Issue No. 10
Former Pulp frontman JARVIS COCKER is a voracious bookworm and an ideal addition to the Happy Reader pantheon. In this winter issue he discusses his reading habits and literary foibles with the great poet SIMON ARMITAGE. Accompanied by glorious photographs by ALASDAIR McLELLAN, the chat covers everything from the stories of Carson McCullers to the dreams of Carl Jung.
In part two, a pretend-perfect society is ruthlessly satirised in YEVGENY ZAMYATIN’s early sci-fi novel WE. The book inspires an interview with MARIA ALYOKHINA from dissident punk band PUSSY RIOT plus writings on state-controlled love lives, patriotic poetry, weather manipulation and cosmic links between Russia and California, with contributors including WILL SELF, NICHOLAS LEZARD, RICHARD GODWIN and HARRIET ALIDA LYE.
CONTENTS
PART 1
A shot of bookish surrealism, a buffet of winter news and a leisurely literary odyssey with JARVIS COCKER.
Give and get
Snippets
The Interview: JARVIS COCKER by Simon Armitage — Between Paris and London with the beloved Pulp alumnus
Jarvis Cocker in bed
PART 2
The Book of the Season is Yevgeny Zamyatin’s WE, with totalitarian sex, nationalist verse, the battle against clouds and the race to upload oneself.
Introduction: Whipped into happiness by Seb Emina
Poetry: Rhyme without reason by Nicholas Lezard — Does anyone read state-sponsored poetry?
Future: Russia will save us all by Richard Godwin — From eerie Russian Cosmism to creepy Californian optimism
Laundry: As good as new by Aaron Ayscough — Stain removal in the capital of fashion
Anti-uniformity
Russia: Riot in the library by Emily King — A call with Pussy Riot’s Maria Alyokhina
We tree by Travis Elborough — Perfect societies just won’t go away
Meteorology: War on the weather by Harriet Alida Lye — Shooting at clouds is quite lucrative
Cooking: Bread is great
It’s sex o’clock by Will Self — Making love right on the dot
Letters
Read this book