I remember seeing the original cast of The Real Thing (Close, Irons). I remember Daniel Davis as Wilde in The Invention of Love. I flew to London to see The Coast of Utopia at the National. And my only Threepenny Review piece was about Stoppard.

I remember Charlie Rose asking one of his typically asinine questions: “Do you intentionally write your plays to be difficult?” It was everything Sir Tom could do to not roll his eyes but he was exasperated: “I assure you, of course not.”

Am bereft. He was a giant.

Most publishers (there are always exceptions) decide whether or not to buy a second book (or a third etc) based on how the previous book did. So when you pirate a book in most cases it’s less about the money you just stole from both author and publisher it’s about the future book you just killed.

We are all as God (or whatever) made us ... plus I can blame my NYC upbringing!

Fast Walker here. I am frequently admonished.

Hah, that is my teaching books shelf ...

Up next. I was late to The Agency and just finished it.

I do like Slow Horses but it’s getting lazy and leaning on fan service. Agency is about the question I’m most interested in, the real impact on the spy’s life.