The Atlantic Monthly has compiled a list of the 100 most influential Americans. I don’t know if it’s more of a commentary on the list or America that there’s so little diversity on it. Full list behind the cut, for the curious.
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Charles Shields, whose biography of Harper Lee was published earlier this year, is starting work on a biography of Kurt Vonnegut. He would like to hear from any of you about your experiences with Vonnegut, "either personally or with his novels." He can be reached at cjs1994ATearthlinkDOTnet, or if you want a phone number send me an email and I’ll give it to you.
So, Slate’s book coverage has pretty much been dead to me since the inept savagery of Karen Joy Fowler’s The Jane Austen Book Club. If that hadn’t done it, I’m sure this would have.
Now comes the proud proclamation that Octavian Nothing actually sucks–really, we’ve all just been snowed. We like a good sermon, apparently. (Although she gets points for referencing Matt’s review.)
Or maybe such reactionary book coverage isn’t worth the pixels it’s printed in.
File Under, Wrongheaded Read More »
This looks to be a good one, and judging by the title, we’re back to the Pi Sigs.
Lord of the Pi’s. Selma Rose (guest star Patricia Hearst), the wealthy grand-daughter of the founder of Hearst College and a member of the Hearst College Board of Trustees, mysteriously disappears the night before she is to cast a swing vote that will determine the fate of the Greek system on campus. Keith (Enrico Colantoni), with Veronica’s (Kristen Bell) help, is hired by Dean O’Dell (guest star Ed Begley, Jr., "Arrested Development") to investigate the disappearance. Meanwhile, Veronica has been rehired as a photographer at the Hearst Free Press, but she and Logan (Jason Dohring) fight over her involvement in the rape case. Percy Daggs III, Francis Capra, Ryan Hansen, Michael Muhney, Tina Majorino, Chris Lowell and Julie Gonzalo also star. Steve Gomer directed the episode written by Diane Ruggiero.
Diana Gill of Morrow/Eos hosts a roundtable of John Crowley, Tim Powers, Jeff Ford and James Morrow, talking about secret histories. Since Pynchon’s on everyone’s lips this week, here’s a relevant snippet from John Crowley:
Maybe you could distinguish between books that are about secret histories (like The Crying of Lot 49) and secret histories themselves. What Pynchon got was that we’d rather be titillated by the possibility of the secret history than to hear it explicated. A wonderful new book out now explicates the many variants on Hollow Earth stories–from Ignatius Donnelly to Edgar Rice Burroughs and beyond. I’d say that the Hollow Earth story is about as perfect a paradigm of an actual secret history as Pynchon’s is the paradigm about one. Of course I attempted a combo or trifecta in the Aegypt series, about, embodying, and losing a secret history. (Note: I said attempted.)
Read the whole thing. And, apparently, there are more installments to come, which makes me very happy.
Historical Secrecy Read More »
And tonight’s episode is:
Homecoming. As H.R.G. (Jack Coleman) tries to protect his daughter by any means, Claire’s (Hayden Panettiere) high school homecoming turns into a frightening night. Meanwhile, Nathan (Adrian Pasdar) and Simone (Tawny Cypress) work together to find Isaac’s (Santiago Cabrera) painting for Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) — but this key to the future could lead to tragedy. Elsewhere, Hiro (Masi Oka) travels back in time to right an upsetting wrong and as Niki (Ali Larter) puts a goal in sight, Micah (Noah Gray-Cabey) spends time with his dad (Leonard Roberts). Still experiencing strange dreams while in India, Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy) learns of a boy that might pull him back into his father’s research. Greg Grunberg also stars. Nora Zehetner ("Everwood"), Sakina Jaffery ("Third Watch") and Jayma Mays ("Entourage") guest-star.
And there went the weekend. No email answered (really, those two don’t count). Family seen (lovely) and a little writing done (whew). But I really do want to get all caught up on the correspondence before the houseguests arrive for Thanksgiving (YAY!).
(TV* sidenotes: Is it just me or is the new bad guy on House reminscent of Road House? Also, my favorite parts of Bones are when Bones and Boreanaz bicker in the car — who said car chatter is always dull?)
*It is my favorite procrastination tool. Besides, y’know, life, which hardly feels like procrastination.