When I woke up I was on the radio, doing “Desert Island Discs”. I’m sure everyone’s done this at some time or other – it’s a way of reliving your life and choosing your favourite records. Oh, all right – and pretending you’re famous for 15 minutes. Actually the programme lasts 45 minutes… though what with trailers and more trailers on R4 these days I expect it’s down to 42. Which is kind of appropriate if you think about it…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr
Anyway, my discs would almost certainly include “Suzanne”, the first Cohen I ever heard, plus “First We Take Manhattan” because of these lines:
How many nights I prayed for this
to let my work begin.
Whatever those lines meant to Cohen, to me they were about not being able to write.
To Phil or not to Phil?
Having a tussle with myself about whether to go back to Philosophy. On the one hand, it’s stimulating and I see people. On the other, I don’t like having to put your hand up and wait your turn to make comments. I know it’s the only fair system but it means there’s no spontaneity. And there’s a third reason…
Oh, but I can’t tell you that.
I think I probably will go. At least I will see people I don’t often see. Like Harkesh and Stephen and Jan and Claire (yes, the same Jan and Claire who did the talk at Sec Soc.)
Sarada Gray 