Hamish explained how, whilst wandering in Waterstones, he had espied “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” (2007) by Junot Díaz and, call it instinct, call if fate, call it luck, call it kizmet, the book found him. It was love at first sight.
Hamish enjoyed this family saga about identity, love, loss, oppression, hexes, sexuality, and fate. He revelled in the past and future lives of Oscar's sister, mother, aunts, grandparents, and college roommate. Insights into the history of the evil, repressive regime of Trujillo in the Dominican Republic rivalled anything he'd read about 'the disappeared' in Argentina.
Roland really really enjoyed it.
“How much should we suffer for love?” he queried.
With the question still hanging in the air Roland exclaimed “It’s all about sex!”
Nick was reminded of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Brilliant!
Nigel enjoyed the wonderfully energetic and imaginative writing but his initial enthusiasm gave way to some feelings of frustration and boredom
Keith, in many ways a modern Don Quixote who is troubled by having sexual desires as well as platonic ones, found Oscar very relatable. If Nerd was a country, Oscar would be its undisputed king.
Tristan immediately warmed to the earnestly open-hearted protagonist. He was absorbed, indeed held captive. Wow! Of course Tristan can readily relate to Lovecraft, Doc Savage, Asimov, Heinlein and Edgar Rice Burroughs. An epic in the truest sense and in its fat, endearing hero's chest beats a Homeric heart. A lot like Tristan, minus the fat.
Hamish 7.5/10
Robin 7/10
Nigel 6/10
Nick 7.5/10
Tristan 9/10
Roland 7.5/10
Keith 6/10
Robin 7/10
Nigel 6/10
Nick 7.5/10
Tristan 9/10
Roland 7.5/10
Keith 6/10
“Folkways: The Original Vision” by Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly (2005)
Woody's "This Land Is Your Land" is an anthem for Hamish. And Leadbelly's "Goodnight, Irene" is too.
Some less enlightened group members queried the sound quality but those who were unable to embrace light hearted stories about failed goose killings, or about oppression-drenched verses detailing racism, but sung with the optimism and pain, might need to try really listening, rather than a cursory listen at low volume whilst at work, or even not at all. 
“Timbuktu” (2014) directed by Abderrahmane SissakoAnother foreign language classic from Hamish. Amazing insight into another slice of modern history about which many of us were fairly ignorant. A film about anger and violence, but also the good side of humanity, and the fact that the actual militants are also victims of this system.
Curiously not everyone was convinced, for meditative read boring. Yes, you read that right. Fast and The Furious 7 it ain’t. More’s the pity.
ENDORSE IT
NICK
STATUE: The bust of Cristiano Ronaldo at Madeira Airport
NIGEL
PODCAST: S-Town (podcast from the makers of Serial and This American Life) - three episodes in and loving it
TELEVISION: Better Call Saul - having finished the magnificent ‘Breaking Bad’ N is nearly done with BCS season two (with S3 due in March - huzzah) and loves it
BOOK: They All Love Jack by Bruce Robinson - a 900 page monster about.. a monster - Jack The Ripper. Bruce ‘Withnail and I’ Robinson vents his spleen at Ripperology and a Masonic cover of breathtaking audacity. 260 pages in and he’s already convinced
PODCAST: S-Town (podcast from the makers of Serial and This American Life) - three episodes in and loving it
TELEVISION: Better Call Saul - having finished the magnificent ‘Breaking Bad’ N is nearly done with BCS season two (with S3 due in March - huzzah) and loves it
BOOK: They All Love Jack by Bruce Robinson - a 900 page monster about.. a monster - Jack The Ripper. Bruce ‘Withnail and I’ Robinson vents his spleen at Ripperology and a Masonic cover of breathtaking audacity. 260 pages in and he’s already convinced
TRISTAN
TELEVISION: Carnage by Simon Amstell on iPlayer
ROBIN
TELEVISION: Turkey with Simon Reeve on iPlayer
KEITH
BOOK: Cats Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
ROLAND:
TELEVISION: Sing Street on Netflix
ROLAND:
TELEVISION: Sing Street on Netflix
HAMISH
CAMPAIGN: Save our Schools....
A parent-led group, based in Brighton and Hove, who are appalled by the latest government move to slash funding for our schools.
This latest blow comes after year upon year of narrowing the school curriculum; raising the bar so high on primary SATs tests that 47% of 10-11 year olds were told they had ‘failed’ last summer; privatization of our schools through the back door; and a barrage of other ill-thought out political vanity projects, all of which are stressing our state schools to breaking point.
Brighton and Hove schools face a £11.5 million cut in funding by 2020.
You can check out how much your child’s school is going to lose over the next two years by going to http://www.schoolcuts.org.uk/
This latest blow comes after year upon year of narrowing the school curriculum; raising the bar so high on primary SATs tests that 47% of 10-11 year olds were told they had ‘failed’ last summer; privatization of our schools through the back door; and a barrage of other ill-thought out political vanity projects, all of which are stressing our state schools to breaking point.
Brighton and Hove schools face a £11.5 million cut in funding by 2020.
You can check out how much your child’s school is going to lose over the next two years by going to http://www.schoolcuts.org.uk/
After a ribald discussion about public masturbation at the Hay On Wye Literary Festival we bade each other goodnight
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