Posted by Juliet Linderman We all know that the New York Times Magazine has undergone major changes over the last couple of weeks, some good and some bad. I don’t know about you, but my favorite part of the thing has always been the Lives column, a home for vignettes–sometimes funny, sometimes sad, always affecting–written by all different kinds of people living all different kinds of lives. I looked forward to reading these all week, and now it’s dead. Pour […]
New York in Desperate need of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
According to CNN, a venomous Egyptian cobra went missing from New York’s Bronx Zoo, prompting the closure of the zoo’s reptile house until further notice. To Mayor Bloomberg, our suggestion on how to handle this is simple: read more Rudyard Kipling.
NPR and the Government Teat
Posted by Jason Diamond In the wake of NPR CEO Vivian Schiller’s resignation, Hamilton Nolan at Gawker thinks that it’s time for NPR to get off the government payroll. Nolan points out that NPR gets about 2% of its direct funding from the U.S. government, and that for NPR’s member stations, Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding is about 10% of their total, with other federal, state, and local government sources kicking in another 6%.
Morning Bites: More Blake Butler, No 3D Lovecraft, new New Directions and More
The Observer has a profile on Blake Butler. Night two of his marathon reading takes place at WORD, tonight. Guillermo Del Toro admitted that his dream project, a $150 million dollar 3D adaptation of HP Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness, may never happen. New Directions show off two upcoming books. Sarah Manguso picks Franzen’s Freedom over Teddy Wayne’s Kapitol in the opening round of the Morning News Tournament of Books. The Rumpus talks with Téa Obreht. Sarah Palin […]
Morning Bites: Tom Robbins at CUNY, Chabon Sells to HBO, Gov. Haley’s Memoir and More
Back to school: Tom Robbins goes to CUNY. Michael Chabon sold a show to HBO. Hobgoblin will be about “a motley group of conmen and magicians who use their skills at deception to battle Hitler and his forces during WWII.” Robert Birnbaum talks with author Gretel Ehrlic. In honor of International Women’s Day, the BBC takes a look at feminist icon, writer and theorist, Rosa Luxemburg. Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina is working on a memoir. Etta James gets […]
Morning Bites: Love in the Time of Jarvis Cocker, DeLillo Live, Justin Taylor, Egyptian Hip Hop and More
Jarvis Cocker promises to read some Gabriel García Márquez at the start of his weekly BBC podcast. Does he deliver? Find out. Awesome morning starter: Don DeLillo Reads from Mao II Justin Taylor spurs some good old fashioned religious debate. James Franco’s favorite Criterion films. The Huffington Post lists ten library books frequently read more than others. Nothing surprising. You want some real revolution rock? Hip hop from Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Algeria.
Morning Bites: Charlie Sheen Poetry, Jamie Iredell Playlist, Stephen King on JFK, Blade Runner 2 and More
Of course Charlie Sheen put out a book of poetry. Of course he did. Jamie Iredell gives Largehearted Boy a playlist for his latest book, The Book of Freaks. James Yeh takes a look at some of his favorite highlights from Open City Magazine. Stephen King’s going to write a novel about the JFK assassination. Aldous Huxley’s children’s book is re-published. Blade Runner 2. This sounds like a really awful idea.
Afternoon Bites: Edward Gorey, Karen Russell, Atlas Shrugged Reviewed and More
The New York Times discusses the continued influence that Edward Gorey (above) has on culture. “I don’t think it would be possible to write this story and have a 42-year-old stockbroker on a glade skiff going to the Underworld.” – Karen Russell, interviewed at The Portland Mercury. At Slate, Dave Weigel watches the film adaptation of Atlas Shrugged: “Anyone who’s seen a faithful Christian adaptation of a Bible story will be comfortable with the style of adaptation—as much original text […]