Your Mileage May Vary
Posted on April 13, 2009 - Filed Under Books, Drinking, Film, Politics, Turf Wars | Leave a Comment
The Gray Lady covers a kerfuffle surrounding the Russian film Taras Bulba, adapted from Nikolai Gogol’s novel. “Ultranationalist” politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky apparently likes what he sees: “Everyone who sees the film will understand that Russians and Ukrainians are one people — and that the enemy is from the West.” Meanwhile, “The premiere inspired viewers in [...]
Read More..>>stimulation ideas
Posted on March 10, 2009 - Filed Under Books, Money, Music | Leave a Comment
If you got money, then show it and throw at these: A.L. Kennedy’s Day out in paperback today. 20 Years of Merge Records: The Covers ($13 w/ free shipping). It includes all your favorites. For Real. $10 super-fantastic cassette tote bag {via – who always has the best leads}
Read More..>>Blink-N-Blog
Posted on March 2, 2009 - Filed Under Art, Books, Drugs, Music, Now Reading | Leave a Comment
Looks like my blogging habits will be forever changed/damaged/cured by twitter…..LET’S SEE! There are so many nooks & crannies on the internet filled with dopeness. It is always a pleasure to fall into another. (Watering Hole by Amy Stein) {via} And you say, Goddamn This is the dope jam I started Gravity’s Rainbow this weekend. [...]
Read More..>>Native Son, Revised
Posted on January 26, 2009 - Filed Under Books, Liberal Media Conspiracies, Sex, Writers | Leave a Comment
I hadn’t been aware that there were different versions of Native Son. So now, I have as good a reason as any to re-read the book. In the meantime, I’ll think a bit on the question of when “editing” ends and “expurgation” begins. Reading through the appendix, as it turns out the book was originally [...]
Read More..>>Up Around The Bend
Posted on January 21, 2009 - Filed Under Books, Music, Writers | Leave a Comment
roundin’ up, yo: 200th birthday props for EA Poe at Amoeba blog Also at Amoeba, a look at the Mats’ Let It Be and questions (some of) its timelessness. At LitKicks, Levi posted another selection from his upcoming memoir. It took me back (16 years – gasp!) to fond memories of Charles Isbell’s Homeboy From [...]
Read More..>>last words
Posted on November 22, 2008 - Filed Under Books, Death, Language | Leave a Comment
The OUP Blog brings word of the Oxford Book of Death, with excerpts of notable last words. GIDE (1951): ‘I am afraid my sentences are becoming grammatically incorrect.’
Read More..>>Existential Inspiration
Posted on October 22, 2008 - Filed Under Books, Diversions | Leave a Comment
Was reminded of Kierkegaard’s Crop Rotation today, and thought I’d share what gets me through the tedium sometimes: “There was someone whose chatter certain circumstances made it necessary for me to listen to. He was ready at every opportunity with a little philosophical lecture which was utterly boring. Driven almost to despair, I discovered suddenly [...]
Read More..>>Owlish Shrubbery
Posted on August 12, 2008 - Filed Under Books, Language, On The Road Again | Leave a Comment
I like it when writers go after other writers, and you can hardly blame Alex Von Tunzelmann here: These weak chapters show up the worst of Meyer and Brysac’s writing style, which is sometimes pretentious to the point of incomprehensibility and becomes more so when they seem to lack interest in their subject matter. The [...]
Read More..>>even from Frisco, still my Homaha
Posted on August 6, 2008 - Filed Under Books, Crime, Religion, Stickin' It To The Man, Turf Wars | 1 Comment
Okay, maybe the only time I’ve heard the term “Homaha” is in a facebook group, but a few links from the interwebs caught my eyes lately. Jonathan Segura, in support of his novel Occupational Hazards, blogs about Omaha at Powell’s, including a nod to the “miraculously” alive Dave Sink at The Antiquarium (which last I [...]
