Kanye in Sac

 My experiment to link Heckasac to Instagram did not work at all, it got me banned from following anyone or posting on Instagram! Either Instagram hates Blogspot or for some reason this blog has been dubbed obscene. Sigh, the modern world.

I'm listening to The Daily podcast, the NYT one, and they are talking about their in-depth article on Adidas and Kanye, and I love that Sac is in that pop culture pantheon for being the place he went on his 17 minute rant and canceled the tour. I will never forget booing so hard that I just about lost my voice the next day, and then how we left the arena fast enough to see his black SUV stop in the road, him pose with a fan, and speed off. And then how everyone was just roaming the streets, looking for somewhere to hang. I don't remember where we ended up. They mention him canceling but they don't mention how fucking late he started! And I remember folks going nuts when Kid Cudi joined him on the floating stage.

He sold so much merch that night, I just saw someone at Pizza Supreme rocking one of the long-sleeved tees the other day. 

Vollman talk

I am fasting for a "medical test" tomorrow (she's so discreet!) so you may be treated to a series of weak and increasingly unhinged posts. If you know me you know I usually never miss a meal!!!!!! 

True Anon podcast interviewed William Vollman. I had never listened to True Anon but I know of it as a well-known edgy podcast and the host Brace Belden is a friend of a friend. I knew of Brace who got a lot of news coverage a few years back when he went to fight in the Syrian civil war. 

Brace and Liz Franczak, the cohost, came to Sac recently to interview Vollman, who has a studio in a barbed wire compound in Alkali Flat.

Vollman says he heard a story that the first mayor of Sacramento was murdered by a homeless man in Alkali Flat but that he doesn't know for sure. The only reason that's a bit curious is that from my understanding of his nonfiction writing, he's done in-depth histories, so finding that out seems like no task for him, but maybe he prefers not to confirm. Googling reveals the first mayor was William Stout, who served 3 weeks. Where's Bill Burg when you need him?

Vollman's place has been broken into a lot, he's injured right now because of it, or maybe he also has had a car accident? I'm not clear on that. He mentions Loaves and Fishes, as a place that many people hate but I somewhat take issue with that. I think back in the day Loaves was a little more controversial but it's so obviously needed now. I'm sure he means businesses but businesses there have either been there forever and know the deal or who the hell would move a new business into that area not knowing what you are getting into?

They are ostensibly there to discuss his wonderful article in Harper's (please read!). It about homelessness and grief, and is set in Reno. I love it even more because he mostly interviewed the guys in the Cal-Neva, so I can picture the setting easily. Sadly, the Eggs McNeva do not make an appearance. 

The podcast interview is free-ranging and engrossing. I've only listened to part 1. I need to read some more Vollman, I've only read non-fiction short pieces, but of course he won the National Book Award for fiction (famously, the same night other Sacramentan Joan Didion was honored). But I have to finish fucking Middlemarch first!!!!!!