Poetry and music at the Work/Sound Gallery in southeast. The Bad Blood reading series begins tonight and it’s free! (Though I’m sure they would appreciate donations, they’ll even give you a chapbook if you donate!) Tonight’s reading features Ally Harris, Joshua Marie Wilkinson, Mathias Svalina, and Solan Jensen. Individual bios can be found here. The […]
Jacob Schraer
Posted inBooks
What Is A Really Scary Book?
This is a constant question I get working at a bookstore. People are really specific about it, they want a book that will actually scare them. Answers usually range from the humorous (Noam Chomsky, Derrick Jensen) to the utilitarian (“The horror section is to your left.”). But it’s a good question, and a seasonally appropriate […]
Posted inBooks
Awards Season
The finalists for the National Book Award were recently announced. Surprise! I haven’t read any of them. But that doesn’t disqualify me from predicting winners. You can familiarize yourself wit the contenders here. So let’s begin with the fiction award. The nominees are… Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter CareyLord of Misrule by Jaimy […]
Posted inTV
Mad Men Is Over, Life Loses All Meaning
Okay we’re back! Now we can get to the important stuff. This interview with series creator Matt Weiner is a must read, very interesting and insightful. Have you guys figured out that I’m fucking nuts? A crazy, surreal episode, driven by Don’s impulses. But we’re all set for next season! Find out why… Don is […]
Posted inBooks
Smalldoggies Reading
Last night at Cafe Magnolia off Hawthorne boulevard Smalldoggies held their regular reading night with three poets and music. The crowd was ample, warm, and participatory. People were welcoming and excited to hear out the poets. Ethan Bull, Davey Mac, and Annelyse Gelman all gave rousing and distinct readings, their topics ranging from the personal […]
Posted inComic Books
New Comics Are Here! (Almost!)
I’m putting down prose for the next month. LOTS of cool comics are being released and they’re easier to read and prettier than other books. First on the plate is Charles Burns whose new book X’ed out is released on the 19th. It’s inspired by everything from Tin Tin to horror comics. Very, very excited […]
Posted inTV
Mad Men Monday: Blowing Smoke
Great episode. A sense of this somewhat disparate season falling into place, a significant role for every character, and lots of genuine tension and drama. Like Don Draper, I like to spend my night’s drinking whiskey and staring at paintings by junkies. Spoilers and discussion about this “doggy dog” world after the jump! Mad Men […]
Posted inBooks
Wordstock: Creature Feature
A panel on the practice and popularity of supernatural fiction, which almost descended into chaos thanks to the manic, caffeinated energy of Joey Comeau, co-creator of A Softer World and author of the novel One Bloody Thing After Another. He was joined by Laura Whitcomb, author of A Certain Slant of Light, and Becca Fitzpatrick […]
Posted inBooks
Wordstock: YA Gets Real
[We’ll be posting short reviews and updates from the Wordstock festival all weekend, so check back or follow the ongoing conversation on twitter at #wordstock] Midway through a panel discussion called YA Gets Real, a discussion with young adult writers who focus on “real” issues, y’know, as opposed to which hot supernatural being you should […]
Posted inPortland
Monica Drake + Andy Mingo + Wordstock = Portland Synergy
Maybe you’ve heard of Monica Drake, author of Clown Girl and Portland resident. The film rights to that novel, which Chuck Palahniuk called the best novel of 2007 (though he’s biased, he did write the introduction) were purchased by Kristen Wiig. And this weekend, local filmmaker Andy Mingo is shooting part of his short film […]
Posted inTV
Mad Men Monday
AMC, the mother ship itself, has a nice entry in the Mad Men Fashion File about last week’s episode. And in honor of Trudy’s completely off screen delivery (guess she’s busy over at NBC with Community, which I hear is pretty good, but I miss Trudy!!) here’s actress Alison Brie’s essay for Nerve about the […]
Posted inBooks
Today In Incediary Book Titles
Black Bitches Dancing With Charlie by Chuck Bianchi. From the back: Vietnam 1966. In a nightmare landscape of lethal shadows, Memphis teenager Robert Jackson – young, black, and proud – learned to survive by fighting as “Charlie” fought: brutally, efficiently, and without mercy. Placed in charge of his platoon after only four months, he proceeded […]