Looking Sideways: 10 Things
This week: Dylan on a tear, me on the Wilbur Smith podcast, and important work from Level Up and Channel 4.
1. The picture that changed America? The Guardian’s art critic Jonathan Jones on Evan Vucci’s extraordinary picture of the aftermath of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. I can’t wait for Patrick Witty’s post on this.
2. And is Thomas Matthew Crooks an unwitting Gavrilo Princip for the 21st century? That was the question that came to my mind, perhaps because I’ve been binging this Rest is History series about the twentieth century’s most consequential assassin, above.
3. While we’re at it: James L. Swanson’s Manhunt, a pacy none-fiction narrative about the hunt for Lincoln’s assassin John Wilkes Booth in the Radden-Keefe mould, is one of the books I’ve enjoyed the most in recent years. This recent glitzy adaptation by Apple is also great.
4. My last blog about the Just Stop Oil Stonehenge protests garnered a really interesting response - particularly in the week five Just Stop Oil protesters received the longest sentences for non-violent protest in UK history.
5. Guesting on the Wilber Smith podcast as a (checks notes) ‘First World War One aficionado’ is definitely one of the more random things I’ve been asked to do recently.
I was lightyears out of my comfort zone, but it went pretty well in the end. The episode came out this week; have a listen above.
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6. As ever, one of the most depressing things about the murders of Carol, Louise and Hannah Hunt was the way it was reported in the media, making the work of organisations such as Level Up more important than ever.
7. Channel 4’s new campaign for the Paralympics is that rare example of an organisation learning from their mistakes.
8. I’m on a sweet spot with ye olde YouTube algorithm at the moment, which just bequeathed me this incredible 1975 live version of Hurricane.
9. A classic ‘…and finally!’ piece from New Zealand, which has been doing the rounds, but is a genuinely joyous bit of footage.
10. I’ve welcomed a bunch of new followers in the last few weeks, so if you’re new here start with this primer post, which rounds up some of my favourite LS podcast episodes and articles from the last year or so.
As ever, let me know which of these you enjoyed, or just say hello using the button below.
Gonna need to hear more about how that Wilbur Smith podcast came together…