Wednesday 22 July 2009

Books will keep me warm

Dan, great-nephew of Radford Sallow, is the latest refugee in my office, seeking a quiet corner in which to complete his PhD on pigeons/urban seagulls, entitled 'Flying Rats: Can Man and Pigeons Co-Exist?'. No, it isn't really, and I'm traducing his fine work.

However, he's here and comes bearing books to take the edge off my fiscal isolation. He's given me Sebastian Haffner's Germany: Jekyll and Hyde, an eye-witness account of the 1930s in that country. I've also received in the post Tim Lebbon's Bar None, a post-apocalyptic novel set in Wales and mostly about beer ('a novel of chilling suspense, apocalyptic beauty, and fine ales' - sounds like a night in Wolverhampton). It's the last book I'll receive for a while. I've already had a stroppy automatic e-mail from Amazon pointing out that they can't take any payment for some fine Vaughan Williams choral works I've ordered. This is horrible. I'm as consumerist as Paris Hilton, just with books. Noooooooooooooooooo!

7 comments:

neal said...

I'm feeling left out now.

Do you think with the confusion from your university office re-jig that me and Dan can just turn up one day saying we're being transfered from the law department and take desks.

We may have to knock off a couple of lawyers, but it's unlikely anyone will miss them.

The Plashing Vole said...

Certainly management here wouldn't have a clue that you aren't members of staff.

Shakespeare agrees with you - in Henry VI part 2 (4.2.71-2) Jack Cade says 'first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers'.

It would be great to have all the Map Twats (except Cynical Ben) in the office.

Benjamin Judge said...

Yes I might not turn up as my wife appears to be your hit list.

Oh by the way I think you may be mixing up the motives of author and character - you do teach literature yes?

Some Chilean Woman said...

Choir geek wants to know, which of Vaughan Williams choral works did you order?

The Plashing Vole said...

Benjy, no need to be snarky. It was a light-hearted bit of humour (as was the original Shakespeare line, which always raised big laughs).

SCW: I've ordered V W's 'Choral Works', a CD of 'choral folksong arrangements' by him and Holst - they used to wander the fields collecting folk music, like Cecil Sharp or Harry Smith in the US, and a collection of other folksong arrangements, which is a collection of various bits and pieces not previously put together. I've got everything available by him, so am intrigued by what they've found. For big choir stuff, I'd recommend VW's A Sea Symphony (it uses Walt Whitman's poetry).

Benjamin Judge said...

I was only joking!

I know you know your stuff. That is why you correctly put a reference to Shakespeare making people laugh in the past tense.

The Plashing Vole said...

Oh, OK, I'm an idiot! Actually though, this might be the only line to still raise a laugh - certainly none of the comedies do.