In our morning reading: thoughts on Harry Mathews’s last novel, an interview with Kevin Young, rumination on classic comedies and depression, and more.
Wide Awake on Memories: A Look at Jonathan Lethem’s 33 1/3
Talking Heads’ Fear of Music by Jonathan Lethem Continuum; 160 p. I am so glad I wasn’t born when Jonathan Lethem was born. Now that he is middle-aged and recounting his love of Fear of Music, the third full-length album by the Talking Heads, he has many albatrosses to contend with (nervously, mockingly). His friend, for instance, insists Jerry Harrison’s involvement before the recording of 77 signaled the end of “pure” Talking Heads. He sounds like a barrel of laughs. […]
David Byrne: Can’t stop, won’t stop
By Jason Diamond I feel safe saying that in the last ten years, David Byrne has had possibly the biggest spurt of artistic inspiration in his four decade long career. A short list of accomplishments that deserve mention include releasing three really good albums – one that reunited him with past collaborator/genius, Brian Eno; putting together the “No Boundaries” series at Carnegie Hall; turning a building into a musical instrument; and inspiring some of the most talked about bands of […]