Saturday, October 6, 2007

WHAT DOESN'T SUCK-- or stuff I like and you might too

Tree of Smoke -- i'm only 300 in, but damn I love this book. funny, scary, and god obesessed.

The Assassantion of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford --great meditational western flick. maybe a bit thick in the Malick and Altman love, but hey I love those guys. Forget Darjeeling Limited, Assassantion has more style to spare, yet it's not sickeningly sweet. I still think No Country will the badassenestawsomest this fall. that and the flick about dylan.

Lee Stringer 's Grand Central Winter--homeless guy turned writer turned pal of Vonnegut. has anyone here read him? i have yet to read the entire book, but i had my comp class read a couple of chapters. damn this guy's good. must finish Tree and then I'm on to GCW.

Mescalito by Ryan Bingham. twenty-five year old texas singer guy with a killer band in tow. this is for those who like joe ely, butch hancock, terry allen. apparently, bingham was a bull rider for a while. the real deal. wolfe and I saw him play a couple of time for free. now he's on lost highway records, so it'll cost more for that kind of fun.

College Football. Hell Yes!

My wife .

10 comments:

wabby said...

breakfast tacos,
clean laundry,
Bad commercial songs (I got it from my Mama by will.i.am. comes to mind but please don't tell anyone b/c it is aweful)
podcasts (Fresh Air, This AmericanLife, The splendid Table)
rain

wabby said...

okay I'm goofy.
I just made a list of things I like and hit publish without really thinking.
I'm glad to have your picks, Bearden. And I'm glad to know about the Jesse James movie. I've been itching for a good movie.
I've been reading teaching books and story anthologies. Parker Palmer's "The Courage to Teach" and "The Story Behind the Story" by the Warren Wilson fiction faculty.
Has anybody read Mary McCarthy? She's next on my list.

jack said...

i love some mary mcarthy.

bearden, last night it was between 3:10 to Yuma and Jesse James, and though we chose Yuma, it sounds like the competition is not even close. i'm planning on seeing JJ, just for casey affleck.

is it weird that i like ryan bingham a lot, but i feel completely disconnected from the music of butch hancock, and joe ely?

so far, here's what doesn't suck on brentwood street:
1. the upcoming cold front (we've been promised)
2. Jim Sherpard's "Project X"
3. The new Believer
4. The (re)discovery of caitlyn cary

Amelia said...

Hell yes, Indians baseball!

Hell yes for getting up this morning and realizing that the terrible back pain is suddenly gone. Hell yes for awesome online journals like I Am This Meat. Hell yes for cupcakes.

cdee said...

can I give a quick shout-out here to "like" lists by people I used to get to talk to a lot and now I don't?

I like lists.
I like Good reads.com because I really do need help finding new stuff to read and I want it to come with a strong endorsement.
I like mid-term at ASU: for teachers who teach 4 or more classes, it's expected that you cancel 5 days of classes for conferences.
I like frapuccinos.
Fergie
Green olives
Mexican Martinees
TIAA CREF
Suzuki Forenzas

Sarah said...

cupcakes, the new junot diaz, nonstop flights, the doobie brothers, and austin.

molfe said...

Remind me to tell you all the story of when Bearden solicited Bingham for an interview outside of Gruene Hall. It's not priceless, but it's pricey.

Things that rip:

-Colorado Rockies!! (now that the Cubs have once again performed their post-season vanishing act)

-The Secret Lives of Others is the best movie I've seen in a long time.

-Tree of Smoke is unbelievable, but at the pace I'm reading it's going to take me thirty years to finish.

-Greg Brown

-Fall

-Looking in the mirror while lifting weights, even if you don't know what the fuck you're doing.

-The various reproductions of Narcissus (Holla', Bianca!)

-Pumpkins

-Renaissance Festival neighbors

-NOT BEING A STUDENT!

jack said...

i second that, not being a student. i'd forgotten what stress-free sleep felt like.

cdee said...

yeah, when I read the "not being a student," it's like I'd forgotten and needed the reminder. it made me happy

molfe said...

i forgot to mention eating full pints of blue bunny cookies 'n' cream or orange sherbet/vanilla mix.