“Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror:” Camus probably wished he was Milton too or whatever

I just discovered (via this neat online comic by Lewis) this excellent song about artistic self-doubt.  Singer-songwriter Jeffrey Lewis tells the story of the time he thinks he saw Will Oldham on the subway in Brooklyn. I kinda thought I was gonna grow up to do stuff that would benefit humanity But it’s getting harder [...]

Really, New York Times Magazine?

Every week I read through the “One Page Magazine” in the NYT Sunday Magazine and have the same reaction.  Really?  It’s come to this? The Meh List By Greg Veis Not Hot, Not Not, Just Meh. 1. Rob Schneider (except in “The Waterboy”) 2. “Best of” albums 3. Chocolate-covered cherries 4. Having a Gmail photo [...]

Too many bodies nailed to the wall: two sadistic thrillers, and another mystery

A while ago I read this absolute rave review in the NYTBR of a European mystery thriller called Sorry (by Zoran Drvenkar).  I’m partial to Nordic/European crime fiction, and this sort-of postmodern German thriller sounded right up my alley, albeit a bit gross: “Stunning… If you, my own reader, have made it this far, waded [...]