Writers whose works I love: Neal Stephenson, Thomas Pynchon, Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, Herman Melville, Ishmael Reed, Leo Tolstoy, Franz Kafka, Feodor Dostoevsky, Anton Chekhov, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, and James Joyce.
Email at PeterRobJon at gmail
Twitter: BrevetCaptain
So glad to have 2Yellows back.
And his book is good thus far. There’s a really powerful scene early on, and as a reader, I want to know what happens next.
As a professional literary critic I can offer no better advice that this: if you’re writing a story, make me want to know what happens next.
This is for Jack on the loss of his dog.
‘Carnation Lily Lily Rose’ by John Singer Sargent, the most beautiful painting I’ve ever seen in person.
This is a pretty good image of it, but even good digital photography can’t quite get the glow of the lanterns, the glow that gladdens any heart, the glow I hope reaches Jack.
Be well my friend.
Ha—my guess is that Dr. West would have been sorely tempted to beat O’Reilly down.
I have a sneaking suspicion that in his head, Dr. West was thinking along the lines of St. Augustine: ‘Lord give me chastity and temperance, but not now.’
If one has a chance to hear West speak, do so. The man is bona fide. What are you, O’Reilly, ya pinhead!
2yellows-deactivated20121226 asked: Thoughts on Joseph Conrad in terms of place in history? I'm torn, I've always loved Heart of Darkness, but he seemed limited overall.
Oh, I like this question.
Conrad is caught in the post-colonialism trap—he can’t be seen outside the colonial project that was so destructive to so many cultures, peoples, and colonized states.
However, The Secret Agent (Conrad invented the spy novel here, basically), The ‘Nigger’ of the Narcissus, Heart of Darkness, ‘The Secret Sharer,’ Lord Jim, and a whole bunch of other works are indispensable for seeing where Victorianism ends and Modernism begins.
Great question.
I think Carl is going to have a good year.
Bobby V should have him lead off, then Ellsbury, Pedey, Gonzo, Papi, Youk, Salty. That’s a killer lineup.
Agreed 100%. One of MLB at Bat’s best features is getting to hear Scully and Miller doing Dodger and Giants’ games, and the Mariners’ guys who are great.
The Barves’ guys are pretty bad, mainly because they have to constantly shill for products all game long, but these Orioles’ guys sound bored. But as Chris says, what are they gonna do, talk about the Orioles?
FIVE PASSES!
nb4r, there’s one guy on the Badgers who can shoot and two on the Hoosiers.
But slow and sloopy footwork, bad lay-ups, and general awkwardness abounds.
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I think a) it’s Daniel Day-Lewis’ finest performance, which is saying something, as ‘My Left Foot,’ ‘A Room with a View,’ ‘There Will Be Blood,’ ‘In the Name of the Father,’ etc. and b) it’s Scorcese’s greatest mis-step.
If you want to make ‘Hamlet,’ make ‘Hamlet,’ Marty, but when your Claudius is soooo much more interesting than your Hamlet, that’s a problem. Leo can’t hold Daniel’s hat in this film. Bill the Butcher’s story is much more compelling than Amsterdam’s.
Every scene without Bill is a mistake.
2yellows replied to your post: Good Seats Still Available at the War Memorial
There was no one in Detroit yesterday, and that’s another 1pm start today. People do have to work, supposedly.
Yeah, plus it’s damn cold.
I never understand the schedule that has a team like Seattle opening on the road instead of hosting another cold weather team in its roofed stadium.
The season is just too long. Going back to 154 and pushing Opening Day back a few days would be a good thing.
2yellows replied to your post: 20 Minutes to ‘BOOOOOO!’
Meanwhile, I’m just hoping the Rays aren’t the “team the Sox got well against”. We’ll see.
Unlikely.
The Sox have struggled with the Devil Dogs Rays for five years now. Beckett has thumb issues, there’s no bullpen, and it’s all Salty’s fault.
2yellows replied to your post: Baseball lagniappe
The Rays had a promotion last year that was so stupid it was genius. 10 strikeouts by the starting pitcher got you a coupon for a free pizza that you had to pick up at a furniture store. Seriously.
Because of course you did. That’s tremendous.
2yellows replied to your photo: Never Forget.
You know, winning a fucking VMA is hard work man. You should NEVER interrupt such a prestigious fucking ceremony with these types of juvenile shenanigans. ;)
IT WAS A FARCE! Hörnblowér had the ideas for Star Wars and everything!
2yellows-deactivated20121226 asked: Thoughts on comics as literature? I feel like certain authors (Alan Moore, specifically) definitely qualify.
Oh, great question. Comics can definitely be literary—Art Spiegelman, Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, et al—are absolutely literary stars. Spiegelman won the Pulitzer for Maus, after all.
Sure, the medium is the message, but I get grumpy when I hear that comics/comix/graphic novels can’t be literature. Genre is simply a means of telling a story or expressing emotion, and I’d put Maus or Watchmen up with any of the non-illustrated classics of the post-WW2 era. If Maus doesn’t move a reader, that’s the reader’s problem, not Spiegelman’s.
2yellows-deactivated20121226 asked: Who would play you in the bio pic, and who would the main band be on the soundtrack?
Interesting question. Never thought about it. I think that Adrian Brody is my favorite actor working right now, so let’s go there.
I was going to go with the Blues Explosion, but Bourdain uses them, and he’s a pompous ass. So, the band would be Soundgarden.
2yellows answered your question: Last Friday vs. Now
Louisville-Cincinnati shortly. Jeepers Creepers on AMC is always fun. Bobby V on Costas on NBCSN.
Oh, great suggestions, except Bobby V makes me stabby.