Read More..>>Yes, so I’m reading Zinn now
Posted on July 3, 2008 - Filed Under Now Reading, Politics | Leave a Comment
So said a lanky junior Illinois congressman about the war not started on his watch: The declaration that we have always opposed the war, is true or false accordingly as one may understand the term ” opposing the war.” If to say ” the war was unnecessarily and unconstitutionally commenced by the President,” be opposing [...]
Read More..>>wanders, indeed.
Posted on June 22, 2008 - Filed Under Books, Food, Music, Sports | Leave a Comment
Joe Posnanski finds himself backstage at a Death Cab For Cutie show in Berkeley: Anyway, beyond the obvious visual differences, and beyond the fact that the conversations revolve around Guitar Hero and the new Hold Steady record rather than Jeter Hero and how the hold is a bad statistic, it’s pretty much the same party. [...]
Read More..>>TEV in SF tonight
Posted on June 19, 2008 - Filed Under Books, Mark Your Calendars, Writers | Leave a Comment
Mark Sarvas reads from Harry, Revised at Cafe Royale tonight. Blogged with the Flock Browser
Read More..>>Nobody beats the Biz
Posted on April 7, 2008 - Filed Under Books, Drugs, Music | Leave a Comment
Liz Phair reviews Dean Wareham’s account of, among other things, Terry Tolkin: “If he had signed just one platinum act, all would have been forgiven. Instead he gave them Luna, Stereolab and the Afghan Whigs…. Six months later he was working at a gas station in New Jersey, changing oil and brake liners by day, [...]
Read More..>>Sunday Serial
Posted on January 12, 2008 - Filed Under Now Reading | Leave a Comment
I skipped out on the Chabon serial, but I’ll got in on the new Benjamin (John Banville) Black series: The Lemur.
Read More..>>absinthe
Posted on January 5, 2008 - Filed Under Books, Drinking, Food | Leave a Comment
the adult Turkish delight?
Read More..>>Gatsby
Posted on December 16, 2007 - Filed Under Books | Leave a Comment
Studio 360‘s November 9th episode featured The Great Gatsby.
Read More..>>David Leavitt in Berkeley (and San Francisco)
Posted on September 16, 2007 - Filed Under Books, Mark Your Calendars, Writers | Leave a Comment
UPDATE: I see he’ll also be in San Francisco on Tuesday, September 18th. My interest has been piqued for David Levitt’s The Indian Clerk after a week of coverage at The Elegant Variation. I don’t think I’ll be able to make it, unfortunately. Now I’ll just have to wait for the paperback. Monday, September 17, [...]
Read More..>>read a book…or not?
Posted on August 30, 2007 - Filed Under Books, Music, Tempests In Teacups | Leave a Comment
The video: the reaction. Mark Twain may have said1 “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes”. The first2 thing this read-a-book non-issue made me think of was the two-song sequence on Fear of a Black Planet where Flavor Flav closes out Can’t Do Nuttin’ For Ya Man [MP3] with an exhortation to Wash Your Butt!, [...]
Read More..>>Film Streams: adaptations series (and donuts)
Posted on August 29, 2007 - Filed Under Books, Event Calendar, Film, Food | 1 Comment
Always looking to boosterize events back in the Big O (Omaha, that is), I’m happy to pass along word of an upcoming film series featuring movies adapted from novels. The series runs from August 31 though October 4, in conjunction with Omaha Public Library’s intriguingly themed Litfest: Depraved Women Writers (& Others)1 . Library card [...]
Read More..>>I never read that book before, but I still get the metaphor
Posted on August 23, 2007 - Filed Under Books, Liberal Media Conspiracies, Politics, The Man Stickin It To Us | Leave a Comment
To piggyback Dave, I point thee toward the sage Rake who posits: “perhaps the problem with Lennie Small is not that he failed in hugging Curley’s wife, but rather that he let go too soon.”
Read More..>>