the two Tones and a dinner party

Last night Carney and I went to the Wheeler Centre and saw Tony Wilson and Tony Martin (‘The Two Tones’) at a thing promoting Tony Wilson’s new book Making News. It was great – such interesting, funny guys. I’m adding them both to my ‘5 people I’d invite to a dinner party’ list (currently it is a party of two: myself and Stephen Fry*). Possibly this is not such a blessing for them, it will be a bit of a squeeze as my parents will also be dining on account of living at home and unless they (invitees) have the same EXTREME liking for roasted pumpkin they may find the menu dull/pumpkin heavy. (On the flipside, if they do have the same EXTREME liking, it will be a happy, happy occasion for all).

Anyway, in his book Wilson’s protagonist starts an internship at a tabloid newspaper and is told articles must incite on of three reactions: 1) ‘tsk, tsk’, 2) 'poor guy’ and 3) 'that’s weird’. Martin said he was told by a senior journalist that the Murdoch enterprise’s philosophy was even simpler: ‘make em angry or make em stupid’. You only need to look at the Age online for about a minute to know both are frighteningly true... There's probably even a third/fourth category: 'shameless cross promotion/tenuous links to Masterchef'.

I must say, I could listen to Tony Martin talk all day. He uses words in the most satisfying of ways. He reminds me of Bill Bryson**, and boy do I love BB. Tony's got a website called the scivereners fancy, it started off as the place where rejected articles went to die(/live?), but now he writes something for it weekly. I would like to report it is excellent, but this computer is not letting me access it... It is reportedly excellent then.

Kitty

*Along with a million other people. I read Stephen Fry is the most cited person included in these lists. I did wonder how this is measured, but it was probably a statement to illustrate a point, more than a statement of fact the more I think about it.

**I feel like Bill Bryson is put in the same bucket as Bryce Courtenay, both being popular fiction writers. He is so not Bryce Courtenay. I think he’s brilliantly clever, and would also invite him to the pumpkin buffet. I hate Bryce Courtenay, I had to read one his latest books while in Thailand last year and when I got home I threw it in the bin lest it sit on my bookshelf and people judge me. As well they should. Stay tuned on this, I have been spending these past few months selecting books for the bookshelf in my future unaffordable home, so as to create the best possible impression of myself.