Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Ruby Cowling–“Odam on Till” [The 2022 Short Story Advent Calendar #11] (2022)

December 11, 2022 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 11, 2022] “Odam on Till”

This year, S. ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my fifth time reading the Calendar.  I didn’t know about the first one until it was long out of print (sigh), but each year since has been very enjoyable.  Here’s what they say this year

Like we always do at this time: the Short Story Advent Calendar is back for 2022. We had such a great time last year working with our first-ever guest editor, the one and only Alberto Manguel. This year, however, we’re bringing things back to basics. No overarching theme or format, just 25 top-class short stories, selected in-house, by some of the best writers in North America and beyond. It’s December 11. Ruby Cowling, author of This Paradise, wonders whether you have any smaller bills.

This story is a puzzle from the start.  

Odam is working the till (the cash register) in the store.  He has been promoted from the sweltering kitchen.  He arrived just three months ago, so it’s all a little new to him.

Odam is from someplace else–he doesn’t need food or shelter.  He absorbs nutrients from his surroundings. He wonders if it was a good idea for them to send him here at all–did they know what they were doing?  What about his new physical body? Continue Reading »

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Hingston & Olsen, Ruby Cowling, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar | Leave a Comment »

Mathilde Merouani–“Masculine” [The 2022 Short Story Advent Calendar #10] (2022)

December 10, 2022 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 10, 2022] “Masculine”

This year, S. ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my fifth time reading the Calendar.  I didn’t know about the first one until it was long out of print (sigh), but each year since has been very enjoyable.  Here’s what they say this year

Like we always do at this time: the Short Story Advent Calendar is back for 2022. We had such a great time last year working with our first-ever guest editor, the one and only Alberto Manguel. This year, however, we’re bringing things back to basics. No overarching theme or format, just 25 top-class short stories, selected in-house, by some of the best writers in North America and beyond. It’s December 10. Mathilde Merouani, a writer and translator in Paris, never splits infinitives.

This is a very sad story about a girl who has moved  to France with her mother.  Continue Reading »

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Hingston & Olsen, Mathilde Merouani, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar | Leave a Comment »

Strand of Oaks [Winter Classic VII] / Pat Finnerty (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, December 9 & 10, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

December 9, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 9 & 10, 2022] Strand of Oaks / Pat Finnerty

Somehow I missed that this show happened and only found out about it tonight in 2023.

It was the same dates, Dec 9 and 10, although on Fri and Sat.  Pat Finnerty opened both nights.

I have no idea how I missed it so completely.

