tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-283080422024-02-20T12:23:45.468-05:00DilettantsiaAgainst Cultural Procrastination.Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.comBlogger222125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-69225249423404672402011-05-09T11:17:00.003-04:002011-05-09T11:21:21.108-04:00Hello There<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TgK8HN2LrUXiEb4tA86ZBdr5RSLRaRgX8CmJYhLz6wrtyPFUDEz2q798VeP840LlZ6czd2nihUu-_NhkWGUZO03CCWImrzjzQWlCG_lVAg5S1IRiy62vIywYoCQtKpGj8-MC/s1600/margot.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 226px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604736440156433170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TgK8HN2LrUXiEb4tA86ZBdr5RSLRaRgX8CmJYhLz6wrtyPFUDEz2q798VeP840LlZ6czd2nihUu-_NhkWGUZO03CCWImrzjzQWlCG_lVAg5S1IRiy62vIywYoCQtKpGj8-MC/s400/margot.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div>Thanks so much for stumbling upon my blog! However, I feel I should inform you that due to full-time work, writing, and other commitments, I've switched over to Tumblr. Please bookmark me at <a href="http://nakednesstonight.tumblr.com/">nakednesstonight.tumblr.com</a>, or visit my website, <a href="http://www.jessicaferri.com/">www.jessicaferri.com</a>. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Cheers!</div>Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-33631052222262697232010-09-29T16:28:00.004-04:002010-09-29T16:37:06.190-04:00Jessica Mitford<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgKS0KQ602lTpog0RYE_OQ-v7Q2lJ796WuIeDkVb97_8FDCvELFzHkBqjMKt2_zdtPeR3lfQ_FeY6a6CLkMoGosw7FO5Xx43iKboAr8ZRCcDonGErl72976mutEsDj4WxSZYe/s1600/decca-at-manse-mitford-site.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 246px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522435286867110178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgKS0KQ602lTpog0RYE_OQ-v7Q2lJ796WuIeDkVb97_8FDCvELFzHkBqjMKt2_zdtPeR3lfQ_FeY6a6CLkMoGosw7FO5Xx43iKboAr8ZRCcDonGErl72976mutEsDj4WxSZYe/s400/decca-at-manse-mitford-site.gif" /></a> This is <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FJessica_Mitford&ei=IKKjTLDKOoG78gaAl9SRCg&usg=AFQjCNEUThfQd4ib8IqIOeQadLppwXiKGA&sig2=At0wZic9iReR859CmZ5Atw">Jessica Mitford</a>. If you don't know who she is, you should read Leslie Brody's biography, <em>Irrepressible: The Life and Times of Jessica Mitford</em>, which <a href="http://bookforum.com/review/6497">I reviewed for Bookforum</a>.<br /><br />(you have to sign in, but it's free! also bookforum is great!)<br /><br />(i am seriously thinking of switching to <a href="http://nakednesstonight.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>, you guys)<br /><br />Apparently J.K. Rowling considers herself to be most influenced by Jessica Mitford. Fascinating, huh? So much so that she named her daughter after her. Pretty nice name!<br /><br />If you're interested in more about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Decca-Letters-Jessica-Mitford/dp/0375410325">the Mitfords</a>, or the <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-09-28/nancy-mitford-wigs-on-the-green-review/?cid=topic:mainpromo1">Mitford sisters</a>, there are <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Decca-Letters-Jessica-Mitford/dp/0375410325">Jessica's letters</a>, Unity's biography, or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Love-Cold-Climate-Novels/dp/0375718990/ref=pd_sim_b_1">many</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wigs-Green-Vintage-Nancy-Mitford/dp/0307740854/ref=pd_sim_b_3">many books</a> by Nancy and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hons-Rebels-Review-Books-Classics/dp/1590171101/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1285792477&sr=1-10">Jessica</a>. So have at it!Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-54432867997649066222010-09-03T10:26:00.005-04:002010-09-03T10:34:46.618-04:00auf Wierdersehen!<img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 250px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 339px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512694846694151570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFPWAtR7rmvQ7RVjGMLwV-6L5kvujAfPq3EIuEqO8c_9Gu8OSR3nRN4Hg6DlpHWWgIgl3dI78j9kQjq1-gV2KtlbnyafYLVxClAmXpSt6mjDRa84AI9qUBSy2aL35ajLvy2Itt/s400/bridget.jpf.jpg" />Dear Readers,<br /><br />I'm off to Berlin on Sunday for ten whole days. It's my first vacation in two years, and I'm very excited about it. In my mind, the Berlin I know is the Berlin of the movies. I think I'll have to realize that the war's been over for a while and that Berlin, like New York, is a city that constantly changes. If you have any last minute recommendations about where to go or what to eat, please let me know in the comments. I'll be back with a fat post and pictures!<br /><br />auf Wierdersehen meine mieze!<br /><br />xoxo<br /><br />Fraulein JessicaJessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-11984130258363935892010-08-20T10:36:00.009-04:002010-08-20T11:36:07.096-04:00Snobber's Favorite Books<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3B1D_qYl14gf1WKj3YkS-6sIqxvH-t2eTNDhj7zFhJEykQLa4wA5Ze8gG1kxFHBkAzlIdnLFQAbwKMo19IbR3XtrJQI9FnGC_cEEY-zfeAo2UKk_5jwGJj-lPTerduvK8_Ai/s1600/keira1SCOPE1712_468x657.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 285px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507513008743448194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3B1D_qYl14gf1WKj3YkS-6sIqxvH-t2eTNDhj7zFhJEykQLa4wA5Ze8gG1kxFHBkAzlIdnLFQAbwKMo19IbR3XtrJQI9FnGC_cEEY-zfeAo2UKk_5jwGJj-lPTerduvK8_Ai/s400/keira1SCOPE1712_468x657.jpg" /></a>Last week, a friend of mine asked me if I had a list of my favorite books posted somewhere and I realized that I didn't! Not a real list, with explanations and such. So here, friends and readers, is a list of my top ten favorite books. Some are linked to prior ruminations of mine. Though my affections wax and wane, these ten are pretty solid choices, no matter what.<br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">1. <em>Mrs. Dalloway</em> by Virginia Woolf</span></strong></div><div>Though <em>To the Lighthouse</em> and <em>Orlando</em> occasionally compete for the representation of my Woolf-obsession, <em>Mrs. Dalloway</em> is the novel I recommend for Woolf-virgins. She's at the height of her powers here in 1925 in this story about life, love, and the moments of being that define who we are. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">2. </span></strong><a href="http://snobber.blogspot.com/2007/12/sophies-choice-or-best-novel-i-have.html"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>Sophie's Choice</em> by William Styron</span></strong></a></div><div>If you ever wanted to read a Holocaust novel that's about anything but the Holocaust, <em>Sophie's Choice</em> is a great pick. If you're a downtrodden editorial assistant or aspiring writer, find solace in the character of Stingo. (This transference works even better if you are a South to North transplant). Though the romance in this novel borders on melodrama, it's descriptive moments of Brooklyn and love and sex are completely transcendent; Stryon's lyricism borders on book porn. This novel's first read is so enjoyable you will spend the rest of your life trying to duplicate it. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">3. <em>Lolita </em>by Vladimir Nabokov</span></strong> </div><div>Probably the most beautiful book written in English by a non-native English speaker. Perhaps it's Nabokov's Russianness that turns his appreciation of the English language into our pure, unadulterated joy. And with a tricky subject manner, he still makes us love and despise these characters equally. When I talk to people who haven't read this novel I just think, what? What are you doing? You know nothing until you have read <em>Lolita</em>. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">4. </span></strong><a href="http://moreintelligentlife.com/node/852"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>The Loser</em> by Thomas Bernhard</span></strong> </a></div><div>Master of misanthropy, Bernhard's energy for hatred turns into an obsession with life through our failures and hopelessness in the face of fate. Our narrator recounts the suicide of his friend Wertheimer, who gave up at music school when he realized he couldn't compete with likes of Glenn Gould. Bernhard's endless repetition, his constant droning of sorrow and spitefulness becomes the chant of genius. You will want to read everything he's ever written. And you should.