MICHAEL BRACEWELL

 

MICHAEL BRACEWELL is wearing the Twister No. 001. He is a writer living in London.

What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Make a cup of tea.

What is the last thing you do at night?
Read.

What should we be reading?
Something that quite literally does you good.

What do you collect?
Books.

What takes you to cloud 9?
The arts.

Do you have a soundtrack to your life?
Many. They include music by Benjamin Britten, Ravel, Brian Eno, Joy Division, The Beatles, Roxy Music, Ryuchi Sakamoto, The Velvet Underground and David Bowie.

Where would you find your doppelgänger?
In one of my own books, I fear.

What is a rule that should never be broken?
Telling the truth.

What is most difficult to find in contemporary culture?
Good art. Which has been the case forever.

What do you find most exciting in contemporary culture?
The translation of a personal truth into universal truth. Likewise always rare.

What do you still wish to learn?
German and Latin.

What is still a mystery?
Good art, thankfully.

What is your favorite representation of simplicity?
I think of The Who: 'The simple things you see are all complicated' ('Substitute' (1966))

What is your favorite representation of complexity?
See above. Also, Miles Davis' version of the Cyndi Lauper/Rob Hyman hit, 'Time After Time'. An amazing example of the point at which complexity and simplicity unite.

What do you find humorous?
I loved the alien in 'Asteroid City'

What are you bored by?
Socio-political verbiage.

What is a distraction?
The standard list of everyday worries. More positively, walking, driving, traveling by train.

What was your last download?
The new album by The Lemon Twigs: 'Everything Harmony'.

Who are your heroes or heroines in history?
Kenneth Clark comes straight to mind. But happily there are many others.

Any last words?
Vielen Dank.