matt Lucas and contains some of the most lowbrow, distasteful humour you’re ever likely to not come across. Here’s one of my favourite sketches featuring one of Kaye’s least-known characters, Labian Quest, Football Song Writer:

#dennis pennis #labian quest #paul kaye

I just watched the first episode of Carl Sagan‘s epic series, Cosmos. It was one of the most inspiring hours of television I’ve ever seen, with a typically otherworldly score from Vangelis. Filmed in 1978 and 1979, it’s obviously a little dated but that doesn’t detract from the visual punch. But most affecting is Sagan’s sheer joy in science and knowledge.

Most of the episodes can be streamed online or you can purchase the boxset here. The video above is the first five minutes of Episode 1.

#carl sagan #cosmos

Beautiful work from Portland-based illustrator, graphic artist and watercolourist Sam Alden. The random samples above are from his blog Gingerland. Definitely destined for big things.

#gingerland #sam alden