happy national donut day!
eat some (free) krispy kremes in my honor, y'all!
Friday, June 03, 2005
Thursday, June 02, 2005
hey local folk!
don't forget that mika bomb is playing tomorrow at nightlight with des_ark and crimson spectre! it is going to be awesome, so you all should come.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
2005 book 61
matthue roth's never mind the goldbergs
aw, this book was cute. it's about an orthodox girl in new york who gets hired as the only jewish actor on a show about an orthodox family (the titular goldbergs). lots of orthodox-girl-in-the-big-city sorts of things, as she struggles to fit in with her castmates and the other hollywood sorts, but even when she has trouble maintaining her integrity, she's still very likable. the supporting characters, particularly her best friend ian, her classmate and wannabe filmmaker moish, and her coworker evie, are also pretty enjoyable. i can't figure out if this is supposed to be a YA novel or not--i think it would appeal to middle- and high-school-age girls, for sure--but i think there's a lot a nearly grown-up jewish gal like me can get out of it too . . . and possibly (probably) non-jews of all ages, since it's got the whole coming-of-age, fish-out-of-water thing going on. anyway, it was totally cute, so i give it a rave.
aw, this book was cute. it's about an orthodox girl in new york who gets hired as the only jewish actor on a show about an orthodox family (the titular goldbergs). lots of orthodox-girl-in-the-big-city sorts of things, as she struggles to fit in with her castmates and the other hollywood sorts, but even when she has trouble maintaining her integrity, she's still very likable. the supporting characters, particularly her best friend ian, her classmate and wannabe filmmaker moish, and her coworker evie, are also pretty enjoyable. i can't figure out if this is supposed to be a YA novel or not--i think it would appeal to middle- and high-school-age girls, for sure--but i think there's a lot a nearly grown-up jewish gal like me can get out of it too . . . and possibly (probably) non-jews of all ages, since it's got the whole coming-of-age, fish-out-of-water thing going on. anyway, it was totally cute, so i give it a rave.
cable tv
now that regular season tv has ended, i have resorted to watching bizarre cable programming while i sit at the spinning wheel. so far, my favorite cable show is probably that jeri hall one on vh1, where she's trying to pick out a boy toy. this is actually a really funny show, b/c jeri makes fun of the idiots who managed to get on (and some of them don't seem to either have a personality or be a babe, so i don't see how they'd be successful boy toys). in the episode i saw, each dude was given L20 (i don't know how to make the pounds symbol, sorry) to buy jeri a present. one dude gave her a book called "the joy of ex" with a picture of jeri and mick jagger. KLASSY! and then they all had dinner, and one guy told jeri he was into pain, "kinky pain" as a matter of fact. this same guy was wearing a fuzzy white messenger style hat. you could just tell jeri wanted to send about four of them away, but alas, it's apparently a one-a-week deal.
another awesome show that i caught was on animal planet--it was called animal precinct, and featured animal control officers rescuing mistreated/malnourished animals, and then the animals get nursed back to health and get adopted (sometimes by the same officer who rescued the animal initially). i am all about happy endings and shows featuring dogs, so this one is a winner.
sadly, sports kids moms and dads (on bravo) is not nearly as entertaining as either of these other shows (or its predecessors on bravo--i was a big fan of showdog moms and dads, but again, that's b/c i like to watch shows about dogs). in the first fifteen minutes, a failed football player stated that he wants his son to live out his dream, and an eight year old cheerleader shook her booty in an altogether un-eight-year-old way. there are a bunch of other kids too--a basketball player, a 16 year old boy figure skater, some teen equestrians, and i think some others, but there are too many to keep track of, and none of them are cute dogs, so i'll be avoiding this one from now on.
thank goodness for tv shows on dvd! pete and pete has really been a godsend!
another awesome show that i caught was on animal planet--it was called animal precinct, and featured animal control officers rescuing mistreated/malnourished animals, and then the animals get nursed back to health and get adopted (sometimes by the same officer who rescued the animal initially). i am all about happy endings and shows featuring dogs, so this one is a winner.
sadly, sports kids moms and dads (on bravo) is not nearly as entertaining as either of these other shows (or its predecessors on bravo--i was a big fan of showdog moms and dads, but again, that's b/c i like to watch shows about dogs). in the first fifteen minutes, a failed football player stated that he wants his son to live out his dream, and an eight year old cheerleader shook her booty in an altogether un-eight-year-old way. there are a bunch of other kids too--a basketball player, a 16 year old boy figure skater, some teen equestrians, and i think some others, but there are too many to keep track of, and none of them are cute dogs, so i'll be avoiding this one from now on.
thank goodness for tv shows on dvd! pete and pete has really been a godsend!
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
2005 book 60
karen joy fowler's sarah canary
a nice work of slightly mysterious historical fiction, focusing on a chinese man in 1873 who finds a strange, mute woman in the woods and decides to take her to a local asylum. some wacky adventures take place and they run into several memorable characters as their journey takes them farther west. i particularly loved b.j., an asylum inmate who has a penchant for reinterpreting stories. there's a nice element of grisly dark fun in the story as well, as they encounter people involved in freak shows. anyway, i liked this a lot, and will definitely be reading more of fowler's work (which i know i said last time i read a book by her, but i still mean it).
a nice work of slightly mysterious historical fiction, focusing on a chinese man in 1873 who finds a strange, mute woman in the woods and decides to take her to a local asylum. some wacky adventures take place and they run into several memorable characters as their journey takes them farther west. i particularly loved b.j., an asylum inmate who has a penchant for reinterpreting stories. there's a nice element of grisly dark fun in the story as well, as they encounter people involved in freak shows. anyway, i liked this a lot, and will definitely be reading more of fowler's work (which i know i said last time i read a book by her, but i still mean it).
Monday, May 30, 2005
2005 book 59
ignacio padilla's shadow without a name
men taking on new identities, men training other men to be the doubles of high-powered nazis, men being obsessed with chess, men trying to decode mysterious manuscripts . . . and yet, this book had no suspense or tension and barely held my interest. maybe it's a bad translation, but none of these characters had any personality and they hardly had any motivation either. plus, i generally feel that using nazis in a story is a cheap bid at heightening the drama, and that didn't even work here. luckily this book was less than 200 pages so i didn't waste too much time on it.
men taking on new identities, men training other men to be the doubles of high-powered nazis, men being obsessed with chess, men trying to decode mysterious manuscripts . . . and yet, this book had no suspense or tension and barely held my interest. maybe it's a bad translation, but none of these characters had any personality and they hardly had any motivation either. plus, i generally feel that using nazis in a story is a cheap bid at heightening the drama, and that didn't even work here. luckily this book was less than 200 pages so i didn't waste too much time on it.
2005 book 58
rachel dewoskin's foreign babes in beijing
dewoskin moved to china after college to work for a PR firm, and ended up starring in a hugely successful primetime soap opera called "foreign babes in beijing," where she played jiexi, the brunette marriage-destroying vixen. while relating her adventures in china in the mid-90s, dewoskin also offers commentary on the shifting cultural and societal attitudes in china during that time, making for a richer narrative. still, it's dewoskin's own experiences in business, as an actress, and as a 20-something american in china that make this story such a good read.
dewoskin moved to china after college to work for a PR firm, and ended up starring in a hugely successful primetime soap opera called "foreign babes in beijing," where she played jiexi, the brunette marriage-destroying vixen. while relating her adventures in china in the mid-90s, dewoskin also offers commentary on the shifting cultural and societal attitudes in china during that time, making for a richer narrative. still, it's dewoskin's own experiences in business, as an actress, and as a 20-something american in china that make this story such a good read.
Sunday, May 29, 2005
P5290032
christina and i spent a few hours at the pool today . . . from this picture, you can tell two things about me.
1) i tan very quickly, and
2) i am very bad at putting on sunscreen evenly.
my favorite bit o' pinkness is a long strip on my right leg, but that doesn't make as dramatic a photograph.
1) i tan very quickly, and
2) i am very bad at putting on sunscreen evenly.
my favorite bit o' pinkness is a long strip on my right leg, but that doesn't make as dramatic a photograph.
Saturday, May 28, 2005
richard buckner
after a yummy meal at akai hana (followed by ice cream at maple view!), the gang and i headed to see richard buckner at king's. awesome, awesome show, although unfortunately we only arrived in time to hear sara bell's last song. but really the highlight of the evening was that i finally got to have my very first SPARKS, which i have been trying to do for months, and which tastes like an alcoholic sweet tart, and which is my new favorite drink. ok, maybe richard buckner's performance was really the highlight of the evening, but malt beverages were a close second.
after the show we were unfortunately thwarted in our attempt to get to krispy kreme before closing--i'll have to get a glazed cake another time, i guess!
this weekend will be lots of fun: more shows, plus hanging out at the pool w/ pina coladas, and lots of relaxation and reading!
after the show we were unfortunately thwarted in our attempt to get to krispy kreme before closing--i'll have to get a glazed cake another time, i guess!
this weekend will be lots of fun: more shows, plus hanging out at the pool w/ pina coladas, and lots of relaxation and reading!
Thursday, May 26, 2005
P5260013
another item from my desk asks a very important question which i think you should all ponder deeply.
i, however, am busy asking myself these questions: why can't i stop sneezing? and why was joan of arcadia cancelled (for a show starring jennifer love hewitt as the ghost whisperer*, no less)? and why is my dresser suddenly leaning to the right and making all the drawers get stuck? and why does my internet keep going down when i actually need it and i'm not just goofing off?
obviously the devil has already gotten to me.
(that, and the judaism.)
_____
*but wouldn't it be cool if they brought back that ghost writer show? does anyone else remember that?
i, however, am busy asking myself these questions: why can't i stop sneezing? and why was joan of arcadia cancelled (for a show starring jennifer love hewitt as the ghost whisperer*, no less)? and why is my dresser suddenly leaning to the right and making all the drawers get stuck? and why does my internet keep going down when i actually need it and i'm not just goofing off?
obviously the devil has already gotten to me.
(that, and the judaism.)
_____
*but wouldn't it be cool if they brought back that ghost writer show? does anyone else remember that?
2005 book 57
karen joy fowler's the sweetheart season
first of all, serious props to johnM for the recommendation--i thoroughly enjoyed this book and stayed up past my self-imposed trying-to-sleep time to finish it.i'm definitely going to have to check out more books by fowler (but probably not the jane austen one, since i'm not an austen fan). plot summary: small town, 1947, wheat mill/baking testing area with a betty crocker-like symbol, and the local girls/workers are talked into becoming a baseball team to advertise for their company. but really it's about small-town life, and petty rivalries, and young women's tenuous friendships, and wacky old men who want apes, and goddesses, and gandhi. the novel is narrated by the daughter of one of the aforementioned local girls, and it's never entirely clear just how much she's embellishing, but that's part of the fun. really great characters and story--definitely worth the sleep deprivation.
ps--the finale of lost! whoa! what was with the sex pirates? i have to say that i prefer finales that wrap things up a little bit more, and don't leave like seven cliffhangers to torment us over the summer, but i did like the final plane scenes quite a bit.
first of all, serious props to johnM for the recommendation--i thoroughly enjoyed this book and stayed up past my self-imposed trying-to-sleep time to finish it.i'm definitely going to have to check out more books by fowler (but probably not the jane austen one, since i'm not an austen fan). plot summary: small town, 1947, wheat mill/baking testing area with a betty crocker-like symbol, and the local girls/workers are talked into becoming a baseball team to advertise for their company. but really it's about small-town life, and petty rivalries, and young women's tenuous friendships, and wacky old men who want apes, and goddesses, and gandhi. the novel is narrated by the daughter of one of the aforementioned local girls, and it's never entirely clear just how much she's embellishing, but that's part of the fun. really great characters and story--definitely worth the sleep deprivation.
ps--the finale of lost! whoa! what was with the sex pirates? i have to say that i prefer finales that wrap things up a little bit more, and don't leave like seven cliffhangers to torment us over the summer, but i did like the final plane scenes quite a bit.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
harry potter 6
it looks like some hp6 details have been leaked by the printers of the book. don't click on that link if you want to avoid possible spoilers!!
note to self: call regulator today and find out about pre-ordering . . .
ETA: never mind--we can preorder online!
note to self: call regulator today and find out about pre-ordering . . .
ETA: never mind--we can preorder online!
