ian penman's back

Hmm vital signs? I don't know feels like there are gaps?

well it's VS is his selection of his own work from that era (and the early 90s also) -- i mean maybe he'd choose a bunch of different stuff this time (but i have often had the impression that he doesn't actually *like* a lot of the work that others found important, plus a lot of it is very situational, as music-writing and TV writing tends to be, and doesn't quite work any more without more contextualisation than a collection of just his work cold deliver)

plus it would amplify the "didn't you used to be ian penman?" problem (i am not as big an unfan of his recent work as some tho i admit i have not yet tackled the prince piece lol)

if it's true he's not currently at his best that's more grist for the "LRB editors no longer pulling their weight" argument of course

Ok "more contextualisation" could explain it because what this collection comes off as a somewhat lazy re-print seeking to cater for the people who are chasing him for product. He could just tell us where to go, it's fine, but why do this instead..

(I do like lots and lots of VS btw, but yeah there was some of mid-90s Wire-era work that was real good in there, not just 80s)

Of the pieces in the new book I have only read the Mod one, and that one's tremendous, so I for one am looking forward to it. I am super-relaxed about IP and me both having the chance to be lazy.

Those Fitzcarraldo white covers are a menace, mind.

i mean i think this is very much part of LRB's own promotional backstroking outreach and self-funding project and to be honest rather IP than the lanch or AO'H!!

... genuine/apocryphal rock n roll rebel LoL ... someone sitting in back rows of last night's @LRBbookshop event tells me that when I mentioned my love for Frank Ocean, Solange & Lana Del Ray, a certain Mr B Gillespie shook his head in bewilderment/disgust... 😂

— Ian Penman (@pawboy2) September 11, 2019

good for him, what a self-congratulatory shithead

Ok, the piece on Prince wasn't good, got it.