TO: Crackpot
From: Greg
Shattering Rose Colored Glasses, a blog acquaintance, has shaihai'ed me into participating in some unspeakable blogging ritual that my tender pink ears had to this moment been unsullied by it's mention.
So write about books jagoff,
Greg, Bastard of Arts and Commerce (read Greg's list, it's better than mine)
How can one refuse such a warm invitiation, so here it goes.
Number of Books that I own:
I move a lot, I have had twelve apartments in 15 years. Books are heavy. So I am guessing I am in the two hundred or so range.
Last Book I Bought The Paris Review Book: of Heartbreak, Madness, Sex, Love, Betrayal, Outsiders, Intoxication, War, Whimsy, Horrors, God, Death, Dinner, Baseball, Travels, the Art of Writing, and Everything Else in the World Since 1953 Edited by George Plimpton . I like the whole concept of this book. It’s about 1000 pages of Short poems, essays and interviews by pretty much every great writer of the the last 50 years. It's conveinent way in this busy world to keep up the facade of intellectual superiority. I’m sure I will never read them all, but I like the option to.
Last book(s) I read:
"A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey. Accounts one man's journey into rehab. At first I thought it was some good interesting work told in a staccato excessible style. After finishing it, I realized it was just a tale of some punk, asshole rich kid who does all these really awful things then gets away with it because he makes friends with a Tony Soprano type in rehab. Here's a spoiler: All the rich people get beyond their addicitions, all the poor people die.
Also two short books I recently acquired from GENIUS Los Angeles Indie Writer, David Howard, at the Los Angeles Festival Times Festival of Books; "Blondes and Other Phobias" and "Crackpot Press Volume 1:Fiction+Opinion=Fact; or Does it?" some of these selections can be read on my ... ( er, I mean "his") website www.crackpotpress.com
Five Books that mean a lot to me:
"All Too Human" by George Stephanopolis
There are two reason why I like this one. The first is that it is a good somewhat honest look into the Clinton White House pre-Monica. But the more fascinating aspect is George S's unintentional self-journey into his own ego which becomes enormous by the end of the book. Wanna see someone to go from idealistic young man to star fucker?? This is the book for you!
"Paper Lion" by George Plimpton
Based on his own experiences, skinny white boy George Plimpton goes undercover to play Quarterback for the Detroit Lions. Great stuff.
Sometimes You are So Alone, It Just Seems to Make Sense
by Charles Bukowski
Cuz it's fricking Bukowski!! Good collection of some really devasting work... a good "drunk in the tub" read!
”The Real Inspector Hound” by Tom Stoppard. I first read it as a Junior in a pretty “controlled” boarding school in
“Without Feathers" by Woody Allen... Pre-screenwriting stuff where he gets to show off his real genius. Then he became a pruny, creepy old man.. (The kiss with Tia Leoni in "Hollywood Ending" is just plain gross.)
Honorable Mention:
"The Bible"... what a load of crap... I do like to underline the sexy parts though.
"Will" by G. Gordon Liddy I read this in the 8th grade, the guy IS a baddass and now I know how to kill a man with a sharpened pencil should the need ever arise.
Giles?
2 comments:
Paper Lion kicks ass. I like blogging. It's pointless!
Hey man, got around to linking your blog :) Keep it up!
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