meeting in the aisle

Weekend reader - links, because they’re worth it

Penguin’s 100 books that changed the world is full of some seriously heavy (and male dominated) ideas. Yes, I want to read them all.

There once was a writer who camped out on my couch in Bangladesh during his couch-surfing journey across the world. He wrote about me in his book, which was strange. Now he’s at it again. Go tell Ben if you have done something hell-crazy, and he might do it too (and then he’ll write about it, which might be strange).

I was a latecomer to Radiohead and their genius, but here is another piece, their crowdsourced concert in Prague, available for you to download at your whim, for free. (PSFK)

Do you like mixed tapes? How about a mixed tape of tiny poetry? (Adam Ford)

Two of my worlds collide in this cool project which brings poverty alleviation to the pub. When the doors open, Shebeen Bar, I’ll be there.

If you have been under a rock, or just, you know, living, you may have missed the Jonathan Franzen frenzy. He has a new book out (which I want to read). And he has a book trailer out too in which he makes me feel uncomfortable at his profound discomfort playing out on screen at having to make such a ridiculous thing as a book trailer.

A bike obelisk you say? Why not. (The Rumpus).

p.s. Did you miss last week’s links? They’re worth it too.

p.p.s If you subscribe to my newsletter this week, you will find out a lie I discovered about the world.

5 Ways to carry a goat - a blogger’s world tour

When I was living in Bangladesh last year, I answered a call out from Fairfax’s Backpacker blogger, Ben Groundwater, who was looking for couches to crash on around the world. So he came, and he crashed, and then he wrote a chapter (Rats, Roaches and Roadkill) about it.

On a personal note, it was strange being on the receiving end of someone else talking about me. As a writer, I’m often the one wielding control of the pen. Yes, there were moments I squirmed, thinking why on earth did I tell a journalist THAT? But kudos to Ben, he did a pretty good job of capturing Chittagong and some of the beauty of the ‘desh along with the bizarre.

So go buy it, support an Aussie writer, and have a laugh at my expense.