February 9, 2010

Bites: Leg up on Lipsyte, Japanther’s Books, DeLillo on NPR, Digital Librarians, and More

Want to read the first five chapters of Sam Lipsyte’s forthcoming book, The AskBAM!

February 9, 2010

Happening: Greatest Three-Minute Rock ‘n’ Roll Story Ever

Thursday, Feb. 11th

Vol. 1 Brooklyn and Gigantic Present:
Greatest Three-Minute Rock ‘n’ Roll Story Ever

You know, Brooklyn is a kind of alright place for music and books. But where can you find the two together? At Greatest Three-Minute Rock ‘n’ Roll Story Ever, that’s where.

Greatest Three-Minute Rock ‘n’ Roll Story Ever is where writers, rockers and raconteurs are united at last, relating three-minute stories of youth, sex, booze, noise and a little thing called rock ‘n’ roll.

Readings from:

-Jami Attenberg (Author, The Melting Season)
-Justin Taylor (Author, Everything Here is the Best Thing Ever)
-Franz Nicolay (Musician/Writer, Complicated Gardening Techniques)
-Zachary German (Author, Eat When You Feel Sad)
-Nick Gazin (Artist, Vice Magazine)
-Jens Carstensen (The Giraffes)
-James Yeh (Gigantic)
-Aaron Hartman (Old Time Relijun/Girls in Trouble)
-Kendra Grant Malone (Poet, author of the chapbook Conor Oberst Sex)
-Mike Conklin (L Magazine)
-Chelsea Hodson (poet)
-Maura Johnston (The Awl/Village Voice)
-Eric Davidson – New Bomb Turks/Author of We Never Learn)
-Lincoln Michel (Gigantic/The Faster Times)
-Derek Evers (Impose Magazine)
-Beverly Hames (Fox & Fawn/Vice blog)
-Aaron Lefkove (LiveFastDie/Liquor Store)
-Michaelangelo Matos (A.V. Club/The Stranger)

Plus! A Very special set by The Wailing Wall.

Hosted by Jason Diamond and James Yeh

Susan, Franz and Maria play rock covers on accordion

Fun!

No cover, totally free.

Bar Matchless
557 Manhattan Avenue (at Driggs Ave)
Brooklyn, NY
8PM 7PM

February 8, 2010

Kant Win

Sorry, I had to use that as the subject after reading this:

“When France’s most dashing philosopher took aim at Immanuel Kant in his latest book, calling him “raving mad” and a “fake”, his observations were greeted with the usual adulation. To support his attack, Bernard-Henri Lévy — a showman-penseur known simply by his initials, BHL — cited the little-known 20th-century thinker Jean-Baptiste Botul.”

February 8, 2010

Bites: Letters From Twain, Elliott Takes on Elliott, Lemony Snicket, Stupid Budweiser, Van Dyke Parks Profiled,and More

“Scotch whisky, certain lemons, & hot water.”: Mark Twain writes a letter.

  • That Budweiser ad from the Super Bowl that was insulting to book club people, readers, men, women, and anybody with a little bit of intelligence.

February 8, 2010

Best Song/Video of Today: The Beets

It’s pretty safe to say that The Beets are one of my favorite bands around today, and I find it incredibly awesome that they are about to hit the road with Beach Fossils and Christmas Island.

As a tribute to all of that, I’m posting this video, and also the tour dates so you can go check out what I’m talking about.

02/09 – New York, NY Cake Shop
02/10 – New Haven, CT Cafe Nine
02/11 – Boston, MA The Cottage
02/12 – Annandale on Hudson, NY Bard College
02/13 – Brooklyn, NY Death By Audio
02/15 – Philadelphia, PA Terrordome (early show)
02/16 – Washington, DC Velvet Lounge
02/17 – Harrisonburg, VA Blue Nile
02/18 – Princeton, NJ Terrace @ Princeton University
02/19 – Wilkes-Barre, PA Corner Cafe
02/20 – Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg #
03/17 – 03/20 Austin, TX SXSW

# = w/ Crystal Stilts, German Measles

February 8, 2010

A Strong Tribute

Over at The Bumpidee Reader, Toby Vail talks about radical journalist from the early part of the 20th century, Anna Louise Strong.

February 7, 2010

Sunday Podcast: Moody and Hearst’s 18:59, Freakanomics Talk Death & Glenn Beck, and Noise on EVR

“Shame is embarrassment on Ritalin.”

Rick Moody and Michael Hearst admit to slacking by doing only ten episodes in about three years, which might explain why the newest episode of their  18:59 podcast is titled, “Shame”.  On this episode,  they talk to psychologist Tara Goodrich, and funny guy Eugene Mirman all in just under 19 minutes.  On a personal note, I personally feel a hint of shame for not mentioning the podcast when I interviewed Hearst a few weeks.

  • Freakanomics talk about fear of death, NASCAR, and Glenn Beck; I swear it isn’t as bad as it sounds.

February 7, 2010

Sunday Brunch Music: Parenthetical Girls

I’m obsessed with Parenthetical Girls.  I’ve already written about here, but I figured I’d put this video up anyway.

Parenthetical Girls “Evelyn McHale” from judesays on Vimeo.

February 6, 2010

Bookshelf Envy

When the Tumblr, Book Lovers Never go to Bed Alone comes up on my feed with a new post, nine times out of ten I’m excited.

I think this shot of photographer Mike Mabes bookshelf is my favorite one yet.

February 6, 2010

Weekend Bites: Goodbye McSweeney, The New Expats, Sartre’s Eyes, America’s Greatest Literay Generation, and More

Mailer, Updike, Bellow, and Salinger are all gone:  America’s greatest literary generation is over.