BillF

Those stag have sure been there a long time! Petworth Park by Turner:

British jazz veterans Brian Dee and Len Skeat at Wilmslow this evening.

The third - and best - Franzen I've read, which as a 560-page contemporary American novel obviously invites comparison with Tartt's blockbuster. It was a relief after Tartt's verbal torrents to encounter a more measured prose style. And, unlike her, structure is all: a very complex narrative with occasionally perplexing shifts in time and voice, but all resolves eventually into a very satisfactory book. Very contemporary feel, particularly in the part played by the internet and a Snowden/Assange character. Recommended.

Fine essay, MG. I don't know if you've read Marc Myers' book. If not, I think it would interest you:

The Oomigooly Bird Vin Diesel Volker Gass

Cecil Payne Conrad Aiken Agony Aunts

Ol Man River Old Father Thames River Phoenix

Erroll Flynn Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines The Red Baron

Jimmy Giuffre Four Brothers Other Mothers

This is the sort of Cézanne I was thinking of:

Monet didn't work in little squares. More on the way to a Cézanne, I'd say!

Sly Mongoose Sly Stone Pebbles

I wondered if it was in your orbit - train services seem very good both to the west and east. Yes, pretty good. Metro from West Didsbury (200 yds from my house) to Victoria takes 24 mins. Train from Victoria to Marsden 32 mins. Of course, when Osborne transforms the trans-Pennine route I'll be able to be in Marsden 3 mins before setting off!

Marsden has almost gone by without me noticing this year. Did go up there a couple of years ago and saw Ben Crosland with Steve Waterman. I see Crosland was back there a couple of days ago, but I'm due to see him at Wigan Jazz Club on the 25th anyway. This afternoon it's up to Whitefield on the Metro to see tenorman Liam Byrne who definitely has the right idea and is a personal friend into the bargain. Marsden has almost gone by without me noticing this year. Did go up there a couple of years ago and saw Ben Crosland with Steve Waterman. I see Crosland was back there a couple of days ago, but I'm due to see him at Wigan Jazz Club on the 25th anyway. This afternoon it's up to Whitefield on the Metro to see tenorman Liam Byrne who definitely has the right idea and is a personal friend into the bargain.

Captain Nemo The Naughty Lass Rude Boys

The Monkeys The Monk Philip Glass

Tony Kofi Maxwell House Rich & Roach

James Tissot (who also liked hour glass figures) Igor Butman Bigas Luna

Saw Stanley Cowell with Max Roach's quintet at Club 43 Manchester in about 1967.

Santa Maria Santa Rudolph

Steve Swallow Deep Throat Ruud Gullit

Sorry to hear that news. Always liked these two:

Big Ben Little Richard Tiny Tim

Woman of the Dunes Lorna Doone Frank Herbert

Man Ray Boy George Baby Doc