I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK: SONIC YOUTH-SYR 7: J’accuse Ted Hughes/Agnès B Musique (2008).

The first side of the disc (for it was only released on vinyl) is a ballsy blast of music.  Ballsy because it was the opening track of their live set at the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival in 2000.  And who opens up their set at a festival that features bands like Super Furry Animals, Sigur Rós, and Stereolab (basically a who’s who in awesome Brit-rock) with this 22 minute shriek of noise?

The set was so derisively received that the cover of the NME (hilariously reproduced on the cover of the LP) stated “Goodbye 20th Century, Goodbye Talent.”

The noise is palpable: squeals and squalls and all manner of feedback.  Kim even gets a strange little spoken word section in the middle.  I would think fans might have enjoyed it for 5, maybe even 10 minutes, but by 23 it’s pretty numbing.  The rest of the set included instrumentals from the not yet released NYC Ghosts and Flowers.  It almost seems like the set was payback for the invitation.

The B-side is an 18 minute “soundtrack” of sorts.  Agnes B. is a French clothing designer and yet somehow the music feels like it could be for some scary kids’ movie.  It has a number of creepy elements to it.  I kept picturing people sneaking around a little cottage.

The liner notes are written in Arpitan, a steadily-declining-in-use language spoken mostly in Italy and Switzerland.

Not for the faint of heart (or the vinylphobic).

[READ: August 31, 2009] Four Letter Word

I read about this book in The Walrus and then I ordered it from Amazon.ca as it doesn’t seem to be available in the US.

The book is a collection of “love letters.”  What is so very interesting about the collection is the varied nature of the letters themselves.  It’s not just: “I love you XOXO” (of course).   There are letters to mothers, stepmothers, mountains, and the Earth itself.  There are letters of love, lust, anger and respect.

I was most attracted to the book by the great list of authors, some of whom I read religiously and many others whom I just really like (and of course a bunch who I’ve never heard of).

It’s hard to review a collection of short stories that is as varied as this, especially when the pieces are this short (as most of them are).  And, I guess technically, they aren’t even short stories.  They are just letters. I would never base my opinion of these authors from this work.  Although some of the authors that I know well definitely retain their signature style.  There were only one or two letters that I didn’t enjoy, but for the most part the entire collection is very good.  And if you like any of these authors, it’s worth checking out.

I’m going to list all of the authors, mention who the letter is to, and any other salient features (without trying to give anything away–several letters have a surprise in them)!

JONATHAN LETHEM
To: E(arth).
I thought (and cringed) that this was an environmental story (which it sort of is), but the twist at the end makes you want to re-read it (which is recommended).

CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHE
To: Emeka.  From: Chioma.
A letter discussing the possibility of talking about getting married.

ADAM THORPE
To: Marilynne.  From: Colin Stock-Tremlett
This is bookended as a letter that was captured as proof of infidelity.

LIONEL SHRIVER
To: Seymour Kaminsky
From: Alisha Garrison
This is the first story in the collection that is sent by email.  It details the frustrations of slow response time on email (and the importance of details). This one was very funny.

DAVID BEZMOZGIS
To: Mika
From: Fanny
A letter sent during the Bolshevik revolution.

CHRIS BACHELDER
To: Whom It May Concern
From Paula Gates, Director of Love Education
A hilarious letter recommending a high school student to anyone who has use for a fantastic student of Love.

A.L. KENNEDY
To: (unknown)
A letter reminiscing.  I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the others.

JEFF PARKER
To: jnotice & others
From Wheelerdealer@yahoo.com
An email to exes revealing misunderstandings and future possibilities.  Twisted and good.

FRANCINE PROSE
To: Franz
From: Felice
Once true identities are revealed this story packs a real wallop.

GRAHAM ROUMIEU
To: Santa
From: Bigfoot
Roumieu’s biography suggests that he may obsessed with Bigfoot (he has something like 3 books about him).  I enjoyed this story and its fictional stars.  And the accompanying illustration.

GAUTAM MALKANI
To: Mom
From: Michael
This is probably the saddest thing I’ve ever read.  It is devastating.

MIRIAM TOEWS
To: Cadence Loewen
From: Miriam
A woman who met Cadence when she was born tells her about her hippie parents.  Touching and a little funny.

JAMES ROBERTSON
To: Scottish Mountains
A love letter about nature.

ETGAR KERET
To: You (on your birthday)
A sweet birthday wish.

MANDY SAYER
To: Miss Starling
A story from a student that unintentionally reveals a lot.  Sayer’s biography suggests that thinks are less than ideal in Australia.

JEANETTE WINTERSON
To: Dearest
A series of photographs reveal a couple’s history together.  Hearing the stories behind the pictures is pretty cool.

MICHAEL FABER
To: My Most Dear John
From: Svetlana (Sveta)
The excitement of a Russian bride to be.  I can’t decide if I should be reading menace or trouble into this story.

HISHAM MATAR
To: Beautiful Mona
From: Nori
A weird letter of love from a 12 year old’ at boarding school to his new stepmother.  The undercurrents are a bit creepy, unless this is a cultural thing I’m missing.

