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Post by thepretender on Oct 1, 2007 15:03:19 GMT -5
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Post by ProvidencePortal on Oct 1, 2007 15:33:35 GMT -5
That's the one.
I've ordered Gaiman's "Fragile Things." Will report once I've read it.
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Post by ProvidencePortal on Oct 1, 2007 15:35:08 GMT -5
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Post by Omnipotent on Oct 1, 2007 20:13:33 GMT -5
Indeed, I was addicted to 'Kafka On The Shore'. Have you seen the film 'Tony Takitani'?
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Post by twinkle on Oct 6, 2007 21:03:00 GMT -5
this is a very good book, covering a lot more ground than what the title might infer. it is really a cultural history of the U.S. from the mid-1800s to the present, examining the bridge formed by literature, music, and film across the boundaries of race and class, convention and outsider. www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4175091"For better and worse, hip represents a dream of America. At its best, it imagines the racial fluidity of pop culture as the real America, the one we are yearning to become. As William Burroughs said, revolution in America begins in books and music, then waits for political operatives to "implement change after the fact." At its worst, hip glosses over real division and inequity, pretending that the right argot and record collection can outweigh the burden of racial history. White hipsters often use their interest in black culture to claim moral high ground, while giving nothing back. When Quentin Tarantino tosses around the word nigger, he is claiming hipster intimacy while giving callous offense. Really that high ground lies elsewhere. Hip can be a self-serving release from white liberal guilt, offering cultural reparations in place of the more substantive kind. This is white supremacy posing as appreciation. Neither of these verdicts on hip is strong enough to cancel the other out. Hip serves both functions: it is an ennobling force that covers for ignominy. Steeped in this paradox, it tells a story of synthesis in the context of separation. Its métier is ambiguity and contradiction. Its bad is often good."
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Post by thepretender on Nov 3, 2007 22:11:38 GMT -5
I am now reading The Queen of Bedlam by Robert R McCammon!!! Loving every page. This is the follow up story of Speaks the Nightbird. He is not doing horror anymore...it's more like historical fiction and these novels remind me of The Crucible and To Kill a Mockingbird because they have to do with the pursuit of justice and I eat that stuff up!!! You folks need to see this youtube of McCammon speaking at a Florida School Board Meeting about them wanting to ban Boy's Life because of some foul language! If you scroll down to the October 18th addition to his website you will find the YouTube!!! Prepare to be in awe. www.robertmccammon.com/
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Post by twinkle on Dec 2, 2007 15:15:31 GMT -5
for dark + quirky this certainly fits the bill. would make a film i'd like to see...
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Post by twinkle on Dec 6, 2007 20:41:38 GMT -5
an excellent, well-written account of the making of the album, full of details surrounding it before and after. lots of quotes and photos. intelligent, informed but not esoteric. written w/an obvious fondness for the subject w/o being gushy or overboard on the superlatives. nearly as uplifting as the music itself.
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Post by greedy on Dec 11, 2007 21:07:36 GMT -5
the voyage of the fox ride deniss l mckiernan highly recomend it
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Post by thepretender on Jan 15, 2008 1:42:46 GMT -5
Twinkle... I did get that CD for my bro-in-law...haven't heard any reviews yet but it is one of Gregg's favorites. He already had it and one of these days I will get around to listening to it. I just finished Wally Lamb's She's Come Undone It is one powerful story about a girl growing up in not the best of circumstances. Her life goes haywire and it is about her journey of discovery. Along the way she endures a lot. It was a reminder to me (again) how important it is to be honest with our kids. They need to see us as human beings. Otherwise they end up feeling like aliens. It reminds me of lyrics from Dar Williams speaking about her parents she sings "I know they tried to keep their pain from me They could not see what it was for" I was so surprised that a guy could do such a good job of writing from a womans perspective. What are all of you reading these days?
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Post by twinkle on Mar 2, 2008 15:20:45 GMT -5
this is a very interesting, eye-opening book. the author examines and dissects different types of arguments, revealing them to be fallacious and/or distracting from the actual point of truth. takes on politicians, clergy, hot-headed radio/t.v. pundits, loudmouths in the pub, sobsisters, apologists, and others. really got me to look at some of my own faulty "reasoning". good read; especially timely during the current presidential run-up.
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Post by twinkle on Mar 2, 2008 16:39:07 GMT -5
fairly good book. the author, an atheist, auctioned his time (not his soul) to the highest bidder, who appointed him to attend various Christian churches. as an "outsider" w/o much instruction in the Christian faith, he observed and commented on what worked and what did not. he makes some good, sensible points, others that struck me as rather odd. he argues for more tolerance and for keeping matters of faith separate from public offices/institutions. he applauds a church that offers free tutoring to all children in its neighborhood and then chastises the same church for distributing free Bibles to everyone! he also suggests that churches present their case for Christianity in a rational (scientific?) way to make it more appealing to nonbelievers. i found much to agree with and some that showed me the author may yet be inexperienced in discerning the difference between faith and proof.
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Post by thepretender on Mar 30, 2008 13:36:42 GMT -5
I got a sneak preview of this book by Ron Kelly... www.croatoanpublishing.com/2008/03/flesh_welder_apr1.htmlin it there is a short story, an interview with him about his comeback to horror and a few chapters of a book of his that is going to be re-released as Undertaker's Moon (an Irish werewolf story) anyway...this cover of this book is by Zach McCain and I know someone whose avatar is very similar to it and I find that very strange and cool. The story is now one of my favorite short stories. I loved it!
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Post by greedy on Mar 30, 2008 13:43:40 GMT -5
i'm almost done with into the wild by jhon kaurcker (last name may be wrong) it's about the voyage of chris mcandless astounding book about a gloryious however niave person
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Post by twinkle on Mar 30, 2008 20:45:18 GMT -5
^yes, thought that was a good one too. he was definitely an anachronistic spirit who came very close to making it back out. apparently he was not so clueless as some would have him appear, as far as skills & knowledge. although the author doesn't go into it much (at all?), there is a rite of passage that is missing outside of certain religions/cultures: the ritual transformation from childhood to adulthood. was this what McCandless sought? or just a personal test of survivial? looking forward to seeing the movie.
(Jon Krakauer is the author)
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