I'm a little off anyway. Women on the brain. Always leads to muddled thinking.Heston wrote:I know, I was joking.eumaas wrote:Situation of redneck + Bauhaus. I don't dress redneck.
We're having a bad day aren't we....
Whatcha reading?
Re: Whatcha reading?
I feel that there is a fascistic element, for example, in the Rolling Stones . . .
— Morton Feldman
I've studied the phenomenon of neo-provincialism in self-isolating online communities but this place takes the fucking cake.
— Clashy
— Morton Feldman
I've studied the phenomenon of neo-provincialism in self-isolating online communities but this place takes the fucking cake.
— Clashy
- Dr. Medulla
- Atheistic Epileptic
- Posts: 116721
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:00pm
- Location: Straight Banana, Idaho
Re: Whatcha reading?
A few more that I forgot about …
Don DeLillo's Libra. Semi-fictional account of Oswald and what led to him being involved in the conspiracy to kill JFK. Um, I was lukewarm on this, probably because DeLillo's writing doesn't do much for me. I can see why he's gained so much praise over his career, tho, as he's a very deliberate writer.
Oliver Stone's JFK: The Book of the Movie. Annotated screenplay including source material for the film, plus (and this is the good stuff) dozens of articles, interviews, and op eds about the film. I don't recall the level of fury that Stone had thrown at him at the time, but it's all there (minus a few, like George Will, who refused to let their pieces be republished). The level of intellectual dishonesty by most of Stone's critics is breathtaking. Because they don't buy his theory, they disregard his critique of the Warren Commission. It's not an either/or matter—I don't buy the extent of Stone's conspiracy, but that doesn't change the fact that he quite capably dismantled the lone shooter theory. Just because you don't think JFK's assassination was about Vietnam doesn't mean that Oswald must have acted alone. Or: just because Garrison wasn't as noble a figure as he's portrayed in the film, that doesn't mean there was no conspiracy. Just shameful critiques. There are some excellent defenses in the volume, too. I was very surprised at how fascinating the whole discussion of Stone's work was at the time. Highly recommended if you have any interest in the assassination and it's larger ramifications.
Took a few highway trips in December, and listened to:
Chuck Palahniuk's Survivor. When I read it, I ranked it among CP's lesser books, but the audio version has caused me to re-evaluate and rank it much higher. Typical CP black comedy about the last survivor of a religious cult from Nebraska that committed mass suicide. It's a post-modern story of expectations, obligations, and celebrity. (BTW, I got another autographed CP novel for Christmas, this time Fight Club. He refers to me, oddly, as a lovely snowflake. )
William Shatner's Star Trek Movie Memories. It's Shatner. It's Shatner talking about Trek. It's Shatner reading his own words. It's great, duh. He's funny, he's insightful, he's self-deprecating. He's also an ass, but it's hard not to love the guy. Especially interesting is his original premise for Star Trek V, which would have been a lot heavier and tackled the whole notion of god and the devil. If you like Trek, I can't recommend highly enough both his Trek Memories books, especially in audio form.
Don DeLillo's Libra. Semi-fictional account of Oswald and what led to him being involved in the conspiracy to kill JFK. Um, I was lukewarm on this, probably because DeLillo's writing doesn't do much for me. I can see why he's gained so much praise over his career, tho, as he's a very deliberate writer.
Oliver Stone's JFK: The Book of the Movie. Annotated screenplay including source material for the film, plus (and this is the good stuff) dozens of articles, interviews, and op eds about the film. I don't recall the level of fury that Stone had thrown at him at the time, but it's all there (minus a few, like George Will, who refused to let their pieces be republished). The level of intellectual dishonesty by most of Stone's critics is breathtaking. Because they don't buy his theory, they disregard his critique of the Warren Commission. It's not an either/or matter—I don't buy the extent of Stone's conspiracy, but that doesn't change the fact that he quite capably dismantled the lone shooter theory. Just because you don't think JFK's assassination was about Vietnam doesn't mean that Oswald must have acted alone. Or: just because Garrison wasn't as noble a figure as he's portrayed in the film, that doesn't mean there was no conspiracy. Just shameful critiques. There are some excellent defenses in the volume, too. I was very surprised at how fascinating the whole discussion of Stone's work was at the time. Highly recommended if you have any interest in the assassination and it's larger ramifications.
