Soft day Book

This is a collection of essays by Clive James, whose book Cultural Amnesia I've also read. He fascinates me, for reasons such as that, in expressing regret for a decline in quality of art books published by Phaidon Press, he remarks on the prospect of Phaidon's continued survival: "the price was too high. You can't wish all hell to break loose just so that civilisation might once again become fully aware of itself." ("On the Library Coffee-Table," 1983)

The most memorable essay in here -- probably because it tells a story -- is "Out into the Light" (1982), about his relationship being mentored by entertainer Joyce Grenfell.

Just to prove he can write well about a variety of subjects: "There are rumours that someone else's bottom was used for the tight shots, while Jennifer's actual fundament was in the dressing-room learning its moves for the next day, but after my recent analysis of Barry Manilow's gluteal histrionics I don't want this column to get a reputation for being bumstruck. Sufficient to say that Flashdance is predicted on one assumption: that Ms Beals's harmonically agitated tush is a brave sight." ("Making a Whore Movie," 1984)