The Lead Digest: Dating, transport and new Vince Gilligan
Our round-up by The Lead’s team of what we’ve been reading, listening to, scrolling and watching each week.
Here at The Lead, we like to consume just as much as we create, which is why we spend a little time each week rounding up our favourite stories, books, podcasts and films to offer our readers a sample of the work that informs our world.
Ella has not been able to escape the pessimistic dating discourse littered all over the media landscape since she’s been single. It’s a drag. Today she’s recommending two articles that combat some of the negativity: the first is Serena Smith’s response, in Dazed, to the recent viral “having a boyfriend is embarrassing” Vogue article, and the other is Sophie Lou Wilson’s essay on the weird claim that craving love is creative procrastination, as it could be possible to conceive of a world where creativity and romance are mutually exclusive.
The only thing that could make Luke take on a subscription service with any eagerness is more Vince Gilligan. Especially when paired with Rhea Seehorn. The first two episodes of Pluribus are more interesting than they are outstanding but he’s very eager to watch more.
Are trains getting better in the North? Ed enjoyed this dig into the data from JP Spencer.
Natalie found this Slowcast episode from a few weeks back on the migrant hotel protests in Epping really fascinating. It’s a clear report on what happened over the summer, and what is happening now mass media attention has died away. The presenter, Innes Bowen, is an Epping local and really captures the conflicting views and sense of duality in the area.
For Padraig, Death By Lightning on Netflix was an enjoyable (and short, by modern TV standards) dramatisation of the life of James Garfield, one of America’s great forgotten presidents, and his assassin Charles Guiteau, played with unnerving intensity by Matthew MacFadyen.
Watched, read or listened to something you think we’d like to feature? Drop ella@thelead.uk a line and we will consider for inclusion. And feel free to share this post to a friend or family member who you think needs some reading or listening inspiration!