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">5. </span></strong><a href="http://snobber.blogspot.com/2010/01/jd-salinger-is-dead.html"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>Franny and Zooey</em> by J.D. Salinger</span></strong></a></div><div>I say with ease that this book changed my life and continues to change my life every single time I read it. Stumbling upon this thing when I'd just moved to New York and had no idea that Salinger had written anything else besides <em>The Catcher in the Rye</em> was a pure delight. His sheer brilliance at writing dialogue is, in my mind, unparalleled. His books are some of the only ones that can make me laugh out loud and weep like baby. <em>Nine Stories</em> comes in at a close second here, but <em>Franny and Zooey</em> is truly a religious experience. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://snobber.blogspot.com/2008/04/accoutrements-of-writing.html"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">6. <em>In Cold Blood</em> by Truman Capote</span></strong> </a></div><div>After reading this book, the only thing I wanted to do with my life was write. I had no fucking idea that it was even possible to write books like this, and my whole body was jittery with excitement. Every single page of this thing is smart, moving, and stylish. If you are at all interested in the genesis of the nonfiction novel, or creative nonfiction, or if you're just into crime writing, oh holy Lord, get off your butt and get a copy of this book. In this same category I'd place Joan Didion's <em>Slouching Towards Bethlehem</em> and Janet Malcolm's excellent <em>The Silent Woman</em>. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">7. <em>I Love Dick</em> by Chris Kraus</span></strong></div><div>If you are a feminist, and you find yourself exasperated at trying to explain the difference in how art created by women is treated versus art created by men, then look no further for your BIBLE. This pseudo epistolary novel cum treatise on women's art and identity is so fucking good. It will incite a fire under your ass. The good kind. Her honesty and fierceness on sex, love, respect and never-ending struggle between the private and public make this a must-read. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">8. <em>Austerlitz</em> by W. G. Sebald</span></strong></div><div>Attempting to describe this book is like trying to describe the Mona Lisa. Why is it so transfixing? I could offer my own explanation, something to do with it's hypnotic rhythm and it's love of sorrow and nostalgia but, just, if you have the time and the energy, just. read. this.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">9. <em>Wonder Boys</em> by Michael Chabon</span></strong> </div><div>Though I love his showier <em>The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay</em> almost equally, there is something so beautiful about this book that I return to it again and again, always finding something new in its pages. Grady is your typical washed up, pot-bellied, middle-aged novelist who's looking for something to quicken him - he finds it in James, a struggling student with serious issues, maybe a pathological liar. The two find themselves involved in a messy affair concerning Marilyn Monroe's fur-lined jacket she wore when she married Joe DiMaggio. The descriptions of James' writing versus Grady's writer's block are heartbreaking and beautifully written. The perfect winter book. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">10. <em>Atonement</em> by Ian McEwan</span></strong> </div><div>If I could relive the first time I ever read the chapter when Cecila drops that goddamned vase into that goddamned fountain, I'd be a happy woman. <em>Atonement </em>has practically everything you could want from a novel and so much more. The sheer horror of this book, how quickly it turns from beautiful to horrible and yet somehow remains gorgeous throughout - it's McEwan's masterpiece and I don't think he'll ever be able to top it. Even if you aren't that jazzed about the plot (which I think is fantastic) McEwan's sentences are some of the best in English letters today.</div><br /><div></div>Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-54802517242308477602010-08-16T15:06:00.003-04:002010-08-16T15:14:39.615-04:00Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 1966<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6mnsNLRsSCdhbAD2i7j4YyfaKRY9cLWMCY7VnaYNdhMS_u3P56z4AHR-O593QVVUS8efGXLe5GEEIJu-9ecU-5-C3yBGyJcGtJoVjadAOq7Z9BLiEoFFipw5urmp1ilUzSbT/s1600/virginia+woolf.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 263px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506086548061754002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6mnsNLRsSCdhbAD2i7j4YyfaKRY9cLWMCY7VnaYNdhMS_u3P56z4AHR-O593QVVUS8efGXLe5GEEIJu-9ecU-5-C3yBGyJcGtJoVjadAOq7Z9BLiEoFFipw5urmp1ilUzSbT/s320/virginia+woolf.jpg" /></a>Until last night I had never seen "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" which is odd because I love Virginia Woolf. Not that the play necessarily has much to do with Woolf herself. I'm not sure how faithful Mike Nichols' film adaptation is to the play, but I experienced such a range of emotion last night watching the movie. In the beginning, all the one liners and epithets George and Martha lob at each other are incredibly funny - but by the end of the movie I was deeply depressed. Also, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton are both really good in it. It's strange how no movie stars in this day and age are really talented actors. We've gone from actually talented larger than life personalities to simply outrageously attractive people with no substance whatsoever. I was struck by the deep sense of stasis that all four characters are mucking around in - all trapped in their little jail cells. In the beginning I was trying to keep track of how many drinks were consumed but within fifteen minutes I had lost count. I'd like to resolve to never be this unhappy. Regardless, it's an incredible film. I'd love to read the play and see a great stage production if someone will revive it.Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-45012661681469348712010-08-13T11:29:00.009-04:002010-08-13T12:00:27.636-04:00Marina and UlayI've been reading <a href="http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=12053">When Marina Abramovic Dies</a>, a biography by James Wescott that was published in March during her residence at MoMa. Ever since I saw <a href="http://snobber.blogspot.com/2010/04/marina-abramovic-artist-is-present.html">The Artist is Present</a>, I wanted to know more about Abramovic's personal life. Wescott worked with Marina on the book, and it's undoubtedly slanted a bit in her favor - however, if you're looking for a biography with a balanced look at her work and her private life I highly recommend it. Unfortunately it's more of an "art book" so it's not great for subway rides. I just keep it by my bed and read a little of it every night before I go to sleep.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggaqFQoYYnH66E3iVIOehCdvHCKiz1evVIaPHCL-EgPdTALsp31cSHKpJmUBbiPZj7B-kXneQXW0XAsx3WO1NyORBP2DSqhwgMpj7096OcmRdkLvL8EWrNarWfKvuRErVMds_F/s1600/ulay.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504923390371993490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggaqFQoYYnH66E3iVIOehCdvHCKiz1evVIaPHCL-EgPdTALsp31cSHKpJmUBbiPZj7B-kXneQXW0XAsx3WO1NyORBP2DSqhwgMpj7096OcmRdkLvL8EWrNarWfKvuRErVMds_F/s320/ulay.jpg" /></a>Marina and Ulay's relationship is the center of the book and of Marina's life - they were together for nearly twelve years, living and working together in intense intimacy. They had originally planned to walk towards each other from the opposite ends of the Great Wall of China, meet in the middle, and get married. When they actually <a href="http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/works/the-lovers/">did it</a> ten years later they walked to each other over the course of ninety days, embraced, and went their separate ways. Ulay married his translator from the trip shortly thereafter, and Marina returned to New York. I can't imagine the heartbreak she must have felt (not to mention the exhaustion) on that plane ride home. As she wept when they met on the Wall Ulay told her, "Don't cry; we have accomplished so much." And Marina would go on to accomplish much more without Ulay. I think her incredibly lucky: it was possible for her to <strong>do the work</strong>. And it has sustained her. At 64 years old she glows.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOJ5mWVxM58wQCXHQ9884fJ9Ewm8nc7A9cHz4-55BAvr_Geg6ukZHEMH-GknkDlOOyrVtT87atcQBswiSHzxisHoWw5T-Poe7YAR25-qeke20AClEl9SMgoMJpYCvIHuC4OBU/s1600/marina.