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February 13, 2009
Shorties (Azar Nafisi, Emmy the Great, and more)
The New York Times reviews Azar Nafisi's latest memoir, Things I Have Been Silent About.
In the Toronto Star, Canadian writers share their love of libraries.
In the Australian, Ian McEwan remembers John Updike.
Like Bellow, his only equal in this, Updike is a master of effortless motion -- between third and first person, from the metaphorical density of literary prose to the demotic, from specific detail to wide generalisation, from the actual to the numinous, from the scary to the comic. For his own particular purposes, Updike devised for himself a style of narration, an intense, present tense, free indirect style, that can leap up, whenever it wants, to a God's eye view of Harry, or the view of his put-upon wife, Janice, or victimised son, Nelson. This carefully crafted artifice permits here assumptions about evolutionary theory, which are more Updike than Harry, and comically sweeping notions of Jewry, which are more Harry than Updike.
This Is Nottingham interviews Bloc Party's Matt Tong.
The Boston Globe profiles Los Campesinos!.
Hopelessness in the face of poor romantic choices, dark nights of the soul spent on one's knees in locales of dubious repute, and the gut punch of seeing an ex with a new love are but a few of the tragic tales the band tells with pathos and humor. But with giddily psychedelic organs that veer into stinging new wave dance riffs and gritty punk rock, "Doomed" is no downer - even though Gareth, the primary singer-lyricist who unleashes a torrent of words over his bandmates' fervent musical excursions, admits to a slight obsession with mortality.
The Irish Independent interviews singer-songwriter Emmy the Great.
Also, you're apparently in danger of going out of fashion. Didn't I read somewhere that heartfelt folk pop is like, SO, last year?
Really, where did you see that? Anyway, when our album was put back from last September, we knew that there was a general vogue we were missing out on. But even if folk was "last year" or three years ago, we'd still be making music, we'd still be using the arrangements we're using. So to separate yourself from all of the fads is quite a good thing in a way.
Tor.com celebrates Black History month by listing science fiction books "by black authors, that address the themes of race, postcolonialism, and identity."
Korem Shadmi talks to the Brooklyn Paper about his graphic novel, In the Flesh.
“For me, everything about Brooklyn is fascinating, from the people to the details of the buildings,” said Shadmi, who sets his haunting stories from McCarren Park — where a man goes for a walk with a cannibalistic girl in a hoodie — to Park Slope — where a plaid-shirt-clad guy picks up a hot body with no head.
Daytrotter's Friday session features in-studio mp3s fro Haley Bonar (whose Big Star was one of my favorite albums of 2008).
Kristin Hersh's online music label, CASH Music, has relaunched as a non-profit organization.
Birmingham Weekly profiles local band Vulture Whale.
School Library Journal interviews author Neil Gaiman.
Did you ever imagine winning the Newbery while writing The Graveyard Book (HarperCollins)?
No, I never thought that I was the kind of author that wins Newberys. Generally, I always thought that they were a lot more respectable than me and had been doing it a lot longer. I’m just thrilled and baffled. It’s just wonderful.
The Book Room lists recently published Abraham Lincoln books, including C.M. Butzer's Gettysburg: The Graphic Novel.
Mashable lists 5 online sites that find concerts happening near you.
NPR creates a Valentine's Day mixtape of hip-hop romantic laments.
also at Largehearted Boy:
Online "best of 2008" music lists
Online "best of 2008" book lists
daily mp3 downloads
Try It Before You Buy It (mp3s and full album streams from this week's CD releases)
weekly music & DVD release lists
tags: music books popculture indie news
