The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Diaz has a talent for prose that allows him to balance the atrocities of Trujillo in one hand and the adolescent struggles of his characters in the other--without weighing the reader down with either. His prose is funny, detailed, and emotionally taxing. A damn good read.

Tree of Smoke

Quickly, I am over half-way finished with Denis Johnson's new book. It is the best, most-well-rounded view of the Vietnam War ever put into the novel form. I was overwhelmed at first by the detail. But this book quickly grew on me. I highly recommend it, if you're not afraid of a serious work of art.

Review from The New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/02/books/review/Lewis3-t.html?scp=4&sq=tree+of+smoke&st=nyt

Yard Sale - 10/13 - 10a-2p - Fashion & Accessories

I'm celebrating David and Rachel's wedding day with a fashion sale. Women's clothing and accessories $1/per item! Great brands: Gap, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor!!!

Tell a buddy, bring a friend.

Link to classified ad:
http://cincinnati.backpage.com/buyselltrade/classifieds/ViewAd?oid=oid%3A537271&name=yard%20sales

Bergman

I read that Ingmar Bergman passed today. And while I was not aware that he was alive, the news still saddened me. Bergman made some of my favorite movies: The Seventh Seal, Persona, Cries and Whispers, Fanny and Alexander. In the last few years several of these have been released or re-released on DVD. I hope that his death will at least renew interest in his work.


On a lighter note, I can't help but think of The Seventh Seal and Max Von Sydow playing chess with Death. Near the end of their match, Death accidentally knocks over the pieces. Von Sydow's character is furious. "You cheated," says the knight in a thick Swedish baritone.

Additional content: nytimes.com, allmovie.com

Tapes N' Tapes - The Loon

Great album. The Pixies/Pavement/Modest Mouse comparisons are deserved but a little shallow. (I love those bands, but am sick of the pigeon-holing). The lyrics are cryptic, weird, and passionate. The production is low-fi, but works well with the general aesthetic of the recording. Nice mixture of sounds--a twinkling keyboard here, a few chimes there--to balance out the garage tones. The best part of the album is the composition of the songs--great melodies and enough left-turns to keep things interesting.

I'm not sure why some reviewers say that this recording is rough around the edges; the band is incredibly tight. I think a lot of them have confused the musicianship of the band with production values. The songs could hardly be played better.

The Real World

So, Andrea and I had the first party at our new place, a shower for a couple of our friends. Everything went well. Better than I thought it would. I forgot how much I liked parties, and Skull--he forgot how he liked petite quiches.

As my wedding approaches, I keep thinking about how much I need to do. I'm still convinced that the reason why I'm stressed is because I'm paying for it. I don't think I get very stressed about anything but money these days. I do get sad when I get the No's back in the mail. I completely understand why people can't make it. And, frankly, since I'm paying for it, I should be relieved. But not really. I want all my people there. It makes me a little sad.

Skull is anxiously awaiting the wedding; he's already got his tuxedo picked out and has even prepared a speech. I've got to say I've never seen his cheekbones stick out and his teeth chatter so much. He's disappointed we aren't having an outdoor wedding so he could wear his sunglasses, but he told me that as long as the martinis are flowing, he'll be fine...

It's like Whitney Houston is singing from out in the distance: "Welcome to the real world, welcome to the rest of your life..."

Robert Maxwell - A Strange Life (Continued)

There is a new Robert Maxwell book available:

http://www.amazon.com/Robert-Maxwell-Israels-Superspy-Gordon/dp/0786712953/sr=8-1/qid=1171646739/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-3264376-5612743?ie=UTF8&s=books

I would highly recommend reading it. I also suggest this Robert Maxwell book:

http://www.amazon.com/Maxwell-Rise-Fall-Robert-Empire/dp/1559721235/sr=8-1/qid=1171647077/ref=sr_1_1/104-3264376-5612743?ie=UTF8&s=books