October 2019.

In London, The Anthony Gormley show is great; it’s at once serious and relaxed, heavy and fun. I liked the Olafur Eliasson show too although I had seen the most photogenic bits a thousand times on Instagram before I got there. The two shows actually go together really well and it seems to me that the main distinguishing point between them is that Gormley deals in strong, metallic colours and Eliasson in bright colours. But both shows are wonderful and I am so lucky to have seen both in the same week.

At home I love my new Moccamaster drip coffee machines. I have bought a yellow one and a teal one (I know, I know, the extravagance but once I find a new machine I love I need it by my side wherever I am) and they are the first decent drip machine I have found. Add to these the Swedish fizzy water machine by Aarke that has recently replaced our Sodastream (which nowadays seem to be really badly made) and kitchen life is feeling pretty good. Like the Moccamaster, the Aarke machine is elegant and really functional and solid.

I loved Patty Smith’s new book Year of the Monkey. I read it when I was feeling quite woozy and it made perfect sense; it’s a sort of autobiographical fever dream that jumps from (apparent) absolute reality to fantasy and back again throughout. And some of the writing is exquisite; on her birthday. “Seventy. Merely a number but one indicating the passing of a significant percentage of the allotted sand in the egg timer, with oneself the darn egg.” Patti, it took me a long time to really find you but we are so lucky to have you and your fearless, restless creativity.

Oh, and The Capture on BBC. As good as a thriller gets.

In music:

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds’ Ghosteen is just mesmerisingly beautiful and sad. A true work of genius.

Angel Olsen. All Mirrors. Lovely, confident ballads and torch songs. Florence and your Machine; eat your heart out.

And great new music by Elbow, Wilco, Michael Kiwanuka and Big Thief too. Music, the gift that keeps on giving and giving.