BillF

Yoko Ono Yes Men Nodding Dogs

Elmer Gantry Chuck Gentry Dick Charlesworth's City Gents

Greg sent me a zany email hoping I'd be at his gig with Phil Woods at Woonsocket, Rhode Island next month. I told him it was a bit beyond my range. Can't even make Swanage!

Steve Swindells Hal Crook Bill Hood

Saw Greg Abate at Wilmslow on Tuesday on his current British tour, playing with local trios. Many of the selections were from his latest album:

Goody Two Shoes Boots Mussulli Hugh the Red of Sully http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_the_Red_of_Sully

Bubber Miley Milo O'Shea Venus Williams

Wes Jimmy Bags

Condoleezza Rice Potato Valdez Mr Chips

It's on my list :-)

Rambling Sid Rumpo Natty Bumppo Russ Botten

William Makepeace Thackeray Evelyn Waugh Martin Guerre

The article has whetted my appetite for this, which I began today. I'll probably break off from time to time to read other Spark novels. Yes, I noted the Stannard; now on my list. My recent used book hunt, which turned up "Territorial Rights," also turned up: I need to dip into it a bit. Also, don't forget "The Comforters"-- that first book is quite revealing and often the template for what follows. I can see me reading The Comforters when I reach that stage in the biography. There's a library copy waiting for me.

The article has whetted my appetite for this, which I began today. I'll probably break off from time to time to read other Spark novels.

Could be this one that appeared in the Guardian yesterday. These things are often syndicated internationally. http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jul/05/i-lived-with-muriel-spark

Ryan Gosling Edmund Gosse Volker Gass

Symphony Sid Phil Harmonick Camper Van Beethoven

Not very happy with this Spark novella, but then it seems others weren't either: http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2010/may/13/lost-booker-muriel-spark-drivers-seat

Jim Hawkins Bob Fleming Johnny Catarrh

Helmut Kohl Cole Porter Coal Porter

Here it's magnificent, Goldberg.

The Speckled Band The Band on the Wall The Boys in the Band

Mungo Park Stanley Park Sir Hyde Parker

Yes, I like this one. It has some quite profound moments in addition to the humor. I even turned my cousin on to it (he's moved to Wisconsin, which is close enough). I bought a copy of the short stories, but haven't read them. Late in life, Powers published another novel (Wheat That Springeth Green) which is supposed to be pretty good. I have a copy of this as well, but haven't tackled it yet. (The cover of the NYRB edition is odd -- you are looking into a refrigerator.) , but it didn't appeal to me as a 30 year old. Given that all my books are going to be in transit for a while, after I finish The Tin Flute, I think probably I can get a library copy of Grass's The Tin Drum, which I've never read. I hope you find The Tin Drum more engrossing than I did. I finally gave up on it about half-way through "with prejudice" as they say in legal circles; i.e., made me not want to read any more Gunter Grass. I was pretty surprised by that, considering its "classic status," but I just found it tedious, and, something in the tone or attitude of the book (can't recall exactly) really put me off. It's about 45 years since I tried to read it - without success. It was something of a cult book with the 17-year-old art students whom I was teaching at the time, but it didn't appeal to me as a 30 year old.

It's $10 a month here. I can't imagine many teenagers not being able to afford that. Sounds like the music industry is up to its old discriminatory tricks. Downloads used to be 99 cents a track in the States and 99p here, i.e. about 50% more expensive.