January 13, 2010
The Butcher, the Baker, the Candlestick-maker
I read Nicholson Baker’s first six books, and then I somehow lost track of him. (Thanks for nothing, Internet.) I especially loved his early works of nonfiction: U and I […]
December 31, 2009
We’ll Tak a Cup o’ Kindness Yet
The Mountain Goats sing, “I am going to make it through this year if it kills me,” and it feels, well, timeless. The same goes for Robert Burns’ bit of […]
December 20, 2009
You’re My Favorite Thing, Bar Nothing
It’s the end of the Aughts (or the Oughts, or the Should’ves), and I’ve been looking at lists. Name a category: someone has chosen the “Decade’s Best.” Among the anointed, […]
December 12, 2009
Season’s Readings
When I told a friend I was moving to Michigan, she replied, “Get four coats.” This was temperature-related advice, I think (it’s eleven degrees at the moment) — but, had […]
November 26, 2009
Edge-first and Splashless and Sad
A month ago I wrote a post on re-reading (and also re-listening). The premise was simple: books and records stay the same, while we — the readers, the listeners — […]
November 18, 2009
. . . Gone!
Last week — in the spirit of “Let’s play two!” — I promised a second baseball post. And while I’d like to keep listing notable names and nicknames — Cool […]
November 9, 2009
Going, Going . . .
It’s the start of a new week — the first full week without baseball in seven months. When I was younger, I wanted, sort of desperately, to be a baseball […]
October 27, 2009
The Sky Flashes, the Great Sea Yearns
Walking through the Diag at the University of Michigan, I’m often asked if I have “a moment for the environment.” And invariably, I don’t: I’m rushing to meet my students, […]
October 20, 2009
Something Old, Something Underground, or, I’m Beginning to See the Light
As part of my ongoing attempt to turn back the calendar to 1985, I recently bought a turntable. That means I can finally listen to records that I’ve lugged all […]
October 13, 2009
Kenyon Review Readers — Lenny Bruce!!
Ten or so years ago, at the University of Washington, I taught a course titled “That’s Not Funny!” We looked at writers who elicit difficult laughs: Lorrie Moore, David Foster […]
October 5, 2009
Ah, Letterman! Ah, Comic Confusion!
Scrolling through reactions to the Letterman Affair, I’m struck by how closely they align with my obsessions about poetry and comedy. I’m reading about Letterman, but I’m reminded of John […]
September 24, 2009
An Interview with Jason Whitmarsh, Winner of the 2009 May Swenson Poetry Award
“I have a friend whom I would praise.” – Max Beerbohm, “Laughter” I’ve known Jason Whitmarsh for a dozen years, have followed his progress as a poet, and have learned […]