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 182px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504918969690460610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijOJ5mWVxM58wQCXHQ9884fJ9Ewm8nc7A9cHz4-55BAvr_Geg6ukZHEMH-GknkDlOOyrVtT87atcQBswiSHzxisHoWw5T-Poe7YAR25-qeke20AClEl9SMgoMJpYCvIHuC4OBU/s320/marina.jpg" /></a>Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-32158925528825992272010-08-10T16:09:00.007-04:002010-08-10T16:44:46.106-04:00Catching Up<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9aTrSP6mfzkJaMEQ1p-I4_DH98gNoX87nIz6RBLNWMzGn1wqAS5tq4Fm2rtmBqtuuCdNHdwW7W6rkIp4dqIuCEn14JNAr2i7SUwMrT4dz0LqZGdW6v0MwiXwpWWoQy5NfpQjN/s1600/writers-desk-0309-lg-46415775.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5503884464657119218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9aTrSP6mfzkJaMEQ1p-I4_DH98gNoX87nIz6RBLNWMzGn1wqAS5tq4Fm2rtmBqtuuCdNHdwW7W6rkIp4dqIuCEn14JNAr2i7SUwMrT4dz0LqZGdW6v0MwiXwpWWoQy5NfpQjN/s320/writers-desk-0309-lg-46415775.jpg" /></a><strong>Shameless Self-Promotion:</strong><br /><br />Since we last spoke, I wrote a little ditty for one of my favorite sites, The Awl, on how to cast a <a href="http://www.theawl.com/2010/08/the-pitch-how-to-remake-les-miserables-into-the-next-twilight">film adaptation of Les Miz</a> so it will be as successful as <em>Twilight</em>. It was great fun working with Natasha Vargas-Cooper, who edited the series on musicals and is the author of the new book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mad-Men-Unbuttoned-Through-America/dp/0061991007">Mad Men Unbuttoned</a>.<br /><br />Later, I romped over to This Recording with a piece on Spielberg's oft-overlooked masterpiece, <a href="http://thisrecording.com/today/2010/8/5/in-which-we-require-a-larger-sea-going-vessel.html">Jaws,</a> in honor of shark week. Check it out for more on Richard Dreyfuss' surprising attractiveness in 1975 and <em>Moby Dick</em> analogies.<br /><br />Today I made my debut at The Rumpus, an incredibly smart culture focused site, with a review of Jeffrey Meyers' <a href="http://therumpus.net/2010/08/59177/#more-59177">The Genius and the Goddess</a>. You may remember my mentioning the book a few posts ago. Though the book intends to be about the marriage of Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe, the finished product is really more of an unflattering, even offensive biography of Marilyn. I've pointed out the issues I had with Meyers' approach.<br /><br />My <a href="http://www.jessicaferri.com/">professional website</a> now includes a "News" section so you can keep up with the latest, if you are so inclined.<br /><br /><strong>Promotion of others:</strong><br /><br />In non-Jessica related news, I really enjoyed reading <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2253850">Laura Shapiro's piece on Shirley Jackson </a>at Slate. I also loved her <a href="http://writershouses.com/shirley-jackson-doesn%E2%80%99t-have-a-house/">sketches of Hill House </a>that were posted on Writer's Houses.<br /><br />Richard Morgan's piece on <a href="http://www.theawl.com/2010/08/seven-years-as-a-freelance-writer-or-how-to-make-vitamin-soup">being a freelance writer</a> at The Awl really encompasses everything and more about one of the most difficult, oftentimes obnoxious jobs ever. The section where he describes pitching an idea and having it rejected only to find it on the site several weeks later written by the editor who rejected it is something I think all writers have encountered. I felt this piece. Hard.<br /><br />Chelsea Biondolillo <a href="http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2010/8/10biondolillo.html">compared her MFA rejections with famous rejections </a>throughout history at McSweeney's.<br /><br /><strong>Coming Up:</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />- There are quite a few more book reviews in the works, and an academic paper which I hope you will enjoy.<br />- For ten days in September I'll be in Berlin, so if anyone has suggestions or recommendations on Berlin-related things, please let me know.<br />- Soon I hope I will be a proud owner of an iPhone, which means more posting and more images on the blog.<br />- Exciting professional news to be shared.<br />- Dying to read Tom McCarthy's <em>C.</em> - will someone send me a copy? Pretty please?<br />- Currently reading Hans Kielson's <em>Comedy in a Minor Key</em>. Francine Prose called him <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/books/review/Prose-t.html?nl=books&emc=booksupdateema1">a genius </a>in the Sunday Book Review and she's probably right.<br />- Also dying for the new Bernhard, <em><a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/My-Prizes/Thomas-Bernhard/e/9780307272874">My Prizes</a></em>. You may remember my <a href="http://moreintelligentlife.com/node/852">Bernhardian worship </a>which began a few years back with <em>The Loser</em>.<br />- Very, very excited to see the film adaptation of Ishiguro's <em><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lweT_Mas1SE">Never Let Me Go</a></em>. I wrote about the <a href="http://snobber.blogspot.com/2009/07/future-of-sci-fi-cinema.html">new Sci-Fi</a> a ways back here on the blog.<br /><br /><strong>I AM STILL WRITING MY BOOK PROPOSAL WHICH IS TAKING FOREVER. WORDS OF ENCOURAGMENT AND/OR FREE DRINKS ARE MUCH APPRECIATED.</strong><br /><br />Hello. And thanks for reading.Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-80956072664115900392010-07-21T10:27:00.013-04:002010-07-21T11:22:24.446-04:00Columbine, by Dave Cullen<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAd7iadDYxm_TJw5ID4QEv1x9TAIj9Z5SfhM3LwyAXVhWRtyD-DFiNokRu1mWgSw8M4puMb_ju9oKWFGjvXO9WHTr4IjpqtoKQn0v2B8IyLGHGojfbzAZ7S4XdC4eLSYlLy7y/s1600/columbine.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496366080352714402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAd7iadDYxm_TJw5ID4QEv1x9TAIj9Z5SfhM3LwyAXVhWRtyD-DFiNokRu1mWgSw8M4puMb_ju9oKWFGjvXO9WHTr4IjpqtoKQn0v2B8IyLGHGojfbzAZ7S4XdC4eLSYlLy7y/s320/columbine.jpg" /></a><br />Although 9/11 and Virginia Tech might ring a little louder in our ears in 2010, I will always remember coming home from school on April 20, 1999, turning on CNN, and trying to make sense of the footage at Columbine High School, both horrified and unable to take my eyes of the screen. Dave Cullen, a journalist for <em>Salon</em> and <em>The New York Times</em>, was one of the first people to report on the shootings, and nine years later, his book, <em>Columbine</em>, recounts the entire story of the murders.<br /><br />Though this book is not nearly as well-written as <em><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=dRkzaee6Fv0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=in+cold+blood&hl=en&ei=BxBHTIerGsG78gbisfzVBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false">In Cold Blood</a></em> or as compelling as <em><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=vIrB5r5BuhUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=helter+skelter&hl=en&ei=HxBHTJ5Ng4HyBtfP-JQF&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false">Helter Skelter</a></em>, <em>Columbine</em> is a thorough account of the events leading up to the shooting, the murders themselves, and their awful aftermath. Cullen describes how <a href="http://acolumbinesite.com/eric.html">Eric Harris</a> and <a href="http://acolumbinesite.com/dylan.html">Dylan Klebold </a>initially planned on blowing up the school entirely; they had set nearly 100 bombs throughout the Cafeteria , in the common areas, and in their cars, which, if they had been successful, would have killed practically every person on campus. When the bombs didn't go off, Harris simply took to the top of the hill and started shooting at random. Though the spree would only last forty-five minutes, (until Harris and Klebold returned to the Library where the bodies of the ten people they murdered lay to commit suicide) that day, <a href="http://acolumbinesite.com/victim/memoriam.html">15 people would die</a>.<br /><br />I, for one, didn't know about the bombs until I read this book. Cullen also recounts the myths of Christian martyrdom that flowed through Littleton, Colorado, after the murders, <a href="http://www.cassiebernall.com/">Cassie Bernall's </a>being the most famous. Yes, myths. Apparently, according to eyewitness accounts and testimony from most of the kids in the Library, it was <a href="http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/09/30/bernall">Val Schnurr</a>, not Cassie, who answered "yes" when Harris asked her if she believed in God. Though she had been injured, she survived. Cassie, on the other hand, had no chance to say anything to Eric before he shot her in the head as she hid under the table, her hand also wounded as she tried to shield her face from the blast.