Monthly Archives: September 2007

Atmosphere: Extreme Goth Chill factor: Sufficiently spine-tingling I’ve never been a fan of Dracula; somehow, the image of him, with his Brillantined-hair, cape, and bad manicure, appealed far less than Mary Shelley’s creature with its zipperneck, green complexion, and droopy … Continue reading →

Nice essay on the publishing biz in the NY Times. Check out what Knopf editors had to say about some works that passed through their hands: The rejection files, which run from the 1940s through the 1970s, include dismissive verdicts … Continue reading →

I’m slowly making my way through Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Two things occurred to me: First: Aren’t Dracula and Frankenstein the absolutely perfect monsters for the Puritans — and by extension, the American psyche? I mean, monsters representing sex and technology. … Continue reading →

Since I haven’t finished any books to discuss, time for a little navel-gazing. I have lucked upon the mother lode of books: The Friends of Berkeley Public Library Bookstore. They have the most fabulous free cart, from which I’ve filched:Birds … Continue reading →

This is borrowed from Dan Froomkin: New York Times book critic Michiko Kakutani reviews Jack Goldsmith’s new book, “The Terror Presidency.” “The portrait of the Bush administration that Mr. Goldsmith — who resigned from the Office of Legal Counsel in … Continue reading →

This blog appears to have fallen on some hard times. I’ve sorely neglected posting because I’ve got an Everest-steep learning curve at my new job. However, I must acknowledge the beginning of Carl V.’s RIP Challenge. This was great fun … Continue reading →