R-A-B-L-O-G

re: “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri

November 1, 2009 · Leave a Comment

This weekend I read Interpreter of Maladies, the Pulitzer Prize winning collection of short stories by Jhumpa Lahiri.

"Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Some people might  be more aware of her work The Namesake which was was the basis for a movie staring the not-Asian guy from the “Harold and Kumar” movies who has amazingly gone on to a serious acting career. Speaking of which, it’s not surprising but kind of weird that an author like Lahiri is known more for her book that became a movie rather than the one that won a Pulitzer.

I haven’t read The Namesake but I will probably now get around to it. Interpreter of Maladies was really good. Reminds me kind of Michael Chabon but with Indians and Bengali instead of Jews and Yiddish. And the first story, “A Temporary Matter” is really similar to one from Chabon’s Werewolves in their Youth.

Interpreter of Maladies is what I like in a short story collection. With nine stories and none of them dragging on excessively this book is one that I would have read in a day or part of a day, but was also able to stretch over the whole weekend because I never felt threatened that if I had to stop I would be in the middle of a story with too much left to go. I hate when that happens.

 

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re: Dear Zachary: a letter to a son about his father

October 31, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Today I added a bunch of movies to my Netflix instant queue because I had nothing better to do and figured I might watch something later. I currently have 84 items in my instant queue and when I sat down to choose something to watch my only hope is that it would leave me feeling utterly emotionally exhausted and helpless.
I chose to watch Dear Zachary: a letter to a son about his father. It’s a documentary and normally I don’t much care for documentaries because I don’t care about other people’s opinions/points of view. But I read the description:

Filmmaker Kurt Kuenne’s poignant tribute to his murdered childhood friend, Andrew Bagby, tells the story of a child custody battle between the baby’s grieving grandparents and Shirley Turner, Bagby’s pregnant ex-girlfriend and suspected killer. Initially, Kuenne made this documentary as a memorial for Andrew’s loved ones, but it morphs into an emotional legal odyssey when Turner goes free on bail and is allowed to raise her son.

Sounded good enough.

Holy shit I had no idea what I was in for.

This documentary is one of the hardest things to watch. It is heartbreaking and infuriating. I implore you to watch this film. I watched it alone didn’t cry but resisting tears was a backbreaking labor. The tale told in Dear Zachary is one that makes me wish there was a “reset” button in life, if not for single events than for the whole thing. That something as horrible as this happened, and that it was basically given permission to happen as people with the power to stop it sat back and did nothing…it just makes me think that it’s time for us to be done as a species.

If you have Netflix, put this movie in your instant queue and watch it sometime when you’re ready to have at least the rest of your day ruined by what you will see.

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Creigh Deeds

October 29, 2009 · 1 Comment

So I was just sitting in Crossroads, my usual pre-class coffee shop and a bunch of people with Creigh Deeds signs showed, and I asked the obvious question and got the answer that yes, Deeds was going to arrive soon and he was going to talk about higher education. I always carry my digital voice recorder around with me so when he arrived I turned it on and recorded. I’m going to attach the unedited audio here, I haven’t even listened to it.

All I can say is that I hate his ads and so far he has done nothing to convince me that he is actually running for governor and not just running against Bob McDonnell. But hearing him speak was pretty all right. When he actually lays out plans it’s a lot better than just hearing him/his supporters bashing McDonnell’s plans. The election is next Tuesday and today was the first time I got any idea of what Deeds is for.

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Creigh Deeds at Crossroads in Richmond, Va. on 10/29/09

Click these links for the audio. The First one is Deeds speaking inside Crossroads and the second one is him answering questions from the press outside.

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CreighDeeds2

PS Any cheering you hear in the recordings is from the Deeds campaign volunteers.

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October 28, 2009 · Leave a Comment

The last time I blogged was also the last time I received a Netflix movie in the mail.

Both went neglected.

But I’ve been checking up on my blog and felt like it was kind of doing all right. I’ve still been getting steady hits every day even thought my last post was on sept. 15 and it probably wasn’t anything.

I bought Borderlands for X-Box 360 last week, actually, a week ago exactly I think. and I beat it today. It’s an awesome game the whole way through until the end, and I mean like, the very end. The final boss battle was ‘bull shit’ and so was what came after. But I still feel like the whole rest of the game was great and I’ll probably replay it, probably starting tonight or something. It reminds me a lot of the Diablo games and I used to play Diablo II for hours every day. I think I once played Diablo II for 10 hours straight. I found myself getting sucked in to Borderlands like that, but not enough to play for 10 hours straight.

 

I think I also went through a couple of other games since I last blogged. I have bought, beaten and traded in Batman: Arhakm Asylum and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2.

I would recommend Batman to everyone and MUA2 to anyone who has played any of the X-Men Legends games of MUA the first and enjoyed them. Or maybe the Gauntlet games. they’re similar, but definitely not for everyone.

I have Modern Warfare 2 pre-ordered.

I also pre-ordered the new self-titled album by Say Anything. Such an under-appreciated band that has the potential to be the alpha and omega of music as we know it. Not sure what that means, but it seems ‘epic’ so I think I believe it.

 

And what’s up with the new Facebook?

And Chuck Klostermann has a new book out?

Oh yeah, I don’t live in Richmond anymore. Back in Fredericksburg. I graduate from VCU in early december, then I turn 22 and hopefully get a job and move.

 

 

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Right Now

September 15, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Right now I feel like I need a week off to read.

I bought two x-box 360 games in the last two days and got two awesome new CDs in the same two days.

My life is rough.

