Yes!!! 'In my experience, brainstorming never leads to the best {ideas of any kind} The best {ideas} are handed to you by silent, invisible hands, from a magic nowhere place, without you doing any conscious thinking at all.' Getting to that non-thinking place is my daily challenge! 😆
There are so many excellent ones in these excerpts from your notebooks that I'm hard pressed to choose a favorite though, of course, there's no pressure to choose a favorite. But I do very much relate to the bins being upset when bank holidays come around. I can't help feeling bad for them as they sit in limbo feeling really bloated from not being emptied on the traditional day. We have new neighbors downstairs who seem to fill all of the bins at lightning speed and I wish the bins could say to them, "Hey, you've reached your quota, mate. Don't forget about the girl upstairs who lives for recycling. You're going to do her head in if you don't break down your boxes and rinse your containers. Come back when you've considered your position."
My copy of Notebook has just arrived in the post this morning. Thanks Tom! Perfect timing as I approach the end of Villager (which I picked out in a bookshop precisely because I'd been reading your Substack). Keep on delighting and inspiring!
Good to hear your words in your own voice with your own expressions/ nuances as you read, Tom - stuff the book company. What would they know? There’s a big disconnect between people who do things for money and people who do things for people IMO.
I have never owned an iron, and never missed owning one. I don’t see the point of making some fabric flat when the first time it gets used, it creases again 🤯. As a kid, I used to have to do a lady’s ironing for her - baskets of it. Until I melted the nylon lace on the front of a corduroy dress (it was the 1970s) - turned it into long strings of melted nylon. No way back from there.
BTW - also good to hear your DAD’s VOICE as you read. I have always wondered just how loud that was.
I do have your Notebook, love that I can read it in bits, and it doesn’t matter where I start or stop.
'Notebook' is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of upcoming birthday present duties. I can't imagine a person who wouldn't be enchanted/laugh their arse off/occasionally shed a tear by reading it. (Sometimes all three states of mind at once.)
Just love the unexpected twist when you stopped massaging the sheep's neck at the reading, and you describe it with such observational equanimity--really delightful, and hilarious! And I can't get the drunk rooks out of my head now. So glad you did audio for these. As usual, the publishers got it wrong. Thank you for holding out for writing whatever the f*&# you want in whatever the f!%÷ way you want. Makes for lots of deep belly laughter out this way. 🙂
Thank you!! Read these random notes whilst waiting for a zoom meeting interview this morning and instead of feeling sick I am smiling. And the slice by slice serving of a loaf of bread through the window slot would definitely have happened if the cashier had been a woman.
I love this! Thanks for sharing the audio version, even though it totally wasn’t going to work—I think you did just alright.
Question for you Tom, would you ever interview yourself about your process, refining ideas into what is a book and what isn’t? I’d love to hear more about how you navigate your own creative process. Thanks!
I got my book, Notebook, today. And I am loving it. I’ve laughed out loud, chuckled to myself, and grinned like an idiot through nearly page. Thank you! You have a way of writing that places me right there. I feel like I’m spying on some of the folks - but in a nice way, not creepy….but can one ever spy and not be creepy?
Oh… thank you - surprisingly fun, your writing - as a former journalist (keeping diaries since i could write & draw as a child, past years as an anthropologist & artist & midwives to mares though not so much now that I’m 75 & grandmother to 5) i so loved your entries shared & if my family allowed me to acquire another book I’d love to do so… Will look for your writing when I access this Substack… meanwhile, in my tiny new apartment I’m having to choose between all my boxes of papers & overflow of books against my need for room to paint… it’s come to THAT - Oi vez - ciao 4 now - will look forward to more from you… thnx - alima-linda salmon @alimasalmon
Enjoyed the article. Starbucks is not coffee. Maybe a combo of prune juice and motor oil. I am still looking for a coffee that is perfect for me and after about 40 years, I remain searching. I know, I could buy some $100/ounce beans or something like a four once bag of beans for $200. It would probably be great, but I could never afford to spend $1,000 on coffee every month.
Good morning … what a delightful way to start my day , Tom Cox reading aloud to ME as I sip my coffee and chuckle. Many thanks. I have a strong suspicion I will need to get your books, as I need much more chuckling in my life. ( “Don’t be so serious.. life’s too mysterious.” 😊)
Tom! Cheers to all this, especially to the surprisingly hearty laughter from my freshly coffied belly about the bit about the bats; as far as I can hear and surreptitiously see your reading your work, works terrifically, especially with the cat and the owl and the soft shuffle of the turning of the page which I enjoyed immensely.
Reading Villager now and am grateful to your lettuce and carrot pens dedication to your writing and your high esteem of your readers who also must write.
Yes!!! 'In my experience, brainstorming never leads to the best {ideas of any kind} The best {ideas} are handed to you by silent, invisible hands, from a magic nowhere place, without you doing any conscious thinking at all.' Getting to that non-thinking place is my daily challenge! 😆
Wasn’t that quote simply stunningly accurate and beautifully worded ! My gosh indeed.
