Tejas Day II:

After dinner last night, I caught the tail end of Railroad's Earth's show at Threadgill's. Railroad Earth is kind of a jammy roots rock band, which fairly heavy bluegrass and zydeco influences. Not many lyrics, lots of swaying in place. I know about them because some of their members used to be in From Good Homes, a band you would have only heard of if you went to an east coast college in the mid-90s and owned several pairs of sandals.

Today I checked in on some old friends, had lunch at the Castle Hill, and need to do about 2 hours of work on the book before the Readerville dinner this evening.

Off I go...

Lone Star State of Mind:

Arrived in Austin today for the Texas Book Festival. Checked into the Omni Hotel downtown, ran into my friend Amanda Ward in the lobby. Invited me to go swimming in the rooftop pool with her and her friend Dao Strom (author of this fabulous book) and Dao's son Lincoln to take a dip in the rooftop pool, 20 stories above the Texas hill country.

I did a few laps after they took off. Now I'm back in my room on the free Wifi, watching the end of Oprah and about to hop into the tub. I'm having dinner with the Browns, Kevin and Jefe at 7:30.

Could life get any sweeter?

Go Mom!

My mom is volunteering for Election Protection. Doesn't that rock?

What's a Wiki?

Finally, a really good explanation, thanks to my buddy Brad Stone via Social Media.

A Knot of 'Yawns:'

Big Yawn is a Washington D.C. based ezine about music. My friend Dave writes a column on movie soundtracks that is very cool. However the site itself is baffling. I guess the center column is a blog, the features/column section is a nondescript list, A DC concert calendar useless to anyone not local. It's crying out for an RSS feed to cut through this shambling mound of content but, so far as I can tell, doesn't have one of those either.

Aya!

Aya De Leon is an inspiration. I was lucky enough to catch her new solo show "Aya De Leon is Running for President!" at Youth Speaks HQ last night. It's a collection of prose poems and spoken word centered on the "If I were president theme..." While it's at times liberally broad as political theater, as spoken word performance, it's tight, smart, and forward thinking. When was the last time you heard a self-proclaimed feminist poet bust on how we need to include men in the movement?

I'm on her mailing list. I will see her perform again.

Sunday Morning Shards #10

A round-up of what newspapers have endorsed what candidates. As of today, Kerry leads Bush 112-69, winning over 28 papers that backed Bush in 2000. Bush has grabbed only 2 papers that backed Gore (via New Media Musings).

I'm writing letters for Mainstreet Moms Oppose Bush.

Have you heard of Alternate Reality Games? It's like the latest thing. Can ya dig it?

The Heart of Cole Valley Festival is today. I love our little neighborhood.

Libraries in Great Britian are in trouble (via ArtsJournal).

I must be a complete sap because, despite the Bulldog seaman jokes, I thought National Lampoon's Van Wilder was sweet. Same with There's Something About Mary and American Pie. Gross-out humor must be lost on me.

I really like this essay which looks at Apple Stores from a design perspective.

I'm headed to Austin next week for the Texas Book Festival where I'll be speaking on a panel about the future of Literature and the Republic. Smart people, loads of books, great food and old friends. I can't wait.

Fine Details:

Devil in the Details : Scenes from an Obsessive Girlhood by Jennifer Traig
Jenny Traig lives here in San Francisco, is a tutor at 826 Valencia and is friends with my friend Maggie. Her memoir, of growing up with OCD and converting to Orthodox Judiasm (as the same time and to the hilarity of her parents) is loopy, wild, riotously funny and real. while much of her turnmoil is played for laughs, her tone overall is one of maturity, distance, and calm. A quick little read that I wanted to recommend to ya'll right away.

One Sentence Movie Reviews #20

Bullets Over Broadway (1993): "Real artists rarely feel the need to brag about what artists they are."

