BOOKS Weekly Recs #5 even though the last one was #3 because the one before was also #3

I wish her well

Hello friends,

Following last week I watched this great 2 part doc Creation for Liberation, filmed in 1979 & 1981 about the black british experience (& produced by a dutch company so, as per last week, much better for the distance). 1st one is really great on Bogle L’ouverture, second one particularly on Brixton & police but the whole thing is really worth watching.

Thanks to Clara for sending this NYRB piece by the queen Lorrie Moore on Normal People (both book & series). You are all well aware of my feelings about Lorrie and ngl I was quite stressed at the slightly boomer-y generational generalisations she makes immediately and throughout the piece but I enjoyed nonetheless. Also I haven’t read Normal People or watched the series so. Anyway I would LOVE one of these ‘todays generation are all spoilt brats who listen to superficial music and have naive politics etc’ pieces would just briefly acknowledge the Material Differences in terms of employment, housing, etc just once. A paragraph, a sentence even!

I LOVED this latest Timothy Thornton substack on The Bog People which is great.

I also rly enjoyed this piece on the algorithmic policing of trans bodies.

Thanks to Leo who sent me that Hidden Hands doc i’ve not watched yet (will link when I get to it) on the CIA & abstract expressionism. The convo reminded me about the throwaway sentence in that fucking green ICA book about A J T Kloman, the Director of Planning that says he was ‘later revealed to be a CIA agent’. As a result I read this paper specifically on their funding of the competition they ran in 1951 for a new monument to the Unknown Political Prisoner which in the end never happened which is good background and unfortunately comes to the conclusion that the ICA is not, in fact, a CIA front, we could’ve hoped.

V into the latest Limp Wrist NTS show which is full of bangers as always. Also the latest MRR Radio w/ Sean and Camille and Ben is great. I also v much enjoyed this convo on Suite (212) w/ Nathalie Olah on UK comedy and the long 90s and corbynism.

Thanks 2 Herb for linking this great film The Giverny Document which intercuts interviews w/ women in Harlem on the question ‘do you feel safe’ w/ archive footage of fred hampton, monet’s garden at giverny and some wild amazing footage of Nina Simone.

I just bought a copy of the new publication from Evening Class which is an assembly of diff peoples contributions w/ an amazing riso-marbled cover. It looks great (not read yet) and all the cash is going to the Artists for Artists fund who will redistribute it to black artists in the UK so get on it before Aug 1st.

This tweet popped up on the TL so I’ve been devouring episodes of Manben which is amazing. Naoki Urasawa of 20th Century Boys films diff manga artists at work each episode and then watches the footage with them discussing their technique. If that sounds dull to you then whatever you’re missing out. It’s also v calming to watch and I love it & you get fun stuff like the above ^ and also the Miyake Ranjo ep cos she has a giant pet pig.

That’s it!! Keep sending stuff I’ve got lots of tabs to get through but v happy to add to them. I am also legally obliged to now tell you that also the shop BOOKS is open Thursday to Sunday from 11am to 6pm.

Bye!
P x