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
P5240009
i spun this yarn today from this fiber that i hand-painted this weekend.
sorry for all the posts but i know my mom likes to see yarn pictures. :)
sorry for all the posts but i know my mom likes to see yarn pictures. :)
2005 book 56
zakes mda's the madonna of excelsior
mda, a well-known and award-winning south african author, takes a really interesting approach in this novel--it manages to discuss the chaotic political scene in south african in the 1970s and 80s by focusing on one family, whose matriarch, niki, was part of an interracial sex scandal (sexual relations b/w blacks and whites was actually against the law in south africa during apartheid, which probably you all know, but just in case you didn't, i thought i'd mention it). oh, and every chapter starts with a description of a painting by a local priest/artist guy, so the town's experiences are also filtered through his particular lens. i realize i'm making this sound very dry and political, but it's an excellent novel--the characters of niki's children, especially her mixed-race daughter, are very compelling, as are the many small-town intrigues that pop up during the story.
hmm--i really feel like i haven't read too much this month, at least compared to other months this year, but i'm 19 books ahead of where i was last year at this time, which is pretty impressive . . . unless this is somehow a barometer of how much of a life i have, in which case it's a little bit sad. :)
mda, a well-known and award-winning south african author, takes a really interesting approach in this novel--it manages to discuss the chaotic political scene in south african in the 1970s and 80s by focusing on one family, whose matriarch, niki, was part of an interracial sex scandal (sexual relations b/w blacks and whites was actually against the law in south africa during apartheid, which probably you all know, but just in case you didn't, i thought i'd mention it). oh, and every chapter starts with a description of a painting by a local priest/artist guy, so the town's experiences are also filtered through his particular lens. i realize i'm making this sound very dry and political, but it's an excellent novel--the characters of niki's children, especially her mixed-race daughter, are very compelling, as are the many small-town intrigues that pop up during the story.
hmm--i really feel like i haven't read too much this month, at least compared to other months this year, but i'm 19 books ahead of where i was last year at this time, which is pretty impressive . . . unless this is somehow a barometer of how much of a life i have, in which case it's a little bit sad. :)
best compliment ever?
to deal with my unquenchable book lust, i took a brief trip to the chapel hill public library this afternoon. as i was walking to the building, i noticed an old bearded man on one of the benches out front (he was calling "hello, amigo!" to a kid going by). he noticed me too, and started saying "hello" and mumbling that i was pretty or something--of course i smiled, because i have a soft spot for little old men and anyway, he was calling me pretty! as i passed by, i heard him say something that it took me a second to process, preoccupied as i was by my list o' books.
he told me my chest was just as nice as dolly parton's.
he was already gone when i came out about fifteen minutes later, so i don't know if he had anything else insightful to say.
he told me my chest was just as nice as dolly parton's.
he was already gone when i came out about fifteen minutes later, so i don't know if he had anything else insightful to say.
comics, etc.
i got some comics yesterday, primarily to kill some time before scott pilgrim volume 2 comes out. :) i really am enjoying the current storylines of fables and finder, and i even like plastic man these days (sometimes reading something goofy is fun!). and the nice nice nice andrew gave me some comics from free comic book day, whihc of course i missed b/c i was finishing up one final project or another--the comic festival book, featuring canadian artists, was definitely a highlight (and not just b/c there was a scott pilgrim story). i also really enjoyed the couple issues of kevin huizenga's or else that i picked up--i like his art, especially.
however, i really did not like this one book from oni that i picked up, which is totally disappointing, since oni is one of my favorite publishers. it was called f-stop and was about a wannabe photographer and some models and blah. they were all drawn with these huge chins, like caricatures of jay leno, and there was no characterization to speak of. onto the discard pile with you!
it looks like rain today, which means i'll probably get some spinning done this afternoon--or some reading. or both! i have been dissatisfied with my to-read pile, which means i should go to the library and not spend all my grocery money on books, as tempting as it is to just walk over to nice price and browse. then i can start hunting down the books you all have been kind enough to recommend--and more recommendations are always welcome. :)
however, i really did not like this one book from oni that i picked up, which is totally disappointing, since oni is one of my favorite publishers. it was called f-stop and was about a wannabe photographer and some models and blah. they were all drawn with these huge chins, like caricatures of jay leno, and there was no characterization to speak of. onto the discard pile with you!
it looks like rain today, which means i'll probably get some spinning done this afternoon--or some reading. or both! i have been dissatisfied with my to-read pile, which means i should go to the library and not spend all my grocery money on books, as tempting as it is to just walk over to nice price and browse. then i can start hunting down the books you all have been kind enough to recommend--and more recommendations are always welcome. :)
Sunday, May 22, 2005
2005 book 55
l.m. montgomery's the blue castle
although i loved all of montgomery's books growing up (i mean, is it even possible not to adore anne of green gables?), this was always my favorite, and since i hadn't read it in a couple of years, it seemed time. plus i can't afford to buy any books right now, so summer reading will involve a lot of rereading. :) anyway, this is the story of what happens when an "old maid", cowed by an overbearing family but with a secret sense of humor and a secret rich imagination, is told by a dcctor that she has heart problems and doesn't have long to live. she decides to rebel against her family and take charge of her life, first by nursing a dying girl who is considered scandalous, and then through her relationship with the local rascal, who has secrets of his own. it's all romantic and stuff, with lots of lovely descriptions of canadian woods. definitely still one of my all-time favorites.
in other news, i was experimenting with dyes again today. making dye out of blueberries didn;t really pan out, but was surprisingly less messy than store-bought dyes. i'll just be using kool-aid from now on, so as not to have a permanently purple sink.
although i loved all of montgomery's books growing up (i mean, is it even possible not to adore anne of green gables?), this was always my favorite, and since i hadn't read it in a couple of years, it seemed time. plus i can't afford to buy any books right now, so summer reading will involve a lot of rereading. :) anyway, this is the story of what happens when an "old maid", cowed by an overbearing family but with a secret sense of humor and a secret rich imagination, is told by a dcctor that she has heart problems and doesn't have long to live. she decides to rebel against her family and take charge of her life, first by nursing a dying girl who is considered scandalous, and then through her relationship with the local rascal, who has secrets of his own. it's all romantic and stuff, with lots of lovely descriptions of canadian woods. definitely still one of my all-time favorites.
in other news, i was experimenting with dyes again today. making dye out of blueberries didn;t really pan out, but was surprisingly less messy than store-bought dyes. i'll just be using kool-aid from now on, so as not to have a permanently purple sink.
Saturday, May 21, 2005
wedding weekend
the only thing i regret about this weekend is that i didn't bring my camera into big lots.
lots and lots of photos are over at flickr.
point of fact: the drive home was exactly the length of three episodes of this american life.
thanks again to erin for coming with!
lots and lots of photos are over at flickr.
point of fact: the drive home was exactly the length of three episodes of this american life.
thanks again to erin for coming with!
Friday, May 20, 2005
veronica mars moves to wednesdays
ok, it's kind of awesome that in the fall, veronica mars will be on right after america's next top model (and now all you antm fans have no excuse not to watch it!). it's a little less awesome that now it's on at the same time as lost, one of the only other tv shows i bother watching. oh well, that's what tv shows on dvd are for! see you in a year or so, sayid!
in other news, i'll be in elizabeth city for a wedding this weekend. pictures forthcoming, probably.
in other news, i'll be in elizabeth city for a wedding this weekend. pictures forthcoming, probably.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
2005 book 54
mordecai richler's barney's version
richler--probably best known as the author of the jacob two-two books, but also a well-regarded novelist--has done what few writers can: created a totally lovable and sympathetic asshole. this book is narrated by barney panofsky, a canadian jew, who feels obliged to write his memoirs after an old acquaintance publishes diaries that depict barney in a decidedly unflattering light--as a philandering wife-abusing murderer. despite his failing memory, barney reflects on his past--his three wives, including the love of his life, his years in paris brushing elbows with great artists, and so on. as i said, panofsky is really a lovable asshole, and richler does a great job with this novel--the memoir is even footnoted by barney's son, much to my amusement. i love footnotes in fiction. this one is highly recommended and it's provided further incentive to check out the other books on the nextbook list.
richler--probably best known as the author of the jacob two-two books, but also a well-regarded novelist--has done what few writers can: created a totally lovable and sympathetic asshole. this book is narrated by barney panofsky, a canadian jew, who feels obliged to write his memoirs after an old acquaintance publishes diaries that depict barney in a decidedly unflattering light--as a philandering wife-abusing murderer. despite his failing memory, barney reflects on his past--his three wives, including the love of his life, his years in paris brushing elbows with great artists, and so on. as i said, panofsky is really a lovable asshole, and richler does a great job with this novel--the memoir is even footnoted by barney's son, much to my amusement. i love footnotes in fiction. this one is highly recommended and it's provided further incentive to check out the other books on the nextbook list.
medical dramas
my parents have recently recommended two tv shows to me, grey's anatomy and house, and i watched both of those this week. although they were more-or-less compelling, i probably won't be watching either again, b/c medical dramas are gross. i almost got sick during house b/c they KEPT INJECTING PEOPLE WITH NEEDLES. like, in every scene someone was getting blood drawn or jabbing themselves w/ a syringe or crying b/c the nurse couldn't get the needle in. thinking about it now is making me a little dizzy so i'll stop. yuckarama. maybe i should just watch that britney spears show next time i'm home on a veronica mars-less tuesday--it's got to be less nauseating. and no, i don't like britney spears, and yes, i think she and her husband are skeezy--that is how grossed out i was by house. [i kept flipping over to britney when the needles got to be too much, so it's not like i have no basis of comparison.]
grey's anatomy wasn't as bad by comparison--i was pleased to see the guidance counselor from joan of arcadia as the psychic patient of the doctor played by the girl who was gerard depardieu's daughter in that one movie.
in other news, i spent all of yesterday afternoon dying roving with kool-aid, now that i have re-mastered the whole spinning wheel thing. pictures are up at flickr, and probably they're totally bizarre looking (bowls of wet brightly-colored wool? yeah). all my reds came out the same, including the one i mixed with pink lemonade in an effort to lighten in--well, something to experiment with next time!
grey's anatomy wasn't as bad by comparison--i was pleased to see the guidance counselor from joan of arcadia as the psychic patient of the doctor played by the girl who was gerard depardieu's daughter in that one movie.
in other news, i spent all of yesterday afternoon dying roving with kool-aid, now that i have re-mastered the whole spinning wheel thing. pictures are up at flickr, and probably they're totally bizarre looking (bowls of wet brightly-colored wool? yeah). all my reds came out the same, including the one i mixed with pink lemonade in an effort to lighten in--well, something to experiment with next time!
Monday, May 16, 2005
uniform
i was trying to describe my old school uniform to erin (i went to a private school during K-8, and had to wear a uniform from grades 5-8) and have no photos that i can find, and so i sketched it out just now.
what isn't reflected in this drawing (b/c i am a crappy artist) is that the tunic-thing was pleated--but the style was to buy older used uniforms where the pleats had been ripped out, lending an even baggier effect to the ensemble. the cool way to wear this garment (if such a thing was possible) involved belting it around the butt, preferably with those hippie-style woven multi-colored belts with pom-poms on the ends. failure to wear a belt resulted in a one-dollar uniform fine from every teacher who saw you (on one careless morning, i was forced to unlace my sneaker and wear a shoelace as a belt when i realized i'd left without one). the pocket of the tunic featured the school seal. i wish i could appropriately reflect the bagginess of the outfit without making my little drawing look fat, b/c really, those tunics were unflattering. i'll try and dig up a picture, although i am fairly sure i didn't like being photographed in the uniform.
shirts were collared/polo shirts in white or turtlenecks in the winter (green cords were also allowed in winter, as long as they were the right shade of green--hunter green only!). shoes were either white sneakers, brown loafers (with the laces curled!), or brown suede bucks. socks and/or tights, of course, were white.
the only individuality we could express came from the boxer shorts worn under our uniforms (to further shield our budding feminity? i never really got that part of the dress code, although i loved the boxers). i still have my favorite pair, from 8th grade--joe boxers in a toothpaste-and-toothbrush motif. my dad is a dentist, you know!
now that i think about it, i wore those to sleep in last night.
for further information on my school, check out annie dillard's ode to pittsburgh/memoir an american childhood. she's one of ellis' distinguished alumnae.
what isn't reflected in this drawing (b/c i am a crappy artist) is that the tunic-thing was pleated--but the style was to buy older used uniforms where the pleats had been ripped out, lending an even baggier effect to the ensemble. the cool way to wear this garment (if such a thing was possible) involved belting it around the butt, preferably with those hippie-style woven multi-colored belts with pom-poms on the ends. failure to wear a belt resulted in a one-dollar uniform fine from every teacher who saw you (on one careless morning, i was forced to unlace my sneaker and wear a shoelace as a belt when i realized i'd left without one). the pocket of the tunic featured the school seal. i wish i could appropriately reflect the bagginess of the outfit without making my little drawing look fat, b/c really, those tunics were unflattering. i'll try and dig up a picture, although i am fairly sure i didn't like being photographed in the uniform.
shirts were collared/polo shirts in white or turtlenecks in the winter (green cords were also allowed in winter, as long as they were the right shade of green--hunter green only!). shoes were either white sneakers, brown loafers (with the laces curled!), or brown suede bucks. socks and/or tights, of course, were white.
the only individuality we could express came from the boxer shorts worn under our uniforms (to further shield our budding feminity? i never really got that part of the dress code, although i loved the boxers). i still have my favorite pair, from 8th grade--joe boxers in a toothpaste-and-toothbrush motif. my dad is a dentist, you know!
now that i think about it, i wore those to sleep in last night.
for further information on my school, check out annie dillard's ode to pittsburgh/memoir an american childhood. she's one of ellis' distinguished alumnae.