Took a few highway trips in December, and listened to:
Chuck Palahniuk's Survivor. When I read it, I ranked it among CP's lesser books, but the audio version has caused me to re-evaluate and rank it much higher. Typical CP black comedy about the last survivor of a religious cult from Nebraska that committed mass suicide. It's a post-modern story of expectations, obligations, and celebrity. (BTW, I got another autographed CP novel for Christmas, this time Fight Club. He refers to me, oddly, as a lovely snowflake. )
William Shatner's Star Trek Movie Memories. It's Shatner. It's Shatner talking about Trek. It's Shatner reading his own words. It's great, duh. He's funny, he's insightful, he's self-deprecating. He's also an ass, but it's hard not to love the guy. Especially interesting is his original premise for Star Trek V, which would have been a lot heavier and tackled the whole notion of god and the devil. If you like Trek, I can't recommend highly enough both his Trek Memories books, especially in audio form.
"Ain't no party like an S Club party!'" - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft
- Bankrobber
- Graffiti Bandit Pioneer
- Posts: 1719
- Joined: 18 Jun 2008, 6:14pm
- Location: Camp Blood, OK
Re: Whatcha reading?
I'm currently reading Masters of Death: The SS-Einsatzgruppen and the Invention of the Holocaust by Richard Rhodes. It is seriously bumming me out and I'm a man who has read a few Holocaust books.
I'm so punk, I don't even take my leather jacket off when it catches fire. Which it does frequently, because of how fucking punk I am.
- Dr. Medulla
- Atheistic Epileptic
- Posts: 116721
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:00pm
- Location: Straight Banana, Idaho
Re: Whatcha reading?
I've often wondered about the psychological stress involved in researching and writing those types of books, of living with and regurgitating those atrocities, making sense of them, for month after month. It's bad enough for the reader, but to immerse oneself voluntarily like that—I know I wouldn't have the stamina.Bankrobber wrote:I'm currently reading Masters of Death: The SS-Einsatzgruppen and the Invention of the Holocaust by Richard Rhodes. It is seriously bumming me out and I'm a man who has read a few Holocaust books.
"Ain't no party like an S Club party!'" - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft
-
Silent Majority
- Singer-Songwriter Nancy
- Posts: 18757
- Joined: 10 Nov 2008, 8:28pm
- Location: South Londoner in the Midlands.
Re: Whatcha reading?
I know the writer of certain in-depth personal biographies occasionally develop some of their subject's charactersitics. For instance, the man who wrote Dear Boy, the brilliant Keith Moon one got more destructive and drank lots and lots of brandy. You can only imagine what spending all that psychological time in the holocaust does to a person.
Re: Whatcha reading?
Taking a break from Mencken and O'Rourke to read some fiction. Currently reading Disappearances by Howard Frank Mosher. Haven't dug in enough to comment. Next on the list:
The Road by Cormac McCarthy--been putting this off for a while
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
The Road by Cormac McCarthy--been putting this off for a while
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
I feel that there is a fascistic element, for example, in the Rolling Stones . . .
— Morton Feldman
I've studied the phenomenon of neo-provincialism in self-isolating online communities but this place takes the fucking cake.
— Clashy
— Morton Feldman
I've studied the phenomenon of neo-provincialism in self-isolating online communities but this place takes the fucking cake.
— Clashy
- MadModWorld
- Trashy Britpop Kid
- Posts: 717
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:51pm
- Location: Somewhere between Heaven & Woolworths...
Re: Whatcha reading?
Me dad just finished reading that, he said he really enjoyed it.eumaas wrote:The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead...
Re: Whatcha reading?
I've never read any Chabon. I've wanted to read Wonder Boys for years, but the premise of Yiddish Policemen's Union is a grabber.MadModWorld wrote:Me dad just finished reading that, he said he really enjoyed it.eumaas wrote:The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
I feel that there is a fascistic element, for example, in the Rolling Stones . . .
— Morton Feldman
I've studied the phenomenon of neo-provincialism in self-isolating online communities but this place takes the fucking cake.
