Recent reading – January

My recent reading has had an accidental theme of information, how we react to people we disagree with, and continuing to do the creative work that fires you up.

This novel covers 20th Century politics through the lens of three women’s lives. Published in 2001, but set primarily in the 1960s - 1980s, there are themes of extremism in politics, polarisation and a deep cynicism about the possibility of building a better world that feel all too relevant today. Many of the characters are passionate about working towards a fairer world, but we see a lot of the energy being misplaced and the repeated challenge of coming up against large, corrupt systems. It’s the first Doris Lessing book that I’ve read and I’m off to seek out more.

What begins as an exploration into cancel culture and the desire to engage with works of art made by people who we know have done terrible things turns into a fascinating look at what we mean when we label people ‘monsters’ and the much more complex truth. Dederer investigates the complexity and subjectivity of both artworks and artists and makes a strong case for paying attention to the murky aspects of life and art.  

Alderman argues that we are living through an epoch defined by The Information Crisis. Similar to the invention of the printing press and the invention of writing before that, our current internet fuelled crisis bombards us with a level of information that we’re not (yet) equipped for. She explains with patience and clarity that none of these technologies are inherently bad, but that it takes society time to adjust to a new information age – and that there is inevitable disruption until we reach that point.

Kathy Burke has a great attitude to life and creative work. In this memoir she takes us from her childhood – featuring a motley crew of people who filled her life with kindness and laughter – through to her success as an actor, writer and director. She does what she wants and, for the most part, trusts her creative instincts against all other measures. It’s a delight to be in her company.

This zine (which I worked on as an editor) explores the impact of LLMs and AI search on the web and asks whether an AI dominated future is really inevitable. Lauren lays out the concrete changes that these technologies have already brought to organisations and individuals who publish online and details the impact on publishers and readers. I’m all for joining Lauren in her Spite Village.

What have you been reading recently? Let me know if you’ve got any recommendations!