Song of the Week #4:

I first heard (Share a Little) Shelter by Miami-based Nuclear Valdez (so named for their friend Valdez who had a horrible temper) on KFOG's 10 at 10. They've got the naive majesty of happy-alt-means-arena-rock begun in the early 1980s by The Alarm and Big Country and carried us through the early 1990s by The Farm and Collective Soul. They've been making an album every several years since the have toured as recently as last year. Based on the infectious little triump of "Shelter", I may have to see what else they've got.

Enjoy!

The Music of Nick Hornby:

I wish Nick Hornby wrote about music more often. I think I liked his pieces in the New Yorker as much or more as his novels.

So I was thrilled when my buddy Mark pointed me to an Op-Ed Hornby did in the New York Times about rock music, youth and the imagined divide between high and low culture. I offer it here for your reading pleasure.

I Can't Happen:

No, it just did.

Brilliant 'Backstory'

Now this is a fine idea. Author MJ Rose has created a blog called Backstory with a simple mission: To give the story behind contemporary books. In other words, "Where did the idea for the book come from?" Simple, compelling useful, exactly what a blog should be.

Brilliant.

Sox 'em!

I don't pay much attention to baseball but there's nothing I like better than an underdog. So I was juiced like a junkie when The Red Sox, who haven't won a World Series since the invention of fire, beat the Yankees 4-2 forcing a game 7. The Yankees were ahead 3 games to 0 and have lost each of the last three.

What will happen next, I don't know. The last game is in Yankee Stadium and those people are wing nuts.

Am I a Red Sox fan? I was in like 1984 when I started collecting baseball cards and Bill Buckner was my favorite player (shows what I knew). But now I just like a good martyr story. And I hate Yankee fans. No scratch that. I hate fans of any team that wins all the time. How easy is that? It's like calling yourself a fan of gravity.

Aftershocks...

Litquake 2004 has come and gone. I'm still reeling in exhaustion but what an amazing week it was. 9 days, nearly 200 Bay Area authors and attendences reaching well into the tens of thousands. If our goal was to bring Litquake to the city at large, out of the church of our friends and into the streets, we succeed. Succeeded way beyond our own expections.

We debrief on Monday. Until then we rest.

Sunday Morning Shards #9

If you missed Litquake this week, I'm sorry to hear that. What a time we've had!

Puff Daddy sez: Vote or Die!

John Stewart wastes the guys on "Crossfire." You can get the video and transcript thanks to Leonard (via Matt Haughey).

Ron Hogan breaks down why authors shouldn't insult their critics for being, well critics.

Did you know that Jay Z is one of the minority shareholders of the New Jersey Nets basketball team? Neither did I.

Please tell me how Music Mobs will be more helpful to me than Last FM radio? Because right now I don't see it (via Ipodhacks).

I just found out that there are weekend getaways dedicated to scrabooking. I had no idea. I'm also a man.

I'm about 3 days away from taking a serious vacation sorta thing. I can't wait.

The Bitch List (Fall 2004 issue):

Selections of interest from the most recent issue of Bitch magazine.

My friend Emily's great open letter called "Dear Female Friendship Culture" (p. 27).

The jewish-themed blog Bariata, as referred to the article "Blog is my Co-Pilot" about religious blogging (p. 25).

An interview with Janeane Garofalo clued me in to the recent expansion of Air America, the liberal radio network, now in 23 cities and on satellite radio networks.

Cheap Chick, the all-girl Cheap Trick tribute band.

The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (G.L.O.W) which I watched religiously as a lad but hadn't thought of in years.

Rising star of the latino/lesbian/gansta rap world JenRo. Fierce grooves.

One Sentence Movie Reviews #19

The Hunting of the President (2004): "The phrase "vast right-wing conspiracy" is not an exaggeration."

Rock that Sh*t!

So Chris Rock is hosting the Oscars next year which is the best news I've heard all day. I watch the telecast every spring and last year, it was like walking death. I'm sure Rock will mention this in his opening monologue, which in 5 minutes seconds, will be better than anything Billy Crystal has done since City Slickers. And Chris will not ride a horse or tap dance, thank christ.

