In our Friday morning reading: Saeed Jones and Lincoln Michel talk fellowships, new writing from Vivian Gornick, revisiting a Neil Young film from 1982, predicting the end of “Mad Men,” and more.
This afternoon: a review of Sonny Smith’s new compilation, Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin’s life in photos, thoughts on Nick Cave’s live album, authors on literary self-loathing, and more.
In our continuing unification of the sporting life with that of the bookish, bespectacled square, we bring you our initial foray into the wide world of hockey. Anglo-Norman facial features of the ruggedly handsome were interchangeable between some of the NHL’s all-time greats and some of the most smarty-pants of intellectuals that 1960s France had to offer. Do you think you have what it takes to tell who’s who simply from out of context photos of questionable origin? Play along, […]
Dorothy Parker was born on this day in 1893. Daniel Mendelsohn on the brief career of Arthur Rimbaud in this week’s New Yorker. Silly times in Hitler’s Germany. Joann Sfar, director of the upcoming documentary Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life, talks to Vox Tablet. Really, the only right way to report that The Help was the number one film at the box office this weekend would be to say something like, “The Help crushes anemic competition. Brings in millions.” Sadly, nobody […]
Unrest is back! The Washington, D.C. indie trio is playing the Bell House on July 9th. I’m told the new Serge Gainsbourg film doesn’t suck. Over at Jewcy, we celebrated this. Garage savant John Dwyer of Thee Oh Sees is bothered at Impose. Bradford Cox of Deerhunter/Atlas Sound, gives us another Micromix. Paste lists 25 of the most anticipated songs of the summer. I acted jaded and unimpressed. Thanks Carrie Brownstein for hipping me to this fantastic Fugazi cover:
Sometimes halting eloquence doesn’t fare well when you’re trying to make a complaint. Winston Churchill faced such a problem at this Scottish hotel, where his letter of misgivings is proudly mounted for guests to see. I’m hoping that, in addition to showcasing Churchill’s disappointments, they not only addressed their bug problem but started serving lunch food as well. After all, what distinguished person eats pancakes at mid-day? For crying out loud, Scotland. Lit. & The Internet Bolaño explains life, naturally […]
In honor of tomorrow. 1) Cold Cave “Love Comes Close” I’ve already gone on record stating what I think of Wes Eisold as a writer, frontman of great hardcore bands, and one of the minds behind Heartworm Press. It’s this single by his latest project Cold Cave that has me the most excited. New Order lifting poetry from a long-dead Romantic poet? Maybe. Whatever the case, this video blew me away. 2) Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and Serge Gainsbourg, “Constipation Blues” 3) Nick […]