Tuesday, July 15, 2003
Fri:
Gave exam, tore through Highsmith's -A Suspension Of Mercy-, mainly interesting for the way the protagonist (a mystery writer) projects his own failings onto his wife's unsupportiveness. Fell asleep at LACMA showing of shorts from French Cinematheque; they were fine, it was just so hot in there. "Dedicated to the infinite crowd." Strangely, a structuralist documentary by Rene Clair of the Eiffel Tower got the biggest hand.
Sat:
Bookstore, lunch w/ Darnielle, in town for a couple days -- tried to remember which 'new novelists' he should read after Robbe-Grillet. A little diss work & 2 CMJ reviews in afternoon (unspectacular recs -- Jeff Lewis, Pinebender). Ran into Rael in B. Pig. Puppet Terror show in evening: How did LA old-school punk get inextricably bound up in strip-club/Betty Page schtick? Too much of this reminded me of mid-'90s 'edgy' sideshows (Jim Rose, Lollapalooza kinda thing). Dispiriting. Kissed on cheek by very drunk girl I barely know in Girl Scout uniform.
Sun:
**Breakfast w/ JD, Tim Kirk, Bree. Beginnings of song for a Christian puppet musical: Lots of people have thought about Jesus/Some have thought quite a lot about Jesus/But the notions they've got about Jesus/are -not- about Jesus/at al....
Wrote Consonant album review, and Puppet Terror live review. Thought about hooking it on Bree's family's private word 'chaddy' (ex. Mrs. Havisham, Whatever Happened To Baby Jane) but just went straight in.
Mon:
Spent a.m. fooling w/ Logic program, gave class -- tired, not on, couldn't finish proving one of the theorems I started!! This happens. Went back to office and did derivations for that one and 20 others as penance. Worse-than-usual traffic on Hwd, Sunset, and Franklin on the way home, took more than an hour. Did little reviews of 3 recs for KSPC bins; drove out and did show (as per yesterday). Junior, the reggae DJ ahead of me, was dropping it old school for once -- "Pressure Drop," "Johnny Too Bad" -- so insanely better than the current dancehall he's usually got on when I show up.
Also some back and forth with SFJ and others about both Ross' piece and the fate of the 'consumer goods' list. Tangent: Darnielle keeps talking about the I Love Music boards, but nothing he or anyone has said has made it sound less than insufferable. Momus is on it, for God's sake.
OK: Critical pieces currently rolling around in my head.
Consonant interview (Seattle Weekly?)
Manny Farber (in assoc w/ SD art show; Believer?)
Malzberg (???)
rev new Johnny Mercer bio (Los Angeles?)
[next year/post diss]
watt (Weekly)
L.A. microtonal scene (Weekly)
Musicals and death [3P Opera/Pennies From Heaven/Dancer In The Dark] (The New Review)
Gave exam, tore through Highsmith's -A Suspension Of Mercy-, mainly interesting for the way the protagonist (a mystery writer) projects his own failings onto his wife's unsupportiveness. Fell asleep at LACMA showing of shorts from French Cinematheque; they were fine, it was just so hot in there. "Dedicated to the infinite crowd." Strangely, a structuralist documentary by Rene Clair of the Eiffel Tower got the biggest hand.
Sat:
Bookstore, lunch w/ Darnielle, in town for a couple days -- tried to remember which 'new novelists' he should read after Robbe-Grillet. A little diss work & 2 CMJ reviews in afternoon (unspectacular recs -- Jeff Lewis, Pinebender). Ran into Rael in B. Pig. Puppet Terror show in evening: How did LA old-school punk get inextricably bound up in strip-club/Betty Page schtick? Too much of this reminded me of mid-'90s 'edgy' sideshows (Jim Rose, Lollapalooza kinda thing). Dispiriting. Kissed on cheek by very drunk girl I barely know in Girl Scout uniform.
Sun:
**Breakfast w/ JD, Tim Kirk, Bree. Beginnings of song for a Christian puppet musical: Lots of people have thought about Jesus/Some have thought quite a lot about Jesus/But the notions they've got about Jesus/are -not- about Jesus/at al....
Wrote Consonant album review, and Puppet Terror live review. Thought about hooking it on Bree's family's private word 'chaddy' (ex. Mrs. Havisham, Whatever Happened To Baby Jane) but just went straight in.
Mon:
Spent a.m. fooling w/ Logic program, gave class -- tired, not on, couldn't finish proving one of the theorems I started!! This happens. Went back to office and did derivations for that one and 20 others as penance. Worse-than-usual traffic on Hwd, Sunset, and Franklin on the way home, took more than an hour. Did little reviews of 3 recs for KSPC bins; drove out and did show (as per yesterday). Junior, the reggae DJ ahead of me, was dropping it old school for once -- "Pressure Drop," "Johnny Too Bad" -- so insanely better than the current dancehall he's usually got on when I show up.
Also some back and forth with SFJ and others about both Ross' piece and the fate of the 'consumer goods' list. Tangent: Darnielle keeps talking about the I Love Music boards, but nothing he or anyone has said has made it sound less than insufferable. Momus is on it, for God's sake.
OK: Critical pieces currently rolling around in my head.
Consonant interview (Seattle Weekly?)
Manny Farber (in assoc w/ SD art show; Believer?)
Malzberg (???)
rev new Johnny Mercer bio (Los Angeles?)
[next year/post diss]
watt (Weekly)
L.A. microtonal scene (Weekly)
Musicals and death [3P Opera/Pennies From Heaven/Dancer In The Dark] (The New Review)
