reading
Stephen King on Twitter
I started reading Stephen King‘s new time travel epic, 11/22/63, last week. So far, I am enjoying it immensely. I haven’t broken the spine on a King novel since high school and I don’t read much fiction but the subject matter caught my attention. Lately, my reading has unintentionally congregated around cults of personality: Vincent Bugliosi‘s Charles Manson tome, Helter Skelter, Hampton Sides‘ Hellhound On His Trail, about Martin Luther King‘s assassination at the alleged hands of James Earl Ray, and Walter Issacson‘s officious, illuminating, and technically soggy biography of Steve Jobs.
11/22/63, however ominous thus far, has a light and giddy air to it. King’s protagonist, a Maine high school English teacher named Jake Epping, is a perfect vehicle for complaints about grammar, frequent references to literature and, occasionally, veiled references to a certain social network. On page 161 of the book, King writes, through Epping’s first person narrative, “When I woke up the next morning, a nine-o’ clock sun was shining in my as-yet-curtain-less bedroom window, birds were twittering self-importantly, and I thought I knew what I had to do. Keep it simple, stupid.” I think he’s on to something.
The Expanding Coterie
Five topics related only in as much as these friends are doing good work, deserving of your time and attention.
1. Erik Loyer, the creator of, and my collaborator on, the iOS app Strange Rain talks childhood trauma, softball (also a form of childhood trauma), and the Apple II with Kill Screen Magazine.
2. Josh Ottum‘s Like The Season, is one of my favorite records made in the last 10 years. His new album, Watch TV, comes out July 19th. Read a review by the venerable Ned Raggett and listen to excerpts via OC Weekly.
3. New York Times illustrator and Twilight & Ghost Stories cover artist Grady McFerrin gets the Grain Edit spotlight for his gorgeous, ageless, hand-cramping typography.
4. In addition to producing, engineering, and teaching, Ronan Chris Murphy also hosts the fantastic, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-studio-shorts Ronan’s Recording Show. You can watch all the episodes online or subscribe to the podcast via iTunes. One of my personal favorites involves a visit to Sound City in Van Nuys.
5. Critics Leigh Alexander and Kirk Hamilton examine L.A. Noire from unique vantage points (practical and post-modern, respectively) and come to a similar conclusion: in attempting to be something more than just a video game, it fails at being a video game altogether.
God, The Devil & The Diamond
Here’s a classic for all the baseball lovers. Especially 80′s baseball.
Steve Wulf, writing in March of 1988 for Sports Illustrated:
One current struggle bears watching. It began in 1983, when Jim Gott, then pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays, faced second baseman Tim Teufel, who had just been called up to the Minnesota Twins. Teufel hit his first major league homer off Gott. Later in the same game he singled off Gott. In German, Gott is God and Teufel is Devil.
Theologians should not lose heart, though. In an exhibition game the next spring, Gott hit Teufel with a pitch. They didn’t face each other again until last summer, when Teufel, playing for the Mets, grounded out twice against Gott, who was pitching for the Pirates. So far, the Devil is 2 for 4 against God.
Says Gott, “You know, as a Mormon, I feel a tremendous amount of pressure facing Teufel. Just kidding. Actually, Tim and I kid each other a lot about it. His name may mean the Devil, but he seems like a great guy.”
Says Teufel, “I don’t know about Gott being God, but he does have a great fastball. To tell you the truth, though, my nemesis is Steve Carlton. Struck me out four times in one game at the end of his career. My god, what was he like in his prime?”
Fallin’ Ditch
On December 17th, 2010, Don Van Vliet, better known as Captain Beefheart, passed away due to complications from multiple sclerosis. In 1969 he released the song “Fallin’ Ditch” on the album Trout Mask Replica. In 1996 he released this powerful reading of the song’s lyrics. Listening to this new version while thinking of his passing, I felt as though I understood the song for the first time.
Fallin’ Ditch
When I get lonesome the wind begin t’ moan?
When I trip fallin’ ditch?
Somebody wanna’ throw the dirt right down?
When I feel like dyin’ the sun come out?
’n stole m’ fear ‘n gone
Who’s afraid of the spirit with the bluesferbones?
Who’s afraid of the fallin’ ditch
Fallin’ ditch ain’t gonna get my bones
How’s that for the spirit
How’s that for the things?
Ain’t my fault the thing’s gone wrong?
‘n when I’m smilin’ my face wrinkles up real warm
’n when um frownin’ things just turn t’ stone?
Fallin’ ditch ain’t gonna get my bones
’n when I get lonesome the wind begin t’ moan
Fallin’ ditch ain’t gonna get my bones
Download it here. Rest in peace Captain.
The Week In Reading
A much needed article (in the NY Times!) on Mad Magazine artist and Fold-In creator Al Jaffee. I remember looking for pictures of Jaffee, Jack Davis and Don Martin years ago and couldn’t find anything. Nice to see Al is still around and working with great flourish, whether he thinks so or not.
The Times also chimes in with a nice essay by clothing designer Marc Ecko.
I will mention my recent L.A. Record review again, only to recommend that you watch the live Herbie Hancock/Joni Mitchell concert on Yahoo!. There’s an audience shot during Joni’s standing ovation 32 seconds into “River.” I’m the tall German dude with the big head in the upper left hand corner.
More well researched, well written reportage from Long Beach’s The District Weekly. This time it’s Dave Wielenga looking into the state of the city’s lamentable daily paper, The Press Telegram. The article is called Dad Roasts Devil Tot. Interested yet?