There are so many excellent ones in these excerpts from your notebooks that I'm hard pressed to choose a favorite though, of course, there's no pressure to choose a favorite. But I do very much relate to the bins being upset when bank holidays come around. I can't help feeling bad for them as they sit in limbo feeling really bloated from not being emptied on the traditional day. We have new neighbors downstairs who seem to fill all of the bins at lightning speed and I wish the bins could say to them, "Hey, you've reached your quota, mate. Don't forget about the girl upstairs who lives for recycling. You're going to do her head in if you don't break down your boxes and rinse your containers. Come back when you've considered your position."
My copy of Notebook has just arrived in the post this morning. Thanks Tom! Perfect timing as I approach the end of Villager (which I picked out in a bookshop precisely because I'd been reading your Substack). Keep on delighting and inspiring!
Thanks Jodie!
Good to hear your words in your own voice with your own expressions/ nuances as you read, Tom - stuff the book company. What would they know? There’s a big disconnect between people who do things for money and people who do things for people IMO.
I have never owned an iron, and never missed owning one. I don’t see the point of making some fabric flat when the first time it gets used, it creases again 🤯. As a kid, I used to have to do a lady’s ironing for her - baskets of it. Until I melted the nylon lace on the front of a corduroy dress (it was the 1970s) - turned it into long strings of melted nylon. No way back from there.
BTW - also good to hear your DAD’s VOICE as you read. I have always wondered just how loud that was.
I do have your Notebook, love that I can read it in bits, and it doesn’t matter where I start or stop.
Thanks!
Thanks Sarah! Yes, that disconnect is very real.
'Notebook' is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of upcoming birthday present duties. I can't imagine a person who wouldn't be enchanted/laugh their arse off/occasionally shed a tear by reading it. (Sometimes all three states of mind at once.)
I've already read Notebook but read these entries again and loved them just as much second time around.
Same. Unlike the moth that somehow got into the winter closet downstairs the bastard Tom is delightful.
Just love the unexpected twist when you stopped massaging the sheep's neck at the reading, and you describe it with such observational equanimity--really delightful, and hilarious! And I can't get the drunk rooks out of my head now. So glad you did audio for these. As usual, the publishers got it wrong. Thank you for holding out for writing whatever the f*&# you want in whatever the f!%÷ way you want. Makes for lots of deep belly laughter out this way. 🙂
Thank you!! Read these random notes whilst waiting for a zoom meeting interview this morning and instead of feeling sick I am smiling. And the slice by slice serving of a loaf of bread through the window slot would definitely have happened if the cashier had been a woman.
I love this! Thanks for sharing the audio version, even though it totally wasn’t going to work—I think you did just alright.
Question for you Tom, would you ever interview yourself about your process, refining ideas into what is a book and what isn’t? I’d love to hear more about how you navigate your own creative process. Thanks!
I got my book, Notebook, today. And I am loving it. I’ve laughed out loud, chuckled to myself, and grinned like an idiot through nearly page. Thank you! You have a way of writing that places me right there. I feel like I’m spying on some of the folks - but in a nice way, not creepy….but can one ever spy and not be creepy?
Oh… thank you - surprisingly fun, your writing - as a former journalist (keeping diaries since i could write & draw as a child, past years as an anthropologist & artist & midwives to mares though not so much now that I’m 75 & grandmother to 5) i so loved your entries shared & if my family allowed me to acquire another book I’d love to do so… Will look for your writing when I access this Substack… meanwhile, in my tiny new apartment I’m having to choose between all my boxes of papers & overflow of books against my need for room to paint… it’s come to THAT - Oi vez - ciao 4 now - will look forward to more from you… thnx - alima-linda salmon @alimasalmon
I listened to you reading this in your garden. Screw that book company. It worked! And I laughed out loud a lot. 😁
The audio WORKED VERY WELL!!!!!
Thank you! Good to know! Maybe I’ll do more…
Enjoyed the article. Starbucks is not coffee. Maybe a combo of prune juice and motor oil. I am still looking for a coffee that is perfect for me and after about 40 years, I remain searching. I know, I could buy some $100/ounce beans or something like a four once bag of beans for $200. It would probably be great, but I could never afford to spend $1,000 on coffee every month.
Good morning … what a delightful way to start my day , Tom Cox reading aloud to ME as I sip my coffee and chuckle. Many thanks. I have a strong suspicion I will need to get your books, as I need much more chuckling in my life. ( “Don’t be so serious.. life’s too mysterious.” 😊)
Thanks Karen! Hope you enjoy them (if you do get them).
Tom! Cheers to all this, especially to the surprisingly hearty laughter from my freshly coffied belly about the bit about the bats; as far as I can hear and surreptitiously see your reading your work, works terrifically, especially with the cat and the owl and the soft shuffle of the turning of the page which I enjoyed immensely.
Reading Villager now and am grateful to your lettuce and carrot pens dedication to your writing and your high esteem of your readers who also must write.
Carry on.
With thanks for the opportunity to