Saturday, May 14, 2005
2005 book 53
robertson davies' the cunning man
first off, let me say that i really like the picture of davies on the back of this book--he's reminiscent of an intellectual santa claus. which sort of works, since the book deals so strongly w/ intellectual themes and is also giggle-out-loud funny at parts. however, it's also fairly disorganized (which is part of the framing device and doesn't really work), especially in the last quarter, when the narrator keeps interspersing parts of his story with notes for a book he plans to write. the resolution is also somewhat unsatisfying and seemingly rushed; i personally would have liked to see more on the apparently unsolved murder. on the other hand, the first half is rife w/ characterization and interesting plots (and i was pleased to see the return of the character ramsey from the deptford trilogy), and the third section is neatly narrated mostly through letters. and again, it's all very witty, which makes reading fun!
first off, let me say that i really like the picture of davies on the back of this book--he's reminiscent of an intellectual santa claus. which sort of works, since the book deals so strongly w/ intellectual themes and is also giggle-out-loud funny at parts. however, it's also fairly disorganized (which is part of the framing device and doesn't really work), especially in the last quarter, when the narrator keeps interspersing parts of his story with notes for a book he plans to write. the resolution is also somewhat unsatisfying and seemingly rushed; i personally would have liked to see more on the apparently unsolved murder. on the other hand, the first half is rife w/ characterization and interesting plots (and i was pleased to see the return of the character ramsey from the deptford trilogy), and the third section is neatly narrated mostly through letters. and again, it's all very witty, which makes reading fun!
Friday, May 13, 2005
summer reading
i actually have some vacation plans this summer, which means i should start stockpiling books now! any recommendations?
note that i eschew the usual beach-reading fare b/c i am a book snob, which means i'm looking for fiction i can really sink into, interesting memoirs or essays, things that will make me giggle out loud (like the robertson davies book i've just started), but nothing too academic-y--i don't like to think too hard when i'm on an airplane or at the beach or whatever.
obviously if you're a regular reader of this blog, you've noticed that i do read all sorts of things, so don't be afraid to toss some names/titles out--i won't judge you! i am a devourer of books!
also re: summer reading: nextbook has a list of jewish-related books as recommended by some well-known jewish authors (i was thrilled to see savyon liebrecht appear--i'll definitely be reading the book she chose). i've only read 4 of the ones on the list so this will be a nice starting point.
note that i eschew the usual beach-reading fare b/c i am a book snob, which means i'm looking for fiction i can really sink into, interesting memoirs or essays, things that will make me giggle out loud (like the robertson davies book i've just started), but nothing too academic-y--i don't like to think too hard when i'm on an airplane or at the beach or whatever.
obviously if you're a regular reader of this blog, you've noticed that i do read all sorts of things, so don't be afraid to toss some names/titles out--i won't judge you! i am a devourer of books!
also re: summer reading: nextbook has a list of jewish-related books as recommended by some well-known jewish authors (i was thrilled to see savyon liebrecht appear--i'll definitely be reading the book she chose). i've only read 4 of the ones on the list so this will be a nice starting point.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
2005 book 52
rick moody's the ice storm
blogger was down for fucking forever, so here's this entry that i really wrote at 6 pm when it was too fucking hot and i wasn't really concentrating:
yeah, this book was pretty riveting. it revolves around two dysfunctional couples in the 70s and their equally dysfunctional adolescent children, all experimenting with sex as they wallow in loneliness and confusion. i guess that doesn't really sound like a good story, but it is. it was made into a movie--i think i saw part of it on tv once, briefly was interested b/c it starred kevin kline and joan allen and tiny tobey maguire and katie holmes, but ultimately turned it off b/c they were all so self-indulgent and annoying. it doesn't really come off that way in the book--they're all sort of searching for meaning in tumultuous times, and don't really know what to do with themselves. i think i liked this better than moody's short stories, even.
blogger was down for fucking forever, so here's this entry that i really wrote at 6 pm when it was too fucking hot and i wasn't really concentrating:
yeah, this book was pretty riveting. it revolves around two dysfunctional couples in the 70s and their equally dysfunctional adolescent children, all experimenting with sex as they wallow in loneliness and confusion. i guess that doesn't really sound like a good story, but it is. it was made into a movie--i think i saw part of it on tv once, briefly was interested b/c it starred kevin kline and joan allen and tiny tobey maguire and katie holmes, but ultimately turned it off b/c they were all so self-indulgent and annoying. it doesn't really come off that way in the book--they're all sort of searching for meaning in tumultuous times, and don't really know what to do with themselves. i think i liked this better than moody's short stories, even.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
vm finale
i was pretty pleased w/ the veronica mars season finale--not as intense as last week, which was a relief, but still some jumpy bits and some bits i didn't see coming (i totally saw the car thing, though, not that i minded). i really liked the end--although there is still a good amount of wrapping up to do. when does season 2 start? how long do i have to wait for dvds? when can i start taping the early episodes/when will they start rerunning?
so many unanswered questions! :)
i don't think it will break 100 pages on the twop forums like the last episode did, but i'm not complaining. i heart rob thomas (not the crappy singer--the veronica mars creator guy).
thus ends my last (probably last) veronica mars-related post until the dvds come out.
oh, and the gilmore girls? MORONS. don't they have the morning-after pill in connecticut? and as a law-abiding citizen, i really wished i could have smacked rory upside the head. i haven't even liked emily lately. and yet i still watch it pretty much every week--normally b/c i'm waiting for veronica mars to come on, but also b/c i'm curious. i will most likely watch it next week even though rory is an annoying dingbat all of a sudden (i really liked her in the early seasons, so i find the way her character has been written lately to be bothersome).
coming soon: more discussion of books! and ice cream!
so many unanswered questions! :)
i don't think it will break 100 pages on the twop forums like the last episode did, but i'm not complaining. i heart rob thomas (not the crappy singer--the veronica mars creator guy).
thus ends my last (probably last) veronica mars-related post until the dvds come out.
oh, and the gilmore girls? MORONS. don't they have the morning-after pill in connecticut? and as a law-abiding citizen, i really wished i could have smacked rory upside the head. i haven't even liked emily lately. and yet i still watch it pretty much every week--normally b/c i'm waiting for veronica mars to come on, but also b/c i'm curious. i will most likely watch it next week even though rory is an annoying dingbat all of a sudden (i really liked her in the early seasons, so i find the way her character has been written lately to be bothersome).
coming soon: more discussion of books! and ice cream!
Sunday, May 08, 2005
2005 book 51
peter straub, ed. conjunctions: 39: the new wave fabulists
this was my birthday present from fellow avid reader JohnM, which i have been reading in bits and pieces over the past few weeks in between working on school stuff and being stressed out and whatever else i've been doing. it's a great, great, great anthology of fantastical fiction, with stories from big names like neil gaiman, peter straub, and jonathan lethem. my favorites--as much as i could narrow them down--were by karen joy fowler, kelly link, john kessel, james morrow (maybe i should dig out his last book and give it a shot), and elizabeth hand, which run the gamut from touching to sexy to skin-crawling. the volume closes out with two meditations on genre--gene wolfe's is an especially interesting take, one i wish i'd read while i was still taking popular materials. john, let me thank you again--these stories were really wonderful. :)
this was my birthday present from fellow avid reader JohnM, which i have been reading in bits and pieces over the past few weeks in between working on school stuff and being stressed out and whatever else i've been doing. it's a great, great, great anthology of fantastical fiction, with stories from big names like neil gaiman, peter straub, and jonathan lethem. my favorites--as much as i could narrow them down--were by karen joy fowler, kelly link, john kessel, james morrow (maybe i should dig out his last book and give it a shot), and elizabeth hand, which run the gamut from touching to sexy to skin-crawling. the volume closes out with two meditations on genre--gene wolfe's is an especially interesting take, one i wish i'd read while i was still taking popular materials. john, let me thank you again--these stories were really wonderful. :)
Friday, May 06, 2005
Thursday, May 05, 2005
digital camera woes
so, something seems to be wrong w/ my camera, and i'm hoping someone reading this can help. actually, the camera itself is working fine--but when i plug in the usb cord and try to upload the pictures, the usual happy beepy noise is multiplied and the message "the device is not ready" pops up. any thoughts? it was working fine the other day . . . i want to upload some pictures i took at the baby shower today (i only got a few before my battery died).
odds and ends
i really liked this article in the indy on album covers. by the way, casey burns is the next artist whose work will be shown at chapel hill comics, but i forget the start date of the exhibit, so you'll just have to stop by this saturday for free comic book day and ask. anyway, i especially was pleased to see the mention of the rosebuds' make out cover, b/c when i read the intro of the piece, that was the first album that popped into my mind.
today on my desk there was something called "the new angelic gospelodium." i just thought you should know.
i picked up a bunch of comics yesterday--the usuals: fables, y the last man, powers, and i forget what else right now (b/c i haven't read them yet), along w/ volume 3 of the collected peanuts. dude, i got three papercuts from that thing from running my fingers along the top to open up to where my bookmark was. be forewarned--those top edges are sharp!
today on my desk there was something called "the new angelic gospelodium." i just thought you should know.
i picked up a bunch of comics yesterday--the usuals: fables, y the last man, powers, and i forget what else right now (b/c i haven't read them yet), along w/ volume 3 of the collected peanuts. dude, i got three papercuts from that thing from running my fingers along the top to open up to where my bookmark was. be forewarned--those top edges are sharp!
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
veronica mars, of course
i'm still practically hyperventilating from one of the best hours of tv i have ever seen. i was crying before the opening credits rolled. i am almost grateful i have a sick amount of homework over the next week, b/c it will help kill the time until the season finale--after which life will have lost some of its charm. thank god for summer reruns. and the dvds, which will be out septemberish.
i don't get it--what are you people watching that isn't this show? do you honestly think it's better????? dude, i won't even hesitate in saying that veronica mars is BETTER THAN BUFFY. especially buffy season one! (but will vm season two compare to buffy season two? only time will tell . . . i am hoping the fall dvd release will help boost viewers for season 2. it worked for 24 . . . )
i realize i write about this tv show a lot but for real yo, it's just that good. [ETA: proof at least of obsessive fandom: the episode has been over for 25 minutes and already has two more pages on the twop forums than the episode of gilmore girls that ended an hour an a half ago. and there certainly was plenty to say about that show tonight too! like: i liked lorelai, for a change, and hated her parents for not listening about logan. i hate logan still. rory is a kiss-ass. sookie is cute. and so on. not really as passion-inspiring as veronica mars, but still conversation-worthy.]
i don't get it--what are you people watching that isn't this show? do you honestly think it's better????? dude, i won't even hesitate in saying that veronica mars is BETTER THAN BUFFY. especially buffy season one! (but will vm season two compare to buffy season two? only time will tell . . . i am hoping the fall dvd release will help boost viewers for season 2. it worked for 24 . . . )
i realize i write about this tv show a lot but for real yo, it's just that good. [ETA: proof at least of obsessive fandom: the episode has been over for 25 minutes and already has two more pages on the twop forums than the episode of gilmore girls that ended an hour an a half ago. and there certainly was plenty to say about that show tonight too! like: i liked lorelai, for a change, and hated her parents for not listening about logan. i hate logan still. rory is a kiss-ass. sookie is cute. and so on. not really as passion-inspiring as veronica mars, but still conversation-worthy.]
arcade fire
i know christina discussed this already today, but i think it bears repeating. she just got back from coachella and was saying how 12,000 people were there to see arcade fire, and were all singing along, and there was a jumbotron.
it was LESS THAN A YEAR AGO that they were at the cave. the night of june 7, 2004. here is what i wrote at the time:
01:11 am
just got back from seeing fan modine and arcade fire at the cave . . . arcade fire is totally my new favorite band; i am happier than god that merge signed them and not alien8 (smart arcade fire!). fan modine was doing a stripped down set, just gordon on the cave's badly tuned piano, with ash on guitar, and everyone was talking like it was just backround music! bastards! but as soon as arcade fire started, everyone was totally blown away. it's been a while since i saw chapel hillians so excited about a band, but there it was, despite technical difficulties, sweltering heat, and all 6 bandmembers being squidged into the tiny band-area. yeah, amazing amazing show--their cd doesn't do them justice . . . i'm psyched for their big merge release though. aww, i love such fun bands!!!
i'm totally deaf at the moment--wacky!
it was cute how every merge person was at the show, pretty much. the new intern was adorable, and so endearing when he crept up front to take pictures. christina got some great shots too . . .
in less that a year, their audience went from about 20 to about 12,000. that is pretty fucking amazing. i am seriously sitting here being AMAZED about it! maybe even more amazed than i was that night last june when i saw them live for the first time.
anyway, don't mind me--i'm giddy from finishing one of my final projects. :)
it was LESS THAN A YEAR AGO that they were at the cave. the night of june 7, 2004. here is what i wrote at the time:
01:11 am
just got back from seeing fan modine and arcade fire at the cave . . . arcade fire is totally my new favorite band; i am happier than god that merge signed them and not alien8 (smart arcade fire!). fan modine was doing a stripped down set, just gordon on the cave's badly tuned piano, with ash on guitar, and everyone was talking like it was just backround music! bastards! but as soon as arcade fire started, everyone was totally blown away. it's been a while since i saw chapel hillians so excited about a band, but there it was, despite technical difficulties, sweltering heat, and all 6 bandmembers being squidged into the tiny band-area. yeah, amazing amazing show--their cd doesn't do them justice . . . i'm psyched for their big merge release though. aww, i love such fun bands!!!
i'm totally deaf at the moment--wacky!
it was cute how every merge person was at the show, pretty much. the new intern was adorable, and so endearing when he crept up front to take pictures. christina got some great shots too . . .
in less that a year, their audience went from about 20 to about 12,000. that is pretty fucking amazing. i am seriously sitting here being AMAZED about it! maybe even more amazed than i was that night last june when i saw them live for the first time.
anyway, don't mind me--i'm giddy from finishing one of my final projects. :)
Monday, May 02, 2005
bruce campbell
dang. why isn;t he coming to north carolina on his book tour? i want to learn how to make love the bruce campbell way! :)
and jsut to get some veronica mars love out of the way: oh man, only two episodes left. oh man. and it's re-running this summer, so now there is NO excuse not to watch it. probably i will be taping it and forcing you all to watch.
speaking of tv, i caught the end of a really old cosby show episode this weekend--the one where theo meets a girl at the library and brings her home. more tv shows should highlight libraries as places to meet girls, i think--i mean, if people are still worried about getting kids into libraries. maybe they aren't.
and jsut to get some veronica mars love out of the way: oh man, only two episodes left. oh man. and it's re-running this summer, so now there is NO excuse not to watch it. probably i will be taping it and forcing you all to watch.
speaking of tv, i caught the end of a really old cosby show episode this weekend--the one where theo meets a girl at the library and brings her home. more tv shows should highlight libraries as places to meet girls, i think--i mean, if people are still worried about getting kids into libraries. maybe they aren't.
