July 2018.

I've been in the car a lot this recently. I did 1200 miles the week before last, which has meant hours and hours of podcasts interspersed with a few phone calls. I eventually got around to listening to S Town (from the makers of Serial) and I thought it was even better than Serial; incredibly unusual and human. This is journalism at its finest. Incredible. I also listened to Making a Massacre on Audible which isn't brilliant but tells a strange and horrific story about a massacre in Mexico. Worth a go. I highly recommend Marc Maron's WTF podcast with Vanessa Hollingshead who has a life story that's way stranger than fiction. And Adam Buxton's interview with Tim Key was him at his funniest. I am investigating Tim Key's poetry now.

I've just read David Sedaris' new book. It's annoying when a new book comes out by an author you love and you read it and then you have to wait for years for the next one; so I am reading his diaries. Calypso, the new one, isn't my favourite of his books but it's great, of course. He's becoming the American Alan Bennett.

I've been enjoying Flint Town on Netflix and am starting The Staircase. Flint Town isn't as good as something like Making a Murderer, it's perhaps a little too glossy but it is beautifully made and engaging. Abstract, the Netflix design series has some good episodes; I enjoyed the one with Ilse Crawford.

Music. This month I have been listening to.

George Fitzgerald.

DJ Koze.

The Flaming Lips Greatest Hits. Side 1 is simply astonishing.

Francis and The Lights' new album is great. It kicks off with a ballad based around a loop of the theme from Cheers and channels Peter Gabriel to brilliant, modern effect. Why isn't he a mega star?