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Recent Posts
- On George Saunders’ New Novel “Vigil”: Jumping the Shark Across the Heavens
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Category Archives: books/film
Guns & Bunkers: Or How to Enjoy "Doomsday Preppers" and the Truth About That Asteroid Crashing Into a Crater Near You
So the quirkiest angle of the success of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road (2006) was that we could all recognize what Discovery Channel shows Cormac had been watching, once you realize that the mysterious cataclysm that has befallen the world is … Continue reading
Posted in Bad TV, books/film, Climate Change, Good TV, The West, Weird Science
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Did William Gay Really Write His Books? Meddlesome Neighbors Want to Know
So there’s an obituary of Southern Gothic master Wiliam Gay in last week’s daily NY Times (Feb 29th) that I almost missed, which has a few illuminating details and quotes, such as describing his novel Twilight (2006) as “textbook Southern … Continue reading
Posted in Art, books, books/film, writing
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Reading Noah Hawley's "The Good Father": Or What To Do When Your Son Assassinates a "Good" Presidential Candidate
So right now I’m reading (and reviewing for the Dallas Morning News) Noah Hawley’s new novel, The Good Father (appearing this month in bookstores) which is about a father whose son has assassinated a presidential candidate: The story so far is … Continue reading
Posted in books/film, Politics, The West
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R.I.P. for William Gay, Contemporary Southern Gothic Fiction Master: the Day the Banjo Music Died
So a friend sent me this notice this morning, and I’m sorry to hear it: William Gay, author of The Long Home (1999), which my editor, Greg Michalson, edited and published; I Hate To See That Evening Sun Go Down … Continue reading
Posted in books, books/film
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On Terrence Malick's "The Tree of Life" & Thomas Mallon's new novel "Watergate"
So I’ve recently reviewed Thomas Mallon’s new novel titled Watergate, due out this week, I believe, and watched Terrence Malick’s acclaimed film The Tree of Life (2011). First off, Malick’s film is gorgeous if at times a bit pretentious and … Continue reading
Posted in books/film
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News On the Cormac McCarthy Front: Baby Eater No. 2 Speaks! Plus a New, Original Screenplay by CM
So for all the Cormac McCarthy fans out there, of which I am a most enthusiastic one, here’s an odd bit of info that just fell into my lap about the film version of The Road (2009). Before I saw … Continue reading
Posted in books, books/film, Film, The West, writing
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On "Contagion": The World Is Ending Because Gwyneth Paltrow Cheated on Her Husband
So I finally got around to watching Contagion last night, which I’ve been mildly curious about since there’s a hardcore virus epidemic at the core of the story, and in my new novel there’s a flu epidemic angle as well. … Continue reading
Posted in books/film, Film, Weird Science
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"The Descendants" & Kardashian Wannabes
So like all good (and not-so-good) Americans I ended up at a mall (in St. Louis) today, amused by the Kardashian/Jersey Shore wannabes with their alien-life-form hair and Cleopatra-on-meth eye makeup, getting a Teddy bear made from scratch, which was … Continue reading
Posted in books/film
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On Werner Herzog's New Film, "Into the Abyss," and the One Currently Opening Wide Its Maw at Penn State
So I teach at Penn State, a position which will be uncomfortable to admit for some time. Suffice to say it’s been one bizarre, disheartening week. I’ll let others shout bromides about the charges and the conduct of officials, but … Continue reading
Posted in books/film, Education, Politics
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"127 Hours" as Big-Budget "I Shouldn't Be Alive," With a Nod to the Great "Touching the Void"
So I finally got around to watching the much-acclaimed/suspect film of Aaron Ralston’s self-amputation, 127 Hours, and actually thought it was pretty good, even if my hotel owner/chef in Green River, Utah held a grudge against Ralston for not paying … Continue reading
Posted in books/film, The West
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