Sunday, May 01, 2005
2005 book 50
rachel cusk's the lucky ones
wow, book 50 already! this calls for a celebration--when finals week is over and i have time for a celebration. :) anyway--although this novel is stylistically very different than the country life (it contains a series of interconnected stories), the same theme of troubled families struggling to work themselves out remains. her characters are richly drawn and vivid; many of them are trying to figure out their newfound parenthood and how having children affects the other parts of their lives. eh, i don't have much else to say about this right now--i liked it a lot but i need to get back to working on final projects now. :)
wow, book 50 already! this calls for a celebration--when finals week is over and i have time for a celebration. :) anyway--although this novel is stylistically very different than the country life (it contains a series of interconnected stories), the same theme of troubled families struggling to work themselves out remains. her characters are richly drawn and vivid; many of them are trying to figure out their newfound parenthood and how having children affects the other parts of their lives. eh, i don't have much else to say about this right now--i liked it a lot but i need to get back to working on final projects now. :)
Thursday, April 28, 2005
2005 book 49
michael cunningham's the hours
oh my god, i know, i know. how am i only read this book now for the first time? especially when it's so good! mad props to jodi for prodding me to read it, or i might not have gotten around to it for another few years. anyway, really a brilliant intertwining of three women's stories--virginia woolf, as she begins writing mrs dalloway, laura brown, who is reading it, and clarissa, affectionately nicknamed mrs dalloway, who like her namesake is spending a day getting a party together. i had to wonder if some of the ways these characters connected would have been more prominent had i read mrs dalloway more recently than 8 years ago, but the novel holds up regardless of the reader's knowledge of woolf and her ouvre. cunningham is really a powerful writer, and i imagine all bookish girls would strongly relate to laura especially. now i can finally watch the movie, which came from netflix almost two months ago!
oh my god, i know, i know. how am i only read this book now for the first time? especially when it's so good! mad props to jodi for prodding me to read it, or i might not have gotten around to it for another few years. anyway, really a brilliant intertwining of three women's stories--virginia woolf, as she begins writing mrs dalloway, laura brown, who is reading it, and clarissa, affectionately nicknamed mrs dalloway, who like her namesake is spending a day getting a party together. i had to wonder if some of the ways these characters connected would have been more prominent had i read mrs dalloway more recently than 8 years ago, but the novel holds up regardless of the reader's knowledge of woolf and her ouvre. cunningham is really a powerful writer, and i imagine all bookish girls would strongly relate to laura especially. now i can finally watch the movie, which came from netflix almost two months ago!
king's 27 april 2005
after class tonight, i went over to raleigh for the show at king's--lud, hotel lights, and the radar bros. there was some improv comedy troupe performing when i got there, who were somewhat entertaining, although perhaps not in the way they meant to be. anyway, i took a bunch of pictures of the bands, minus lud, b/c i forgot i had my camera in my bag during their set--such a shame, b/c they were awesome, and i wanted to get some shots of lee drumming. of course he is in ten thousand other bands so i';ll get another chance (work clothes and fan modine are playing a show in a couple weeks at the revamped space-above-hell, now called the wetlands).
i'dbeen dying to see hotel lights live--i loooove their cd, and of course i looooved ben folds five when i was in college (i hope ross grady doesn't read this, or he will mock me forever for publicly admitting that). darren jessee was the cute one and i am glad to see that my 19-year-old-self's rock star crush was not wasted--wow, they are just as good live as on their cd, way better than ben folds five, and now i am determined to pester ross until he has them on his show.
of course really i was there to see radar bros. sadly, i crapped out halfway through their set and left after hearing papillon, my favorite song from their new cd. i was sorry not to get to tell steve and the guys how awesome they were--of course they still have a place in my heart for their sweet antics during mergefest. :)
anyway, my pictures are all at flickr--they're random and fun, at least to me at 2 am. i should go to bed now, yikes! i'll label them and organize them tomorrow!
i'dbeen dying to see hotel lights live--i loooove their cd, and of course i looooved ben folds five when i was in college (i hope ross grady doesn't read this, or he will mock me forever for publicly admitting that). darren jessee was the cute one and i am glad to see that my 19-year-old-self's rock star crush was not wasted--wow, they are just as good live as on their cd, way better than ben folds five, and now i am determined to pester ross until he has them on his show.
of course really i was there to see radar bros. sadly, i crapped out halfway through their set and left after hearing papillon, my favorite song from their new cd. i was sorry not to get to tell steve and the guys how awesome they were--of course they still have a place in my heart for their sweet antics during mergefest. :)
anyway, my pictures are all at flickr--they're random and fun, at least to me at 2 am. i should go to bed now, yikes! i'll label them and organize them tomorrow!
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
sarah vowell is so cute
and she's interviewed in salon today--by the death cab guitarist. he's not really a great interviewer but it's cute anyway.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
tuesday night tv
i seriously have to spend the entire hour of veronica mars clutching a pillow. crap. and the preview for next week? holy crap. and i KNEW it was about that! and i was still just like, "oh my god, oh my god!"
two episodes left. i am going to cry when it's not on anymore. luckily i have the past 6 or so on tape and can relive the glory.
as for gilmore girls--meh. both the gilmore girls have been annoying the heck out of me this season--and the whole magical girl rory thing, where even unavailable guys will be her boyfriend, is extra-stupid. is she so perfect and wonderful that no guy will ever break her heart? the show will be extra-boring, if so. (also, do rich people really look down on career women? i think most of the rich kid's moms i knew growing up at least pretended to be busy with things. and why isn't logan's older sister "the heir"?)
especially compared to veronica mars, with all of its intensity and emotional turbulence. it even has the witty writing that gilmore fans love--and they were a week ahead of the oc with the 21 jump street reference.
when veronica mars comes out on dvd, i am forcing you all to watch it! be forewarned!
time to wrap up the ol' homework . . . sigh. i wish i had someone to shriek about veronica mars with! the twop boards will have to wait.
two episodes left. i am going to cry when it's not on anymore. luckily i have the past 6 or so on tape and can relive the glory.
as for gilmore girls--meh. both the gilmore girls have been annoying the heck out of me this season--and the whole magical girl rory thing, where even unavailable guys will be her boyfriend, is extra-stupid. is she so perfect and wonderful that no guy will ever break her heart? the show will be extra-boring, if so. (also, do rich people really look down on career women? i think most of the rich kid's moms i knew growing up at least pretended to be busy with things. and why isn't logan's older sister "the heir"?)
especially compared to veronica mars, with all of its intensity and emotional turbulence. it even has the witty writing that gilmore fans love--and they were a week ahead of the oc with the 21 jump street reference.
when veronica mars comes out on dvd, i am forcing you all to watch it! be forewarned!
time to wrap up the ol' homework . . . sigh. i wish i had someone to shriek about veronica mars with! the twop boards will have to wait.
2005 book 48
rachel cusk's the country life
now THAT'S what i'm talkin' about! a fun, dark, page-turner sort of a book! it's about this young woman, stella, who abruptly leaves her life and becomes an au pair to a disabled teenager in the countryside. gradually information about her past comes out as she deals w/ living w/ an eccentric bunch of wealthy brits and their own past conflicts. cusk is a great writer--the book jsut flies by, in the good way, where all of a sudden you look down and realize you've read 100 pages. a lovely book--i'll definitely be looking for more by her. the ending made me smile.
now THAT'S what i'm talkin' about! a fun, dark, page-turner sort of a book! it's about this young woman, stella, who abruptly leaves her life and becomes an au pair to a disabled teenager in the countryside. gradually information about her past comes out as she deals w/ living w/ an eccentric bunch of wealthy brits and their own past conflicts. cusk is a great writer--the book jsut flies by, in the good way, where all of a sudden you look down and realize you've read 100 pages. a lovely book--i'll definitely be looking for more by her. the ending made me smile.
Monday, April 25, 2005
2005 book 47
paula kamen's all in my head
hm. well. this book wasn't exactly what i was expecting--it's being touted as a humorous memoir chronicling the author's quest for treatment for her chronic headache, but it's definitely more of a serious/academic work. chapters dealing w/ kamen's visits to various practitioners are interspersed with sections on feminism and women's health, and studies of attitudes toward headaches in psychology, and so on. also, there are frequent distracting sidebars that seem unnecessary and weirdly-placed. and as long as i'm on the subject of the book's appearance, the text seems sort of small and the margins seemed pretty narrow, so it's not really a friendly-looking book; reading each page seemed like a chore.
i think that had this book been described as a memoir-cum-academic-study of chronic pain, i would have either a) not been frustrated while reading, or b) avoided it altogether. it's not a bad book--but it's not really a fun read, or an engrossing one.
hm. well. this book wasn't exactly what i was expecting--it's being touted as a humorous memoir chronicling the author's quest for treatment for her chronic headache, but it's definitely more of a serious/academic work. chapters dealing w/ kamen's visits to various practitioners are interspersed with sections on feminism and women's health, and studies of attitudes toward headaches in psychology, and so on. also, there are frequent distracting sidebars that seem unnecessary and weirdly-placed. and as long as i'm on the subject of the book's appearance, the text seems sort of small and the margins seemed pretty narrow, so it's not really a friendly-looking book; reading each page seemed like a chore.
i think that had this book been described as a memoir-cum-academic-study of chronic pain, i would have either a) not been frustrated while reading, or b) avoided it altogether. it's not a bad book--but it's not really a fun read, or an engrossing one.
on cookbooks
i just realized that i have eight cookbooks or food-related books on just the first page of my amazon wishlist--i know there are others, scattered throughout the other five. it's kind of silly, since i rarely use cookbooks (except for the occasional crockpot inspiration, or jewish holiday, or whatever), but i do own a lot of them. partially it's that i like to look at the pictures, but mainly it's that i like to imagine that i am the sort of person who would use these cookbooks, to make mouth-watering four-course dinners and insanely gorgeous desserts. but who has that kind of time?
maybe this summer i will make an effort to use my cookbooks to make Real Food, with the added motivation of documenting it via flickr. i like to take pictures of food almost as much as i like eating it, and in theory this summer i will be able to spare an occasional hour to cook. my saag paneer experiment was pretty successful and that took less than an hour--and i even had leftovers!
so anyway. are there any particular cookbooks you guys like (for usefulness, for pretty pictures, or otherwise)? my own cookbooks all fall into one (or more) of three categories: 1) vegetarian, 2) jewish, and 3) dessert/bread.
maybe this summer i will make an effort to use my cookbooks to make Real Food, with the added motivation of documenting it via flickr. i like to take pictures of food almost as much as i like eating it, and in theory this summer i will be able to spare an occasional hour to cook. my saag paneer experiment was pretty successful and that took less than an hour--and i even had leftovers!
so anyway. are there any particular cookbooks you guys like (for usefulness, for pretty pictures, or otherwise)? my own cookbooks all fall into one (or more) of three categories: 1) vegetarian, 2) jewish, and 3) dessert/bread.
librarian-related internet thing of the day
a dude from the library of congress weighs in at the straight dope. that guy has an awesome job title--wouldn't it be fun to work for the miscellaneous language division?
Sunday, April 24, 2005
news new york jews can use
or any new yorkers, really.
my canadian cousin melissa apparently has a new installation up in new york, at the brofman center at nyu. it's passover themed and got some nice comments from jewschool.
so if you're in new york this week, go check it out.
my canadian cousin melissa apparently has a new installation up in new york, at the brofman center at nyu. it's passover themed and got some nice comments from jewschool.
so if you're in new york this week, go check it out.
