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Archive for the ‘Mark Binelli’ Category

Alexandra Wuest–“The Exhibition” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #18] (2023)

Posted in Alexandra Wuest, Artists, Canadian Content, Christmas, Death, Hingston & Olsen, Mark Binelli, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar on December 18, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 18, 2024] “The Exhibition”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Alexandra Wuest.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  Her blurb says:

It’s December 18. Alexandra Wuest will take a paper map if you have one.

It’s not very often that this collection has an author I haven’t read before, but here’s one. (more…)

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Seth Fried–“You Again” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #17] (2021)

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Death, Ghosts, Hingston & Olsen, Mark Binelli, Seth Fried, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar on December 17, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 17, 2024] “You Again”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Seth Fried.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  And this one begins:

It’s December 17. Seth Fried, author of The Municipalists, left his tap shoes in the car.

This was a fun, really short story.  Felix has died and right after he dies he reappears as himself at a party some thirty years earlier.  The night he met his wife. (more…)

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Elizabeth Gonzales James–“Children of a Careless God” [The 2024 Short Story Advent Calendar #11] (2020)

Posted in Canadian Content, Cats, Christmas, Death, Hingston & Olsen, Mark Binelli, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar, Yuck! on December 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 11, 2024] “Children of a Careless God”

This year my wife ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my seventh time reading the Calendar–it’s a holiday tradition!  Here’s what H&O says about the calendar this year.

Ten years of stories! Yikes, where does the time go?
When the first Short Story Advent Calendar launched, in 2015, we frankly had no clue we’d still be sitting here today, continuing to offer up batches of tasty stories fresh from the oven. To celebrate this milestone, we’ve packed the 10th SSAC with a mix of new and familiar names—ideal company for those chilly winter nights ahead.

The author of this story was Elizabeth Gonzales James.  Each day has an online component with the author with a brief interview.  And this one opens:

It’s December 11. Elizabeth Gonzales James, author of Mona at Sea, could have sworn there were more fish in that aquarium a minute ago.

This was a disturbing story. (more…)

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Mark Binelli–Sacco & Vanzetti Must Die (2006)

Posted in Death, Funny (ha ha), Funny (strange), Gangsters, Great Northern, History, Mark Binelli, Meta, Nada Surf, Racism, The Anniversary, The Believer, Threats, Twin Peaks, Veruca Salt, Violence on September 11, 2009| Leave a Comment »

saccoSOUNDTRACK: GREAT NORTHERN-Trading Twilight for Daylight (2007).

grewatA patron donated this disc to our library.  I had never heard of Great Northern, but I gave it a listen, in part because I hoped that the band name came from Twin Peaks (no idea if it does). And wow, I was blown away by this disc.

This is like the great unheralded indie rocker band (although having looked them up apparently the are quite heralded).  Their songs sound like an inviting combination of The Anniversary (the GN song “The Middle” always puts me in mind of The Anniversary’s “The Siren Sings”), Veruca Salt, Nada Surf and any number of supremely catchy bands.  The vocals are split between a make and female voice which makes the diversity even more appealing.

There’s not a bad song on the disc, and I find myself playing it quite often. The music is first rate, with great textural setups and drop offs, and the choruses, oh the choruses.  It’s hard to even pick a favorite song.

I’m somewhat surprised I’d never heard of this band before (they have a new album out this year that I haven’t heard), but then they are on a label I’ve never heard of either (Eenie Meenie).  I will totally get their new disc, as well as their Sleepy Eepie EP.  I’m really that impressed.

[READ: January 2007] Sacco & Vanzetti Must Die

I read this book over two years ago (I’m cleaning up the final books that I haven’t posted about), and I’m afraid I’m a little shaky on the details.  But I just remembered that I read about it in The Believer.

The premise of the book is that Sacco & Vanzetti are actually a comedy team, not anarchists.  Well, they are anarchic, but in the realm of comedy, not bombs.  They are a sort of Laurel & Hardy with Sacco as the fat troublemaker (and yes the name fits) and Vanzetti as the straight man, the ideologue.  As they progress from slapstick routines to film, their comedy gets more specific, and their schtick concerns “knife grinders/throwers.”  The knife angle is explained as a family trademark or maybe it’s a stolen gimmick.

Inevitably, their careers begin to wain, and their lives take a turn for the worst.  And when things get bad, they get really bad, leading them to trial, with possible execution. (more…)

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