Cough and Sinise:

I don't always like Fametracker's attitude but when they get it, they really get it. See this profile of Gary Sinise, which is just about flawless.

Bill Moyers Busts It:

Alternative Radio via KALW just featured a killer speech by Bill Moyers at the National Conference on Media Reform. Common Dreams has graciously reprinted it.

Last two paragraphs...

All this may be in the domain of fantasy. And then again, maybe not. What I know to be real is that we are in for the fight of our lives. I am not a romantic about democracy or journalism; the writer Andre Gide may have been right when he said that all things human, given time, go badly. But I know journalism and democracy are deeply linked in whatever chance we human beings have to redress our grievances, renew our politics, and reclaim our revolutionary ideals. Those are difficult tasks at any time, and they are even more difficult in a cynical age as this, when a deep and pervasive corruption has settled upon the republic. But too much is at stake for our spirits to flag. Earlier this week the Library of Congress gave the first Kluge Lifetime Award in the Humanities to the Polish philosopher Leslie Kolakowski. In an interview Kolakowski said: “There is one freedom on which all other liberties depend – and that is freedom of expression, freedom of speech, of print. If this is taken away, no other freedom can exist, or at least it would be soon suppressed.”

That’s the flame of truth your movement must carry forward. I am older than almost all of you and am not likely to be around for the duration; I have said for several years now that I will retire from active journalism when I turn 70 next year. But I take heart from the presence in this room, unseen, of Peter Zenger, Thomas Paine, the muckrakers, I.F. Stone and all those heroes and heroines, celebrated or forgotten, who faced odds no less than ours and did not flinch. I take heart in your presence here. It’s your fight now. Look around. You are not alone."

Damn right.

A Change is Gonna Come:

I caught the Vote For Change Tour on the Sundance Channel (since the tour is not wasting its time coming through California) and it's inspiring as all hell. I defy you to watch 15 artists and a sold-out crowd seeing Patti Smith's "People Have the Power" in unison and not be moved. And then to watch James Taylor hugging Charlie Tuna from Jurassic 5 in solidarity. I started to cry.

If I were the Bush Administration, I would be very worried.

iPod Iotas

Ok, this is not a story. It's filler dressed up as a lifestyle feature because it happens to be about the iPod. Can we just admit at this point that there is very little interesting left to say about the iPod until the next version comes out? What's next? My iPod is Named Bruce! FILM AT 11!

Whale Ho!

Mobylives, the mother of all literary blogs is back. No rss feed though. Dennis, what up with that (via Written Road)?

Breakfast Royalty:

Burger King is bringing back The King, the advertising icon that starred in its commercials in the 70s and 80s, in order to juice its half-cooked breakfast business. Seems that when people think "unhealthy breakfast", they reflexively say "Egg McMuffin" even if they are parked in front of a Burger King.

And on that note, isn't it time they opened a museum for classic advertising logos? Shouldn't the Coke Polar Bear, Max Headroom, and Snap Crackle and Pop be able to all frolic together? Then I wouldn't feel so silly committing these 80s jingles to memory.

Like Peas in a Podcast?

Will someone explain to me why podcasting is a revolution when there's very little at this point to podcast? This article doesn't tell me. Neither does Doc Searls, even though I find his efforts valiant. But I still want to know why I should care when all I can podcast at this point is audio versions of tech genius's blogs that I don't read anyway.

Sunday Morning Shards #8

Litquake powers on! Big events coming up this week.

According to President Jimmy Carter, Florida doesn't meet even the most basic requirements necessary to hold a proper election (via Siva).

An interview with Alexander McCall Smith, a Scottish author who has written an absurdly popular series of books about a (get this) all-female detective agency in Botswana.

The Bookshelf Project: Flickr's really neat collection on photos of users bookshelves.

Krager and Robertson Architects of Austin, Texas are looking to build affordable housing with an eye towards snazzy midcentury design.

