reading list
things I like in an order I love
the restaurant as crucible
The greatest restaurant review of all time, but so much more than that.
You only think you can’t be transfixed by a pig’s arse—you can be.
For what crime? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal?
A tentpole story in the spiritual life Sydney, this one minute video captures the arrest of one of the city’s greatest, smallest fraudsters. A trail of unpaid bills eventually caught up with him, but he caused a cultural, if not political, revolution that endures to this day.
birds, generally
Helen McDonald is, to continue the theme, a deeply odd bird. Among her credits are the Samuel Johnson Prize, and being among the King of Saudi Arabia’s preferred hawk breeders. Here she tells the tale of her ascent from grief by way of a goshawk. For further reading, see H is for Hawk.
My Bird Problem, Jonathan Franzen
People seem to think of this piece (the embryo which came to life in The Corrections) as a charming and delightful insight into a harmless and endearing hobby—bird watching. I have always seen it as a warning about the terrible dangers that lay ahead for antisocial hobbyists. I leave it to you to make the call.
This is David Sedaris’ first appearance on this list. It will not be his last.
chickens, specifically
Poultry Slam, Act One: Witness for the Barbequetion
Another This American Life appearance. This one is a classic. Aside from one other vignette which appears later, it’s my favourite slice of audio they’ve ever produced. The second Act is also fantastic, but suffers here (like so much vegan food) from not being strictly chicken-based.
I love chickens. They have much to teach us. While we might see them as braindead ninnies, they have complex social relationships, are extremely beautiful, are a bother to nobody—and on top of all that, produce eggs. The It Bird indeed.
penguins, particularly
The opening paragraph of this article commits just about every sin of the long form essay; it begins in media res, then devotes itself so vigorously to telling not showing that the reader almost gives up hope; ”You would never guess the noise coming out of this bright, hot, arid South American wasteland is the noise of 500,000 penguins,” well, no, Mary. And now, I don’t need to. But despite this unspectacular commencement, you’re hooked. Also—great title.
politics, but not really
As should now be clear, Sedaris is a North Star of mine. As ever, the audio of him reading this is superior to the article, the last line of which I immediately sheathed into scabbard it gets pulled from weekly.
Will I know anyone at this Party?
More TAL, for a reason.