Afternoon Bites: Dylan Thomas boathouse, Ben Greenman’s hurricane graph, Rachel Kramer Bussel, and more

Every single time I pass the White Horse Saloon in the West Village, I always say to myself, “That’s where Dylan Thomas drank 200 shots of hooch and died.  Maybe I should hang out there.”  Then I walk in, and it’s filled with frat dudes drinking sugar free Red Bull and vodkas, talking about how “sick” Jeter’s new car commercial looks.  I’m tired of that being the building that makes me think of Mr. Thomas, and I’m glad Writers Houses […]

Continue Reading

Favorite Books of 2010

Posted by Jason Diamond Note: This list doesn’t reflect the view of anybody else involved with Vol. 1 Brooklyn, and yes, I do realize it’s a mix of fiction and non.  Sorry. 1. The Possessed by Elif Batuman I don’t believe that anybody on this planet is either the smartest or funniest person alive.  But if I am in fact wrong, I believe Ms. Batuman could easily hold down both titles.  In the least cheesiest way I can possibly say […]

Continue Reading

Weekend Bites: Joshua Cohen On Adam Levin, NY Art Book Fest, Greenman & Strauss, Maddow On Olbermann And More

“Who better to review a 1,000-page Jewish book that comes out in the fall than the author of an 800-page Jewish book that came out in the spring?” – Joshua Cohen reviews Adam Levin’s The Instructions. At Brooklyn Vegan: The NY Art Book Fair is this weekend. At The Atlantic:  Classical music is still not dying. The Speakeasy:  A night of fast memoirs with Ben Greenman and Neil Strauss. Edward Champion reviews 127 Hours. At Jewcy: A rambling review of […]

Continue Reading

Good Links to Wake up to: Superchunk on NPR, Lorie Moore at NYer Festival, Celebrity Chekov and More

At NPR:  Superchunk’s Mac McCaughan at Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me. At The Rumpus: Elissa Bassist took some notes on Lorie Moore speaking at the New Yorker Festival. At The New York Times: Wishing Flaubert was still alive to read the Lydia Davis translation of Madame Bovary. At Big Other: Pretty psyched about the Wednesday event at the Center for Fiction. At Speakeasy: Ben Greenman gives us some Celebrity Chekov. Alex Ross calls The Social Network “mesmerizing”

Continue Reading

Link: Ben Greenman Talk at The Millions

If you haven’t read Ben Greenman before, you should start. And do it soon. His is a dazzling, addicting talent that will draw you in and seduce you into experiencing a particularly odd sensation of belonging that only a traveler or émigré can know, one who is simultaneously comfortable and uncomfortable with a place, one who is there and not there at the same time. Read the rest here.

Continue Reading

Weekend Bites: Isaiah Berlin Poetry, Ben Greenman Speaks, Kevin Sampsell Reads, Respecting Lee Ranaldo, Imperial Bedrooms, and More

Isaiah Berlin inspires a poem. Ben Greenman interviewed. It’s gotta happen one of these day:  The Catcher in the Rye film. An excerpt from the new Bret Easton Ellis book, Imperial Bedrooms. 5 things Kevin Sampsell has read recently. Dennis Cooper pays respect to Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth. The battle of “Jet Boy, Jet Girl.” Pirates stealing iPad shipments.

Continue Reading