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1. Jonathan Lethem
I've been listening to Men and Cartoons in my car (one story per half-commute) and it's starting to really tick me off.
Lethem is a good writer with great story ideas, but instead of following them through, he interrupts them near the climax with a bit of "profound" wordplay and says The End. It annoys me to no end.
2. Come visit!
One reason to blog about Lethem is that writing about Dave Eggers and Michael Chabon brought a number of people to my blog, and they're all in that cool-guy crowd, that McSweeney's / This American Life / National Book Award & Pulitzer Prize-winning crowd. No doubt Lethem will bring some new blood as well.
3. John Warner
You might be led to believe that I don't like that whole McS's/TAL/NBA&PP-w crowd, but you would be wrong. I am now reading Fondling Your Muse which is very good, as evidence by this blurb:
- When I set out to write my New York Times best-selling book, I turned not to Strunk. Mor to White. But to Warner. Why? Because, unlike those other two cheap bastards, he sent me his book for free.
- -----Michael Ian Black
4. Month of Abject Poverty
The month almost took a hit tonight. The Big O and I were at Costco to get milk and I saw Assassination Vacation. I would pay money for that book. Especially Costco paperback prices. But I didn't. I better be rewarded for this.
Oh. And I'm remembering that even though Miss Vowell is the coolest of the McS's/TAL/NBA&PP-w crowd, mentioning her never brought anyone to my blog. Huh.
5. Math time
I first wanted to hang with this cool-guy crowd because of NPR. They have this show where two people interview each other. The first time I heard the show it was Steve Martin and some mathematician and I loved loved loved it.
Unfortunately, usually the show was peopled by self-important pricks.
But one time I heard Michael Chabon and Daniel Handler interviewing each other and man alive but did they sound fun! So next time the McS's/TAL/NBA&PP-w crowd is having a party in the AV, I'm showing up. They can't stop me.
6. The Deluge
Also can't be stopped: The Deluge.
(You heard it here first.)
7. For the price of one.
(Get it in the mail. Pronto.)
Last night I started reading Noisy Outlaws, Unfriendly Blobs, and Some Other Things That Aren't As Scary, Maybe... and I like it so far.
ReplyDeleteI listened to 'The Disappointment Artist' and it was...disappointing.
ReplyDelete.
ReplyDeleteMF--You need to read the comics issue of McS's.
MH--They warned you!
You like Daniel Handler too, huh? I've only read the Series of Unfortunate Events, have you read any of his other books?
ReplyDeleteWait. Daniel Handler is Lemony Snicket? Huh. Never knew.
ReplyDelete.
ReplyDeleteI haven't. I've heard him talk about them though and when I want my literature really messed up, now I know where to go.
But, come to think of it, when I want my lit messed up, I usually go to Chuck Palahniuk.
Wow! Too many posts! I don't know what happened. One day I looked, read, enjoyed, and the next day there were like ten posts that I had never seen before. Anyway, loved your sac. mtg. talk and will probably use it on my kids. I also recommend green olives, string cheese, and non-alcoholic beer (if you have a taste for it, which I do, having grown up in a Gentile home where beer was a staple). If you need to leave the beer out for Big O's sake, the olives and cheese will still be a hit, I promise.
ReplyDeleteHad no idea about Daniel Handler, but have been wondering, so thanks.
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ReplyDeleteYou are most certainly welcome.