My fried Lucia is blogging.

More authors are keeping online journals (via Bookslut).

Song of the Week #3:

My friend Shannon puts together a mix every year for her friends. On the last one was a stunning little number called "Molinos" by Vancouver-based Celtic-pop band The Paperboys, whom I had never heard of until right then. Now I love celtic music so a rapid flute and pipe action usually means I'm a goner. But this song goes one better and lays the whole thing over, get this, a hip-hop beat. The first four bars of the song sound like the opening of Coolio's "Fantastic Voyage" then the acoustic guitars come in. Then the shimmering harmonies. Then the celtic dueling. It's like biting into a layer cake and never hitting crust.

Have a listen. And let me know what you think.

Fast Forward Between Dance Scenes:

I've never been a big fan of Fred and Ginger movies, usually just fast forwarding through the paper-thin plot to get to the dance numbers. But until the other night, I had never seen Top Hat, the best of the 10 movies they did together. The plot is tricky, clever, fun, the dialogue sassy and sharp. the dancing actually part of the movie instead a showcase jammed inside it. No wonder it's in the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress.

Web Envy:

Ok, even though I sounded really bitter a few posts ago, I'm actually insanely jealous that I didn't get to go to Web 2.0--great speakers, fabulous topics, a ton of great thinking in one place. Plus, I just don't get to see Ben and Mena all that often. I guess I'm sad that it costs $3000, that it was aimed at "the hardcore business geek" (their words) and that I didn't think to talk my way into a press pass. Hmmph.

I've been listening to MP3s of the panels (generously linked to by Jason Calacanis), which have been setting my own head abuzz with ideas. As soon as Litquake winds up (it starts tomorrow), I'm going to try and have some lunches with the smarter people I know and ask a lot of questions.

What the World Doesn't Need...

...is Carl Lewis with a singing career (via Crabwalk).

Musicial Generousity

The bands Primus, They Might be Giants and Buckethead are offering unrestricted downloads of their live concerts at Back Office Music.com. Which is super generous and very 21st century of them.

More Convincing?

The 99 Reasons to Vote Bush Out page is now at 309 reasons and counting.

Sunday Morning Shards #7

The "Rip Van Winkle" Edition

Editor's Note: Sorry, ya'll. Saturday off became Sunday became, hell is it Wednesday already? Hence this will be a pretty long edition of SMS. Feel free to skip around.

MSNBC is saying that Edwards won last night's debate. Fox News thinks (no, really) it went to Cheney. CNN claims divided opinion What do you think?

Kerry of course ran away with the first debate like the proverbial dish did with the proverbial spoon.

Webloggers Neal Pollack and and Michele Catalano have their own presidential debate. It's much funnier than the real thing (via Dave).

What fictional character would you like to date? Most women still say Mr. Darcy.

Are noncommercial news outfits practicing better journalism? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. They certainly seem to be enjoying themselves more (via Romanesko).

Molly Steenson points out that there is precisely one woman on the speakers docket at Web 2.0. And while were at it, exactly zero people of color. Oh and the registration fee is nearly $3000. If this is the "future of the web", I think I've already been priced out of it.

Evan Williams, co-founder of Blogger, is leaving the company he created (via Onfocus).

Memo to music companies. There are plenty of real musicians out there who don't appreciate your hamhanded efforts to villify file sharing and turn fans into suspects. Fans are your lifeblood, remember?

Andre Torrez has a very funny list of expired domains for you.

I don't really need to get into caffinated beer do I (via Justin)?

Please read "The Long Tail", an article in Wired about how media and entertainment will be sold and marketed in the future (your media, whenever you want it, all the time). It's brilliant, dead on and best of all, hopeful. I'll have a much longer post about it later on.

Saturday off:

Inspired by this 43 Folders discussion, I've decided to take a mental health break ans try not turning on the computer unless necessary on Saturdays. See you tomorrow.