There’s some clips on you tube from these shows.  Here’s one

~~~~

In 2015, Timothy Showalter played his first Strand of Oaks Winter Classic at Boot and Saddle.

Every year since then he has played two to four shows around Christmas time to a small but rabid fan base.  Obviously he didn’t pay one in 2020.  And now Boot & Saddle is closed

I have been to three of these fun winter events.

When he announced December shows at Johnny Brenda’s, it just didn’t occur to me that these would be Winter Classic shows.  I’m not sure why it would have made a difference, but had I realized, I would have gotten a ticket before they sold out.  Even S said, you love those, I can’t believe you didn’t go.

When I’m looking for it now I see that it was clearly stated that this was a Winter Classic, but I guess I was looking in the wrong places. Continue Reading »

Posted in Boot & Saddle, Johnny Brenda's, Pat Finnerty, Philadelphia, PA, Strand of Oaks | Leave a Comment »

Diane Schoemperlen–“Night Flight” [The 2022 Short Story Advent Calendar #9] (1999)

December 9, 2022 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 9, 2022] “Night Flight”

This year, S. ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my fifth time reading the Calendar.  I didn’t know about the first one until it was long out of print (sigh), but each year since has been very enjoyable.  Here’s what they say this year

Like we always do at this time: the Short Story Advent Calendar is back for 2022. We had such a great time last year working with our first-ever guest editor, the one and only Alberto Manguel. This year, however, we’re bringing things back to basics. No overarching theme or format, just 25 top-class short stories, selected in-house, by some of the best writers in North America and beyond. It’s December 9. Diane Schoemperlen, author of Forms of Devotion, remembers not to pit stop at the Lake of Indifference.

This story is accompanied by collages that go with the story.

It is told in eight parts (with eight pictures).  I wonder if you could see the pictures in a larger (and color) format if they would be more impactful. 

I didn’t really get a lot out of this story, but I feel like the author is right in this comment about her story:

A curious combination of text and image that meanders and circles back on itself again and again with repeated motifs including knitting, maps, New York City, patience, fortitude, and darkness. I like to think that each reading of the story will reveal something new as the words and the collages intersect and intertwine on various levels.

In part two she takes a night flight to New York City.  Part three discusses the New York Public Library.

Parts four and five discuss maps.  As with many stories that I don’t like in total, in parts, I found this wonderful.  Like these lines: “Maps are so noncommittal.  This can either be infuriating or liberating.”

And

“Think of everything that you have ever lost, by accident or on purpose…. They are still back there somewhere, like  trail of bread crumbs stretched out behind each and every one of us.”

But the ending is just not an ending.  

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Diane Schoemperlen, Hingston & Olsen, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar | Leave a Comment »

An Evening of Solo Projects from Wilco Members: Autumn Defense / Nels Cline Duo / Eucademix (Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, December 8, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

December 8, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 8, 2022] Autumn Defense / Nels Cline Duo / Eucademix

When this show was first announced, I grabbed a ticket immediately.

Two of my favorite members of Wilco are Nels Cline and Glenn Kotche.

So to be able to see them do their work solo was incredible.

Then all of a sudden, when I looked at the show poster it looked like this —>
instead of the one at the bottom of the post.

Where was Glenn?

There was no word or information.  A day or so before the show I discovered that Glenn had hurt his arm (or something) and wasn’t going to be there. Continue Reading »

Posted in Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, Chris Lightcap, Eucademix, Glenn Kotche, Nels Cline, Nels Cline Duo, Wilco, Yuka Honda | Leave a Comment »

Christopher Morley–“Parnassus on Wheels” [excerpt] [The 2022 Short Story Advent Calendar #8] (1917)

December 8, 2022 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 8, 2020] “Parnassus on Wheels” [excerpt]

This year, S. ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my fifth time reading the Calendar.  I didn’t know about the first one until it was long out of print (sigh), but each year since has been very enjoyable.  Here’s what they say this year

Like we always do at this time: the Short Story Advent Calendar is back for 2022. We had such a great time last year working with our first-ever guest editor, the one and only Alberto Manguel. This year, however, we’re bringing things back to basics. No overarching theme or format, just 25 top-class short stories, selected in-house, by some of the best writers in North America and beyond. It’s December 8. Christopher Morley, author of The Haunted Bookshop and Parnassus on Wheels (from which this story is drawn), died in 1957 and was unavailable for comment.

As I started this story I thought, why do people write stories in an old-fashioned dialect?  It seems weird and out of character with contemporary writers.  I didn’t realize until a bit of the way through the story that was, indeed, an old story (over 100 years old!).  

It is also an excerpt from what I expect is a long book, so it was frustrating to have it build up and then just end. However, it does end in a strangely satisfying way as well. Continue Reading »

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Christopher Morley, Hingston & Olsen, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar | Leave a Comment »

Drew Buxton–“Lexapro” [The 2022 Short Story Advent Calendar #7] (2022)