<br /><br />Most moving in Cullen's account is the struggle of the parents of the children murdered and injured that day. Some blame the parents of the killers, only the killers themselves, or blame no one at all. One, who had struggled with mental illness, walked into a pawn shop, asked to see a gun, and when the attendant stepped away, loaded it and <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/24/us/aftereffects-of-columbine-are-claiming-new-victims.html?sec=health">shot herself </a>in the head while her daughter was still recovering from her wounds at the hospital. Cullen also describes the Klebold's confusion and pain over Dylan's actions, and how difficult it was to bury him without an uprising from the community.<br /><br />Eric Harris was a textbook psychopath. <a href="http://acolumbinesite.com/eric/writing/journal/jindex.html">His journals </a>indicate as such. Both he and Klebold had been arrested for theft. Harris' parents, in particular, his father, Wayne (a Marine) recognized how sick he was and tried to get him help, first through therapy, and then through a more strict, rehab-like program. He passed the program with flying colors, just a few weeks before he would go on a murderous rampage. Cullen suggests that Dylan, a depressive love-sick loner, was drawn to Eric because he offered a release from his pain.<br /><br /><em>Columbine</em> is an engaging, impressive book of investigative journalism. Cullen does very little speculating: all the quotations in quotes in the book are actual, cited quotations, and they make up most of the dialogue. If you are looking for a compelling summer true-crime read, this is your book. But don't expect to be uplifted by it. Aside from classifying Eric as a psychopath (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy#Characteristics">using the DSM IV</a>), Cullen doesn't try to explain why he thinks Eric and Dylan did it, or attempt to "make sense" of the tragedy. Even in this thorough accounting of the events, there is no answer to the question "Why?"Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-13202453962826153132010-07-20T15:10:00.006-04:002010-07-20T15:38:07.823-04:00The Summer of Literary ADD<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9oQW9AT5GajgQAg10Sn9Yr723h3YKimX886gQl4bRN1rS05y5nXYiKOt-COzWjJK613Uq7bcKWik8fIfMOUd5fQ65Eps6mzqW7-SQt5eKizQCehP3pWNK0Y969pD3VBserNN/s1600/Marilyn-Monroe-pb03.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 256px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496073972085288194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9oQW9AT5GajgQAg10Sn9Yr723h3YKimX886gQl4bRN1rS05y5nXYiKOt-COzWjJK613Uq7bcKWik8fIfMOUd5fQ65Eps6mzqW7-SQt5eKizQCehP3pWNK0Y969pD3VBserNN/s320/Marilyn-Monroe-pb03.jpg" /></a><strong>A list of books I have begun and not finished this summer, thus far:</strong><strong><br /></strong><em>Wolf Hall</em>, by Hilary Mantel<br /><em>A Time of Gifts</em>, by Patrick Leigh Fermor<br /><em>The Man Who Loved Children</em>, by Christina Stead<br /><em>The Devil in the White City</em>, by Erik Larson<br /><em>Paris Trance</em>, by Geoff Dyer<br /><em>The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich</em>, by William L. Shirer<br /><em>The Dud Avacado</em>, by Elaine Dundy<br /><em>Bomber County</em>, by Daniel Swift<br /><em>I Was Told There'd be Cake</em>, by Sloane Crosley<br /><em>Stranger than Fiction</em>, by Chuck Palahniuk<br /><br /><strong>Of those, I will finish: </strong><br /><em>The Man Who Loved Children</em><br /><em>The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich</em><br />Possibly<em> The Dud Avacado </em><br /><br /><strong>One book I read this summer and loved: </strong><br /><em>Molly Fox's Birthday</em>, by Dierdre Madden<br /><br /><strong>One book I devoured like there was no tomorrow, then felt terrible: </strong><em>Columbine</em>, by Dave Cullen<br /><br /><strong>The book I have been waiting to read for several months that is finally arriving tomorrow because I had to order it overnight from Amazon because I simply cannot wait any longer: </strong><em>The Genius and the Goddess: Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe</em>, by Jeffrey Meyers<br /><br /><strong>Two books I am so excited about I might explode: </strong><em>My Prizes: An Accounting</em>, by Thomas Bernhard, and <em>C</em>, by Tom McCarthy<br /><br />P.S. Dear Marilyn, how the hell did you do this to your hair?Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-76065751559819917942010-07-13T09:22:00.004-04:002010-07-13T09:37:36.250-04:00Madison Square Gaga<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJsGbX_FPFv6AAauUcJGRT24HIr0OhtJvkEG9oz84U_AP5WZKIEZZAGa594dtJrygGVMI4VMySSsvfGsv2PPy4WGbZ9hyphenhyphenkEZ24qBWcpCXIUuitwPed5rUOxUv2DerIaErg8tV/s1600/gagamsg.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493380837397380562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJsGbX_FPFv6AAauUcJGRT24HIr0OhtJvkEG9oz84U_AP5WZKIEZZAGa594dtJrygGVMI4VMySSsvfGsv2PPy4WGbZ9hyphenhyphenkEZ24qBWcpCXIUuitwPed5rUOxUv2DerIaErg8tV/s400/gagamsg.jpg" /></a>This is Madison Square Garden last Tuesday night a few minutes before Lady Gaga took the stage. As you can see, there are just a few people there. I bought my tickets several months ago, and the two following shows on Wednesday and Thursday were also sold-out. The premise of the show is a Wizard of Oz like journey, where Gaga and her dancer friends are trying to make their way to the "Monster Ball." Along the way, they are met with many obstacles, including the F Train (quite possibly the worst subway line in New York), darkness, a twister, and a giant piranha that eats Gaga during "Paparazzi" and spits her back up. If you are a lover of spectacle, I don't need to tell you how much you should plunk down the cash and just go see this tour.<br /><br />As Gaga went through practically all of her discography, she spoke about how much she loved New York and that even though she had been through hard times (drugs, bad boyfriends) she never gave up, and neither should we. She told us never to let anyone tell us we weren't worth it. She told us to put our paws in the air and to celebrate ourselves and to celebrate freedom. While these are all vague, general incitements to the power of indiviuality, I can't think of a better role model for the group of girls sitting behind me who probably ranged from 15 to 25 in terms of age. I could hear them singing the lyrics with Gaga, and I was pleased.<br /><br />The sheer force of Gaga is impressive; if you're a hater and don't understand why she's so popular, I encourage you to watch her perform live, under a battlement of heavy clothing and heels so high they are practically stilts, Gaga dances, sings, and yells like a fiend from Hell, somehow never falling down from exhaustion or losing her voice. Her strength and her confidence is simply unparalelled. It is overwhelming and inspiriational.<br /><br />Gaga herself was emotional. Playing three sold out nights at MSG is no small feat, and she knew it. She shined her disco-stick on the audience saying "let me get a loook at you." Her voice broke with tears. During "Bad Romance," when Gaga jumped, the entire auditorium was set in a blaze of light, almost like lightning had struck - she was stuck in mid-air during this moment, almost as if she were ascending to heaven. It's a snapshot I'll never forget.Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-90400419215752219442010-06-30T14:30:00.007-04:002010-06-30T14:46:50.533-04:00Mean Girls<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeujrQZ54JmRBazIyx7kaKJg60pGQcWWYCDWgPVbEYr9bslQ_PfUNRjsuCpVTEOdMVwblZ0vDWY0ixpig1FF-GsSPHNjivuqV7JzO9qV376ul8Z-GTZs89ZhJrfBEw8LqaSFo/s1600/Heathers-big-fun_l.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488638700843712194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeujrQZ54JmRBazIyx7kaKJg60pGQcWWYCDWgPVbEYr9bslQ_PfUNRjsuCpVTEOdMVwblZ0vDWY0ixpig1FF-GsSPHNjivuqV7JzO9qV376ul8Z-GTZs89ZhJrfBEw8LqaSFo/s320/Heathers-big-fun_l.jpg" /></a>Women (and men, perhaps) of the blogosphere, do you ever find it more difficult to cultivate friendships with women than you do with men? I do.<br /><div></div><br /><div>The reasons are mostly obvious, the most apparent being women are more competitive with each other for men, jobs, accolades, looks, wealth, etc. Do you agree? </div><br /><div>I will freely admit that I am violently competitive and have been since the day I was born. Playing sports in middle school and acting in high school really helped me to work through my competitive nature, but since college (where I mostly hid out and allowed my self-esteem to be destroyed by an arrogant ignoramous) I've found there's really no where for my competitiveness to go - no filter, no scapegoat.