Organizing questions this week:
- Being sick really limits one’s productivity when it comes to reading
- Tao Lin. Poser? Genius? Both?
- Man on Wire. God should I not not have seen that sooner?
- SOTU: Barry crushed it.
Just because it’s boring doesn’t mean that it’s accurate….or good.
I kind of got the smackdown laid on me in class when I suggested that Tao Lin’s “character” “Sam” is disinterested in Shoplifting from American Apparel. The problem that I see here is a classic one for the Indie crowd. If you perform disinteredness in your aesthetic works, are you interested after all? Even if you’re interested in your own disinteredness, yes. Yes you are. Especially, as was pointed out to me in the aforementioned smackdown, when you exhibit optimism about your future. That is, when you make plans that center around your health: eating vegan, for example. Did anyone else read this book and want to throw it off a skyscraper though? Come on. Gotta hand it to him though,his poetry is pretty hysterical.
I’m late to the game on this, obviously. But come on. If you’ve seen it, you know why I’m recommending it, even belatedly. “Life should be lived on the edge.” Pascal Roge’s simple interpretation of Satie’s Gymnopedie #1 is awesome and provides a stripped down refrain that underlays the narrative. But also check out the Hubert Laws’ version on In the Beginning for an acid jazz riff on the sappiest tune since Claire de Lune.
State of the Union: Hope is Back Baby….I think
I think Barry O beat expectations, but let’s see what comes next on health care and on a fluffy time of bipartisanship ahead. He hit the right tone and forced R’s to stand up way more than they probably expected….for anyone who missed it, the full address is kind of all over the place, but here’s one link. Here’s the GOP response from Bob McDonnell.
Album of the Week?
Kind of a music-less week. Any recommendations?
