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I had to read this book for a college class and while I was admittedly not all that interested in getting to know it (not sure why), after awhile I actually found myself enjoying it, even laughing out loud at parts. A satire on the British upper class, the novel is set in the 1930s and focuses on the breakdown of the marriage of the fictional characters Tony and Lady Brenda Last.
Waugh was best known for his darkly humorous and satirical novels, though he was extremely conservative. George Orwell apparently called him "about as good a novelist as one can be while holding untenable opinions." Regardless, I'm still interested in reading some of Waugh's other satirical works.
Published in 2003, this book contains an introduction by Mike Watt, lyrics to every Minuteman song, Watt's tour diary written on a 1983 tour with Black Flag, writings by Joe Carducci, Richard Meltzer, and Thurston Moore, and Raymond Pettibon drawings throughout. It comes in a cute little square package with a silkscreened front, back, inside covers, and flaps.
Published by L'oie de Caravan, a Quebec publisher, the book is written in both English and French simultaneously (English on the left side, French on the right). It appears that the French side is not always a direct translation of the English side of the spread.
The front and back inside covers feature a drawing of Mike Watt that I believe is based on this photo.
While perhaps not essential reading, it's definitely a nice package and an interesting read for Minutemen fans.
I bought this biography of Andy Kaufman not long after Man in the Moon was released. That movie was my first real introduction to Kaufman and I was intrigued. I wanted to know more. In addition to telling his life story, this book tries to get inside Kaufman's mind (to the extent that that is possible). I remember it seeming pretty effective, though who can know for sure? The man's been dead for 25 years* and I doubt that anyone really knew his thought processes while he was alive.
There are a few black and white spreads of some great archival photos like these from his early days. The top left one is especially cool--it's 14-year-old Andy entertaining some neighborhood children at a birthday party.*There are speculations that he faked his own death to escape celebrity. I suppose anything's possible, especially given Kaufman's history. But I'm inclined to think that he is just dead. Maybe he will reveal himself and prove me wrong.
I picked up this book at one of my favorite stores, Spoonbill and Sugartown, without really knowing much about it. All I knew was that I liked the premise, and the drawings contained within.
The book is by Nigel Peake, an architecture student from Northern Ireland. His background is definitely reflected in the, well, architectural style of his drawings.
"The drawings included in this book were drawn in June and July and collated in December. They are intended as records of lost buildings and constructions - inspired by a collection of photographs (some of which appear int his book) found in a secondhand store in Philadelphia. The lady who sold them to me said they were 'instant relatives.' It has been a joy to draw and dwell on these structures and to remember the empty houses that line the country roads and the edges of prospering towns." (From the last page of the book)
I love the watercolor stripes. I don't know why but they seem to perfectly complement the buildings.
And there's something so intriguing about old, dilapidated, crumbling buildings, long forgotten--ghost houses, if you will.After perusing Nigel Peake's website, I've found that he has a number of other books for sale, as well as prints, zines, and the like. I may very well have to purchase a few!
Tony Millionaire, creator of such titles as Maakies and Sock Monkey, is one of my favorite comics artists. His work is strange, hilarious, and unsettling at its tamest--more often, I'd say dark and creepy, maybe even disturbing (but always great). This book is the tale of Becky, a young girl and scientist, and her friend Billy Hazelnuts, who was created by mice out of suet, yeast, and mince-meat pie.
His drawing style is a mix of cartoonish and realistic. As evidenced by his work across the board, he seems to particularly love drawing old houses and ships.
Fantasy and adventure are almost always infused into his storytelling. In this book, Becky and Billy journey to find the missing moon while battling an evil steam-driven alligator with a seeing-eye skunk. Need I say more?
Whitehead's first novel (and the only one I've read) takes place in an alternate New York City, where elevator inspection is an extremely serious and controversial issue. There are two opposing factions, the Empiricists and the Intuitionists, within the Department of Elevator Inspectors. At the heart of the story is Lila Mae, an Intuitionist, and the first black female elevator inspector in the history of the department. With shades of noir mystery, it is a strange and gripping story. Or so I remember. Maybe I ought to check out some of Whitehead's other novels.
I had to read this book for a college class and while I was admittedly not all that interested in getting to know it (not sure why), after awhile I actually found myself enjoying it, even laughing out loud at parts. A satire on the British upper class, the novel is set in the 1930s and focuses on the breakdown of the marriage of the fictional characters Tony and Lady Brenda Last.
Waugh was best known for his darkly humorous and satirical novels, though he was extremely conservative. George Orwell apparently called him "about as good a novelist as one can be while holding untenable opinions." Regardless, I'm still interested in reading some of Waugh's other satirical works.
