Monthly Archives: January 2011

On Neil Genzlinger's "The Problem With Memoirs," a Witty Look at Bogus Memoirs in NY Times, or a Book Review With Balls, plus a ShoutOut to Karen Russell's "Swamplandia!"

Posted on January 29, 2011 by williamjcobb

I haven’t been blogging much lately because I’m caught in a vortex of Academic Hell, coping with various problems brought on by our sickly economy, and here’s to hoping it will end soon: the bad economy, that is. Academic Hell … Continue reading →

Posted in books, writing | Leave a comment

"My Father's Guns," an essay remembered in response to the Tucson Shooting

Posted on January 23, 2011 by williamjcobb

Tim Egan had another good piece in the NY Times about the Tucson shooting and the gun control debate, here: He mentions his family as gun owners and users. I have a similar history, though with more tragedy than I … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Politics, The West | Leave a comment

Sarah Palin Anthem: Sad or Funny?

Posted on January 20, 2011 by williamjcobb

A friend of mine (Thanks, Morris!) sent me this link, and I can’t decide whether it’s funny, or just sad. You decide. http://www.buzzfeed.com/ashleybaccam/sarah-palin-battle-hymn

Posted in Politics | Leave a comment

The Classic Library v. Kindle Disposability of eBooks

Posted on January 15, 2011 by williamjcobb

Over the holidays something struck me (as all wrong) about the rise of ebooks and “Kindle editions”: In Colorado I have a kind of classic library, not a zillion crappy paperbacks, but a good number (around a thousand, I would … Continue reading →

Posted in books, writing | Leave a comment

A Star Is Corn: "Country Strong" & the Gwyneth Paltrow Gagfest

Posted on January 11, 2011 by williamjcobb

There needs to be some complicated noun (perhaps the Urban Dictionary can get on this, better than “hiberdating” or “internet coma”) to express the rather long-winded “feeling of revulsion when seeing overexposed celebrities in internet-news headlines that you’ve just become … Continue reading →

Posted in Film | Leave a comment

Prisons, Poverty, & Pickups: The Other West

Posted on January 9, 2011 by williamjcobb

So I’ve just driven 1720 miles from Colorado to Pennsylvania . . . . . .  and the contrast between Western and Eastern U.S. is on my mind. One thing I notice is the discrepancy between the media myth of … Continue reading →

Posted in The West | Leave a comment

Deer & Coyotes in the New Year

Posted on January 3, 2011 by williamjcobb

I’ve had deer and coyotes in my yard at the start of this new year, so something must be right with the world. I double-checked and corroborated that the mountain scenes in True Grit were filmed near Santa Fe, which … Continue reading →

Posted in The West | Leave a comment