Peth/Jonathan

Truly remarkable.

Green bookshelf filled with a variety of books, a small drum, and a ball of twine, with a large leaf partially covering the bottom shelf.

Today’s #SaturdayShelfie comes from the shelves of Jonathan Petherbridge, whose book Vernacular Theatre: Making Theatre with Community explores how storytelling grows from the ground up. A collection as eclectic and thoughtful as his practice.

What’s on your shelves right now?

Peth/Jonathan

Informative…

Vernacular Theatre Vernacular Theatre - Making Theatre with Community; A practical description of six intergenerational projects developed during a ten-year period. Over the course of the book the author develops his ar...

www.intellectbooks.com/vernacular-t...

Beneath the title “Vernacular Theatre - Making Theatre with Community”, a young girl throws pieces of torn paper into the air - a neutral expression on her face.

This comes out today, & the writing of it has been almost as fascinating as co-creating the shows it deals with - work that emerged from and added to community. Ta to the people @intellectbooks.bsky.social and London Bubble who saw me through - plus all the creators who made and performed the work.

Strange that senior figures at the BBC who edited out the 'peacefully and patriotically' bit of Trump's speech lose their jobs, while the 1,500+ rioters on January 6th who also clearly omitted that bit of Trump's speech get pardoned.

Minority representation on TV causes outrage There has been widespread support for prominent Reform MP Sarah Pochin after she complained about the over-representation of minorities on television. Said one angry viewer, "She's right. Every time you turn on the telly there's another Reform MP being interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg." She added, "I respect their way of life and their strange customs, but Reform MPs comprise only 0.7 percent of the House of Commons. Yet Nigel Farage is on Question Time more than Fiona Bruce." "I'm not prejudiced. Some of my best friends are swivel-eyed loons, but enough is enough. There are too many people with angry red faces on television."

[with alt text]

Reform’s Sarah Pochin forced to apologise after claiming adverts 'full of black people' drive her 'mad’ | LBC The Runcorn and Helsby MP was responding to a viewer live on air who complained about the demographics of advertising.

Nothing on the BBC Radio news this morning. Nothing I could find on their website. This is an MP from the party whose lead in the opinion polls normally ensures them wall-to-wall coverage. She spouts racist nonsense for which even she feels obliged to apologise. What on earth are they playing at?

Tesco said it now expected full-year 2025/26 adjusted operating profit of between 2.9 billion pounds and 3.1 billion pounds, up from previous guidance of between 2.7 billion pounds and 3 billion pounds and versus 3.13 billion pounds made in 2024/25

Look up Vivian Gussin Paley’s work. As a teacher in Chicago, she invited children of under 5 to dictate stories to her, then made a space for them to play them out while she read them to the whole class. It encouraged them to tell their stories and feel their power. She wrote many brilliant books.

The BBC's contribution to a civic climate of rage, despair and hatred is sizeable. It's constant amplification of extremist right-wing positions is utterly reprehensible.

Billy Bragg has started a ‘reclaim the lampposts’ campaign and is happy to supply these stickers for you to attach to lampposts with flags on. If you want to call the Xenophobes out then send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Billy Bragg at Bragg Office PO Box 6830, Bridport DT6 9BH

In the big scheme this is not important, but in the little and local world it might be. In Catford three pubs & a cinema have closed in a year. Now one of the last snooker clubs in our area is also going. Used by all ages and backgrounds. Lots of fathers & sons. Another rip in the social fabric.

"Mainstream economists are not interested in describing reality, they are interested, ultimately, in telling people how to behave. They actually are moralists more than scientists, but they pretend to be scientists, and they use moralistic language - "rational behavior" - to describe actions that any other sort of moralist would consider the essence of immoral behavior." David Graeber

Yes

Yep.

WOW. This new Ari Kuschnir short about Donald Trump's White House ballroom is AMAZING.

‘Worrying’ levels of screen time means young people losing confidence to socialise in person, minister warns – UK politics live Culture secretary Lisa Nandy says ‘majority of young people spend all, or almost all, of their free time alone in their bedrooms, online’

This is not caused primarily by "screen time".

It's been caused by the mass eradication of third places for young people in basically every city over the past three decades - and a society that's hostile to the concept of teens socialising in public spaces.

www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

Save Ladywell Playtower Ladywell Playtower, an iconic, historic building that enriched the Lewisham community for generations, is falling into ruin. Will you join me and urge the Mayor of Lewisham and local councillors to sa...

Ladywell Playtower, an iconic, historic building that enriched the Lewisham community for generations, is falling into ruin. Will you join me and urge the Mayor of Lewisham and local councillors to save it? you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/sa...

Sophie and Colin Hortman wrote, “We are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of our parents, Melissa and Mark. They were the bright lights at the center of our lives, and we can’t believe they are gone. Their love for us was boundless. We miss them so much." “We want everyone to know that we are both safe and with loved ones," they continued. "We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received, and we appreciate your respect for our family’s privacy as we grieve." “If you would like to honor the memory of Mark and Melissa, please consider the following: Plant a tree. Visit a local park and make use of their amenities, especially a bike trail. Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do," they said. "Tell your loved ones a cheesy dad joke and laugh about it. Bake something — bread for Mark or a cake for Melissa, and share it with someone. Try a new hobby and enjoy learning something. Stand up for what you believe in, especially if that thing is justice and peace."

This is beautiful 🥺
Statement by Sophie and Colin Hortman, children of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark who were assassinated at the weekend.

Isaac Asimov on, "If God is Dead, Everything is Permitted?"

Excellent sleep - as described, arrived as expected and well packaged. 5 stars,would sleep again.

Man in Victoria: Everyone's so negative. Know what I mean?
Woman: No.

Yes.

I’m glad I happened to spend one minute of my Monday morning hearing this helpful and uplifting truth…

The juxtaposition in the @lrb.co.uk of the articles on the Cold War (from the Russian perspective), and Paul Taylor’s writing on DeepSeek is surely deliberate.

It places major political tensions of the past alongside the major technological tensions of the future. Titanic/tectonic struggles both.

Beautiful thread

Eileen at work…

(Actually, what he tries to say here doesn’t make sense).

So there’s such a thing as a ‘profanity accountant’. Which my family probably think I should avail myself of. (Wazzocks).

Begs the question what other accountants would be useful in this life.