New Times,
New Thinking.

  1. Politics
25 October 2010updated 27 Sep 2015 2:10am

So Bill Bryson, why the beard?

“I’d be frightened to see what my chin looked like.”

By Jon Bernstein

There are any number of topics you can discuss with a polymath like Bill Bryson. So why waste time asking impertinent questions about personal grooming? Because sometimes they elicit an interesting and entertaining answer, such as this one:

Q: Why the beard?

A: I think it’s because I’d be frightened to see what my chin looked like. The beard was grown when I was at university and also working at the evening paper at Des Moines, Iowa, and had to be at the office at 5.30 every morning, having been up quite late drinking the night before. One of the casualties of that was grooming altogether. I’ve never rediscovered any of those skills.

You can read the full Bill Bryson interview here.

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how Progressive Media Investments may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

Content from our partners
The UK’s skills shortfall is undermining growth
<strong>What kind of tax reforms would stimulate growth?</strong>