Saturday, April 23, 2005
2005 book 46
jane mcfann's deathtrap and dinosaur and no time for rabbits
sometimes you just need to give your brain a break from homework and read the books you loved when you were twelve.
unrelated: i successfully made saag paneer today! YUMMMMM.
also, my favorite thing about passover dessert mixes is the gritty icing. sike. why is the icing always gritty?!
sometimes you just need to give your brain a break from homework and read the books you loved when you were twelve.
unrelated: i successfully made saag paneer today! YUMMMMM.
also, my favorite thing about passover dessert mixes is the gritty icing. sike. why is the icing always gritty?!
breaking ice-cream related news
maple view opened their new location today--right across from weaver street (i meant to take pictures, but forgot my camera battery in the charger). i wonder if their ice cream is passover friendly . . .
Friday, April 22, 2005
gateway to jewish stuff
wow. big ups to dc nahm, who just sent me this amazing link, which honestly i should have discovered before, since they're co-spearheading the ala's jewish literature program (which of course i think is supercool, and hey, why the heck are all of nextbook's library-located program fellows people without library degrees?! GIVE ME A JOB! I AM QUALIFIED!). dc nahm sent me this link b/c of this article on the michael chabon brouhaha (for those who missed it, some dude in the current issue of bookforum wrote an unfavorable article on a speech chabon gives periodically, which features a nazi-pretending-to-be-a-Holocaust-survivor character. the bookforum guy basically was calling chabon a liar, saying he made this guy up--but considering the speech also talks about chabon's interactions w/ golems, i sort of think that's the point. anyway, the article has a great take on it, and chabon's talk is also available at nextbook for the curious).
there's also an article on the vh1 passover special featuring dee snider and the dude from anthrax.
anyway, this link is hitting the sidebar right now. david, you rock.
and on a slightly related note: i jsut rediscovered this book, one of my childhood favorites. i can't believe how many books i've forgotten--books i really loved. it jsut furthers my resolve not to get rid of any of the books i have now!
there's also an article on the vh1 passover special featuring dee snider and the dude from anthrax.
anyway, this link is hitting the sidebar right now. david, you rock.
and on a slightly related note: i jsut rediscovered this book, one of my childhood favorites. i can't believe how many books i've forgotten--books i really loved. it jsut furthers my resolve not to get rid of any of the books i have now!
law and order
my very favorite thing about law and order is how they recycle actors so wantonly. like right now, there's one on about a militia, and the main militia guy also played another main character that i remember--and looking at his imdb entry, i see that he's been on two other episodes as well. i guess they figured that when it was only showing once a week, no one would notice, but it is SO obvious when it's on five times a day, every day (not that i watch it all of those times). like once i saw an early episode where the woman who plays lt. van buren was playing the mother of the murder victim. that's sassy, right there, to take a bit player and make her one of the show's stars as an entirely different character!
my other favorite thing about law and order is when you see people in the early seasons who later became famous--i figured out pretty quickly who was guilty in the episodes featuring laura linney and claire danes.
so here's to you, law and order, for giving actors so much dang work, and giving me a reason to play on the internet to figure out just how into recycling you are.
my other favorite thing about law and order is when you see people in the early seasons who later became famous--i figured out pretty quickly who was guilty in the episodes featuring laura linney and claire danes.
so here's to you, law and order, for giving actors so much dang work, and giving me a reason to play on the internet to figure out just how into recycling you are.
Thursday, April 21, 2005
2005 book 45
jan lars jensen's nervous system: losing my mind in literature
i have been telling nearly everyone i've run across in the past couple of days about this book, using adjectives like "engrossing" "riveting" and "terrifying." it's a memoir, and the fact that it's true is what makes it so gripping. basically, it's the story of how jensen, when his first novel was going through the publication process, starting to lose his mind, convinced that his book would cause a nuclear war and that the government was going to kill him because of it. his descriptions of his delusions and his time in the psych ward are especially compelling, and his struggles with reading and writing during that period make for some really interesting discussion. this is definitely one to check out.
i have been telling nearly everyone i've run across in the past couple of days about this book, using adjectives like "engrossing" "riveting" and "terrifying." it's a memoir, and the fact that it's true is what makes it so gripping. basically, it's the story of how jensen, when his first novel was going through the publication process, starting to lose his mind, convinced that his book would cause a nuclear war and that the government was going to kill him because of it. his descriptions of his delusions and his time in the psych ward are especially compelling, and his struggles with reading and writing during that period make for some really interesting discussion. this is definitely one to check out.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
passover dessert
this recipe looks really similar to the delicious and decadent chocolate-covered matzah that my mom makes. i'm definitely going to try it out! (epicurious has a great passover section, by the way, especially when it comes to desserts.)
my mom also gave me a yummy-sounding recipe for passover chocolate-chip mandel bread, if any hungry jews are curious.
i might try and make a passover saag paneer this year, since i've been wanting to make one anyway, and cheese and spinach are some of my only options when passover rolls around. :)
my mom also gave me a yummy-sounding recipe for passover chocolate-chip mandel bread, if any hungry jews are curious.
i might try and make a passover saag paneer this year, since i've been wanting to make one anyway, and cheese and spinach are some of my only options when passover rolls around. :)
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
2005 book 44
michael chabon's the mysteries of pittsburgh
feeling a little homesick b/c i can't get home for passover, i picked this up to read, and it didn't disappoint in that regard. i got a little thrill every time some street or restaurant i knew was mentioned--which was often, since it took place near my own neighborhood. of course, the best meditation on pittsburgh is annie dillard's an american childhood, but this wasn't trying to be a reflection on the city, since it's a novel and all. it's a pretty good story--definitely there are hints of chabon's later greatness, although it's very first-novel-ish, with exaggeratedly eccentric characters dealing with coming-of-age/sexuality sorts of things, tied in with jewish gangsters (i never knew there was a jewish mob in pittsburgh).
feeling a little homesick b/c i can't get home for passover, i picked this up to read, and it didn't disappoint in that regard. i got a little thrill every time some street or restaurant i knew was mentioned--which was often, since it took place near my own neighborhood. of course, the best meditation on pittsburgh is annie dillard's an american childhood, but this wasn't trying to be a reflection on the city, since it's a novel and all. it's a pretty good story--definitely there are hints of chabon's later greatness, although it's very first-novel-ish, with exaggeratedly eccentric characters dealing with coming-of-age/sexuality sorts of things, tied in with jewish gangsters (i never knew there was a jewish mob in pittsburgh).
religious mumbo-jumbo
i called my mom to bitch about the lack of passover products in the triangle (on the plus side, spending 1 and a half hours hunting down cake mix--in vain--meant i got to listen to the entirety of disc two of the this american life cd christina is letting me borrow) and she informed me that they were about to announce the new pope. so i just got to watch cardinal something-or-other, all in red, announce that the german dude is the new pope (joseph ratzinger? something like that, he was speaking italian, you know). dang, i was totally rooting for the one from honduras. anyway, in case you didn't know, there's a new pope now, named benedict xvi. congrats, catholics!
Monday, April 18, 2005
2005 book 43
sarah vowell's assassination vacation
i think this may be my favorite sarah vowell book, not only b/c i am a huge history nerd, but b/c it just flows better as a book than her other stuff, which really, really read as collections of essays stuck together. but here, all the stories are connected, the same themes are evident throughout, and so on. although there is some discussion of vrious great assassinated americans, vowell primarily concentrates on lincoln, garfield, and mckinley, though she does meander around--which i like, by the way--through other historical figures and events and throws in plenty of pop culture. my favorite chapter was the one on garfield, which had some great material on the oneida community (best religious sect ever!) and on peter gallagher's eyebrows. also, he was apparently a big book nerd! aww, good ol' garfield. this book is a boon to american history buffs and gives some credence to little-known, mostly-forgotten americans.
i think this may be my favorite sarah vowell book, not only b/c i am a huge history nerd, but b/c it just flows better as a book than her other stuff, which really, really read as collections of essays stuck together. but here, all the stories are connected, the same themes are evident throughout, and so on. although there is some discussion of vrious great assassinated americans, vowell primarily concentrates on lincoln, garfield, and mckinley, though she does meander around--which i like, by the way--through other historical figures and events and throws in plenty of pop culture. my favorite chapter was the one on garfield, which had some great material on the oneida community (best religious sect ever!) and on peter gallagher's eyebrows. also, he was apparently a big book nerd! aww, good ol' garfield. this book is a boon to american history buffs and gives some credence to little-known, mostly-forgotten americans.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
home from hotlanta
what an amazing weekend! great rides there and back w/ the lovely christina driving (we heard the best this american life ever on the way home, with discussions of the puppy channel and on adam and eve), lots of yummy food, a trailer trash party hosted by debbie (who will be featured on the may 4th episode of good eats, so tune in), and especially lots of quality time w/ christine and charles and christina and adorable dogs.
some photos (w/ explanatory captions) can be found here.
some photos (w/ explanatory captions) can be found here.
Friday, April 15, 2005
why my dad is awesome
well, one of the reasons:
he decided to treat himself to a present yesterday--honestly, he NEVER gets himself anything, especially not something for fun. anyway, he got himself one of those playstation portables. the best part? when he was describing it to me (i've never seen one), he said, "it's pretty small--about the size of a TI-82." hee! our family did love those graphing calculators--what a great point of reference.
he decided to treat himself to a present yesterday--honestly, he NEVER gets himself anything, especially not something for fun. anyway, he got himself one of those playstation portables. the best part? when he was describing it to me (i've never seen one), he said, "it's pretty small--about the size of a TI-82." hee! our family did love those graphing calculators--what a great point of reference.
headaches
wow. i am so getting this book. talk about something i can relate to! i have a headache ALL THE TIME. mine is sinus-related, but it still makes me tired and IT NEVER GOES AWAY. sometimes i don't even notice it anymore and then i think "hmm, do i have a headache?" and yup, i sure do. sometimes (not that often) it hurts so bad it's all i notice, and then i have to take a bunch of advil and go to sleep. right now at this very moment it's annoying the hell out of me, so i'll take some sudafed and advil and go back to ignoring it for a few hours. but, really, wow! who knew there was a book about that sort of thing? one that actually looks pretty entertaining?
yeah. i'm definitely going to read that book.
yeah. i'm definitely going to read that book.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
2005 book 42
eiko kadono's kiki's delivery service
i continued my YA kick with the novel that the miyazaki film was based on--although there were some minor differences (the romantic plot was slightly more prominent in the movie), the heart of the story--a young witch leaves home, as all young witches do, to make a living--and all of the sweet and eccentric characters remain the same. the few illustrations are pretty adorable, as well.
some administrative notes:
i am so over the oc. not even julie cooper and summer make the show worth watching anymore. though it is funny that the new character of reed is played by what's-her-face, you know, the girl from wet hot american summer that the michael showalter (from the state) character likes? that's the best camp movie ever, and is way worthier of your attention than the oc is.
also, i will be in atlanta all weekend--look for a post w/ lots of pictures when i get back!
i continued my YA kick with the novel that the miyazaki film was based on--although there were some minor differences (the romantic plot was slightly more prominent in the movie), the heart of the story--a young witch leaves home, as all young witches do, to make a living--and all of the sweet and eccentric characters remain the same. the few illustrations are pretty adorable, as well.
some administrative notes:
i am so over the oc. not even julie cooper and summer make the show worth watching anymore. though it is funny that the new character of reed is played by what's-her-face, you know, the girl from wet hot american summer that the michael showalter (from the state) character likes? that's the best camp movie ever, and is way worthier of your attention than the oc is.
also, i will be in atlanta all weekend--look for a post w/ lots of pictures when i get back!
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
like a rolling stone
this book is primarily notable for the comic-strip representation of the "like a rolling stone" lyrics on the front end-papers. the expression on the blond girl's face on "now you don't talk so loud/now you don't feel so proud" is priceless. as is the whole bob-dylan-lurking-and-smirking-in-the-background motif.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
pop culture rules
well, mostly just veronica mars. i mean, with the keith and alicia, and the VERONICA AND LOGAN!!!! both of which i knew about, although i swore off spoilers two weeks ago in order to still have some surprises for the four episodes that are left. veronica mars, i love you. LOVE.
fever pitch was mildly entertaining, i guess (was jimmy fallon supposed to seem like such an inconsiderate asshole?). some of the melodramatic speeches were pretty badly written, but i was not the only one to scornfully laugh at them, which was nice. also i was pissed b/c they put an american dad cartoon at the start of the movie--i never thought a show could be more annoying than family guy, but that one looks like it manages (since it's the exact same show, only with a talking fish instead of a talking dog, and a weird alien instead of a weird baby).
luckily, veronica mars has saved my night, pop culture wise. BEST SHOW EVER. when will it be out on dvd so i can watch it every day?! (i love tv shows on dvd! i watched five episodes of harvey birdman today--which of course only took like an hour, so maybe isn't the best example.)
fever pitch was mildly entertaining, i guess (was jimmy fallon supposed to seem like such an inconsiderate asshole?). some of the melodramatic speeches were pretty badly written, but i was not the only one to scornfully laugh at them, which was nice. also i was pissed b/c they put an american dad cartoon at the start of the movie--i never thought a show could be more annoying than family guy, but that one looks like it manages (since it's the exact same show, only with a talking fish instead of a talking dog, and a weird alien instead of a weird baby).
luckily, veronica mars has saved my night, pop culture wise. BEST SHOW EVER. when will it be out on dvd so i can watch it every day?! (i love tv shows on dvd! i watched five episodes of harvey birdman today--which of course only took like an hour, so maybe isn't the best example.)
