Oh my god! I found out that I work with someone who used to work with someone who is married to Joyce Carol Oates!! Does anyone have any particular JCO to recommend? I want to read "Them", which she names as one of hers that people should read. I like her short stories. And despite its Oprah book club status and ubiquity in every thrift store, I enjoyed "We Were the Mulvaneys".I watched film number one in the Michael Haneke challenge. I may become so depressed that I kill myself by the time I watch all nine films. I guess I'm lucky that the tenth one he named is not yet out on DVD. So much donkey cruelty to be endured in "Au Hasard Balthazar"!
Things I learned: 1) baby donkeys are the cutest things possible. 2) if you are falling asleep during a movie, the wild braying of a donkey will wake you up pretty darn fast. what I did not learn is that this was a religious parable. I missed that whole angle until I read it on the envelope. That wouldn't have made it more interesting for me, anyway. Major theme: the cruelty of life. Supposedly there was redemption. Maybe I slept through the redemption.
Things I learned: 1) baby donkeys are the cutest things possible. 2) if you are falling asleep during a movie, the wild braying of a donkey will wake you up pretty darn fast. what I did not learn is that this was a religious parable. I missed that whole angle until I read it on the envelope. That wouldn't have made it more interesting for me, anyway. Major theme: the cruelty of life. Supposedly there was redemption. Maybe I slept through the redemption.Good show at the Hub tomorrow. It's on undietacos. I can't tell you where the Hub is!
My Joyce Carol Oates recommendation is to not read Joyce Carol Oates. Just load up on your kitty's meds and rent 'Foxfire'.
ReplyDelete-- Patrone
I like her horror stories. I like "where are you going, where have you been". And I have seen Foxfire, it was terrible. But I just watched "smooth talk", based on "where are you going", and it was good except for the James Taylor music. I am seduced by her Shelly Duvall-like good looks.
ReplyDeletehaven't read enough by her to give a recommendation, but from what I understand she is very hit or miss. If I were you. I'd go with a short story collection to avoid a large time commitment. I read a really good story of hers about an old woman who tries to save a deer that had been shot by poachers.
ReplyDeleteEnjoying the literary chat of late. Apparently, Sac needs this type of intellectual ferment. The Sac Rag has an item up about how Sacramento scored towards the bottom of some list ranking the smartest cities in America. NYC didn't score in the top ten, so I'm skeptical.
I second Patrone's recommendation.
ReplyDeletegbomb
Bad news Patrone. Whiskey Wild closed.
ReplyDelete-miller
update: As it stands Patrone, Tozer & Soriano have yet to return my calls. Perhaps I should actually call them. Just an update
ReplyDeleteCharles
ps. Christine, myself and her brother Patrick have called Green Day. Right now I am mike Dirnt, but if stine chicken's out I could be Billy Joe.
I liked that Oates thing on boxing. What was it called, "On Boxing" maybe?
ReplyDeleteJD
The Monkees:
ReplyDeleteMike R MIKE = NESMITH
Jay Biz Baker = Tork
David Paul = Dolenz (you have to hear his gangster impression -- it is so spot on Dolenze its eerie)
heckamax = Jones.
-Heckamax
http://sacbrew.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteEd
There is some great JCO short fiction, but I have to agree that the one on boxing is the best.
ReplyDeleteEd H.
I have checked out "them" and will give it the old college try.
ReplyDeletethe monkees are from california? if so, they must be done in the show!!!!! i would like to argue that smiller looks a sight more like nesmith than mikermike. have you seen him in a green hat?
My first thought was "DP can play drums?".
ReplyDeleteAre the Monkees from California? Who cares?! Have Black Flag ever had a gold record? Who cares?!?!It's becoming obvious that all the themes from now on, regardless of the official theme, will be "do whatever you want".
-miller
Please tell me that the Monkees will have Woodhouse backstage playing all the instruments.
ReplyDelete-- Patrone
oops! I didn't realize a gold record was required! Uh, But they may have a gold record. Let me check.
ReplyDeleteCharles
Well, the RIAA hadn't even heard of SST and many of the other major labels. Other internet searches didn't turn up much. I bet that if Op Ivy's energy is gold (It is) that Damaged might be gold. 50/50 shot?
ReplyDeleteI see what Guphy says. i think it is important to not break the theme rules, but a good bending never hurt no one.
Charles
I think that at this point, if you can explain why your choice should be in the show it should be.
ReplyDeleteYou just need to be able to write a tight admissions essay.
For instance, me, Conway and Baldwin will argue that it is in fact the damaged locks of Poison front man Brett Michaels are actually made from the golden rays of California's Sun.
-natalie.
Awesome! Please have your essays to me by January 15th!
ReplyDeleteAlso how important is drinking to this event. I would say pretty important. A change of venue may be in the works.
gbomb
Gold record??? Poof! There go the Zeros...
ReplyDelete-- Patrone
Charles, don't sweat the gold record. It was my understanding that "California's Gold" just referred to the beloved Huell Howser and his love of California. I think the band just has to be from California, or a California band (based in California)...just like Huell. He wasn't born here, but who could be more California than Huell? I want Nilesh to emcee the event as Huell Howser.
ReplyDelete-H. Conway Esq
As far as how important drinking is: I think it will occur regardless of whether it's sanctioned. So, yeah, a change of venue would be wise. Which is a big pain in the ass, I know.
ReplyDeleteOh, OK, got it. Someone (I thought it was g-balls) told me there was some gold record rule in there. I don't even know who Huell Howser is so what do I know?
ReplyDelete-miller
Huell Howser 101:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKTSa-NT5Oc
Conwad, stine, I and her family want to journey. Wanna come along? You can bring your loser husband too.
ReplyDeleteCharles
I am way down for Journey!!
ReplyDelete-Wad
Well, I do have a backup venue, if I can't think of anything better. I think there are a lot of places that would be fun if people wanted to pay bar prices, like the 300 room. But a Loft-like place would be best.
ReplyDeletegbomb