Ben Tanzer's Blog, page 237

This Book Will Change (not just) Your Life (but others) - Working on a Dream - The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen/David Masciotra.

After a week or so of interviews with TBWCYL, Inc. favorite David Masiotra, here and here, appearances, many thanks again to Suzi T. and The Book Cellar crew, and the actual completion of his stirring new book Working on a Dream - The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen, we thought it was time for some reflection.
(1) We are convinced more than ever that David Masciotra is the bastard love child of Lester Bangs and William Julius Wilson.
(2) While we expected a book celebrating...

Vermin on the Mount - A Night of Irreverent Readings. Los Angeles. Tomorrow night. Hit it.

The new edition of This Zine Will Change Your Life is live, cluttered, rocking the halos and all Kalteis. Or something like that.

The new edition of This Zine Will Change Your Life is all cluttered and rocking the halos. Or something like that. We have a new piece of flash fiction Mary in the Bag by Dietrich Kalteis, which we are way excited about, and, as always, photo action from Adam Lawrence, a music selection from Jason Behrends and town hall meeting love from Pete Anderson. We hope you enjoy this edition and we appreciate all shout-outs and links. We would also add that we've decided to open the posts to your...

Wolf Parts by Matt Bell. You want some?

TBWCYL, Inc. favorite Matt Bell has a new minibook coming out from Keyhole Press called Wolf Parts. It is a "fragmentary re-telling of Little Red Riding Hood in forty short fictions," and we think its sound pretty cool indeed. We also think it just might change your life.

Corey Haim. Dang. R.I.P. Dude.

Masciotra. Tanzer. Springsteen. The Chicago Literary Scene Examiner Interview, Part Two.

More Masciotra. More Tanzer. More Springsteen. More excerpt. And much more appreciation for The Chicago Literary Scene Examiner.

EX: Every time I listen to "Born To Run", I get that teenage excitement to discover the world right now. I think it's the horns. Who is the literary equivalent of either a) The Boss or b) one of The Boss's songs/albums and why.

BT: I had this girlfriend in high school who once said to me that she would be happy as long as some guy at some point said to her "You...

Masciotra. Tanzer. Springsteen. The Chicago Literary Scene Examiner Interview, Part One.

Robert Duffer and the Chicago Literary Scene Examiner are most graciously doing a two-part interview with TBWCYL, Inc. spokesperson Ben Tanzer and author David Masciotra in advance of our most epic appearance tonight at The Book Cellar. Please do take a look, please join us and please enjoy the brief excerpt from part one below.

EX: How did a guy who dissects political issues through the lens of pop culture hook up with a guy whose characters think pop culture?

DM - I discovered Ben's second...

Prick of the Spindle podcast love and the Mel Bosworth.

Prick of the Spindle has a quite fine podcast with TBWCYL, Inc. favorite Mel Bosworth that we think you will quite enjoy. There are any number of highlights, but the best of them just might be Mel's reading of the awfully painful, yet awfully moving Swallow, a story of Mel's that originally ran in the always fine Annalemma.

Full of Crow: Weekly Poetry Hour reading. All archived and such.

Many thanks to Lynn Alexander and the entire Full of Crow team for welcoming TBWCYL, Inc. spokesperson Ben Tanzer as a guest on the Full of Crow: Weekly Poetry Hour reading last Sunday on Blog Talk Radio. We had the chance to read several pieces including Dick Cavett Says and It's Only Rock and Roll, But We Like It which ran in Thieves Jargon and Monkeybicycle respectively. We had much fun, we are much appreciative, we are archived and we hope you will take a look, because among other things...

For your consideration, a special Oscar edition of TBWCYL, Inc.'s 2009 Top Ten Movie list.

You may have heard that the Oscars are upon us and we thought that given this, why not take the opportunity to roll out the TBWCYL, Inc. 2009 Top Ten Movie list? So, even though David Masciotra will probably have something to say about it, here you go.
(1) District 9 - Neill Blomkamp
(2) The Hurt Locker - Kathryn Bigelow


(3) Where The Wild Things Are - Spike Jonze
(4) UP - Pete Doctor/Bob Peterson
(5) A Single Man - Tom Ford

(6) Precious -Lee Daniels
(7) The Road - John Hillcoat
(8) Up in The Air ...