Category Archives: Books
Something To Du
The Replacements, “Alex Chilton” A nice, short piece on the influence rock journalism had on Paul Westerberg and The Replacements: “But music criticism does seem particularly essential to what the Replacements were up to. Two things that heartland rock-and-roll fans … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Music
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Found In Translation
The Man Booker International Prize has gone to Han Kang, the first time for a Korean writer: “The Vegetarian, a novel about a woman who ‘wants to reject human brutality’ and gives up eating meat, has won the 2016 Man … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Korea, Kultur
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Concision
I just finished Ann Leckie’s Ancillary trilogy. The final book was good. So good, in fact, that it reminded me that for all of the interesting stuff in the first two novels, they were a bit of a drag in places. … Continue reading
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Books!
Once again, thanks to What the Book? for my English language literary needs. I’m finishing Ann Leckie’s Ancillary trilogy, Amitav Ghosh’s Ibis trilogy, and then kind of a curveball, the complete The Puma Blues (sucker is fucking heavy). Puma is a comic series that ran from 1986-1989, … Continue reading
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Getting Your Read On In South Korea
I don’t think I’ve ever given a shout-out to What The Book?, a brick-and-mortar bookstore in Seoul that also delivers throughout Korea. Their selection is really impressive (they had this FFS) and it you’re looking for dead-tree publications they’re going to … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Korea, South Korea
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“It is really happening to you.”
Lindy West on Batman vs. Superman (I refuse to call it “v.” because I have a modicum of respect for English and Latin): “What actually happens is that Ben Affleck wakes up, panting, and the bat-nado was all a dream! – a … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Film, Nerdery
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Good Not Great
I’m two-thirds of the way through Ann Leckie’s Ancillary series and, well, meh. It reads a lot like a Banks Culture novel but without the dark humor and freakiness (sexual or otherwise) that make Banks’ books not feel quite as long as they … Continue reading
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“when you’ve been used to privilege, equality feels like prejudice”
Laurie Penny on the diversity of the new Star Wars, and the shifting cultural grounds in general: “Let’s not get carried away here. These stories and retellings are still exceptions. Women are still paid less, respected less and promoted less at … Continue reading
Posted in Books, GamerGate, HOT DAMN FUCKING STAR WARS, Kultur, Politics
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Winter Is (Not) Coming
Axis of Awesome, “Rage of Thrones” Some friendly writerly advice to George R. R. Martin — give up trying to write the final two novels of A Song of Fire and Ice. Either you’re genuinely trying to finish the books with … Continue reading
Posted in Books, GameofThrones, Team Arya, Team Tyrion
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Teachable Moments
Yale is having something of a meltdown over Halloween costumes. If I was higher-up administrator I’d also send out an annual warning about insensitive costumes. And I’d encourage a healthy debate as to what is or isn’t appropriate. I spent … Continue reading
Posted in America, Books, Kultur, Politics
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Wet Casements 