2005 book 41
joanne harris' chocolat
it's always sort of weird to read a book after seeing the movie--all of the characters are already fixed in the mind's eye, and thus it's impossible to envision roux as a redhead after seeing him played by johnny depp. i really found the differences between the book and the movie interesting--the movie merged a bunch of the characters for simplicity's sake, and the ending is fairly different. still, it's a great story with great characters, and lots of yummy-sounding chocolate. hallstrom did an amazing job translating it to the screen and making it even more delectable. which isn't really relevant to the book, but whatever.
it's always sort of weird to read a book after seeing the movie--all of the characters are already fixed in the mind's eye, and thus it's impossible to envision roux as a redhead after seeing him played by johnny depp. i really found the differences between the book and the movie interesting--the movie merged a bunch of the characters for simplicity's sake, and the ending is fairly different. still, it's a great story with great characters, and lots of yummy-sounding chocolate. hallstrom did an amazing job translating it to the screen and making it even more delectable. which isn't really relevant to the book, but whatever.
Monday, April 11, 2005
2005 book 40
m.e. rabb's missing persons series
after reading a profile of rabb in this month's issue of bookslut, i was totally intrigued, and put some of my birthday amazon gift certificates toward obtaining these books. rabb was inspired by the nancy drew girl detective stories, only was more interested in the characters than in the mysteries they solved. so here there are mysteries, but the focus of the book is on two orphaned sisters who run away, assume new identities, and get involved w/ a local PI to help him find missing persons (hence the title). these books are totally adorable--they're narrated by the younger sister, who loves reading anything from jane austen to cosmo--and i laughed out loud while reading them--a lot (just ask my trivia team--i read the last volume tongiht before trivia started). i read all four books in one sitting, b/c they're not hard reads and they're a ton of fun. rabb does a really good job of writing witty, silly, sweet, and real characters, and i fell in love with all of them. if you need a nice fairly-light read about some teenage girls who occasionally have some drama but mostly get all their problems solved, then let me lend you these, b/c i want to lend them to someone so i can have someone to discuss them with!
after reading a profile of rabb in this month's issue of bookslut, i was totally intrigued, and put some of my birthday amazon gift certificates toward obtaining these books. rabb was inspired by the nancy drew girl detective stories, only was more interested in the characters than in the mysteries they solved. so here there are mysteries, but the focus of the book is on two orphaned sisters who run away, assume new identities, and get involved w/ a local PI to help him find missing persons (hence the title). these books are totally adorable--they're narrated by the younger sister, who loves reading anything from jane austen to cosmo--and i laughed out loud while reading them--a lot (just ask my trivia team--i read the last volume tongiht before trivia started). i read all four books in one sitting, b/c they're not hard reads and they're a ton of fun. rabb does a really good job of writing witty, silly, sweet, and real characters, and i fell in love with all of them. if you need a nice fairly-light read about some teenage girls who occasionally have some drama but mostly get all their problems solved, then let me lend you these, b/c i want to lend them to someone so i can have someone to discuss them with!
news (local) jews can use
the carrboro harris teeter has dr brown's in the passover section--but it's not actually kosher for passover, being full of corn syrup. don't let its placement on the shelf fool you! also, their shelf placement sucks anyway, since all the cookies were on a shelf way out of my reach. harris teeter is biased against short jews.
oh--if you want to make a matzoh lasagna (and i know you do!), barilla pasta sauce is one of the few at teeter that is sans corn syrup, so i guess it counts as kosher, or as kosher as you're gonna find in north carolina.
and has anyone spotted the good cake mixes, with the pudding in them? the kroger in durham had them the first couple of years i lived here, but i haven't been able to find them since. i need my extra-moist passover cakes to get me through the last week of classes!
oh--if you want to make a matzoh lasagna (and i know you do!), barilla pasta sauce is one of the few at teeter that is sans corn syrup, so i guess it counts as kosher, or as kosher as you're gonna find in north carolina.
and has anyone spotted the good cake mixes, with the pudding in them? the kroger in durham had them the first couple of years i lived here, but i haven't been able to find them since. i need my extra-moist passover cakes to get me through the last week of classes!
electric ladyland
here's a sort of interesting new book at the music library. i thought it would be about girl rock-'n'-rollers, and parts of it are, but the second half is all about groupies--including the infamous cynthia plaster caster. it's pretty entertaining to see a scholarly book explain her work:
Cynthia and her assistant du jour would fellate the subject and then plunge his erect penis into a mold filled with dental alginate . . . In addition to being integral to the early history of the groupie subculture, Cynthia's story also integrates the idea of the sexual revolution discussed in Chapter 1.
apparently cynthia was initially attracted to broadway stars--see where the crazy path of the musical leads?!
Cynthia and her assistant du jour would fellate the subject and then plunge his erect penis into a mold filled with dental alginate . . . In addition to being integral to the early history of the groupie subculture, Cynthia's story also integrates the idea of the sexual revolution discussed in Chapter 1.
apparently cynthia was initially attracted to broadway stars--see where the crazy path of the musical leads?!
Sunday, April 10, 2005
2005 book 39
kent haruf's eventide
this sequel to plainsong takes place a couple of years after the first book, and my three favorite characters are back at the forefront, along with some new ones--mostly troubled children, along w/ a social worker. it's a little bit darker than its predecessor, but the gruff-but-kindly old men carry the day once again. i found myself going "AWW!!" out loud a few times (the UGN, or universal girl noise, as coined by saurav). i loved it just as much as plainsong and i selfishly want kent haruf to keep writing about these characters, because they're just all so sweet and lovable and human.
this sequel to plainsong takes place a couple of years after the first book, and my three favorite characters are back at the forefront, along with some new ones--mostly troubled children, along w/ a social worker. it's a little bit darker than its predecessor, but the gruff-but-kindly old men carry the day once again. i found myself going "AWW!!" out loud a few times (the UGN, or universal girl noise, as coined by saurav). i loved it just as much as plainsong and i selfishly want kent haruf to keep writing about these characters, because they're just all so sweet and lovable and human.
2005 book 38
amanda hesser's cooking for mr. latte
kate recommended this book to me after listening to me rhapsodize about calvin trillin one afternoon--hesser is a food writer for the ny times, and this book is a collection of her essays from the ny times magazine, mainly focusing on her relationship with her husband as viewed through the lens of the kitchen. each chapter ends with some mouthwatering recipes, many of which i marked for the "to try one day" column. the firt half of the book, with unrelated chapters discussing eating out w/ jeffrey steingarten (who also blurbed the book), doesn't flow as well as the second, where hesser concentrates on her cooking experiences w/ family, friends, and her honey. hesser is an entirely personable writer, so each chapter is a delight to read, as well as an inspiration in the kitchen.
kate recommended this book to me after listening to me rhapsodize about calvin trillin one afternoon--hesser is a food writer for the ny times, and this book is a collection of her essays from the ny times magazine, mainly focusing on her relationship with her husband as viewed through the lens of the kitchen. each chapter ends with some mouthwatering recipes, many of which i marked for the "to try one day" column. the firt half of the book, with unrelated chapters discussing eating out w/ jeffrey steingarten (who also blurbed the book), doesn't flow as well as the second, where hesser concentrates on her cooking experiences w/ family, friends, and her honey. hesser is an entirely personable writer, so each chapter is a delight to read, as well as an inspiration in the kitchen.
Friday, April 08, 2005
travesty
cookie monster is changing his tune.
get it???
but seriously--DUDE! don't fuck with cookie monster!
(he is my second favorite, after grover.)
get it???
but seriously--DUDE! don't fuck with cookie monster!
(he is my second favorite, after grover.)
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
birthday roundup
well, turning 26 was totally awesome. my birthday started off as all birthdays should--with homebaked cupcakes at midnight courtesy of erin! then i had my usual wednesday on-campus routine, and read a book and took a nap, and hit the liquor store for supplies for friday's party, and talked to a million people on the phone, and had yummy dinner at nightlight w/ christina and forrest and jodi and erin, and jodi and i stayed to see david n. do some awesome acoustic stuff. we left after, b/c she was beat and i was ready to be in pajamas anyway. i was a little bummed to miss david's friend rob perform, and of course erie choir (my favorite erie choir incarnation is the acoustic one), but sometimes it's nice to have a birthday end with a good night's sleep before a 13 hour day on campus followed by the m. ward show. :)
anyway, a series of random pictures (including my presents, and rock star photos of david) from my day can be found here, i hope. as always, let me know if the link doesn't work . . .
anyway, a series of random pictures (including my presents, and rock star photos of david) from my day can be found here, i hope. as always, let me know if the link doesn't work . . .
2005 book 37
louise erdrich's four souls
here's another erdrich book focusing on the ojibwe tribe featured in most of her earlier books--i'm constantly amazed at the richness and depth of the world she's imagined. this is the story of how fleur pillager tries to get her land back from the white man who bought it, as narrated by old nanapush and by the white man's sister-in-law. it trails off a little bit in the last third, as fleur's story is overtaken by nanapush's and as the sister-in-law's story abruptly ends, but things come back around to fleur for a pretty satisfying finish. i really enjoy erdrich's characterizations, and although this is no crown of columbus or last report on the miracles at little no horse, it's still a good read.
here's another erdrich book focusing on the ojibwe tribe featured in most of her earlier books--i'm constantly amazed at the richness and depth of the world she's imagined. this is the story of how fleur pillager tries to get her land back from the white man who bought it, as narrated by old nanapush and by the white man's sister-in-law. it trails off a little bit in the last third, as fleur's story is overtaken by nanapush's and as the sister-in-law's story abruptly ends, but things come back around to fleur for a pretty satisfying finish. i really enjoy erdrich's characterizations, and although this is no crown of columbus or last report on the miracles at little no horse, it's still a good read.
Monday, April 04, 2005
2005 book 36
kent haruf's plainsong
oh god, this book was so lovely and sweet and just all-around good. it centers on a few different characters in a small colorado town, who of course all have connections to one another. the book is mainly about a teacher and his two young sons, and a pregnant teenager who goes to stay with two gruff but soft-hearted old bachelor brothers--and i swear i'm getting a little weepy again just thinking about them. frequent exclamations of "oh my god, i love them!" and "they're so adorable!" were uttered as i read this--i'm a sucker for gruff but soft-hearted old men characters and these were some of the finest i've ever encountered. this was nominated for the national book award but i think lost to ha jin's waiting. still, it was definitely worth the nomination--it was a very, very pleasing book.
ps, unrelated: i met mr. whig hill today when he stopped by the music library on his way upstairs. my building is definitely the coolest place for research at unc! aw yeah!
ps, marginally related: i was checking the list of national book award winners on amazon to see which book beat out plainsong, and i have to say--they have really picked some lame books for that award in the past few years. compare this list to the list of man booker prize nominees and winners. i'm not sure if this is a matter of my own taste or not, but the booker awards definitely seem to have waaaay more books i've loved--as opposed to books i've hated (from the list of nba awards, i especially disliked the great fire, and although i did love three junes, some of those other choices are pretty mediocre). so there is my commentary of the day. i am not trying to say british-affiliated authors are better, just that the nba selection committee sucks eggs.
oh god, this book was so lovely and sweet and just all-around good. it centers on a few different characters in a small colorado town, who of course all have connections to one another. the book is mainly about a teacher and his two young sons, and a pregnant teenager who goes to stay with two gruff but soft-hearted old bachelor brothers--and i swear i'm getting a little weepy again just thinking about them. frequent exclamations of "oh my god, i love them!" and "they're so adorable!" were uttered as i read this--i'm a sucker for gruff but soft-hearted old men characters and these were some of the finest i've ever encountered. this was nominated for the national book award but i think lost to ha jin's waiting. still, it was definitely worth the nomination--it was a very, very pleasing book.
ps, unrelated: i met mr. whig hill today when he stopped by the music library on his way upstairs. my building is definitely the coolest place for research at unc! aw yeah!
ps, marginally related: i was checking the list of national book award winners on amazon to see which book beat out plainsong, and i have to say--they have really picked some lame books for that award in the past few years. compare this list to the list of man booker prize nominees and winners. i'm not sure if this is a matter of my own taste or not, but the booker awards definitely seem to have waaaay more books i've loved--as opposed to books i've hated (from the list of nba awards, i especially disliked the great fire, and although i did love three junes, some of those other choices are pretty mediocre). so there is my commentary of the day. i am not trying to say british-affiliated authors are better, just that the nba selection committee sucks eggs.