December 7, 2022 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 7, 2022] “Lexapro”

This year, S. ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my fifth time reading the Calendar.  I didn’t know about the first one until it was long out of print (sigh), but each year since has been very enjoyable.  Here’s what they say this year

Like we always do at this time: the Short Story Advent Calendar is back for 2022. We had such a great time last year working with our first-ever guest editor, the one and only Alberto Manguel. This year, however, we’re bringing things back to basics. No overarching theme or format, just 25 top-class short stories, selected in-house, by some of the best writers in North America and beyond. It’s December 7. To officially kick off the 2022 Short Story Advent Calendar, here is a story about faith and carbs from the author of The Prince of Mournful Thoughts.

This story had interesting components but overall I felt uncomfortable about it. Continue Reading »

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Drew Buxton, Hingston & Olsen, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar | Leave a Comment »

Clare Beams–“Milk” [The 2022 Short Story Advent Calendar #6] (2020)

December 6, 2022 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 6, 2022] “Milk”

This year, S. ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my fifth time reading the Calendar.  I didn’t know about the first one until it was long out of print (sigh), but each year since has been very enjoyable.  Here’s what they say this year

Like we always do at this time: the Short Story Advent Calendar is back for 2022. We had such a great time last year working with our first-ever guest editor, the one and only Alberto Manguel. This year, however, we’re bringing things back to basics. No overarching theme or format, just 25 top-class short stories, selected in-house, by some of the best writers in North America and beyond. It’s December 6. To officially kick off the 2022 Short Story Advent Calendar, here is a story about faith and carbs from the author of The Prince of Mournful Thoughts.

I really like this kind of story that seems very grounded in reality but which ha a kind of fantastical element.

Essentially the narrator of the story is a wet nurse.  She has been the wet nurse for every baby in the King’s castle for decades.  Continue Reading »

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Clare Beams, Hingston & Olsen, Short Story, The Short Story Advent Calendar | Leave a Comment »

Sofia Mostaghimi–“The Hole” [The 2022 Short Story Advent Calendar #5] (2022)

December 5, 2022 by Paul Debraski

SOUNDTRACK:

[READ: December 5, 2022] “The Hole”

This year, S. ordered me The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This is my fifth time reading the Calendar.  I didn’t know about the first one until it was long out of print (sigh), but each year since has been very enjoyable.  Here’s what they say this year

Like we always do at this time: the Short Story Advent Calendar is back for 2022. We had such a great time last year working with our first-ever guest editor, the one and only Alberto Manguel. This year, however, we’re bringing things back to basics. No overarching theme or format, just 25 top-class short stories, selected in-house, by some of the best writers in North America and beyond. It’s December 5. To officially kick off the 2022 Short Story Advent Calendar, here is a story about faith and carbs from the author of The Prince of Mournful Thoughts.

I really enjoyed this story of familial conflict.  The conflict is between two sisters.  One who has done everything correctly and one, Nikki, who, has been digging a hole for herself her whole life.  

Nikki has come to live with the narrator. She has also stopped drinking (sober for the first time in thirty years).  But the narrator is not perfect either (far from it).  She is divorced and her daughter is not talking to her.

The narrator, Sisi, is, to be blunt, really uptight. 

They’ve even got the CN Tower decorated with ridiculous multi-coloured lights now, and every night they shine as a beacon for degenerates and deadbeats.

Continue Reading »

Posted in Canadian Content, Christmas, Hingston & Olsen, Short Story, Sofia Mostaghimi, The Short Story Advent Calendar | Leave a Comment »

Bit Brigade / Standards (Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA, December 4, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

December 4, 2022 by Paul Debraski

[DID NOT ATTEND: December 4, 2022] Bit Brigade / Standards

I saw Bit Brigade in 2018 and really enjoyed the show.  The premise of their live show is terrific.

The band plays the soundtrack to a video game while their resident gamer plays the game.  The band is heavy and the sound is amazing.

I can’t believe they were here in May and are back now in December and I didn’t get to go to either show.

For this show they were playing MegaMan II and Ducktails, two games I don’t know at all, so maybe that had some impact on my decision.

Standards opened the set.  Once again, I had not heard of the opening band for a Bit Brigade show.  But once again, they picked wisely.  Broadway World (!!!) has this succinct review of their music

Led by ebullient guitarist Marcos Mena, the pair boast a fruitful combination of musical chops and catchy guitar-driven melodies which has garnished popularity among fans who laud standards for their uniquely danceable brand of complex instrumental rock. For almost five years, their instrumental compositions have captivated audiences all over the world.

I need to reiterate this one part: uniquely danceable brand of complex instrumental rock.

It’s a spot on description.  The guitar is kind of showoffy intense and complicated, but never obnoxious and the light touches of synth and almost chiptune, make the songs really delightful and bright–almost like a video game is scrolling past.

 

 

 

Posted in Bit Brigade, Ducktails, Johnny Brenda's, Legend of Zelda, MegaMan II, Philadelphia, PA, Standards | Leave a Comment »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »