OUR NEW NEIGHBOR
ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM
“It’s not just a story about numbers, it’s a story about people and about how good people go bad. Our system not only allowed it to happen, but also almost encouraged it.”—Director Alex Gibney
I’m always amazed by how a documentary film can pack so many ideas and so much human drama into 2 hours. This one has it all: compelling story, great characters, and a kick-ass soundtrack (excellent opening and closing songs by Tom Waits).
In a company drowning in such a macho culture (Lou Pai had strippers in his office, Jeff Skilling organized these ridiculous daredevil excursions on motorbikes…) I think it’s no coincidence that the whistleblowers were women (Bethany McLean reporting for Fortune Magazine, and Sherron Watkins as Vice-President of Corporate Development).
Watch the whole thing on Google Video.
My question to you: if the most relevant fable in our times isn’t “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” what is?
POEMS = WORD COMICS
It seems to me that the language of poetry is very dependant on setting up images and juxtaposing them against each other. A poet will create an image in the first two lines of his poem and then he will create another in the next two lines, and so on. I do find this jumping from image to image in poetry to be a very interesting, comic-like element. Many poems are almost like word comics.—The cartoonist Seth on poetry and comics
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this recently, but in the beginning, I called my poems “Newspaper Blackout Comics.” The first batch I ever did explicitly juxtaposed image and text:
Other examples: here and here.
My old creative writing teacher used to tell me that a poet “thinks in images” and a fiction writer thinks in terms of “character and plot.” I’m not sure it’s that cut and dry, but I think it sheds a lot of light on why I find traditional prose fiction so incredibly hard, and poetry and comics so incredibly fun.
And speaking of poetry and comics, one of the main characters in Chris Harding’s excellent WE THE ROBOTS webcomic has started a poetry website:
So hilarious, and so true. Be sure to visit his site for even more.
And speaking of mean comments, here’s a new phenomenon for me: mean-spirited spam.
As if it wasn’t hard enough for me to get up in the morning!
RECOMMENDATIONS
I don’t know what possessed me—I chronicle most of the stuff I’m reading / watching / looking at / listening to on my tumblelog and twitter and muxtape—but here’s a big bunch of stuff that I’ve dug in the past couple of months:
 |
What It Is by Lynda BarryWhat more can I say about this book? It’s collage, it’s a writing textbook, it’s a memoir…it’s everything. It’s big. It’s hardcover. It’s awesome. |
|
Devotion music by Beach HouseQuiet, soft, and beautiful. Lots of organ and reverb. Good hangover music. |
 |
And Then There Were None… by Agatha Christie
Hmmm. A group of strangers stranded on a mysterious island, all with shady pasts that come back to haunt them…sound familiar? My wife is an Agatha Christie nut. This was the first thing of hers I’ve ever read. 173 lightning fast pages. Fun read. |
 |
Away from Her a film by Sarah PolleySo sad, but so good. And the first time directing for Sarah Polley. She was quoted as saying the film was about
It’s also a terrific example of how short stories fleshed out (as opposed to novels being compressed) make better films. (See also: In The Bedroom) My favorite line (from the Alice Munro short story):
|
 |
Giant a film by George StevensPT Anderson was once asked to name 3 films that he loved but no one had ever heard of. He replied,
I recommend all three, too. Giant is a 3-hour epic set in West Texas. (Shot in Marfa.) James Dean. A gorgeous, young Elizabeth Taylor. What’s not to like? |
 |
Knockemstiff by Donald Ray PollockI first heard about this book last year when my parents sent me clips from their local newspapers. This is the book I wanted to write as an undergrad: an updated Winesburg, Ohio set in the Southern part of the state. I grew up about 30 miles from the real Knockemstiff, but I never really belonged there, not the way Donald Ray Pollock belonged: he worked at the Mead paper plant in Chillicothe for 30 years before he started writing, and got his MFA at Ohio State. He knows his place and writes about it beautifully. This is a strong first book — but it can tough to read all the dark stories (note: it’s full of sex, booze, foul language, and drug use) at once. I recommend spreading them out. Standout stories for me were “Real life” and “Discipline.” |
 |
No More Heroes a videogame by Suda51This is a violent videogame for the Wii, in which you play a hipster assassin with a lightsaber. It’s basically a GTA ripoff, but the art is great, and the game is full of little side missions which really make it entertaining. A good buy for $30. |
 |
PILOT G2 BOLD POINT GEL PENHoly crap these things are awesome. If you want to lay down a big fat line, these babies will do the trick. 1mm > .07mm. |
 |
Some Like It Hot A film by Billy WilderBilly Wilder is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors: I especially love The Apartment, which also stars Jack Lemmon. And Marilyn Monroe is gorgeous, of course… |
 |
Thoreau at Walden by John PorcellinoJohn Porcellino is definitely in my top 5 favorite cartoonists, and his simple, zen lines are perfect for adapting Thoreau into comics. |
|
Youth Novel music by Lykke LiI can’t really describe her music. I always play it when I’m walking to the bus… |
 |
Dan in Real Life a film by Peter HedgesIf Eddie Campbell says something is good, you know it’s good. This really surprised me. It’s a story about nice people who get into a genuine conflict. Probably why it didn’t get very good reviews: no explosions or incest or whatever… |
Phew. That was too much work. I think I’ll save this kind of thing for the next year-end lists.
What stuff are y’all into right now?
- ← Newer posts
- 1
- …
- 475
- 476
- 477
- 478
- 479
- …
- 618
- Older posts→