Saturday, April 02, 2005
2005 book 35
a.s. byatt's little black book of stories
i haven't been at all in a short story mood lately, but that's all i have in my to-read pile right now, so i find myself picking up a book, reading one story, and putting it back down again. i just finished off this volume--a couple of the stories had been in the new yorker, but some of the new ones were pretty good (especially "body art" and "the pink ribbon"). they're all sort of dark and a little bit unpleasant, which i guess is one of byatt's specialties (you know, besides writing articles about why harry potter isn't worth reading).
i haven't been at all in a short story mood lately, but that's all i have in my to-read pile right now, so i find myself picking up a book, reading one story, and putting it back down again. i just finished off this volume--a couple of the stories had been in the new yorker, but some of the new ones were pretty good (especially "body art" and "the pink ribbon"). they're all sort of dark and a little bit unpleasant, which i guess is one of byatt's specialties (you know, besides writing articles about why harry potter isn't worth reading).
informational: how to open a jar
i am not very good at opening jars--the part we left out of the hamentaschen saga was where we couldn't get the apricot preserves open, and actually drove over to alana and mark's to get mark to open it (i forgot my camera, hence the lack of documentation).
scenario:
you have just woken up from a two-hour nap. groggy, but hungry, you decide veggies with peanut sauce is an easy enough meal to make (barring any kitchen fires or melting of bowls, both common enough occurrences in the a. korenman kitchen). but! the jar of peanut butter is new! and will not open!
try banging it on the counter. no good?
try running it under hot water. no good?
twist and twist uselessly for another few minutes. start panicking--the veggies will be done any minute! what on earth can you put on them if the jar won't open?!
finally, in frustation, scream, "just fucking open!" and hurl the jar onto the kitchen floor.*
voila! the lid pops right off. if you are lucky like me, it won't even make a mess. problem solved, dinner crisis averted. celebrate with a nice dinner and maybe a banana milkshake for dessert.
*only try this with plastic jars.
scenario:
you have just woken up from a two-hour nap. groggy, but hungry, you decide veggies with peanut sauce is an easy enough meal to make (barring any kitchen fires or melting of bowls, both common enough occurrences in the a. korenman kitchen). but! the jar of peanut butter is new! and will not open!
try banging it on the counter. no good?
try running it under hot water. no good?
twist and twist uselessly for another few minutes. start panicking--the veggies will be done any minute! what on earth can you put on them if the jar won't open?!
finally, in frustation, scream, "just fucking open!" and hurl the jar onto the kitchen floor.*
voila! the lid pops right off. if you are lucky like me, it won't even make a mess. problem solved, dinner crisis averted. celebrate with a nice dinner and maybe a banana milkshake for dessert.
*only try this with plastic jars.
audubon park show
see, here's one of these weird times--do i post this here or in the audubon park blog? both? whatever. i went to see audubon park at the duke coffeehouse tongiht--eyes to space opened, and they were pretty awesome, and not just for the novelty of the keytar. their rock even collapsed the audubon park merch display!
anyway, i took a bunch of pictures--of course i am a very silly photographer, preferring the no-flash blurry-rock-star lit-in-blue playing-with-the-night-scene-setting sorts of photos--but no worries, i saw jenn h. there and she is an excellent photographer, so i'm sure you guys will be able to find some exciting band photos somewhere or other. (mine are here, in theory. let me know if the link doesn't work.)
i also took photos of the new graffiti in the coffeehouse bathroom, but i'll upload that later. (ps. matt--photos from the wxdu benefit last fall are here. i only got a few of hotel motel before my battery died, though.)
also included are some photos of the new audubon park EP, which is cunningly housed in old vinyl cases, with the cd cunningly attached to the enclosed lp. i chose a dan fogelburg record, b/c he is sort of a guilty pleasure. SHUT UP. i don't have to justify my guilty pleasures to you. weirdly, itunes thinks the ep is by some country band called "the woodys"--but i have just listened to it, and it's definitely audubon park. plus, it references bunnies in the title ("the bunny is not as popular as julius"), and i just love bunnies.
i left before jett rink b/c i was tired, but i heard they played a bunch of new stuff, and i imagine viva was entertaining as always.
anyway, i took a bunch of pictures--of course i am a very silly photographer, preferring the no-flash blurry-rock-star lit-in-blue playing-with-the-night-scene-setting sorts of photos--but no worries, i saw jenn h. there and she is an excellent photographer, so i'm sure you guys will be able to find some exciting band photos somewhere or other. (mine are here, in theory. let me know if the link doesn't work.)
i also took photos of the new graffiti in the coffeehouse bathroom, but i'll upload that later. (ps. matt--photos from the wxdu benefit last fall are here. i only got a few of hotel motel before my battery died, though.)
also included are some photos of the new audubon park EP, which is cunningly housed in old vinyl cases, with the cd cunningly attached to the enclosed lp. i chose a dan fogelburg record, b/c he is sort of a guilty pleasure. SHUT UP. i don't have to justify my guilty pleasures to you. weirdly, itunes thinks the ep is by some country band called "the woodys"--but i have just listened to it, and it's definitely audubon park. plus, it references bunnies in the title ("the bunny is not as popular as julius"), and i just love bunnies.
i left before jett rink b/c i was tired, but i heard they played a bunch of new stuff, and i imagine viva was entertaining as always.
Friday, April 01, 2005
music library book of the week
wow, this book is pretty awesome. highlights for me were sections on mia zapata, jenny toomey, sleater-kinney, peaches, the butchies, and erase errata, but pretty much every awesome chick from the 70s on up is in here. definitely one to check out (get it? get it??).
Thursday, March 31, 2005
childhood book love
i was walking home from class tonight and glanced in the window of that used bookstore on franklin street (i never remember its name). anyway, they had this whole easter/spring sort of display up, and one of the books in the window was this--which, in keeping with my loveof bunnies mentioned below, was one of my faaaaavorite books when i was a kid (i don't remember learning math from it, but maybe the math lessons are subtle?). i almost ran in and bought it, but i really wanted to get home. i think i might wander by there tomorrow, or at least call my mom and see if she thinks we still have it somewhere . . . i can't believe i forgot that book existed.
also, an unrelated meme, but if jason and rossi are doing it, it must be cool.
also, an unrelated meme, but if jason and rossi are doing it, it must be cool.
| How to make a wordnerdy |
| Ingredients: 1 part friendliness 1 part silliness 5 parts empathy |
| Method: Layer ingredientes in a shot glass. Add a little cocktail umbrella and a dash of caring |
grrr!
becky b. just forwarded me this article explaining how knitting is not just for grandmas anymore! it is a hip new hobby!
seriously, what the fuck. i was complaining about that lame attitude in articles at least two years ago. the new york times really needs to hire better writers, or at least ones who are both more original and more clued-in. between this article and the ones on "omg! comics are for grownups!" or "omg! girls read comics!" i am starting to hate the new york times. even if you want to write an article on the (not very new) trend of 20-something knitters, must you frame it with a discussion of the golden girls? anyway, sophia rocks. this girl obviously has no idea what she's talking about.
seriously, what the fuck. i was complaining about that lame attitude in articles at least two years ago. the new york times really needs to hire better writers, or at least ones who are both more original and more clued-in. between this article and the ones on "omg! comics are for grownups!" or "omg! girls read comics!" i am starting to hate the new york times. even if you want to write an article on the (not very new) trend of 20-something knitters, must you frame it with a discussion of the golden girls? anyway, sophia rocks. this girl obviously has no idea what she's talking about.
chapel hill comics
here's an awesome article on the new chapel hill comics store from tuesday's paper. the author was obviously sympathetic--it's one of the better articles i've read about comics in any paper--none of that stupid "grownups read comics! and girls read comics!" crap. plus, there's a nice bit on local middle schools getting comics for their students, and the teacher talks about how awesome andrew is about recommending stuff. it's true, too. whenever i go in there i ask him or matt "hey, what else is new that i might like?" after they give me the stuff i have on hold. i actually was talking to andrew about reader's advisory when i stopped in on tuesday, b/c our popular materials class will eventually be reading graphic novels.
anyway, i'll stop rambling--go read the article though, it's great.
anyway, i'll stop rambling--go read the article though, it's great.
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
2005 book 34
shalom auslander's beware of god
i heard auslander on this american life a couple weeks ago, telling a story about how in high school he made money by working at a jewish funeral home and sitting with the bodies overnight. i figured his stories would have a dark sense of humor and jewish themes, which are things i like in stories. and sure enough, they do! highlights are the ones where god and death try and kill a guy who's inadvertantly not-died a few times, and the one w/ hamsters, and the one w/ the golems. i didn't really like the one where god goes to an ad agency and is a big asshole, but otherwise they were all entertaining and bleak and hilarious.
i heard auslander on this american life a couple weeks ago, telling a story about how in high school he made money by working at a jewish funeral home and sitting with the bodies overnight. i figured his stories would have a dark sense of humor and jewish themes, which are things i like in stories. and sure enough, they do! highlights are the ones where god and death try and kill a guy who's inadvertantly not-died a few times, and the one w/ hamsters, and the one w/ the golems. i didn't really like the one where god goes to an ad agency and is a big asshole, but otherwise they were all entertaining and bleak and hilarious.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
2005 book 33
jonathan safran foer's extremely loud and incredibly close
first things first: i loooved everything is illuminated. but when i heard jsf was doing a book centering in 9/11 and a precocious little boy, i had absolutely no intention of reading it. then salon gave it a good review so i succumbed to curiosity--which i regretted almost immediately, having read several other reviews that all boiled down to "this is just like his wife's book, only hers is way better." and i have to say, i spent the first 3/4 of the book muttering, "this is so fucking annoying!" the precocious boy, oskar, is the world's most unbelievable character. his bizarre mannerisms and habits and fears are reminiscent of the kid in curious incident of the dog in the nighttime, only oskar isn't autistic, and he's just as precocious and annoying before his dad dies on 9/11. the only parts that made this worth reading at all are the parts that focus on his grandparents, both survivors of the dresden bombings. i actually liked the end, too, mainly b/c there are fewer moments where oskar is being a prat about something, and b/c the grandparents find some closure.
first things first: i loooved everything is illuminated. but when i heard jsf was doing a book centering in 9/11 and a precocious little boy, i had absolutely no intention of reading it. then salon gave it a good review so i succumbed to curiosity--which i regretted almost immediately, having read several other reviews that all boiled down to "this is just like his wife's book, only hers is way better." and i have to say, i spent the first 3/4 of the book muttering, "this is so fucking annoying!" the precocious boy, oskar, is the world's most unbelievable character. his bizarre mannerisms and habits and fears are reminiscent of the kid in curious incident of the dog in the nighttime, only oskar isn't autistic, and he's just as precocious and annoying before his dad dies on 9/11. the only parts that made this worth reading at all are the parts that focus on his grandparents, both survivors of the dresden bombings. i actually liked the end, too, mainly b/c there are fewer moments where oskar is being a prat about something, and b/c the grandparents find some closure.
veronica mars
thank you, salon!
there is a lovely article on veronica mars today. (they also have an interview with its creator, rob thomas--though of course it's not as indepth as the one on television without pity.)
new episodes start again tonight-at 9, on upn! [this makes me so happy, i hardly even mind that my car is in durham getting a new battery.]
when we last saw veronica, she had finally tracked down her mom--but that creepy security guy who stalked veronica and pinned lily's murder on abel koontz, clarence weidman, was just around the corner looking pissed! total cliffhanger!
anyone who calls me b/w 9 and 10 tonight will receive a stern talking-to. anyway, you should all be watching this show yourself.
there is a lovely article on veronica mars today. (they also have an interview with its creator, rob thomas--though of course it's not as indepth as the one on television without pity.)
new episodes start again tonight-at 9, on upn! [this makes me so happy, i hardly even mind that my car is in durham getting a new battery.]
when we last saw veronica, she had finally tracked down her mom--but that creepy security guy who stalked veronica and pinned lily's murder on abel koontz, clarence weidman, was just around the corner looking pissed! total cliffhanger!
anyone who calls me b/w 9 and 10 tonight will receive a stern talking-to. anyway, you should all be watching this show yourself.
Monday, March 28, 2005
2005 book 32
sarah waters' tipping the velvet
well, all of the praise this book (and its bbc miniseries) received was definitely on target. this was a really engrossing (and sexy) story, set in england in the 1880s and 1890s, focusing on a small town oyster-girl who falls in love with a girl who dresses in drag to perform at music halls, and who takes the oyster-girl with her when she goes to london. lots of dramatic events unfold, which i am loathe to give away, so trust me when i say the characters here and their relationships are really compelling, and at times surprisingly graceful. i am definitely netflixing the miniseries!
well, all of the praise this book (and its bbc miniseries) received was definitely on target. this was a really engrossing (and sexy) story, set in england in the 1880s and 1890s, focusing on a small town oyster-girl who falls in love with a girl who dresses in drag to perform at music halls, and who takes the oyster-girl with her when she goes to london. lots of dramatic events unfold, which i am loathe to give away, so trust me when i say the characters here and their relationships are really compelling, and at times surprisingly graceful. i am definitely netflixing the miniseries!
happiest girl in the world/local music
so here i am, making a mix cd of local music just for fun and b/c i can (it was harder than i thought--i had 40+ local bands on my itunes) and just in case people are curious about the local music scene or whatever and now i will be able to say "here are 21 of the bands i love." i wanted to put the nein's "paid in the escalade" on there, but they took it off their website and it's not on their new cd. WHYYYYYYY. it's my favorite song of theirs!
but in AWESOME local music news! while i was burning this cd, i noticed that two of my favorite band-guys are playing a show on my birthday!! at the conveniently located nightlight! now my birthday will be awesome. just like the time work clothes and crooked fingers and superchunk saved my 23rd birthday with an amazing show--this completely erases the trauma of turning 26! audubon park/dave nahm and erie choir, i love you!!!!!!! (also everyone should come to the show on the 1st at the duke coffeehouse--me and my compadres will all be there.) (also, david, if you read this: where the hell is goldie's?)
anyway, here is my mix cd's track listing. i tried to put songs i hadn't put on mix cds before, but i can't always remember every mix cd i make, ya know?
