I’ve been reading some older comic books lately, and I’m struck by how a large part of the aesthetic pleasure which results from this activity comes from the advertisements sprinkled throughout the books and on their back covers. In other words, the activity is more about re-experiencing material culture to create pleasant nostalgia than it isContinue reading “An Ode to Advertisements in Old Comic Books”
Monthly Archives: May 2012
Astonishing X-Men 50–The Gay Proposal Issue
I just finished reading Astonishing X-Men 50, which, along with issue 51 that comes out next month, includes the first same-sex proposal/marriage in comic book history. Of course it is ridiculous that these two issues have caused such controversy in the media in the past few weeks, first, because it is another case of theContinue reading “Astonishing X-Men 50–The Gay Proposal Issue”
Books Acquired Recently
Baraka, Amiri. Dutchman and The Slave. 1964. New York: Harper, 2001. I bought this book to use while completing my essay in the forthcoming Modern Language Association volume Approaches to Teaching Baraka’s Dutchman, for which it is the standard edition. However, I’ve never read The Slave before, and I look forward to it. I love Baraka’sContinue reading “Books Acquired Recently”
Anticipating Euro 2012
Euro 2012 (the men’s European soccer championship) begins next Friday, and I can’t wait! I dreamt last night about England’s opening match (although it was their first World Cup match in the dream because they were playing China). Steven Gerrard scored in the first minute on a volley from the left side, which was good,Continue reading “Anticipating Euro 2012”
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
For some reason I had Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” in my head this afternoon, which is one of my favorite guilty pleasures from the ’80s. I have never seen the video, so I thought I would check it out. Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIb6AZdTr-A&ob=av3e It is well worth 4:26 of your time.Continue reading “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”
Theodora Keogh’s Gemini
I just finished reading Theodora Keogh’s 1961 novel, Gemini. As I mentioned in my previous post, it is about a brother and sister who are lovers. Their attraction for one another is never fully explained; it is part of their mysterious connection as twins, a magical force unknowable to outsiders. As such, it is difficultContinue reading “Theodora Keogh’s Gemini”
Ann Bannon’s The Marriage
I just finished reading Ann Bannon’s 1960 novel The Marriage. It is the only one of her novels that is not a part of the excellent Beebo Brinker series of lesbian pulp fiction. However, two characters from the series, Laura Landon and Jack Mann, play a major role in it, and it takes place just after theContinue reading “Ann Bannon’s The Marriage”
The Great Gatsby Trailer
Here is the trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, which opens in December: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7DonhNflsw&feature=g-logo The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite novels. It is one of the most beautifully-written books ever, it has an engaging story, it has memorable characters, and it is packed with timeless American themes (greed, fakery, lust, et cetera).Continue reading “The Great Gatsby Trailer”
Book Acquired Recently: B.S. Johnson’s The Unfortunates
Johnson, B.S. The Unfortunates. 1969. New York: New Directions, 2007. This is one of my favorite books. I already have a copy, but just received a desk copy from the publisher (New Directions is great!) because I’ll be using it in one of my classes this fall. It is more of an art object thanContinue reading “Book Acquired Recently: B.S. Johnson’s The Unfortunates”
Gabriel García Márquez’s Love In The Time of Cholera
I just finished reading Gabriel García Márquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera. What a fascinating, intense, perplexing book! It is one of the most profound books I’ve ever read in that much of what it says about love is spot-on, and for that reason it is a treasure, but at the same time, IContinue reading “Gabriel García Márquez’s Love In The Time of Cholera”
Daniel Shank Cruz 