Books: I'm re-reading 'Extremely Loudand Incredibly Close' b yJonathan Safran Foer, about Oskar, a nine-year-old boy who lost his father in 9/11.
Television: 'Nurse Jackie' on DVD. It's aN e w York-based dark comedy set ni a hospital. I'm a fan of Dr O'Hara- played by the British actress Eve Best- who's previously plaved 'Hedda Gablers
Films: I re-watched 'Midnight Cowboy' and believer in getting stuck into the place vou'regoina to. I also liked Sophie Fiennes's documentary 'Over Your Cities Grass Will Grow', a documentary film about the German painter and sculotor Anselm Kierer. The reality of the studio is just brilliant... vanking huge paintings up and down, brushing paint about, burning books, and balancing concrete slabs.
Visual Arts: 50 Years at Peace is a humongous show at the New York gallery with slightly
grimy originals... There's Jasper Johns's "Three Flags", and a room of display cabinets full of anecdotal photographs, scribblings on the backs or envelopes. and original invitation cards.
Dance : The other night I saw a concept piecea at the Joyce Theatre, New York, created by the choreographer Jerome Bel, which explores the work of the dancer Cedric Andrieux, who takes us through the mechanics of his eight years with Merce Cunningham via the contortions and pain of repeating shapes. It was moving and orofound.
Music: Dragonette- a Canadian electropop band. The singer, Martina, is incredibly sexy.
Nick Hornby was one of several artists who donated to the fourth Macmillan De'Longhi Art Auction in London, an event heldannually to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support