Author Archives: Brian

About Andre Agassi’s “Open”

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Brian

This is one of the few sports books I’ve read that wasn’t a waste of time.  Agassi is a fascinating guy for many reasons, and is almost infinitely more interesting than most other pro athletes.  Almost all the reasons have … Continue reading →

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On O’Neill’s Netherland

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Brian

I finally got around to reading Netherland, and I enjoyed it a great deal.  I also read Zadie Smith’s somewhat-negative take on the book in her New York Review of Books essay of three years ago, “Two Paths for the … Continue reading →

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Open thread on Malcolm’s The Journalist and The Murderer?

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Brian

I hope this can be a post where the two of us writers can share some thoughts (and, through dialogue, develop some thoughts) about the Janet Malcolm text The Journalist and The Murderer.  After Ian first blogged about the book … Continue reading →

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A shame that Ellroy won’t tip his hat to a good shamus

Posted on August 28, 2011 by Brian

I was just looking again at Ian’s post of July 20 on this blog.  I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that James Ellroy’s criticism of Raymond Chandler is frivolous, and is based purely on Ellroy’s … Continue reading →

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David Foster Wallace on David Lynch

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Brian

There’s a fine interview of David Foster Wallace on the Charlie Rose Show of 3/27/97.  This is a transcript of a section in which they discuss the work of David Lynch and the notion of the “Lynchian.” DFW: What Lynchian … Continue reading →

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A thought on the Norway killings

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Brian

If there is one thing that the Norway mass-murder catastrophe made me aware of, it is this: evildoers don’t think of themselves as evildoers. They think of themselves as idealists.

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Godard in 1967 presages the House Republicans

Posted on July 31, 2011 by Brian

From Weekend (1967): I said to myself, what is the good of talking to them? If they buy knowledge, it’s only to resell it. They want knowledge to sell at a profit. They want nothing which would stand in the … Continue reading →

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Ian in Norway covering shooting aftermath

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Brian

Just a quick word to readers to say that, although Ian left the AP staff a month ago, he flew to Oslo on Friday (where he was once the AP’s Norway reporter) to help cover the aftermath of the shootings.  … Continue reading →

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Another guest post by Jean Cocteau

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Brian

At the age when Christ began with death Alexander died of a surfeit of glory. I imagine him, in despair, wondering sadly what he could still possess. One would like to reply: America, an aeroplane, a watch, a gramophone, the … Continue reading →

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Thoughts on The Tempest: For several reasons have I liked several women

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Brian

Consider the plight of Prospero.  He has magic at his disposal. He has a small army of spirits under his command, led by the great Ariel.  He can will weather disturbances into being.  On his island he is master of … Continue reading →

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