Andrew's profile

215 ratings | 7 reviews
avg rating: 3.47

Andrew's bookshelves

read (231)

currently-reading (4)

to-read (29)

Andrew is currently reading

	07/13 Andrew is currently reading: Number 9 Dream (Paperback) by David Mitchell bookshelves: currently-reading	my rating:
	Andrew said: "This better not be about the fucking Beatles. " add a comment
	06/20 Andrew is currently reading: English Composition As A Happening (Paperback) by Geoffrey Sirc bookshelves: currently-reading	my rating:
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	06/12 Andrew is currently reading: Talk Shows (Perfect Paperback) by Monica de la Torre bookshelves: currently-reading	my rating:
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Andrew's recent updates (rss)

July 29

Andrew took the never-ending book quiz.

questions answered:	10
correct:	6 (60.0%)
skipped:	0
best streak:	3
questions added:	0

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July 28

Andrew marked as to-read:
Prior Convictions: Stories from the Sixties (Southwest Life and Letters)
by Dave Hickey
bookshelves: to-read

my rating:

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Andrew marked as to-read:
Reader's Block (American Literature (Dalkey Archive))
by David Markson
bookshelves: to-read

my rating:

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Andrew marked as to-read:
Wittgenstein's Mistress (American Literature (Dalkey Archive))
by David Markson
bookshelves: to-read

my rating:

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New comment on Molly's review of The Master and Margarita

Andrew wrote: "Ah, I thought you'd like that! "

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July 13

Andrew is currently reading:
Number 9 Dream (Paperback)
by David Mitchell
bookshelves: currently-reading

my rating:

Andrew said: "This better not be about the fucking Beatles. "

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Andrew added:
54 (Hardcover)
by Wu Ming

my rating:

Andrew said: "I can't bring myself to give a rating to a book I never finished, but my god. 200 pages in and I still don't give a shit? This can't just be my fault. "

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July 10

Andrew gave

to:
A Personal Matter (Paperback)
by Kenzaburo Oë

my rating:

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June 22

Andrew gave

to:
Air Guitar: Essays on Art & Democracy (Paperback)
by Dave Hickey

my rating:

read in June, 2008

Andrew said: "Here's what's great - it's theory without being getting caught up in the jargon and allusion of theory that requires you to be an expert before you even begin. And hell it's theory that speaks to concrete ideas and objects and people. Funny, smart ...more Here's what's great - it's theory without being getting caught up in the jargon and allusion of theory that requires you to be an expert before you even begin. And hell it's theory that speaks to concrete ideas and objects and people. Funny, smart and erudite without being shitty. There's enough going on here that you can read entirely different things than I did - I saw mostly cultural critique than art, and I've heard others talk about the optimism and perscription for the art world that I didn't see. I can also imagine someone more involved in jazz or music to find that to be Hickey's main thrust. I'm also touched by Hickey's modesty - his name dropping isn't name dropping, and his descriptions of the incredible things he's done don't feel patronizing or bragging.

But when he gets out of the concrete examples, I get a bit confused. Hickey's primary concerns are democracy (everything from the democratization of art to the democracy that must exist in jazz) and sincerity, and I don't know what the hell he means by either of those words. I'll bet someone else does, and I'd be happy to hear it, but let me point out my confusion and maybe you (yeah you, who's reading this with that raised eyebrow and coif) can see why I'm asking what I'm asking.

Democracy - I guess what he's saying here is that art requires involvement from everyone (as opposed to his Looky-loos) and must be 'of the people' instead of 'for the people.' Fantastic, but hard to really understand from many of his essays.

Sincerity - I have no idea. Liberace is sincere? even though he was 'an open secret,' which is still a secret? A sunset has a false sincerity, and neon lights have a sincere falseness?

I guess what I'm saying is it would've been nice for him to include an essay defining these terms, because they're confusing and they seem like such linchpins throughout the rest of his arguments, and I just straight up don't get it.

(I won't add on to the complaints that he is now part of the institution that he seems to oppose or that he talks about his upbringing as being part of a secret, neither of which were very democratic, other than to say I noticed them and it added to my confusion of what democracy meant in his context)...less "

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Andrew gave

to:
Oracle Night (Paperback)
by Paul Auster

my rating:

read in June, 2008

Andrew said:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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see all 231 of Andrew's books »

Andrew's groups (recent posts)

Banned Books — 786 members — last activity 15 days ago, 09:12AM
To celebrate our love of reading books that people see fit to ban in this glorious nation.

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Andrew's friends (12)

	Michael 121 books 6 friends
	Tali 231 books 31 friends
	Katie 20 books 6 friends
	Melanie 109 books 21 friends
	.dora 26 books 3 friends
	Emily 12 books 4 friends
	Professor 238 books 11 friends
	Blake 4 books 12 friends
	Molly 235 books 6 friends
	Emily 10 books 1 friend
	Katherine 12 books 1 friend
	Talmadge 0 books 6 friends

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