A Zachary German/Jamie Stewart Collaboration Would be Either be Really Epic or Really Sad

Two characters, Robert and Tom, discuss this band’s lead singer, Jamie Stewart, near the end of the novel. This has been one of my favorite songs for years; one time I thought a friend and I were going to start a band and I was really stoked to cover this song [“Apistat Commander”], but we never ended up starting a band. I feel like Jamie’s voice is how I feel, all the time. I know nothing I write will ever […]

Continue Reading

Bites: Newman’s Take on Kesey, American Psycho, Morrissey’s Memoirs, Talking Animals of Fiction, and More

The Stranger talks about Paul Newman’s film adaptation of Ken Kesey’s Sometimes a Great Notion. The musical version of American Psycho, is closer than ever to being a reality. Over at Flavorwire, Adam Wilson takes a look at animal narrators in fiction. A librarian ponders life after Brooklyn. Morrissey’s memoir =’s untold riches and dream fulfillment. More info about the Riot Grrrl collection at NYU. New Yorker writer Ian Frazier: Sandy. And other nicknames of the “literary elite“. The Rumpus […]

Continue Reading

Appreciation for Alicia Jo Rabins

In the last week, I’ve read two interesting interviews involving Alicia Jo Rabins, of the band Girls in Trouble.  The most recent one, at Largehearted Boy, has Rabins in discussion with author Diana Spechler.  Rabins and Spechler both discussing their  Jewish backgrounds seems to be a nice compliment to the Magnet conversation between Rabins and lapsed Christian David Bazan conversation on faith and art.

Continue Reading

Happening: Largehearted Lit, December Edition

This Sunday night, 5PM at the Knitting Factory, Largehearted Boy, and curator Jami Attenberg present another night of Largehearted Lit. If you were at the last one, you witnessed Libba Bray deliver a soul-stirring rendition of The Modern Lovers “Roadrunner”, and Lev Grossman getting some “nerd rapper” to do his thing. Not sure what everybody has in store this month, but doing the research, we think this is going to be pretty good since Emma Straub & Marie Mutsuki Mockett […]

Continue Reading

Conversation: David Gutowski (Largehearted Boy) and Jami Attenberg Discuss Largehearted Lit.

By Jason Diamond So here’s the thing,  I had never met either David Gutowski or Jami Attenberg in person.  I’ve read Gutowski’s Largehearted Boy for quite some time, and thanks to it, became fond of Ms. Attenberg’s writing.  When I e-mailed David a proposal to ask a few questions about the inaugural Largehearted Lit, (taking place this Sunday at the Brooklyn Knitting Factory with Lev Grossman and Libba Bray), he suggested we bring Jami into the conversation since she is […]

Continue Reading

Weekend Bites: Dave Eggers is like John Wayne with a pen, Raymond Carver, Jon Ronson, Bjork and Barney kaput?, Hornby hearts LHB, and more.

Three Guys One Book: “Where have all the cowboys gone? Has literature isolated itself from a bigger cultural context?”  Dave Eggers, Zadie Smith, Dennis Johnson, Gary Shteyngart, and the New York Times bestsellers of 1943 all make cameos. Jacket Copy asks: “How much of (Raymond) Carver’s “minimalist” style was a byproduct of (Gordon) Lish’s editing?”  This 1997 New Yorker article provided as reference, and this review of the Library of America release of “Raymond Carter: Collected Stories” might shed sufficient […]

Continue Reading

Weekend Bites: Dave Eggers is like John Wayne but with a pen, Raymond Carver, Jon Ronson, Bjork and Barney kaput?, Hornby hearts LHB, and more.

Three Guys One Book: “Where have all the cowboys gone? Has literature isolated itself from a bigger cultural context?”  Dave Eggers, Zadie Smith, Dennis Johnson, Gary Shteyngart, and the New York Times bestsellers of 1943 all make cameos. Jacket Copy asks: “How much of (Raymond) Carver’s “minimalist” style was a byproduct of (Gordon) Lish’s editing?”  This 1997 New Yorker article provided as reference, and this review of the Library of America release of “Raymond Carter: Collected Stories” might shed sufficient […]

Continue Reading

Bites: Frank Portman’s playlist, Roger’s monograms, Michael Pollan, indie bookselling as football, and (maybe) one last mention of Inherent Vice .

Frank Portman, of one of my favorite pop-punk bands, Mr. T Experience, has a new book out called Andromeda Klein, and he gives Largehearted Boy a great playlist for Book Notes. N+1: Not so into zombies/alien films, but likes District 9. Indichik put up an MP3 of Beach Fossils last week.  I forgot to mention it, but it’s well worth mentioning considering this guy is putting out some of the best stuff I’ve heard all year. New York Times Book […]

Continue Reading