Tue 6 February 2007 - I’m not the only one who gets nostalgic
One of my favourite authors is Bill Bryson. I haven’t yet read The Thunderbolt Kid yet (I have a dislike of hardbacks, though I’m currently reading Michael Palin’s diaries in hardback — and loving it). Bryson is touring at the moment, and Jon Faine’s conversation with him last Friday on ABC 774 is available to be downloaded — MP3 download (Bill is on from about the 11 minute mark). Likewise an appearance on Radio National’s Book Show.
It’s interesting to hear Bill and the others in the programmes pondering the benefits from migration and multiculturalism, and the nostalgia we all feel for our childhood. Bill despairing about now finding Starbucks all over the world (we already had perfectly good coffee shops) and that the whole of the (western) world is starting to look identical reminds me a little of Paul Kelly’s Every F’in City.