<br /><br /></div><div>Am I too abrasive, too raw, and judgmental? (Is it me?) I try my best not to be a bitch. I am opinionated and wouldn't have it any other way. There are just some women no matter how hard I try that will feel compelled to cut me down, make me feel uncomfortable, and tell me my behavior is inappropriate. I don't really feel that anyone (with minor exceptions - my mom, my boyfriend) should be able to tell me that I'm out of line. What do you think? Do you allow your friends to chide you on what they consider to be crude behavior?<br /><p>In the company of men I am simply more myself, and not so obsessed with seeming "fair," or "appropriate," and not nearly as competitive. Please don't get me wrong: I really like women. I find them to be intelligent, emotional, beautiful creatures and I am blessed that I have friendships with a few women--and these ladies I trust. But it's not easy to find that kind of a connection. Not easy at all. </div>Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-61487674205894379062010-06-29T10:18:00.005-04:002010-06-29T10:38:47.421-04:00Girl Power<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_T6T1GpwNZugSZqVKnbRVKbm4gFMe7pRU4kIb1Rof1gdF6AOYyA-R-6srmSQI647t_o7-MOlOuywdv0sbSFRdZpKeyJJsXOe0n_UjOEvUiKn28vamLCjlSYmpSTt8ZHf5NCX-/s1600/robyn.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488204179042834386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_T6T1GpwNZugSZqVKnbRVKbm4gFMe7pRU4kIb1Rof1gdF6AOYyA-R-6srmSQI647t_o7-MOlOuywdv0sbSFRdZpKeyJJsXOe0n_UjOEvUiKn28vamLCjlSYmpSTt8ZHf5NCX-/s320/robyn.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Yo, if you're looking for a great summer dance album with substance to get you geared up to face your daily demons, look no farther. Check out <a href="http://www.planet-mag.com/2010/music/jessica-ferri/robyn-body-talk-pt-1/">my review</a> of Robyn's new album, <em>Body Talk Pt. 1</em> over at Planet Magazine. You can thank me later.<br /><br />Do you think Robyn is "<a href="http://www.hollywoodnews.com/2010/06/28/does-%E2%80%9Ctwilight%E2%80%9D-have-a-%E2%80%9Cteam-bella%E2%80%9D/">Team Bella</a>" ?Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-12417435271596761662010-06-13T15:28:00.003-04:002010-06-13T15:36:44.242-04:00For Neda<div style="text-align: center;"><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/F48SinuEHIk&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/F48SinuEHIk&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object></div><br />I just watched this new HBO documentary <span style="font-style: italic;">For Neda</span> on the murder of Neda Soltan during the protests of the Iranian elections. You probably saw the horrifying video of Neda's murder on YouTube or a news site - in the video as she's out protesting she's shot and bleeds to death. This documentary explains the events leading up to Neda's death, both in her personal life and in the country. It answers the question "Who was Neda?" And "Why did she die?"Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-67005586616480312602010-06-08T13:18:00.003-04:002010-06-08T13:31:31.311-04:00Alejandro, and more.<div align="center">Ladies and Gentlemen, Lady Gaga's long-awaited video, Alejandro:<br /><br /></div><p align="center"><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/niqrrmev4mA&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/niqrrmev4mA&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object></p><p align="left">Gaga looks like Evita Peron meets page-boy meets Madonna. The Fascist streak in this video is fairly appropriate to my reading material right now. I just started <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=sY8svb-MNUwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+rise+and+fall+of+the+third+reich&hl=en&ei=tnwOTI7WBsP68Abx0KTWCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false">The Rise and Fall of The Third Reich</a> and it's absolutely fascinating. </p><ul><li><div align="left">In un-related news, my column at Bookslut is up. This month's is on Henry James' <a href="http://www.bookslut.com/kissing_dead_girls/2010_06_016179.php">The Turn of the Screw</a>. The issue also contains a delightful piece about stalking Dave Eggers, and a review of Justin Cronin's new epic vampire novel. </div></li></ul><ul><li><div align="left">My friend <a href="http://jeopardy.com/showguide/thisweek/">Peter</a> will be on Jeopardy tonight if you want to tune in at 7pm EST! </div></li></ul><p align="left">I have been wildly allergic to everything lately, and I have five million thousand reviews to write, so I apologize in advance if there is radio silence on the blog. You know I still love you.</p>Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-21997191164200642612010-06-04T14:24:00.006-04:002010-06-04T14:32:57.374-04:00Molly Fox's Birthday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBMPhXG0slCnmU0eI-Od2dt2aJBw9XG-BXo1Q8zBOJAL9XnoUjwPAz81sH8St-y08iX4Ilv11-AxJyXBzAAjXvp21iC7ig1OcnPIdwRnasKeL-U4P0IJVuYBnNqvVl3rFdpKK/s1600/molly.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 178px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 245px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478986954933514818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBMPhXG0slCnmU0eI-Od2dt2aJBw9XG-BXo1Q8zBOJAL9XnoUjwPAz81sH8St-y08iX4Ilv11-AxJyXBzAAjXvp21iC7ig1OcnPIdwRnasKeL-U4P0IJVuYBnNqvVl3rFdpKK/s320/molly.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Deirdre Madden's <em>Molly Fox's Birthday</em> is an absolute pleasure.<br /><br /><a href="http://thesecondpass.com/?p=5765">I reviewed it</a> at The Second Pass. This novel is beautifully written, introspective, smart, and moving. Flavors of Woolf's <em>Mrs. Dalloway</em> make it the perfect summer read -"life; London; this moment in June."<br /><br />Neither I nor Molly Fox are in London, but boy, this book is good.Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-88292760266975160532010-05-28T12:07:00.007-04:002010-05-28T12:35:01.429-04:00Mailer?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBq1lfcGPqiiqSq4H-t1jHaPS0d6rdxMAPbfkNAVB0Aw6PcXxDsmmsQviMupWeNpkzdfTp4tUdNMisBwnpOxSiyR3RDRapSqpfPqE-AOAqri2Lge_Fy8Dwuq3TlO0SQG5VQxSe/s1600/mailernorris.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 250px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476353568883294434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBq1lfcGPqiiqSq4H-t1jHaPS0d6rdxMAPbfkNAVB0Aw6PcXxDsmmsQviMupWeNpkzdfTp4tUdNMisBwnpOxSiyR3RDRapSqpfPqE-AOAqri2Lge_Fy8Dwuq3TlO0SQG5VQxSe/s320/mailernorris.jpg" /></a> <p><br /><p>I don't really know whether to write this piece about Norman Mailer, or Norris Church Mailer, or James Walcott, who wrote this impressive piece for Vanity Fair called <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/06/wolcott-201006?printable=true">"The Norman Conquest."</a> It's a little odd that I find this piece so entertaining, since <strong>I've never read any Norman Mailer (please leave suggestions and advice as to what I should do about this in the comments)</strong>. However, Walcott's piece is pretty much one of the most whimsically well-written bon-bons of literary reportage that I've read in a while. <p>Really what I'd like to read is Norris' memoir, <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ticket-Circus-Norris-Church-Mailer/dp/1400067944">A Ticket to the Circus</a></em>. She was married to the dude for thirty years. In <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/books/review/Senior-t.html">a piece in the NYT </a>a few weeks ago, she claimed that sex was the glue (no, the honey, she corrected herself) that held them together through his insatiable philandering. I don't know whether to respect Norris or hate her. Was Mailer really a genius? You'd have to be pretty great in the sack and a genius and really love your children for a woman as beautiful (and smart) as Norris to stick by you, right? <p>Walcott's piece was born as a comment to all of the Mailer paraphenalia coming out of the woodwork the past few months. His cook/assistant has written <em><a href="http://nymag.com/arts/books/features/65350/">Mornings with Mailer</a></em>, then there's Norris' memoir, and a mistress memoir by Carole Mallory barfingly titled <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Loving-Mailer-Carole-Mallory/dp/1607477157/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275064076&sr=1-1">Loving Mailer</a></em>. (The jacket! THE JACKET OF THIS BOOK). If you're stuck trying to chose, New York Magazine has this very <a href="http://nymag.com/arts/books/features/65350/">handy dandy breakdown </a>of the memoirs of Mailer's women. <p>Wow. I hope when I die there are people vying to tell about my literary legacy. I guess I had better start <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/books/97/07/13/reviews/mailer-stabbing.html?_r=2">stabbing people at parties</a>.