My Top 5 Comic Book Titles
(ongoing series only) 1. Gotham Central – I’m a big fan of strong characterization and tight plotting, and this Batman-themed take on the classic police procedural, a la Hill Street Blues and Homicide: Life on the Street, features some of the strongest writing in comics. Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka are terrific, and Michael Lark’s
Guy’s Top 5 Comics of 2004
(ongoing series only) 1. Gotham Central – I’m a big fan of strong characterization and tight plotting, and this Batman-themed take on the classic police procedural, a la Hill Street Blues and Homicide: Life on the Street, features some of the strongest writing in comics. Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka are terrific, and Michael Lark’s
“Those who can, do. Those who can’t, edit.” While that’s not always true, in light of my inability to write something in time for the newly-launched e-zine of “cutting-edge non-fiction,” loupe, I’ve decided to do the next best thing…launch a web site of my own to highlight all of the great writing I come across
Reviewing on Amazon
Thanks to my reviews on Amazon.com – where I’m currently ranked 8345, and climbing – I’ve been offered a free copy of Ernesto Quiñonez’ new book, Chango’s Fire by his publisher’s marketing department. As Amazon has firmly established itself as THE online bookstore, it’s reviews have become more and more influential, with some places even
Breakfast of Champions, Running with Scissors
Days like this, I want to be at home, relaxing in bed with a good book. I’m currently reading Kurt Vonnegut’s Breakfast of Champions, one of the most subversively whacked-out books I’ve ever come across. In the midst of seemingly random observations he unexpectedly drops cynical nuggets of truth: Viet Nam was a country where
The Village: Better Than the Reviews
The Village, much-maligned for not living up to M. Night Shyamalan’s media-manufactured reputation for shocking twists, was actually a pretty good movie when judged on its own merits. An interesting, well-told story – not quite the allegory of a post-9/11 world some critics have suggested – it features what is arguably one of the most
I, Robot vs. Spider-Man 2
I, Robot didn’t just whomp Spider-Man 2 at the box office this weekend, it also beat it out in my overall opinion of the two.
Crawfish Dreams, Venom’s Taste
I love randomly discovering new [to me] writers, especially when they’re not well-known bestseller list types. That whole underdog thing. I finished Crawfish Dreams last week and am happy to say that Nancy Rawles is a remarkable talent! She weaves an intricate tale of a family of Creoles living in mid-80’s Los Angeles into a
Set This House in Order
Finished Matt Ruff’s Set This House in Order: A Romance of Souls yesterday. Absolutely amazing! He’s one of a handful of writers I want to BE. A description of the plot would be inadequate because his work is so layered and full of texture that it wouldn’t do it justice. Kind of like explaining procreation
Fun with Merriam-Webster. con-tra-vene : The feeling that life is moving too slow and your kids are growing up too fast. sur-re-al-is-tic: Your mother telling your wife about finding the lingerie catalogs you used to hoard as a teenager, believing it’s true but not really remembering it happening. stul-ti-fy: Between louderARTS and Urbana’s combined 17