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January 9, 2010
Shorties (Douglas Coupland, Biggie & Tupac, and more)
The New York Times reviews Douglas Coupland's latest novel, Generation A.
Coupland’s novels have explored the vertiginous acceleration of culture as it intersects with media and technology, as well as the impact of those forces on a disaffected subgroup of drifters and eco-freaks, teenagers and young adults, dropouts and designers, programmers and cubicle inhabitants, gamers and geeks. All of it is rendered with the paradoxical combination of empathy and irony that marks Coupland’s work. And “Generation A” is no exception.
SnagFilms is now streaming the hip-hop documentary Biggie and Tupac.
Rolling Stone offers an excerpt from Patti Smith's new memoir, Just Kids.
Hallelujah the Hills frontman Ryan Walsh is auctioning a collage he made, with proceeds going to The Franciscan Hospital For Children & Special Needs Patients.
The Guardian lists 10 of the best ice skating episodes in literature.
The Omaha World-Herald examines the return of the boombox.
The Boston Globe reviews Ha Jin's latest short fiction collection, A Good Fall.
The short stories in “ A Good Fall’’ are similarly airy in their structure, and on first reading, many of them feel insubstantial. The stories are fluid; Ha Jin simply drops us into his characters’ lives, then levitates us back out of them. Although some are forgettable, other stories will take up quiet residence in your consciousness, shining a light into lives that too often go unseen.
At the MTV Buzzworthy Blog, album covers from classic 1980s movies get comic book makeovers thanks to artist Cliff Chiang.
The Walrus interviews cartoonist Jeff Lemire.
FACT lists 20 albums to look forward to in 2010.
The National Post lists its most anticipated books of 2010.
ZME lists the 15 most anticipated music releases of 2010.
At the Guardian, David Peace interviews author James Ellroy.
JE: Yeah, I live a very, very simple interior life that allows this stuff to build in me and come to me slowly over time. And the voices come to me. And the situations come to me. So I don't think about very many things. And those few things I think about, I think about intensely. So I am able to take small bits of information and infuse them with verisimility.
My "best of 2009" lists:
favorite albums of 2009
favorite novels of 2009
favorite nonfiction of 2009
favorite short story collections of 2009
favorite graphic novels of 2009
favorite music of 2009 (at Urban Outfitters)
Follow me on Twitter for links that don't make the daily "Shorties" columns.
also at Largehearted Boy:
online "best of 2009" book lists
online "best of 2009" music lists
Online Best of the Decade (2000-2009) Book Lists
best of the decade (2000-2009) online music lists
daily mp3 downloads
Try It Before You Buy It (mp3s and full album streams from this week's CD releases)