</p>Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-51915784028763450282010-05-27T09:49:00.007-04:002010-05-27T11:18:18.126-04:00Sweets through the Bittersweet<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3sclOCZmNIfq3Tv1IHTkDmmzXB2wLIZ1XJyuq1RbZUnnapezxA35qgPlAi0LM4Q1EcA5x7fLf4wLd-eWPxOMOM_tq7KcM_m4SxGfIk2s_K6aUFSj6Zmyxee5p6jgXUh0jPoL/s1600/cakewalk_home.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3sclOCZmNIfq3Tv1IHTkDmmzXB2wLIZ1XJyuq1RbZUnnapezxA35qgPlAi0LM4Q1EcA5x7fLf4wLd-eWPxOMOM_tq7KcM_m4SxGfIk2s_K6aUFSj6Zmyxee5p6jgXUh0jPoL/s320/cakewalk_home.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475947598505075426" border="0" /></a>Yesterday my review of Kate Moses' <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.themillions.com/2010/05/sweet-recipes-bitter-moments-cakewalk-by-kate-moses.html">Cakewalk</a> went up at The Millions. I hope you'll read the review and the book, a memoir of Kate's childhood and her difficult relationship with her parents. At the end of each chapter she includes a recipe, from a sweet featured in the chapter. Though the recipes are a nice addition (and delicious, I might add - I made her peanut butter cookies) what really rings solid and true about this book is Moses' struggle to come to terms with her parents' marriage and her mother in particular.<br /><br />I know I have always expected my family to be loving - and I'm very lucky that most of my relatives are supportive. However over the last year I've had to accept that simply because I share DNA with someone doesn't mean they will be a positive, supportive presence in my life. After years of emotional abuse, I've just stepped away. I'm open to the idea that things could change, but I don't expect them to.<br /><br />Moses' book made me realize that the people who truly love us love us for who we are, flaws and all. Those are the people we want to keep around - they want to see us succeed, see us happy, see us live in the city we love, make a life with the person of our choosing, and encourage us towards fulfillment. This message seems like it should be commonplace, but in looking back at my life I have allowed myself to spend too much time with hurtful, negative people who are intent on tearing me down and seeing me fail. I'm done with those people, and I'm ready to appreciate those in my life who make me feel good about who I am - or who I'll become.<br /><br />So pick up a copy of Kate's book. She's a fantastic writer - you may have heard of her last book, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://books.google.com/books?id=RBnO3lPVoskC&dq=wintering+kate+moses&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=qnv-S4--AYe8lQfy2ZX1Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false">Wintering</a>, about Sylvia Plath's last weeks. Read a few chapters, bake a cake for that person who loves you for who you are - there are plenty of recipes to choose from.Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-44306599428142328352010-05-25T10:11:00.010-04:002010-05-25T11:54:17.159-04:00Whoa! and Beeswax<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fmF96YpFMZR6m6ZX2Dxm2mAmf2s6K7S9_kOMOg7eZ2V3UFHRGqTZSOnbCbTnfyzlE-kPobOmLAh4A7Ijvw_rHtyvMpuXXoGEbjAFYpk9VCm9ixvqGSUXZk1By9o8wl_LNMb4/s1600/beeswax.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 186px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475230474696686018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fmF96YpFMZR6m6ZX2Dxm2mAmf2s6K7S9_kOMOg7eZ2V3UFHRGqTZSOnbCbTnfyzlE-kPobOmLAh4A7Ijvw_rHtyvMpuXXoGEbjAFYpk9VCm9ixvqGSUXZk1By9o8wl_LNMb4/s320/beeswax.jpg" /></a>I changed the layout of this blog after six years of the same damn thing. What do you think?<br /><br /><div><p>A few weeks ago, I watched <a style="FONT-STYLE: italic" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1339268/">Beeswax </a>(which is currently streaming on Netflix, fyi) - a very cinema verite film about identical twin sisters floating through life in Austin, Texas. A.O. Scott had some <a href="http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/movies/07bees.html">very lovely things to say</a> about the film when it was in theaters last year. When I say "real-life cinema" I mean it: the twins are played by actual identical twins. They, and all the other actors in this movie are "unprofessional actors." Watching B<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">eeswax</span> is like watching your friends talk in front of a video camera. As time (and the internet) marches on, I suspect we'll see more films like this one: unscripted and amateurish, uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo. Making movies is expensive and getting an independent film distributed is near to impossible. </p><p>Andrew Bujalski, the director of <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Beeswax</span>, has been called the "Godfather of Mumblecore," and with no-name, non-professional actors, he's creating movies closest to the original meaning of Mumblecore in comparison to some of his compatriots who have gone off for more mainstream success. However, according to his wikipedia entry, Bujalski is now at work on a screen-adaptation of Benjamin Kunkel's novel, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Indecision-Novel-Benjamin-Kunkel/dp/1400063450"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Indecision</span></a>, for Paramount pictures. </p><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Mumblecore</strong> is an American independent film movement that arose in the early 2000s. It is primarily characterized by ultra-low budget production (often employing digital video cameras), focus on personal relationships between twenty-somethings, improvised scripts, and non-professional actors.<br /></span><br /><em>Beeswax</em> tells the story of twins Jeannie and Lauren, who, after a relatively lazy and comfortable life, have to come to terms with some major changes. Jeannie, who is wheelchair-bound, finds herself in a legal dispute over the ownership of her vintage store with her absentee partner. Lauren is smugly unemployed, going through the motions of trying to find a job but unsure of what she wants to do. Merrill is Jeannie's former-boyfriend - she brings him back into her life under the guise of needing legal advice as he's studying for the Bar. To say that anything really happens in this film would be to misunderstand it, but in the vein of <a href="http://snobber.blogspot.com/2009/10/shermans-march-1986.html">Sherman's March</a>, it is deeply enjoyable. It's refreshing to see young people struggling for stability and meaning in their lives - <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">real</span> young people, who aren't inexplicably wealthy or attractive like 20somethings in Hollywood movies. The actresses who play Jeannie and Lauren are strikingly beautiful in a unique way, very muscular, Amazonian women. <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Beeswax</span> feels almost New Wave in its reluctance to offer us anything more than a splice of life permeated by mood and sideways glances. It's the ripple-effect from these subtle details that makes <em>Beeswax</em> truly compelling.</p></div>Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-58564651135670224092010-05-19T10:26:00.008-04:002010-05-19T10:47:37.171-04:00Young Female Novelists<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BgMWgy7ILVfzcOxgAgwX6NdkocvtszMnJ4oXRZPKP7dkCeWFwAQV1l3RUyvueQnMzjzHSSREDuiRZgIcPJjQqNkQ3MKr0ncpyR9p3mr8ZjV-muaXQJJ6yypTVaDRlv3H1ck8/s1600/zadie-smith.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 195px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BgMWgy7ILVfzcOxgAgwX6NdkocvtszMnJ4oXRZPKP7dkCeWFwAQV1l3RUyvueQnMzjzHSSREDuiRZgIcPJjQqNkQ3MKr0ncpyR9p3mr8ZjV-muaXQJJ6yypTVaDRlv3H1ck8/s320/zadie-smith.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472992253713855570" border="0" /></a>I asked and you guys answered!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A list of 20 female novelists from Dilettantsia readers:</span><br /></div><br />1. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vendela_Vida">Vendela Vida</a><br />2. <a href="http://www.julieorringer.com/">Julie Orringer</a><br />3. <a href="http://whatarewritersreading.blogspot.com/2008/10/asali-solomon.html">Asali Solomon</a><br />4. <a href="http://gothamist.com/2007/08/16/rebecca_curtis.php">Becky Curtis</a><br />5. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Russell_%28author%29">Karen Russell</a><br />6. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Shun-lien_Bynum">Sarah Shun-lien Bynum</a><br />7. <a href="http://www.ceridwendovey.com/">Ceridwen Dovey</a><br />8. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy_Budnitz">Judy Budnitz</a><br />9. <a href="http://leanneshapton.com/">Leanne Shapton</a><br />10. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicole_Krauss">Nicole Krauss</a><br />11. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nell_Freudenberger">Nell Freudenberger</a><br />12. <a href="http://www.bookslut.com/features/2006_09_009871.php">Marisha Pessl</a><br />13. <a href="http://www.curtissittenfeld.com/">Curtis Sittenfeld</a><br />14. <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/kvpa/jhumpalahiri/">Jhumpa Lahiri</a><br />15. <a href="http://selahsaterstrom.blogspot.com/">Selah Saterstrom</a><br />16. <a href="http://www.atmosphericdisturbances.com/">Rivka Galchen</a><br />17. <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/35034/Lydia_Peelle/index.aspx">Lydia Peelle</a><br />18. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Cusk">Rachel Cusk</a><br />19. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zadie_Smith">Zadie Smith</a><br />20. <a href="http://www.annpatchett.com/">Ann Patchett</a><br /><br />There are a few ladies over 40, but really: who cares? As William but it best in the comments: "40 is a pretty tough number though. Everybody loves a phenom (for the first 10 minutes at least) but by and large the rule of 10 hits novelists just like anyone else." For the record, Virginia Woolf didn't publish her first novel, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Voyage_Out"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Voyage Out</span></a>, until she was 33; it had been a work in progress for nine years.Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-65764548727391547532010-05-14T09:28:00.007-04:002010-05-14T10:04:48.358-04:00Got Women?<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FEgrXv8glmhX33MtnAGmHh5kK_kzZ07dVof2f9CexESuuqoH43wzJwJGf9lt9dJo3deOGVmJ6gt6jIaAjPihsBxbRP3TQyS7tGlklueDFU1B_zO0kJCrMxoASZ1U202zm7hL/s1600/virginia.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 217px; height: 292px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FEgrXv8glmhX33MtnAGmHh5kK_kzZ07dVof2f9CexESuuqoH43wzJwJGf9lt9dJo3deOGVmJ6gt6jIaAjPihsBxbRP3TQyS7tGlklueDFU1B_zO0kJCrMxoASZ1U202zm7hL/s320/virginia.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471119744989986882" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><br />Virginia, HELP.</span><br /><br /></div>On Wednesday night, my friend Trish asked me who were my favorite contemporary female writers. I named one in particular: <a href="http://www.sarahmanguso.com/">Sarah Manguso</a>. If you haven't read her memoir, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Two Kinds of Decay</span>, please do so immediately. But what about novelists? Fiction writers? Trish asked. Oh, I thought - well, Mary Gaitskill: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Veronica-Novel-Mary-Gaitskill/dp/0375421459"><span style="font-style: italic;">Veronica</span></a>. Well, Trish said, yes, but who else? And younger? I was stumped, and upset.<br /><br />So who are your favorite*<br /><ul><li>Female</li><li>Contemporary<br /></li><li>Novelists</li><li>Under 40</li></ul>*favorite meaning you are a fan of their work(s)<br /><br />Later, I came up with Zadie Smith. That was it. Is it just me or is there a <span style="font-weight: bold;">massive black hole</span> in fiction? Where are the young female novelists? Do they exist? Are they having trouble getting published? Is it just that women are all writing non-fiction pseudo memoirs right now? What the hell is going on? Please leave some names in the comments and prove me wrong!Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-63354867477748122712010-05-12T09:45:00.005-04:002010-05-12T10:06:07.348-04:00Metropolis Restored<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRxiAlVlFUHKppqISYMs8jlSLo16bJAbum1ksi5SPwn4psyfTI6Ce5AL_d71tzaCfvWK0KzFfjiMWxFqtiuPFkgqqpD1CJBd7TJWDAS187AymvI6VisMqbCyf1RMVAmySXhl0/s1600/metropolis.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 229px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470381320187494882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRxiAlVlFUHKppqISYMs8jlSLo16bJAbum1ksi5SPwn4psyfTI6Ce5AL_d71tzaCfvWK0KzFfjiMWxFqtiuPFkgqqpD1CJBd7TJWDAS187AymvI6VisMqbCyf1RMVAmySXhl0/s320/metropolis.jpg" /></a><br />Fritz Lang's unbelievably progressive film <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Metropolis</span> has long been a favorite of movie buffs all over the world. Made in 1927, Lang anticipates skyscrapers, television, elevators and highways in this story of industry and corruption.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmM7npJVX2MUUa0hgclGtwGvfdkiyIwct6-sOeHTu0IQrRs48OuiSnCQ7PasMZfuDFsqX0Tm1c1Za57gHSDV9ETF0R7itHehGkBSGfGoPeZ9rfWheTUzk1CPJ19ozKK8zuc4k/s1600/Metropolis+01.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470379928403479794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmM7npJVX2MUUa0hgclGtwGvfdkiyIwct6-sOeHTu0IQrRs48OuiSnCQ7PasMZfuDFsqX0Tm1c1Za57gHSDV9ETF0R7itHehGkBSGfGoPeZ9rfWheTUzk1CPJ19ozKK8zuc4k/s320/Metropolis+01.jpg" /></a>However, since its original premiere in Berlin, most viewers have found the film confusing and a bit aimless. After the movie was released, there were complaints about its length (2 1/2 hours) and it was cut down by thirty minutes, and the excised film was presumed destroyed. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/movies/05metropolis.html">Not so! </a>In 2008, Fernando Pena, a film archivist, found a copy of the complete <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Metropolis</span> in the Museo del Cine in Buenos Aries. Film Forum in New York and select theaters across the United States are now showing the restored version during the month of May, with a DVD release to follow.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizu5_ccaYWhVN63g2R-TN1e9P6oExQZc5RLzVixS8Qqb1RMWn4JcBTtsLjqcy4phWbCQqdxIpj5iFqs4zzD66Pa-5P9mKSsz4QPQayRdU9B5oe3RfuHBXIPd25XamfY4j0Rr_/s1600/Metropolis00-761075.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 246px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470379404824816242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizu5_ccaYWhVN63g2R-TN1e9P6oExQZc5RLzVixS8Qqb1RMWn4JcBTtsLjqcy4phWbCQqdxIpj5iFqs4zzD66Pa-5P9mKSsz4QPQayRdU9B5oe3RfuHBXIPd25XamfY4j0Rr_/s320/Metropolis00-761075.jpg" /></a>I saw the restored version on Monday night, and it was well worth it. What's interesting: the missing parts only survive as 16mm transfers, so it's easy to discern as you watch the film which are the new scenes. The character of The Thin Man, who was practically removed from the last version, plays a much larger part. The acting abilities of the main characters are fully exhibited, and major plot points that seem completely essential to the understanding of the film's vision have been restored. This film is now engaging and heartfelt. I spent most of the time gasping and wondering how the hell Fritz Lang managed to film scenes that feature angry mobs, burning at the stake, and large-scale Ayn Rand like cities without the help of special effects. <em>Metropolis</em> is truly a marvelous example of ingenuity and cinematic genius.<br /><br />The restoration is not only a triumph for film scholars - it's an absolute delight to any audience member. Go and see it now!Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-70774642117219321002010-05-10T10:07:00.002-04:002010-05-10T10:19:34.452-04:00White-knuckled<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDZkBym4vNR2bc0qCACJs19eyRpx0Au9SMTLU36zIS4A2NuS6KD6RmJmI2qiGYVQN2h93A5EufSO5jEW_Djz2xc4E9HRbNg8mqVJ7KzC24IYhQ-wr_jXNm4jDAdBvWUGubFyT/s1600/airplanelanding.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDZkBym4vNR2bc0qCACJs19eyRpx0Au9SMTLU36zIS4A2NuS6KD6RmJmI2qiGYVQN2h93A5EufSO5jEW_Djz2xc4E9HRbNg8mqVJ7KzC24IYhQ-wr_jXNm4jDAdBvWUGubFyT/s320/airplanelanding.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469642928529133906" border="0" /></a><br />As a kid, I loved flying. I still love the liminal space of an airport - you're neither here nor there, in some in-between world, where one can talk on the phone and read magazines and think about life. But now flying scares the hell out of me. The last three flights I've taken have been turbulent and bumpy. Last night especially - there had been "strong winds" at LaGuardia and every time the pilot tried to descend, we hit turbulence.<br /><br />How are we ever going to get down? Will I get off this plane alive? How crazy is it to get in a giant metal tube and propel oneself across the country? Please God, I thought, if you let me get off this plane, I promise I'll stop worrying so much, I'll stop flipping out about other people, stop reading so much stop thinking so much. Just let me live.