"Cormac McCarthy? “Horrible,” he says, looking at Blood Meridian. “This is probably the most pulpy, overwrought, melodramatic cowboy vs. Indians story ever written."

Nicholas Sparks, via USA Today

1 year ago on March 17th, 2010 at 7:42 am | Permalink

"Writers who are blessed with inborn talent can write easily, no matter what they do—or don’t do. Like water from a natural spring, the sentences just well up, and with little or no effort these writers can complete a work. I don’t fall into that category. I have to pound away at a rock with a chisel and dig out a deep hole before I can locate the source of my creativity."

Haruki Murakami, from the New Yorker, 6/9/08

1 year ago on March 10th, 2010 at 4:00 pm | Permalink

"It’s your legacy and you can’t accept the fact that this is the end of intelligent life. Write for them. Explain what transpired. If only to keep your mind busy and your heart steady."

A Reddit post: what you should do if you’re the last person on Earth.

1 year ago on March 10th, 2010 at 10:45 am | Permalink

"He couldn’t stop consuming; it was almost as if his size was a metaphor for the world’s greed for natural resources."

From a parody of Ian McEwan’s new climate-change book.

1 year ago on March 9th, 2010 at 3:07 pm | Permalink

Why You Should Pay for Music

— That relationship isn’t getting over itself. Grab the new Pink album during your Ben & Jerry’s run.

— You’re spending money on trivial stuff already. Does your puppy need an electric blue windbreaker or an organic birthday cake?

— Do you have a nice sound setup, a new pair of noise-canceling headphones, or an iPhone 3GS? And you use them to listen to your pirated music?

— Albums titled “High School Musical” (or something similar) shouldn’t be at the top of Billboard. Zac Efron is a chart-topping artist; I blame every one of you for this.

— Pitchfork partnered up with Lala. You only gain hipster cred if you paid for the new Animal Collective.

— Gorillaz album tomorrow.

1 year ago on March 8th, 2010 at 12:03 pm | Permalink

hipsterpuppies:

tenley made a big production about crying when david foster wallace died, but didn’t even finish infinite jest

[photo via jessica h]

1 year ago on March 5th, 2010 at 9:45 am | Permalink | Reblog from

Okay the video won’t embed. That’s not stopping me from posting about the awesomeness of this album. Review soon.

1 year ago on March 5th, 2010 at 1:12 am | Permalink

Gorillaz - Stylo

1 year ago on March 5th, 2010 at 12:14 am | Permalink

youmightfindyourself:

michael wells

1 year ago on March 3rd, 2010 at 8:55 am | Permalink | Reblog from

Animal Detectives!

fuckingbookdeal:

what a great tumblr

1 year ago on March 2nd, 2010 at 2:52 pm | Permalink | Reblog from

waaaaaaay better than the American cover

1 year ago on March 1st, 2010 at 12:53 pm | Permalink

1 year ago on March 1st, 2010 at 9:13 am | Permalink

Didn’t play this album until a few weeks after I bought it.* Now, though, it shows up at random times.

While pouring milk into a cereal bowl I’ll think of “The Mystery Zone,” its echoing guitars and themes of danger. Later, I walk back to my desk after lunch with coworkers while whistling “Nobody Gets Me But You.” Then “Who Makes Your Money” and its slow-motion synth join me on the train ride after work.

The album is curious and kitchy, and Spoon’s sound is intact but transformed. Vocals cut out before they finish, leaving the rhythm section alone to carry the song. Some catchier songs are accompanied by halting, disorienting rhythm (“Is Love Forever?”).

All in all, it’s good old Spoon with a twist. “Transference” is a psychological phenomenon of emotional redirection—unconsciously transferring older feelings to someone new. Yeah, that sounds about right.

_* I’ll write about buying music a little later.

1 year ago on February 26th, 2010 at 12:22 pm | Permalink

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle."

Steve Jobs

1 year ago on February 26th, 2010 at 11:26 am | Permalink

posted w/out comment

1 year ago on February 25th, 2010 at 7:48 am | Permalink

Why You Should Pay for Music

Animal Detectives!

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