— Clashy
— Morton Feldman
I've studied the phenomenon of neo-provincialism in self-isolating online communities but this place takes the fucking cake.
— Clashy
- Wolter
- Half Foghorn Leghorn, Half Albert Brooks
- Posts: 55432
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 7:59pm
- Location: ¡HOLIDAY RO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-OAD!
Re: Whatcha reading?
I've only read The Adventures of Cavalier and Clay (surprise surprise). It's pretty awesome.eumaas wrote:I've never read any Chabon. I've wanted to read Wonder Boys for years, but the premise of Yiddish Policemen's Union is a grabber.MadModWorld wrote:Me dad just finished reading that, he said he really enjoyed it.eumaas wrote:The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
”INDER LOCK THE THE KISS THREAD IVE REALISED IM A PRZE IDOOT” - Thomas Jefferson
"But the gorilla thinks otherwise!"
"But the gorilla thinks otherwise!"
- Flex
- Mechano-Man of the Future
- Posts: 35991
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:50pm
- Location: The Information Superhighway!
Re: Whatcha reading?
Seconded.Wolter wrote:I've only read The Adventures of Cavalier and Clay (surprise surprise). It's pretty awesome.
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a bowl of soup
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a rolling hoop
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a ton of lead
Wiggle - you can raise the dead
Pex Lives!
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a rolling hoop
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a ton of lead
Wiggle - you can raise the dead
Pex Lives!
- MadModWorld
- Trashy Britpop Kid
- Posts: 717
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:51pm
- Location: Somewhere between Heaven & Woolworths...
Re: Whatcha reading?
My dad reckons that it's hard in places if you're not Jewish or know a lot about Judaism & Jewish culture & that.eumaas wrote:I've never read any Chabon. I've wanted to read Wonder Boys for years, but the premise of Yiddish Policemen's Union is a grabber.MadModWorld wrote:Me dad just finished reading that, he said he really enjoyed it.eumaas wrote:The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead...
Re: Whatcha reading?
Should be an easy read, then.MadModWorld wrote:My dad reckons that it's hard in places if you're not Jewish or know a lot about Judaism & Jewish culture & that.eumaas wrote:I've never read any Chabon. I've wanted to read Wonder Boys for years, but the premise of Yiddish Policemen's Union is a grabber.MadModWorld wrote:Me dad just finished reading that, he said he really enjoyed it.eumaas wrote:The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
I feel that there is a fascistic element, for example, in the Rolling Stones . . .
— Morton Feldman
I've studied the phenomenon of neo-provincialism in self-isolating online communities but this place takes the fucking cake.
— Clashy
— Morton Feldman
I've studied the phenomenon of neo-provincialism in self-isolating online communities but this place takes the fucking cake.
— Clashy
-
Silent Majority
- Singer-Songwriter Nancy
- Posts: 18757
- Joined: 10 Nov 2008, 8:28pm
- Location: South Londoner in the Midlands.
Re: Whatcha reading?
The thread title keeps bringing Bill Hicks to mind. "Whutchoo readin' for?"
- Wolter
- Half Foghorn Leghorn, Half Albert Brooks
- Posts: 55432
- Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 7:59pm
- Location: ¡HOLIDAY RO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-OAD!
Re: Whatcha reading?
I love that bit.Silent Majority wrote:The thread title keeps bringing Bill Hicks to mind. "Whutchoo readin' for?"
”INDER LOCK THE THE KISS THREAD IVE REALISED IM A PRZE IDOOT” - Thomas Jefferson
"But the gorilla thinks otherwise!"
"But the gorilla thinks otherwise!"
Re: Whatcha reading?
You (especially) will love YPU.eumaas wrote:I've never read any Chabon. I've wanted to read Wonder Boys for years, but the premise of Yiddish Policemen's Union is a grabber.MadModWorld wrote:Me dad just finished reading that, he said he really enjoyed it.eumaas wrote:The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
Got a Rake? Sure!
IMCT: Inane Middle-Class Twats - Dr. M
" *sigh* it's right when they throw the penis pump out the window." -Hoy
IMCT: Inane Middle-Class Twats - Dr. M
" *sigh* it's right when they throw the penis pump out the window." -Hoy