July 2010
3 posts
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THE 24-HOUR LITERARY MARATHON
I’ll be appearing at the 24-Hour Literary Marathon on Saturday, July 24th as part of an author panel which will also feature Deirdre Shaw, Mark Sarvas, and Brooke Berman.
Feel free to come by for a cocktail….
INTRODUCING THE TNB BOOK CLUB...
It’s a book club you can attend in the nude.
And it’s one of the greatest deals on the planet.
For more info, click the image above, or simply CLICK HERE.
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THE VIEW FROM THE WEST - VOL. 4
The other day I was sitting here at my desk, listening to music, staring at my screen. And the lampshade to my left started shaking.
I looked down at my dog and my dog did nothing. We sat there for a moment and then the shaking went away.
One thing you might not know is that an earthquake can make you feel seasick.
In his 1999 book entitled The Ecology of Fear, Mike Davis points...
June 2010
5 posts
WIN, LOSE, OR DRAW
I played competitive soccer as a youth.
I remember hating the idea of a tie.
Even back then.
Playing to a draw.
It pissed me off as a kid, and it pisses me off now, watching the World Cup.
The USA plays England to a draw!
So what?
This bores me.
I think it stinks.
Tying should not be allowed. In any sport. For any reason.
READ MORE
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SUBVERSIA TRAILER
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TNB Books - Official Press Release
***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
The Nervous Breakdown and Hukilau partner to launch TNB’s new publishing imprint.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (June 2010) - Readers addicted to nonfiction, fiction and poetry have long been getting their fix at the online culture magazine The Nervous Breakdown (TNB), a site founded by bestselling author Brad Listi (Attention. Deficit. Disorder.). Now, in...
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REALITY CHECK: AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVID SHIELDS
Few books in recent memory have caused as much of a stir as Reality Hunger, the 219-page “manifesto” by David Shields.
It’s a book that defies easy classification.
An argument. A clarion call. An affront. A life story.
An unapologetic assault on the literary status quo.
An essay-memoir-pointillistic-literary-collage-and-exercise-in-appropriation-art, one which...
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THE VIEW FROM THE WEST - VOL. 3
Charles Manson, David Letterman, Michael Jackson, Axl Rose.
All four, as young men, fled Indiana and headed West.
As did I.
Los Angeles, California.
Doves on power lines. Rats in palm trees.
One of my all-time favorite Letterman jokes: Autumn is my favorite season in LA, watching the birds change color and fall from the trees.
In my youth, I didn’t really have an urge to...
May 2010
3 posts
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TNB GETS A MENTION IN THE LA TIMES
I moderated the Q&A portion of Chuck Palahniuk’s reading at Largo here in Los Angeles last night. A lotta fun.
The Nervous Breakdown co-sponsored the event in conjunction with Tyson Cornell’s Rare Bird Lit.
A nice write-up by Carolyn Kellogg in the LA Times can be found here.
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THE VIEW FROM THE WEST - VOL. 2
A few words about readings.
Authors and poets standing up in front of people and reading from their work.
I have it in my head that a good reading should take on the character of its town. Meaning: a New York reading should be different than a New Orleans reading. A Seattle reading should be different than a Portland reading. A Chicago reading should be different than an Austin ...
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THE VIEW FROM THE WEST - VOL. 1
Lauren Cerand gave me the idea for this. We were talking recently. The subject turned to publishing. Specifically, it turned to “The Future of Publishing,” as most conversations in BookWorld tend to turn these days when “where to procure cyanide tablets” isn’t the main point of focus. From there we started talking about The Nervous Breakdown and its humble...
April 2010
3 posts
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CHART OF THE DAY
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THOUGHTS THAT MAKE YOU THINK
Conservatives of today vs. conservatives of yesterday:
“A nuclear-free world has been a 60-year dream of the Left, just like socialized health-care.” - Rudy Giuliani, NRO, 2010.
“A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. And no matter how great the obstacles may seem, we must never stop our efforts to reduce the weapons of war. We must never stop at all until we see the day...
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HAPPY EASTER
March 2010
12 posts
2 tags
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
During one brief respite from work this past weekend, my wife and I snuck away to the movie theater to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
It’s a satisfying—-if slightly over-long—-Swedish thriller.
Swedish thriller.
It’s a curious film in some ways.
Among other things, there’s a lot of raping in it.
Lots of Nazis and raping.
An unusual amount.
Like,...
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CAMERA SHY
Got up early.
Was still dark outside.
Sunrise.
Went for hike.
Brought camera.
Thought: I should take pictures.
Have had it in my head lately that I should take at least one photo a day.
Get into photography more.
So I bring the camera.
I’m walking.
I see some graffiti.
It says: EAT THE RICH.
I pull out my camera.
But the battery is dead.
I think to myself: Goddammit.
**
I...
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RATS
Hadn’t been out all weekend until tonight.
Been working.
Staring at a flashing cursor.
Finally started going stir crazy.
Wife and I walked the dog to dinner.
A long walk and then an outdoor table at this sandwich place.
Probably a two-mile walk round trip.
Maybe more.
Beautiful weather.
Daylight savings.
Sun still shining at 7 p.m.
We eat.
It’s good.
I drink a small...
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INTERVIEW I CONDUCTED WITH ELLIE, TNB'S 1,500TH...
Recently, The Nervous Breakdown held a contest on its Twitter feed as we approached the 1,500 follower mark. When the number was eclipsed, a drawing was held and a winner was selected.
The prize? A feature interview here on TNB.
A young woman named Ellie emerged triumphant. Ellie is from Portland, Oregon. She is an Ivy League educated urban planner and music blogger with a penchant for...
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