aAndrew O’Hagan was born in Glasgow in 1968, grew up in a working class family in Ayrshire, and studied English at Strathclyde University. His first book, missing person (1995), told the stories of disappeared people. In 2003, he was included in Granta’s list of the best young British novelists. He has written 10 books so far. Our Fathers and Mayfly, three of his novels, were nominated for the Booker Prize. His latest work is Caledonian Road, which depicts the current state of the nation and is published by Faber Publishing. He will be speaking at Hay Festival on May 30th.
1. poem
Jackie’s activist parents are at the center of this important and wonderful book, filled with memories of marches, demonstrations, protests, Peggy Seeger’s dreams, and Hugh McDiarmid pushing a pram. Here we have a beautiful author at the top of her game. If I ruled Britain, I would distribute copies on the NHS. It’s a sublime, fun, pot-pounding volume of genius.
“There’s nothing better than the last latte of the night. You’re always my little lassie – the moon is bright. I’ll kiss your forehead and turn off the lights.”
2. comedy
Rowley is a TikTok sensation, and her mind is free to do whatever she wants. He messages everyone from Harry Potter fans to upper-class students, and his penchant for his own jokes makes it part of his contagious fun. I’ve already signed up for his upcoming Edinburgh Fringe Smash, Literally.
3. fashion
Many men believe that their car represents them, yet they act as if their bodies don’t belong to them and the strings don’t matter. I should have quickly put on a nice suit and got on the bus. No one in Britain does men’s clothing better than Ritchie Charlton. Formerly part of Hardy Amies, Kilgour, and Alexander McQueen, he is now independent and is an absolute master when it comes to making sharpness look natural.
Four. music
Glasgow Eyes by The Jesus and Mary Chain
The 80’s feedback sellers are gearing up. I loved them when I was a teenager and thought they were the Ramones meets Sex Pistols. We used to go see them play a 15-minute set with their backs to the audience, thinking it was the best and coolest. With this new album, they prove the adage that for things to stay the same, everything must change. Glasgow Eyes Poppier, more experienced, with a driving pulse and deep melodic fluency that recalls the Beach Boys. Like the best bands, they create and share their timeless momentum.
Five. app
Is there such a thing as life? Do not have Revision? Isn’t every day a summary? My new favorite app provides a set of main ideas as a list of more or less structured headings, or “flashes.” If you’re about to fall asleep, why lie down and think about your family’s grievances when you can easily choose to watch 20 minutes of Hobbes instead? Leviathan Would you like a reminder of how the social contract must be kept intact? In the morning, you can hear another political debate on TV across the Frosty River. Today You can join the program or opt for a 15-minute sprint in Simone de Beauvoir’s park instead. Ethics of Ambiguityy. Now I’m hooked. Like most revisions, its main function is not to impart knowledge but to remind you of everything you don’t know.
6. podcast
The upcoming US presidential election may be, as advertised, one of the biggest shitshows in human history. I will be attending the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in July. So I’m prepared for all this gravitas and comedy and hope the same. What will happen to the anti-Trump Republican Party? Who will win the money race? Will Robert Kennedy Jr. turn out to be a spoiler? And what happens if someone dies? Produced by the New York Times, this podcast, brought to you by the excellent Asted Herndon, is chatty, funny, and completely disturbing.
Source: www.theguardian.com