1. shark quest, rosetta barrage
2. audubon park, green refuge
3. bellafea, while we are still young
4. ben davis, blue-hearted sleeve
5. omerta, blind date
6. chamber corps, ora e sempre resistenza
7. comas, all over the school
8. des ark, send jolly raleigh
9. hotel motel, waitresses of the avant garde
10. erie choir, ballad of erie choir
11. hotel lights, you come and i go
12. kingsbury manx, fixed bayonets
13. regina hexaphone, ice
14. schooner, who let the cat out
15. rosebuds, waiting for the carnival (demo)
16. sames, i wish you'd written this song
17. portastatic, drill me (acoustic version)
18. shallow be thy name, maxi-yow-mini
19. work clothes, song i don't know the name of
20. natasha, struck out
21. superchunk, slack motherfucker
if your band is not on here and you are sad, please don't be. maybe i don't have your cd yet, b/c i am poor, or b/c i spent all my money on alcohol when i came to your show (which is more likely). :)
but in AWESOME local music news! while i was burning this cd, i noticed that two of my favorite band-guys are playing a show on my birthday!! at the conveniently located nightlight! now my birthday will be awesome. just like the time work clothes and crooked fingers and superchunk saved my 23rd birthday with an amazing show--this completely erases the trauma of turning 26! audubon park/dave nahm and erie choir, i love you!!!!!!! (also everyone should come to the show on the 1st at the duke coffeehouse--me and my compadres will all be there.) (also, david, if you read this: where the hell is goldie's?)
anyway, here is my mix cd's track listing. i tried to put songs i hadn't put on mix cds before, but i can't always remember every mix cd i make, ya know?
1. shark quest, rosetta barrage
2. audubon park, green refuge
3. bellafea, while we are still young
4. ben davis, blue-hearted sleeve
5. omerta, blind date
6. chamber corps, ora e sempre resistenza
7. comas, all over the school
8. des ark, send jolly raleigh
9. hotel motel, waitresses of the avant garde
10. erie choir, ballad of erie choir
11. hotel lights, you come and i go
12. kingsbury manx, fixed bayonets
13. regina hexaphone, ice
14. schooner, who let the cat out
15. rosebuds, waiting for the carnival (demo)
16. sames, i wish you'd written this song
17. portastatic, drill me (acoustic version)
18. shallow be thy name, maxi-yow-mini
19. work clothes, song i don't know the name of
20. natasha, struck out
21. superchunk, slack motherfucker
if your band is not on here and you are sad, please don't be. maybe i don't have your cd yet, b/c i am poor, or b/c i spent all my money on alcohol when i came to your show (which is more likely). :)
i realize this isn't the point of the article
they're making a movie "based on the writing of" in cold blood?
and sandra bullock is playing harper lee????
who else remembers that outland book when berke breathed talked about getting a letter from harper lee? typed on onionskin paper . . .
i'm sort of shaking my head and going "what the fuck" right now.
on the other hand, i do agree with the article's comment that there aren't many female buddy comedies out there. not that i am planning on seeing miss congeniality 2, b/c i saw ms. bullock do enough pratfalls in the first one to last me for a good long while.
and sandra bullock is playing harper lee????
who else remembers that outland book when berke breathed talked about getting a letter from harper lee? typed on onionskin paper . . .
i'm sort of shaking my head and going "what the fuck" right now.
on the other hand, i do agree with the article's comment that there aren't many female buddy comedies out there. not that i am planning on seeing miss congeniality 2, b/c i saw ms. bullock do enough pratfalls in the first one to last me for a good long while.
Sunday, March 27, 2005
P3270067
today hamsters 53 and 54 were in my mailbox at the station--hamster 53 is taller than the usual hamsters, but has the same size arms, so resembles a t-rex (also, he has an x on his abdomen). hamster 54 is another princess-y hamster--i now have 6 of those, i think.
mr. romance
i'm not even ashamed to admit that i've watched this show twice now--it's incredibly hilarious. not just b/c of the silly competitions (the hot buns contest, the posing-with-a-bow-and-arrow contest) but b/c there are these three guys (adam, the personal trainer, tj, the actor, and justin, the graphic designer) who aren't at all taking it seriously, and are playing the funniest pranks on the muscle-bound lunkheads. they got one to pose in front of a mirror (and eventually take off his pants--and he was going commando) in front of all the competitors for like ten minutes while they all laughed at him--and he never even noticed they were making fun of him. and whenever the ones who do take it seriously do badly in something they thought they'd be awesome at (i.e., the "alpha male" photo), they just crack up. i love it. plus, fabio does commentary.
other great things i've caught on tv in the past couple of days:
--a special on the travel channel about israel where the narrator pronounced "yarmulke" the way it's spelled.
--crud, i forget the other thing. i'll edit this post if i remember.
other great things i've caught on tv in the past couple of days:
--a special on the travel channel about israel where the narrator pronounced "yarmulke" the way it's spelled.
--crud, i forget the other thing. i'll edit this post if i remember.
Saturday, March 26, 2005
2005 book 31
carol emshwiller's carmen dog
this book has a really interesting premise--all the women in the world are becoming animals, and all the female animals are becoming women. the main character is a dog (named pooch) becoming a woman who dreams of singing opera. she runs away w/ the baby of her family after its snapping-turtle mother bites it, and gets caught in the middle of a freaky doctor's experiments and the events of various other pseudo-political groups. the book is pretty short and is a quick read, but definitely provides food for thought, especially re: the expectations of society when it comes to women (and animals).
this book has a really interesting premise--all the women in the world are becoming animals, and all the female animals are becoming women. the main character is a dog (named pooch) becoming a woman who dreams of singing opera. she runs away w/ the baby of her family after its snapping-turtle mother bites it, and gets caught in the middle of a freaky doctor's experiments and the events of various other pseudo-political groups. the book is pretty short and is a quick read, but definitely provides food for thought, especially re: the expectations of society when it comes to women (and animals).
Friday, March 25, 2005
today jodi and i baked hamentaschen for purim--probably close to 6 dozen cookies all together. :) you can see our wacky baking adventures here, assuming i linked to the ofoto album correctly (i only have space for 11 more pictures on flickr, so ofoto it was!). it was a very yummy day.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
more famous friends
oh man, this might even be awesomer than the popstrology book. no, i don't know the count [oh my god, how cool would it be to know the count?!]--but i do know his companion. :)
there is some weird drumming thing going on right outside my class right now. and possibly some fireworks. or maybe just fireworks.
eh, just click the link! ITS COOLNESS WILL BLOW YOUR MIND.
there is some weird drumming thing going on right outside my class right now. and possibly some fireworks. or maybe just fireworks.
eh, just click the link! ITS COOLNESS WILL BLOW YOUR MIND.
popstrology
this book is featured in the new yorker's talk of the town section this week.
i kind of think it's the awesomest thing ever. get the new yorker this week if you don't believe me.
yeah . . . that one's going on the ol' amazon wish list for sure!
i kind of think it's the awesomest thing ever. get the new yorker this week if you don't believe me.
yeah . . . that one's going on the ol' amazon wish list for sure!
2005 book 30
frank peretti's this present darkness
gag. this week's assignment for popular materials was to read a work of inspirational (i.e., christian) fiction. now, let me be clear: i have nothing against works that are heavy on the christianity--i looove c.s. lewis--or that involve demons and angels--i looove good omens--as long as they're well-written. this book isn't. but kate suggested it, saying that it's what all the evangelicals were reading back when she was in college, so i figured i'd get down and dirty with a really popular evangelical work (it's been checked out from davis 108 times since 1990). anyway, basic plot summary: demons are plotting to take over a small college town and are corrupting its inhabitants, the good guys/host of heaven are plotting to prevent this, and there are also a bunch of human characters both good and bad being used as pawns/catalysts/whatever. there is also a hell of a lot of praying.
for those just tuning in, i have a master's in religion/biblical studies (NERD!), so i take this stuff pretty seriously--hence some of my (many) problems with the book. here is a brief list of some of the things that annoyed me while i was reading:
--on the first page, a carnival is described as "a wild time, a chance to get drunk, pregnant, beat up, ripped off, and sick, all in the same night." i knew right then i wasn't going to really like this book. (i happen to think carnivals are good clean fun!)
--most of the non-demon villains are professors and administrators at the town university. the main human villain is a professor who more-or-less brainwashes her students.
--one of the main characters, a good pastor, talks about "the Word" a lot. also, his catchphrase is "let's pray!" he doesn't really have much of a personality beyond that.
--i got annoyed that although the demons consisted of a warrior sort and the embodiments of bad traits (complacency, lust, sorcery--which meant drunkenness for some reason), the angels are just warrior types. why can't they have little minions running around spreading charity or goodwill or whatever? these things should be balanced. also, one of the head demons has the title ba'al--b/c of course all ancient pagan religions were actually all about demons!
--speaking of the demons and angels--peretti seems unaware that there's an established judeo-christian mythology re: the host of heaven. you should see the insane names he creates for his angelic characters. kate tells me that for evangelicals, if it's not in scripture, then it doesn't matter, so actually he probably is unaware of all the stories about angels--or knows his audience isn't aware of them, anyway.
--the villains are described as "vampirish" and mostly all have jet-black hair and/or eyes. surprise, the heroes are all blondes and redheads.
--pagans of all sorts are evil. karma and reincarnation are evil ideas. the villains here are heavily influenced by eastern thought: "It's all a con game: Eastern meditation, witchcraft, divination, Science of Mind, psychic healing, holistic education--oh, the list goes on and on . . . " (315). any non-evangelical-christian ideas are part of the villainous demonic plot. mention is made of pagan blood sacrifices on more than one occasion.
--also communism is evil--one of the evil things the villains are doing is abolishing private ownership! those bastards!
--the day is predominantly saved through praying. all the non-pastor heroes accept jesus into their hearts. the end. (i think they all end that way.)
gag. this week's assignment for popular materials was to read a work of inspirational (i.e., christian) fiction. now, let me be clear: i have nothing against works that are heavy on the christianity--i looove c.s. lewis--or that involve demons and angels--i looove good omens--as long as they're well-written. this book isn't. but kate suggested it, saying that it's what all the evangelicals were reading back when she was in college, so i figured i'd get down and dirty with a really popular evangelical work (it's been checked out from davis 108 times since 1990). anyway, basic plot summary: demons are plotting to take over a small college town and are corrupting its inhabitants, the good guys/host of heaven are plotting to prevent this, and there are also a bunch of human characters both good and bad being used as pawns/catalysts/whatever. there is also a hell of a lot of praying.
for those just tuning in, i have a master's in religion/biblical studies (NERD!), so i take this stuff pretty seriously--hence some of my (many) problems with the book. here is a brief list of some of the things that annoyed me while i was reading:
--on the first page, a carnival is described as "a wild time, a chance to get drunk, pregnant, beat up, ripped off, and sick, all in the same night." i knew right then i wasn't going to really like this book. (i happen to think carnivals are good clean fun!)
--most of the non-demon villains are professors and administrators at the town university. the main human villain is a professor who more-or-less brainwashes her students.
--one of the main characters, a good pastor, talks about "the Word" a lot. also, his catchphrase is "let's pray!" he doesn't really have much of a personality beyond that.
--i got annoyed that although the demons consisted of a warrior sort and the embodiments of bad traits (complacency, lust, sorcery--which meant drunkenness for some reason), the angels are just warrior types. why can't they have little minions running around spreading charity or goodwill or whatever? these things should be balanced. also, one of the head demons has the title ba'al--b/c of course all ancient pagan religions were actually all about demons!
--speaking of the demons and angels--peretti seems unaware that there's an established judeo-christian mythology re: the host of heaven. you should see the insane names he creates for his angelic characters. kate tells me that for evangelicals, if it's not in scripture, then it doesn't matter, so actually he probably is unaware of all the stories about angels--or knows his audience isn't aware of them, anyway.
--the villains are described as "vampirish" and mostly all have jet-black hair and/or eyes. surprise, the heroes are all blondes and redheads.
--pagans of all sorts are evil. karma and reincarnation are evil ideas. the villains here are heavily influenced by eastern thought: "It's all a con game: Eastern meditation, witchcraft, divination, Science of Mind, psychic healing, holistic education--oh, the list goes on and on . . . " (315). any non-evangelical-christian ideas are part of the villainous demonic plot. mention is made of pagan blood sacrifices on more than one occasion.
--also communism is evil--one of the evil things the villains are doing is abolishing private ownership! those bastards!
--the day is predominantly saved through praying. all the non-pastor heroes accept jesus into their hearts. the end. (i think they all end that way.)
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