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He is one of my all-time favorites. I didn't get the flaws, either. Maybe compared to today's TV-style spellcheck-schooled writers, there is a flaw, but it certainly doesn't detract from my ability to enjoy his stuff.

I read "Veronica" by Mary Gaitskill in almost one sitting. Very smart and the language is beautiful.

Just Finished:

DC Noir : It's a collection of stories compiled by George Pelecanos. Very gritty, but most of it's really well written & sometimes stray from the whole noir formula.

(sidenote: Mr Chimp, earlier you mentioned Mr. Pelecanos, which of his books would you recommend starting with)

Other Hollywood : A history of porn compiled by Legs McNeil. You have to assume there is a lot of bullshit because of it being an oral history. Not really any sympathetic characters in this book.

Shadows On The Hudson : This is Issac Singer, whom I'm a pretty big fan of. This book took it's time getting interesting, but it was definitely worth it in the end. I would recommend it.

-Jeremy

i am finishing up brideshead revisited by evelyn waugh still. i would like to take the time to recommend this book to everyone. it is great.

I finished reading this on Friday:



It was written in 1938. My copy is from 1945. I can't remember where I picked it up. The first thing on the back cover is a reassurance that Dorothy Baker is not a pseudonym - yes, it seems girls can write books. There's an author's note too, explaining that the book is based on the music, but not the life, of Bix Beiderbecke.

It's sort of great. The story is pretty hackneyed - young white kid can't do much but play piano, meets a black kid, befriends him despite his being a 'coon', becomes brilliant trumpet player, becomes successful, marries, dies young. But some of the writing about music is superb. This Dorothy Baker nails music writing by frequently returning to the fact that music cannot be sensibly written about. It's often referred to as 'this thing' that they were making. So she describes how the playing goes and how the sound is undescribable and leaves the rest to the reader. There's a line I think about the music seeming to be written down, but it is not, it's just the spontaneous product of four tuned in people with three horns and a piano.

I'm now in 'The Bandini Quarter' by John Fante. I've read 'Ask The Dust' and I was pleased that 'Wait Until Spring, Bandini' is so fucking great. I'm way into 'The Road to Los Angeles' now and am surprised to find that Arturo Bandini has become such a dick. Well, he's a teenager, but I keep reading it and thinking... you dick!

dgrace wrote:I read "Veronica" by Mary Gaitskill in almost one sitting. Very smart and the language is beautiful.

Word. Veronica KILLED me. Gaitskill's best.

"Wait until Spring, Bandini" is awesome. I wonder how the "...Dust" movie will play out.

Just Finished:


The Professor, The Banker, and The Suicide King by Michael Craig: This book is pretty great, even with my relative lack of understanding with regards to any game of cards. I found some of the strategy in this book to be quite interesting. A great read.


Planet Of Slums by Mike Davis: Of all of his books I found this one to be the most difficult to read. I think maybe Cranius said it, he packs so much info, it can be very tough to digest. I think I'll like this book a lot more once I read it again.

-Jeremy

Just read Amarillo Slim's memoirs Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People.

Basically just a shitload of cool anecdotes about hustling. And it cost me $1.79 or something stupid like that.

Reccomended if you're looking for something to read on a plane or whatever.

There's a Doyle Brunson book like that, I think it's called According to Doyle.

He talks about his road gambling. It's pretty entertaining.