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To The Bone issue 2

September 15, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Apparently that To The Bone literary magazine did end up publishing a second issue featuring some of my work. Two short stories and one poem to be exact.

Huh.

Maybe I’ll get a copy some time.

If you want one and you don’t live in Chapel Hill where it’s available in a couple of book stores, it can be bought online.

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Updates

September 14, 2009 · Leave a Comment

The release/reading went great. Thanks to James and Azalea.

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Also, apparently a picture from one of my first and still most-read posts was linked to by elephantjournal.com as a “picture of the day” on sept. 12.

Azalea and our modest crowd of friends and family.

Azalea and our modest crowd of friends and family.

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BOOK RELEASE THIS SATURDAY 9/12

September 10, 2009 · Leave a Comment

The official release for I Will Name Them Such as Enemies! is happening this Saturday 9/12 at the Clubhouse Clubhouse @ 1605 Hull St. in Richmond, Va. I will be reading from the book and probably a new story or two. Also reading will be James Moffitt and Azalea.


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The copies of my book available at this event are going to be the last 1st edition copies!

FREE!

BEVERAGES!

BYOB if you want!

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You should pre-order “Know Better Learn Faster” by Thao w/ The Get Down Stay Down

September 2, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Thao Nguyen and her band The Get Down Stay Down have their sophomore album coming out on Kill Rock Stars this October and as of yesterday it’s up for pre-order and you, as I have done, should pre-order it because it’s going to be the album of the year.

krs500If anyone has seen the band live lately or picked up their Record Store Day split with The Thermals then you’ve gotten a preview of the new material and know how impressive it is.

Also, odds are if you’re in the U.S. or Canada they are coming to your town or somewhere very near to it this Fall.

September 2009
12 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphiteater – Monolith Festival
October 2009
15 – Santa Barbara, CA @ SoHo – 18+, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex – all ages, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
17 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place – all ages, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
18 – San Francisco, CA @ Treasure Island Music Festival – all ages
21 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir – 21+, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
22 – Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey – 21+, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
23 – Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret – 19+, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
24 – Spokane, WA @ Empyrean Coffee – all ages, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
27 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center – all ages, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
28 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall – all ages, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
29 – Urbana, IL @ The Canopy Club – 18+, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
30 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle – 21+, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
31 – Detroit, Mi @ The Cafe at the Majestic Theater – all ages, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
November 2009
1 – Toronto, ON, Canada @ El Mocambo – w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
2 – Montreal, QC, Canada @ Il Motore – 18+, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
3 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Downstairs – 18+, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
4 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom – 18+, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
5 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church – all ages, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
6 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat – all ages, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
7 – Richmond, VA @ The Canal Club Downstairs Lounge – all ages, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
9 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl – 18+, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
11 – Houston, TX @ The Studio @ Warehouse Live – all ages, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
12 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk – all ages, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
13 – Ft Worth, TX @ Lola’s – all ages, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
14 – Lubbock, TX @ Jake’s – 18+, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
17 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room – all ages, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
18 – Tucson, AZ @ Plush – 21+, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
19 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah – 21+, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz
20 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House – all ages, w/ Portland Cello Project, David Schultz

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Review: “Shoplifting from American Apparel” by Tao Lin

August 31, 2009 · 3 Comments

Shoplifting from American Apparel - Tao Lin- Melville House Publishing

Shoplifting From American Apparel by Tao Lin, Melville House 2009

Shoplifting From American Apparel by Tao Lin, Melville House 2009

I was hoping to get this book in the mail on Friday because all I wanted was to read it and I knew it would be the perfect length to read all in one night. But I got home and it wasn’t there. then one of my roommates pointed that it had actually been delivered.

I read ~3/4 of it in one night and the last ~1/4 the following morning before work and found it surprisingly engaging.

My first introduction to Tao Lin was his book of short stories Bed. I really enjoyed Bed and eventually started following Tao’s activity on the Internet and then got around to buying his first novel Eeeee Eee Eeee and I wasn’t impressed/interested at all. After that I wasn’t sure if I considered myself a “fan” of Tao Lin’s writing. I mean, I was kind of at a 50/50 point.

But I think after reading Shoplifting from American Apparel I will consider myself a “fan”. This book, an entry in Melville House’s “The Contemporary Art of the Novella” series, is definitely a “Tao Lin Style” book, that is, sparse on description, heavy on contemporary cultural references and should allow anyone in some age demographic like 18-27 to feel like they relate to it or parts of it.

This book isn’t “out there” like Eeeee Eee Eeee. It’s seems like a “different phase” for Tao Lin.

I feel like this book, an autobiographical story about a certain period in Tao Lin’s life told through the life of the Taiwanese-American protagonist Sam. Though “protagonist” should be used lightly here. It’s more of a technical term in this instance.

Much like Eeeee Eee Eeee this book doesn’t have much of a point. It’s just a story, one where the beginning, middle and end are equally inconsequential, but upon finishing it feels like they add up to something of substance. Not being a first-person account makes it easy to fall into reading this book as fiction, and if you do that, you might be disappointed. If you take it as the sort of “a year in the life of…” story that it actually is, the end-reward will probably be greater.

Here is an excerpt. This could be my “favorite part” of the book:

“Don’t kill yourself,” said Jeffrey.

“I Don’t know what to do,” said Sam.

“People expect you to kill yourself now,” said Jeffrey.

“Really?” said Sam. “I don’t know. Maybe an asteroid will hit me after my next two books come out. I don’t know. I honestly don’t know what do to, like, overall, or something.”

“Draw hamsters,” said Audrey.

“I already did that,” said Sam.

“there’s nothing left for you,” said Audrey.”

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