GEOFF DYER
To: Whom it May Concern
An apology (of sorts) to women he has wronged.  The details are quite enjoyable, especially the Andrea Dworkin section.

MATTHEW ZAPRUDER
To: X
A story of secrets.  I kind of lost my way with this story

CAROL-JOHN VALLGREEN
To: Mamma
A letter from a grown son which castigates and forgives a mother for making up stories about her life.  This piece was translated by a woman named Sarah Death, which cannot POSSIBLY be a real name.

JOSEPH BOYDEN
To: The New Orleans Times Picayune
From: Fred Solomon
A series of missing persons letters from Fred to his wife in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina.

NEIL GAIMAN
To: My darling,
In keeping with what Gaiman does so well, this story is utterly creepy.  And every time you think you figure out what is going on, he twists things ever so slightly.  It is amazingly suspenseful.

VALERIE MARTIN
To: My darling
From: Madeleine
This concerns an actress writing to the leading man in their upcoming play. Her husband is quite jealous, and has every right to be (but he’s also a horrible person, don’t get me wrong).

PETER BEHRENS
To: Margo, ma chere
From: Johnny      AND
To: Jean (Johnny)
From: Margo
This was one of the few stories that had a letter from both parties. The twist is that they are sent simultaneously so they overlap sort of.  The other thing is that the letters are sent during World War II.  Johnny is overseas and is clearly a bit traumatized at what he has seen.  Margo, thankfully, awaits his return.

URSULA K. LeGUIN
To: Aeneas the Trojan, King of Latium, visiting at the court of Lord Tarchon of Caere in Etriria
From:  Lavinia, Queen of Latium
A love letter that crosses time, distance and even dimensions, I suspect.  Amusing, indeed.  This is the first thing I’ve read by LeGuin (which in itself is shocking to me, as I keep meaning to read her work).

NICK LAIRD
To: Father
From: Ruth
An angry letter to a dead father.  Probably the darkest letter of the book.

SAM LIPSYTE
To: Miss Primatologist Lady in the Bushes Sometimes
From: Mike (Avi)
This is a love letter from a chimp to the Primatologist who cares for him.  This is one of many letters that comically points out that the composer technically shouldn’t be writing a letter at all.  This letter is followed up by a letter from another chimp, making the whole proceedings quite funny.

PANOS KARNEZIS
To: unknown
A surreal story about a fleeting love.  Literally.  The letter writer saw the object if his heart once, and then lost him or her.  The story seems to go in one direction and then once you think you have it figured out, it becomes something else.

JAN MORRIS
To: O fy nghariad, fy nghariad, carissima mia!
A fairly straightforward love letter, but it is sprinkled with Welsh!  (Which Google Translate will translate).

HARI KUNZRU
To: Aisha
This is one of the longest pieces in the book.  It is also the one most fraught with danger.  Strangers meet in Jordan, where love is forbidden.  And they try to get around all prying eyes.

ANONYMOUS
To: Fi and Tobe
From: Dot
A letter of loss and hopeful rekindling from a woman to two friends and almost lovers.  This was probably the most erotic story of the bunch (as befits an Anonymous author).

MARGARET ATWOOD
To: anyone, really
From: Some people call her Anon
There is definitely some thematic arrangement for stories in the book, as this is another “anonymous” piece.  The author is something of a Muse, and yet she seems to have physical form as well. The story isn’t confusing at all, it’s just hard to pin down who the narrator is.  It is very funny regardless.

DAMON GALGUT
To: My dear Wouter
From: Neville
For those unfamiliar with German names, Wouter is a man (that would have helped to make the opening part more clear).  This is the first overtly gay story, and it deals with everything you might expect.  It’s particularly funny as Neville has been drinking.

AUDREY NIFFENEGGER
To: Sylvie
From: Nan
The second overtly gay story and the second one about Hurricane Katrina.  This one was far more moving than the first probably because of the details included.

JULI ZEH
To: unstated
A story in eight parts.  This one feels the least like a letter.  It is written to the person who she never met, and details the life they would have had.

LEONARD COHEN
This contains a drawing by Cohen as well.  A letter presuming the departure of a lover.

PHIL LaMARCHE
To: Baby
From: Gerald
A twisted story that gets more and more twisted as it goes along.  Restraining orders are involved.  Dark, dark humor.

M. G. VASSANJI
To: My friend
From: Tova
A letter to the anonymous boy she picked up in Dar es Salaam.

TESSA BROWN
To: Dearest Randolph
This hilariously written letter made me laugh the first time I read it (in Harper’s in 2005) and even more so this time.  It is set up as a critical analysis of recent correspondence (with footnotes and everything).  It begins amusingly enough and then gets darker and darker.  Very funny.

DOUGLAS COUPLAND
To: unstated (technically not a letter)
Even though Douglas Coupland is very funny, his work is laden with melancholy.  This brief tale of lost love is quite moving and a fitting end to the book.  It was originally published in The Walrus (as were a number of these pieces, but none are still available) under the title “Diamonds and Soot” and is available here.