Before I go into my latest list of things I love right now, I want to say how excited I am to look in my blossombones mailbox and already see a nice chunk of prose subs! You like me, you really like me! In all seriousness though, it rocks to see the new subs rolling in - I'm already excited to put together my section for the next issue! Woo hoo! To add to that, I want to challenge everyone out there in blossombonesland to send me some kickass personal essays. I rarely get any non-fiction subs, and sometimes pieces about real people - about you! - can be some of the best stuff!
1. To help you get started on your quest to fulfill my challenge, my first item on the list of things I'm totally digging right now is the new David Sedaris book! Now, I usually love all his stuff anyway, but I have been awaiting this new book since probably two days after this one came out (which, by the way, I own an autographed copy of, thanks to my sister!). I love Sedaris' work because, though it's side-splittingly, make-me-laugh-my-ass-off-on-the-train, make-me-laugh-so-hard-people-look-at-me-funny hilarious, Sedaris does an excellent job of bringing even the craziest of his essays full-circle. I can't think of an essay of his that I don't like, that doesn't resonate with me. I absolutely recommend his new work!
2. The first 7/8ths of the movie The Strangers - Okay, okay, so I'm a sucker for a good (and, admittedly, a bad) horror movie, and while this one isn't perfect (meaning the ending sucked rocks), I'm still willing to give The Strangers a "yay" rather than a "nay" for the way the film managed to psychologically torture me the majority of the time throughout and then succeeded in giving me nightmares. And who doesn't love a creepy mask or three? Do I love the wussiness of the film's lead female (played well by Liv Tyler)? Not particularly. Do I love the shitty, contrived ending? No way. But will I ever stay overnight in an unfamiliar, secluded place again? Nope. All in all, an excellent alternative to the Sex & the City movie, which I hope to never, ever see. Ever. Bring on the serial killers any day.
3. Being a little bit artsy-fartsy.... -
Can I draw? Not super well. Can I paint? Definitely not. But can I collage right along with the best of them? Maybe, just maybe. I've been working on a couple of fairytale-ish pieces that I'm pretty excited about! I've also put my new camera to good use. Mostly on photos of the new pooch, of course, but I'm also trying to put together a few cool shots for my mom since she's looking for new wall art but doesn't want to shell out the big bucks for new stuff when we might be able to fake it ourselves!
4. Cautiously planning (cheapish) summer excursions - Would I love to throw caution to the wind and gallivant all over Europe? You betcha. Am I some sort of oil and diamonds heiress? Hells no. And thus, I'm trying to maintain sanity by making sure I get out there and have some fun this summer - on a budget. A small budget. Trips to the Dunes to go swimming and chill on the beach, a trek to this potentially bitching drive-in movie theatre with friends, and even possibly a little mini-vacation to Cedar Point are in my near future. I've never been to Cedar Point, but any place that's dubbed "The rollercoaster capital of the world" deserves a check in the "awesome" column. I've also bought tickets to a few summer concerts with more ticket purchases to come. It may not be London or Prague, but the Midwest certainly has some things to offer in the way of fun. Even if gas prices are ridiculous....
5. And finally, I had to give a metaphorical giant standing ovation to Leigh Stein's How to Mend a Broken Heart with Vengeance, which I finished reading on the train home from work last night. I picked up a copy of this beautiful dgp chap at Printer's Row last weekend and I have to tell you I was BLOWN AWAY! The way Leigh plays with the idea of those "choose your own adventure" books and the way her work sparkles with humor and beauty and language....wow, it's just a knockout of a collection! Standouts for me were "Based on a Book of the Same Title", "Zelda", "Katherine Tillman vs. Lake Michigan", "Keeping the Minotaur at Bay", and definitely "How to Mend a Broken Heart with Vengeance".
2 comments:
Oh! Somehow I missed out on Leigh Stein's chapbook during my Printers' Row buying frenzy...I'll have to head over to dgp and buy one...
Absolutely! It's probably my favorite Printer's Row find!
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