<br /><br />It's Monday morning. I'm alive, I'm at work. I had to let three L trains go by this morning. I open my Google reader to find criticism on a piece I wrote. I'm not an academic! I don't have the time nor the funding to sit in the library all day! (Believe me, I wish I did). I'm broke, etc. God dammit, and here we go. First world problems, right?<br /><br />I wish I could stop thinking and just start living.Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-50098834519674474672010-05-07T09:31:00.003-04:002010-05-07T11:40:35.247-04:00Around the Interwebs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeydTP9b4W1gNJeVfGqqtNXVTR12N38qAy1mmTfz2nePcZOAW43c1txcJhu5mQ155JDszR5QJ5AuwyBFXrKxIZDEiphqdVb0lAYRZcOKXItB7R1SD1QP-bEcDdZdMQaxz2B4wB/s1600/plath_enews2.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeydTP9b4W1gNJeVfGqqtNXVTR12N38qAy1mmTfz2nePcZOAW43c1txcJhu5mQ155JDszR5QJ5AuwyBFXrKxIZDEiphqdVb0lAYRZcOKXItB7R1SD1QP-bEcDdZdMQaxz2B4wB/s320/plath_enews2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468223464228389762" border="0" /></a>Updated!<br /><br />Dear friends, I apologize for neglecting the blog as of late, but you will find me a few other places on the internet this week.<br /><br />I made my debut at <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Millions</span> with <a href="http://www.themillions.com/2010/05/writing-food-writing-life.html">this piece</a> on Food and Writing. <a href="http://publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/43097-the-pw-morning-report-friday-may-7-2010.html">Publisher's Weekly</a> then mentioned it on their morning report.<br /><br />At <span style="font-weight: bold;">This Recording</span> I wrote an essay on one of my favorite writers, <a href="http://thisrecording.com/today/2010/5/6/in-which-we-flay-ourselves-into-poets.html">Sylvia Plath</a>.<br /><br />My monthly column at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bookslut</span> is up, this one on Suzanne Collins' Sci-Fi Young Adult novel <a href="http://www.bookslut.com/kissing_dead_girls/2010_05_016070.phphttp://www.bookslut.com/kissing_dead_girls/2010_05_016070.php"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hunger Games</span></a>.<br /><br />And lastly I've had a great deal of feedback on <a href="http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/books/85199/emily-gould-and-the-heart-says-whatever-book-review">my review</a> of Emily Gould's <span style="font-style: italic;">And The Heart Says Whatever </span>at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Time Out</span>, including a nice nod from <a href="http://jezebel.com/5530739/emily-gould-and-the-rejection-of-personal-growth">Jezebel</a>.<br /><br />As always you can find all my published clips at <a href="http://www.jessicaferri.com/">www.jessicaferri.com</a>.<br /><br />Thank you for reading!Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-35400958500269895532010-04-29T15:35:00.005-04:002010-04-29T15:57:01.416-04:00Summer Reading<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3900x_ye0CzlseOs7Pfif5w0WU0b-fEdXadZplLjDOtfMte8ht_lq4ZSo3Usnc84yY_0xlZ9zpfNTpZYEJOLcxwwqbghBrfc-GTNylPPx3hcOx9jo14lexnTz-Ooh2jQHYAF/s1600/marilyn.jpeg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 264px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465645910880849202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3900x_ye0CzlseOs7Pfif5w0WU0b-fEdXadZplLjDOtfMte8ht_lq4ZSo3Usnc84yY_0xlZ9zpfNTpZYEJOLcxwwqbghBrfc-GTNylPPx3hcOx9jo14lexnTz-Ooh2jQHYAF/s320/marilyn.jpeg" /></a>It's practically May, and you know what that means: it's practically summer. Time for long lazy afternoons in the park, reading in the sun. I've been running around (out of town) but I'm looking forward to the summer months when I can finally get some reading done. Here are a few books I'm excited about reading:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lonelyhearts-Locust-Revised-Directions-Paperbook/dp/0811218228/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272570114&sr=1-1">Miss Lonelyhearts</a> (and The Day of the Locust) by Nathanael West<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Education-Lynn-Barber/dp/1934633852/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272570080&sr=1-1">An Education</a>, A Memoir by Lynn Barber (the basis for the film)<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Homemade-Life-Stories-Recipes-Kitchen/dp/1416551069/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272570159&sr=1-1">A Homemade Life</a> by Molly Wizenberg (author of food blog <a href="http://orangette.blogspot.com/">Orangette</a>)<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wolf-Hall-Novel-Booker-Prize/dp/0805080686/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272570219&sr=1-1">Wolf Hall </a>by Hilary Mantel<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Cooking-Review-Books-Classics/dp/1590170040/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272570244&sr=1-1">Summer Cooking </a>by Elizabeth David<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Memento-Mori-Muriel-Spark/dp/0811214389/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272570264&sr=1-1">Memento Mori </a>by Muriel Spark<br />and, if I like that, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prime-Miss-Jean-Brodie-Novel/dp/0061711292/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272570308&sr=1-1">The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie</a> by Muriel Spark<br />and if I like both of those, the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Muriel-Spark-Biography-Martin-Stannard/dp/0393051749/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272570333&sr=1-1">new biography</a> of Madame Spark<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Muriel-Spark-Biography-Martin-Stannard/dp/0393051749/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272570333&sr=1-1">Home Cooking </a>by Laurie Colwin<br /><br />I've been doing a lot of food writing and reading over the past month. I hope to have something up for you all to read about the genre very soon. I just finished Judith Moore's collection of personal essays on the intersection of life and food, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Never-Eat-Your-Heart-Out/dp/0865475180">Never Eat Your Heart Out</a>. It was fantastic; I highly, highly recommend it. (It's out of print but you can find it without a problem on <a href="http://www.alibris.com/?S=R&mkwid=SN97iEwYM&mcid=5144897529&siteID=NcYTag.a_sQ-W8k5E67ltIznNJyDFg383Q"><em>a</em>Libris</a>)<br /><br />I also do a fair amount of re-reading in the summer. My favorites:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Dalloway-Annotated-Virginia-Woolf/dp/0156030357/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272570433&sr=1-1">Mrs. Dalloway </a>by Virginia Woolf<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_19?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=unabridged+journals+of+sylvia+plath&sprefix=unabridged+journals">The Unabridged Diaries of Sylvia Plath</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bonjour-Tristesse-Novel-Francoise-Sagan/dp/0061440795/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272570474&sr=1-1">Bonjour Tristesse</a> by Francoise Sagan<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Slouching-Towards-Bethlehem-Essays-Classics/dp/0374531382/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272570549&sr=1-1">Slouching Towards Bethlehem</a><br /><br />Come to think of it, I pretty much re-read these books all year.<br /><br />What are your summer reads and recommendations?Jessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28308042.post-5651372764905351202010-04-28T10:10:00.003-04:002010-04-28T10:15:02.342-04:00Emily Gould's "And the Heart Says Whatever"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWUoUvZoBtwir1TkMfdguIr0k1hBVbQlzX_aBZs03danhQGux7fYAkSOwoNTTUuAo3oXZpvXUxMs2qqKZEq79Y_mHZyV3t9pXeoib82lJBjvsfu1jYzFFfTObj8Vtf8aRGsKeA/s1600/gould.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWUoUvZoBtwir1TkMfdguIr0k1hBVbQlzX_aBZs03danhQGux7fYAkSOwoNTTUuAo3oXZpvXUxMs2qqKZEq79Y_mHZyV3t9pXeoib82lJBjvsfu1jYzFFfTObj8Vtf8aRGsKeA/s320/gould.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465191346703068994" border="0" /></a>Dear readers, you can find my review of <a href="http://www.emilymagazine.com/">Emily Gould</a>'s collection of essays <span style="font-style: italic;">And the Heart Says Whatever</span> in this week's Time Out New York <a href="http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/books/85199/emily-gould-and-the-heart-says-whatever-book-review">here</a>, along with a few recommendations of my favorite memoirs and tell-alls. Thank you as always for reading. xoxoxoJessica Ferrihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17050595347995460961noreply@blogger.com1