Coffee and crumpet

July 07

While there is no doubt that Dominic West's reading from Pride and Prejudice is, ahem, rousing, I was compelled, once I took my eyes of Mr West, to notice the site on which he was reading: 'For a more seductive coffee break, watch The Carte Noire Readers read your favourite literary love scenes. Begin by choosing a Carte Noire Reader. There’s Dominic West, the cult star of the The Wire, Greg Wise of Sense and Sensibility and Dan Stevens of The Line of Beauty. Then, choose a love scene from a mix of classic, modern and emerging novels. Relax back with a rich, velvety mug of Carte Noire, and when you’re sitting comfortably, then he’ll begin.' And yes, sure enough, as soon as Miss Bennet rejected Mr Darcy, and Mr Darcy quit the house, Mr West picks up a cup of Carte Noire and takes a refreshing sip. Sorry, I mean he took a Carte Noire moment.

I can practically see the advertising meeting:

Young advertising exec 1. 'Okay, what makes middle-aged chicks hot these days?'

Young advertising exec 2. 'Literature. Jane Austen. And actors who play gentlemen in BBC drama series. With nice arms.'

Young advertising exec 1. 'Love it. Yes. I know. I'm thinking a lounge chair. I'm thinking mood lightening, I'm thinking a thing with a book, a - what do you call it?'

Young advertising exec 2.'A reading?'

Young advertising exec 1. 'Yes! Yes! Who do we put in the chair, with the coffee, doing the reading?'

Young advertising exec 2. 'Colin Firth?'

Young advertising exec 1.'Who? Oh him. Ancient. But get someone to play that man he plays. That Hugh Grant has played, that Matthew whatsisname has played.'

etc. I've really got to get to work now. Anyway, it's nice to know that literature is still useful. Here's a little something for your coffee break.

Our Friends

• Overland
• Alien Onion
• Ampersand Duck
• Andrew McDonald
• A Pair of Ragged Claws
• Arts Victoria
• Australia Council for the Arts
• Ben Eltham
• Bookshow blog
• CAL
• City of Tongues
• Crikey
• darkly wise, rudely great
• David Astle
• Elmo Keep Does Stuff
• The Ember
• Fly the Falcon blog
• Going Down Swinging
• Griffith Review
• Hackpacker
• Harvest
• HEAT
• Island
• Killings blog
• Literary Minded
• Lorraine Crescent
• Lynden Barber
• Mandy Ord
• Marcus Westbury
• Matilda
• Meanland
• Melbourne University Publishing
• Mel Campbell
• The Monthly
• Musings of an Inappropriate Woman
• Oslo Davis
• Paul Callaghan
• Read, Think, Write
• Sleepers Publishing
• Sorrow at Sills Bend
• SPLOG
• Tom Cho
• Virgule
• Wet Ink
• Wheeler Centre

Comments