Looking Sideways: 10 Things
In praise of random praise, a new fiction discovery, and Ross Edgeley on another mad one.
1. I received this random note on the interwebs the other day. Absolutely made my day, so I thought I’d share it here. Can confirm that getting thoughtful messages from total strangers definitely helps with the periodic ‘What’s the point?’ ruminations that come with any creative endeavour or vague presence on the internet. So: thank you Steve.
2. Another share for my recently released episode with
in which we discussed Trump’s war on the outdoors and America’s public lands system, the lack of opposition from our community, and much more.Listen above and let me know what you think. And make sure you follow Wes, who is out there doing important at a critical time.
3. Now the post-Announcement scars have healed I’m beginning to get my head into the next big project, so a huge thanks to everybody who got in touch offering words of encouragement about my idea for The Lift series, and even offering to help creatively. It’s nice to hear that people out there, especially from local impacted communities such as Chamonix, think the subject has legs.
On topic: plans are afoot to build a gondola in the middle of one of Europe’s last vast wildernesses. As Calum Macintyre, who sent me this info, puts it, ‘It’s a systemic problem across the whole of Norway as well - gondolas planned all over the place for mass cruise tourism. And its big investors from the Alps because they see that it’s a dying industry there’.
More above.
Use my code LOOKINGSIDEWAYS for 20% off any purchase from my friends at Goodrays
4. Why Bill Gates plans to give away ‘virtually all my wealth’ before he dies. I’m still planning a follow-up Announcement episode on modern approaches to philanthropy, so keep ‘em peeled for that.
5. Way back in 2018, when Looking Sideways was properly getting off the ground, I managed to arrange an interview with Ross Edgeley aboard Hecate the night before he completed his Great British Swim in Margate. The next day, I joined hundreds of swimmers who greeted Ross a mile off the coast, and then accompanied him in for the big finish. It was really great, and definitely one of my early LS highlights:
Seven years later, Ross has just embarked upon the Great Icelandic Swim, in which he’ll spend the next four months swimming around the coast of Iceland. Watch his latest, above, to find out more.
6. We lost the great Jack McCoy this week. Among the tributes, this heartfelt, beautiful sentiment from the great Jamie Brisick stood out.
7. Sign me up for this behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of Apocalypse Now!
Use my code LOOKINGSIDEWAYS10 for 10% off any Finisterre purchase.
8. If you read my recent AI debate between James Carson and
, you’ll have noticed Alex consciously reclaiming the word ‘Luddite’ to support his views. but who actually was Ned Ludd, the man from whom the Luddites took their name? This podcast delves right into it.
9. I love heading down a reading rabbit hole, and that just happened in the best possible way when I decided to look for another book along the lines of the brilliant Stoner.
That search led me to The Hunters by James Salter, a writer I was completely unfamiliar with, but who on this showing seems to be on a penetrative par with John Banville, Richard Yates and, yep, John Williams. I raced through it in a day - this Geoff Dyer piece puts it into brilliant context.
Don’t forget: I just launched the new Looking Sideways book store. Buy anything from here and you’ll be supporting independent UK book stores, as well as helping finance Looking Sideways (I get a 10% commission) in a really simple way.
Click here to see my 2025 Reading List (including The Hunters), and here to add your own recommendations.
Use my discount code LOOKINGSIDEWAYS for 15% on any Db purchase.
10. Finally: is Ohio the greatest protest song of the last 60 years? I can’t think of one better. Feel free to correct me in the comments.
Alright, be abscent for a while on here. Winter life got in the way - glad to be back.
Very excited about The Lift, it's a topic that we are on the frontline of as people whose daily life will be greatly impacted by the Bozel-1550 lift. I have mixed opinions about it but I think the wider converstation about development in the Alps needs to be addressed - fast. So I am so glad you are sinking your claws into this one - hopefully you can shake the tree as hard as you did with The Announcement .
Cheers as always Matt.
Cracking stuff – will listen to that podcast about Ned Ludd!