Glen Hirshberg's Blog, page 13
June 17, 2014
The Coroner's Lunch
Tuesday Round-up of Everything, Week of 6/17, SIDEBAR:
Today's Kindle Daily Deal is THE CORONER'S LUNCH, the first book in Colin Cotterill's eerie, funny, earthy, spectral-tinged mystery series about the only coroner in 1970s Communist Laos. If you haven't yet discovered this, it's my favorite series currently running, it's sui generis, and you owe yourself the treat.
Today's Kindle Daily Deal is THE CORONER'S LUNCH, the first book in Colin Cotterill's eerie, funny, earthy, spectral-tinged mystery series about the only coroner in 1970s Communist Laos. If you haven't yet discovered this, it's my favorite series currently running, it's sui generis, and you owe yourself the treat.
Javier Marías
Tuesday Round-up of Everything, Week of 6/17, Post 3:
Javier Marías lives on the windy side of genius, for sure. I picture him not so much writing as leaning out of his stylized, lushly appointed garret, a cross between the Once ler and Plato, only he talks more than either.
But:
"I believe I've still never mistaken fiction for reality, though I have mixed them together more than once, as everyone does, not only novelists or writers but everyone who has recounted anything since the time we know began, and no one in that known time has done anything but tell and tell, or prepare and ponder a tale, or plot one."
Story of my life(story)?
Javier Marías lives on the windy side of genius, for sure. I picture him not so much writing as leaning out of his stylized, lushly appointed garret, a cross between the Once ler and Plato, only he talks more than either.
But:
"I believe I've still never mistaken fiction for reality, though I have mixed them together more than once, as everyone does, not only novelists or writers but everyone who has recounted anything since the time we know began, and no one in that known time has done anything but tell and tell, or prepare and ponder a tale, or plot one."
Story of my life(story)?
True Detective vs House of Cards
T.R.U.E. (Tuesday Round-up of Everything), Week of 6/17, Post 2:
Y'all were so, so right about "True Detective," and I apologize it took me so long to listen. I've got this Woody Harrelson thing, which doesn't even compare to my Matthew Mcconaughey thing, and it looked seedy for the sake of seedy...anyway, I'm sorry. The green, gritty light in those cane fields. The birds rising out of the ruins of that church. The wondrous character of Woody's wife. And, yeah, Woody and Matthew. Who knew.
But...
"House of Cards." That...was a joke, right? You were kidding? 'Cause, I mean...in terms of cinematography and imagery, the look is about as enticing and memorable as the Bunker family living room. The people are "Days of Our Lives" flat, not just puppets on strings but faceless puppets on strings. As my fourteen year-old son Sid said, thirty seconds in: "Why IS Kevin Spacy breaking the fourth wall, exactly?" And then there's the dialogue. As when Kevin says the following about his wife--meaning to imply that he admires and cherishes her ruthlessness and viciousness: "I love that woman like a shark loves blood." Which would make her...blood? Would make HIM the...But he was trying to say...
Y'all were so, so right about "True Detective," and I apologize it took me so long to listen. I've got this Woody Harrelson thing, which doesn't even compare to my Matthew Mcconaughey thing, and it looked seedy for the sake of seedy...anyway, I'm sorry. The green, gritty light in those cane fields. The birds rising out of the ruins of that church. The wondrous character of Woody's wife. And, yeah, Woody and Matthew. Who knew.
But...
"House of Cards." That...was a joke, right? You were kidding? 'Cause, I mean...in terms of cinematography and imagery, the look is about as enticing and memorable as the Bunker family living room. The people are "Days of Our Lives" flat, not just puppets on strings but faceless puppets on strings. As my fourteen year-old son Sid said, thirty seconds in: "Why IS Kevin Spacy breaking the fourth wall, exactly?" And then there's the dialogue. As when Kevin says the following about his wife--meaning to imply that he admires and cherishes her ruthlessness and viciousness: "I love that woman like a shark loves blood." Which would make her...blood? Would make HIM the...But he was trying to say...
REM
TRUE (Tuesday Round-up of Everything), Week of 6/17, Post 1:
REM's "Unplugged: 1991-2001" is exactly good enough to remind me how good they once were, no better. Every song I thought I remembered, I still remember. There are a couple ("Find a River"!) that I forgot I remembered. And every song I'd truly forgotten--that is, virtually everything after drummer Bill Berry left except "Electrolite"--I still can't remember, even after hearing it again. Given that Mr. Berry always struck me as more solid than special, it's amazing how deep and wide the gap is between almost everything this band did with him and everything they did without him. Even unplugged, with Berry (in 1991) and his fill-ins (in 2001) tapping congas and cans.
REM's "Unplugged: 1991-2001" is exactly good enough to remind me how good they once were, no better. Every song I thought I remembered, I still remember. There are a couple ("Find a River"!) that I forgot I remembered. And every song I'd truly forgotten--that is, virtually everything after drummer Bill Berry left except "Electrolite"--I still can't remember, even after hearing it again. Given that Mr. Berry always struck me as more solid than special, it's amazing how deep and wide the gap is between almost everything this band did with him and everything they did without him. Even unplugged, with Berry (in 1991) and his fill-ins (in 2001) tapping congas and cans.
June 15, 2014
Father's Day
Thinking about John Pelan, one of the first editors in the field to decide I might maybe have something special to offer, and the delightful, useless, half-a-night argument we had about the difference between horror and terror, at my first-ever World Fantasy Convention. A long time ago, now. Hoping against hope, John.
And about Lucius Shepard, whom I never met in person, who was so supportive of me, such an extraordinarily gifted writer, so good to so many in the face of such consistent pain. I hope that those memorializing him in New York tonight tell good stories, comfort each other, celebrate that we had him around, have an evening worthy of the man.
And my several close friends for whom today suddenly means something else.
And about Father's Day.
And how unspeakably lucky I feel to have one. And be one.
And about Lucius Shepard, whom I never met in person, who was so supportive of me, such an extraordinarily gifted writer, so good to so many in the face of such consistent pain. I hope that those memorializing him in New York tonight tell good stories, comfort each other, celebrate that we had him around, have an evening worthy of the man.
And my several close friends for whom today suddenly means something else.
And about Father's Day.
And how unspeakably lucky I feel to have one. And be one.
