Dear Homies,

Thank you again for reading this cumbersome and pretty sad excuse for a book club. I’ve given up apologizing for now. So it’s a bit of “take it or leave it” I’m afraid.

I was slightly blown away by people’s response to The Outline of Sanity. Partly just cos so many people successfully found it! I haven’t recorded my reaction to it here, and I’m actually fine with that (this isn’t just a cop out)... I feel this book, even more than any others, is so brilliantly written and explained, that any of my attempted commentary won’t really add to it. It’s also ridiculously dense, and so rich that there’s just too much to talk about in a pretty limited blog.

Suffice to say it’s changed my life; but I don’t expect it to, or even feel that it must, have the same effect on everyone! I think even if you disagree vehemently with what GKC puts forward, it’s still a really refreshing experience to read such well considered and intriguing lines of argument. Especially now, on pretty hot topics like ‘big vs small business’, ‘private vs public ownership’, ‘the man-made vs the natural’, etc. The actual political ideal of Distributism, I’m still getting my head around, if I’m honest. But his thinking and his writing are just plain bitchin, in my very humble opinion!

(Listen to the new Matthew and the Atlas EP “Kingdom of Your Own”. That’s the soundtrack right now.)

We’ve been on the road pretty solidly since last time, which has been great for reading opportunities; not so great for writing ones. But now we’re having a little breather, I’m grateful for both things coming together hand in hand oncemore. So here’s a bit of a catch up..

Over the summer I took my mother’s tradition of reading “good old fashioned romps” as my own. For those of you struggling to find a true translation for the word ‘romp’, it’s basically a rollicking good ride. Good luck translating my translation. I think it comes from the idea of reading non-challenging books whilst on holiday (even if most books I read feel like a challenge anyhow..). Stephen L Carter’s ‘Palace Council’ was one such “romp”. A good laugh if you’re interested in American politics and conspiracy theories, apparently, but also equally enjoyable if you have no idea about either.

Hillary Mantel’s “Wolf Hall” was great fun too, I smashed through that in Australia. It was very easy to read, and took a different, pro-Cromwellian angle on the Henry VIII’s reign from the one I was both taught and saw, through being forced to watch “A Man For All Seasons” on repeat as a teenager. This was welcome, don’t get me wrong, sick script and no one can argue with Paul Scofield, (who was also my favourite King Lear, hands down). I genuinely enjoyed the really self-conscious writing of this book, as it was a completely different Tudor experience from any I’d had before. (If you grow up in England you get plenty of Tudor experiences, from the Prince and the Pauper through to all things Shakespearian, not to mention history lessons from Mr Ryan.)

The soundtrack to that entire book was ‘The Suburbs’ by Arcade Fire. It came out while we were in Australia, and it’ll long be one of my favourite memories of picking up an album. Mr Christopher Pollard, Mr Dave Williamson, Mr Timbo del Manton and I were driving our mini van to Manly Beach in Sydney to learn to surf (I picked it cos of the name!) I had been to HUM records on Oxford Street the morning that ‘The Suburbs’ came out and I forced everyone to listen to it full volume all the way there and all the way back. I was rocking in my chair. It was awesome - it was one of those things you’ll always remember. (Like when I bought ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ from CD Warehouse in Wimbledon when I was 12 years old, but that’s a different story.)

And speaking of romps, Michael Chabon’s “Gentleman of the Road” was AWESOME. I always felt I was supposed to be a highwayman, and is the one remaining hope I have in the existence of reincarnation and time travel, cos I would love to be reborn at least as one of the Scarlet Pimpernel’s home-boys, if maybe not as one of the dudes that ended up swinging at Tibbett’s Corner in SW19. I’d never read anything else of Chabon’s, and I’m told this manageable 2007 novel of his is very unusual for him, as it’s set in the 10th Century and involves two “Gentlemen of the Road” (highwaymen, tricksters, petty thieves, bad-asses) and follows their adventures to reinstate an overthrown teenager from the made-up Jewish kingdom of Khazaria.

It’s basically a brilliantly well-written story of two unlikely best friends who go on tour. They’re torn between their mobility and their morality, as their whole nomadic meaning of life is challenged when this kid shows up and needs their help. And they’re crazy tough too. The necessary number of swords and horses and elephants (yes!) later, you’re left having read a really wonderful tale of honour and faith and friendship. It was great fun.

(If you haven’t already, listen to anything Nathaniel Rateliff (and The Wheel) has done, he’s an amazing songwriter and I love the production on his stuff, especially on ‘In Memory of Loss’. We toured together in Europe and he is an absolute legend.)

Looking onward, my friends! Winston is away learning how to play the banjo, but one of his departing nuggets of wisdom to me at the end of our last American tour was to read Hermann Hesse’s ‘Narziss and Goldmund’, which I’m half way through, and is turning into something quite special. So perhaps next time we can chat about that? Good ol’ Win-Dog.

I’m off to learn about laying fences - the frost today was unbelievable! It’s as if the whole sky froze over night - the trees are more frosty than the grass is.. Amazing. But Godspeed to you all, and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.

M