Show notes
On this episode, we hear from Stephen Cox, whose debut novel Our Child of the Stars came out earlier this year. And he's also part of an innovative new bookshop in North London that's being run by a cooperative.
He and I talked about what makes the '60s such an interesting time to set a novel, the importance of bookshops on the high street, what makes a great writers' group, and more.
Books Mentioned on the Podcast:
Our Child of the Stars, by Stephen Cox
This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
The Testaments, by Margaret Atwood Today would have been my dad's 76th birthday. In his honour, I've made five of his songs public on iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, and all (or most of) the other places people listen to music.
These songs were part of the soundtrack to my childhood. You On My Mind is my favourite of these, and I love that Have Another Drink really showcases his piano playing -- the riffs are very him, very representative of his best musicianship.
In his later years, he got a bit obsessed with adding electronic music effects, and I much prefer the original song-and-piano only versions of his songs. I hope some of those survive somewhere, and that I'll be able to share them one day.
He also got a bit obsessed with the Obama campaign in '07-'08, and wrote a whole load of songs about that. They're not his best work, but I'll share them at some point too. Heck, maybe the Crooked media boys will get a kick out of them.
I miss my dad often and a lot these days -- a lot of his heroes and influences are hitting milestones, releasing memoirs, and, sadly, passing away. I wish I could have seen Rocketman with him, and bought him Elton John's memoir. I wish I could have ranted about Brexit with him, too -- though it's probably best he never had to live through it. I know he'd be pleased that his music lives on, though. I hope people will enjoy it.
https://open.spotify.com/album/6Gw81dZOrnvx2kpFKpKN8P?si=NG9WPRjpQSSQPNod7CtN5w
The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood
The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt
Beowulf
Dracula, by Bram Stoker
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
Grand Union: Stories, by Zadie Smith
Me, by Elton John
Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years, Julie Andrews
Confessions of a Shopaholic, by Sophie Kinsella
Christmas Shopaholic, by Sophie Kinsella
Unscripted, by Claire Handscombe
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