In our afternoon reading: new writing from Bud Smith, revisiting a novel by Richard Brautigan, and more.
Matthew Robert Cooper on the Literary Inspirations Behind Eluvium’s “(Whirring Marvels In) Consensus Reality”
I’m a longtime admirer of the music Matthew Robert Cooper has made, whether it’s as Eluvium or under his own name — or one of several other aliases and projects that have added to his impressive discography over the years. Eluvium’s new album (Whirring Marvels In) Consensus Reality represents something of a shift for Cooper, who was dealing with health issues that involved changing the way he wrote. I spoke with Cooper about the literary influences underlying this new album, his thoughts on music and technology, and what he’s been reading lately.
Morning Bites: Rebecca van Laer’s New Book, Richard Brautigan and Harry Styles, Craig Finn Interviewed, and More
In our morning reading: thoughts on Rebecca van Laer’s new book, interviews with Craig Finn and Michael Bourne, and more.
They Put A Gun In My Face About Poetry: The Liver Mush Interview with Graham Irvin
After I finished Graham Irvin’s new book, Liver Mush, I biked to the grocery store to buy some liver mush. In the frozen meat section, there was one solitary block of liver mush left—almost like it was waiting for me. I ate the liver mush on a pillsbury biscuit with American cheese, like Graham suggests in Liver Mush. The liver mush was phenomenal, an unexpected and great discovery. Liver Mush is also phenomenal, also an unexpected and great discovery. Two brand new delights in the course of an afternoon. It made for a good day. And you can discover them, too. They’re waiting for you, too. I had the pleasure of talking with Graham about liver mush and Liver Mush.
Afternoon Bites: Jarvis Cocker, Maryse Condé’s Latest, Tom Franklin, Adapting Richard Brautigan, and More
In our afternoon reading: an interview with Jarvis Cocker, thoughts on Maryse Condé’s new novel, and more.
Jarvis Cocker on Richard Brautigan’s “Sombrero Fallout”
Sombrero Fallout is about an imagination in crisis. It is a “what am I doing with my life?” book. It is full of doubt and self-loathing – and it is also incredibly funny. Yes, I am talking about that dread phrase laugh-out-loud funny. In the Independent, Jarvis Cocker wrote about his love for the writing of Richard Brautigan.
Case Studies’ Richard Brautigan Slow Jams
I’ve been a fan of Jesse Lortz since his days making music as one-half of The Dutchess and The Duke. And while Lortz’s musical history goes back before then — the man has an abundance of garage-rock work under his belt — his stark tales of hard living rarely fail to resonate.