Current Obsessions

1. HBO's new gem, How to Make It In America. Because we're all hustling in one way or another to make a dollar. Good critique of the struggles of trying to eke out an identity while balancing debt, rent, and finding some semblance of pride in your work. Hilarious asides of art world critique as well, and amazing filmography of the best city in the world.

2. The Hour I First Believed, by Wally Lamb. As usual, Lamb's prose packs epic heartbreak into a single sentence, and then strings those sentences together with a bleak outlook on modernity. The third of Lamb's canon (behind wrenchers like She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True), Lamb once again finds ways to weave history and pop culture into bitterly painful narratives. This time, Lamb utilizes the 1999 Columbine shootings as the beginning of a troubled couples' undoing and traces their downfall with Katrina as another turning point in the plot. Epically long, but not a dense read as Lamb still relies on fairly conversational prose putting the reader inside protagonist Caelum's constant inner monologue.

3. John Mayer. At least he's honest. Still, it becomes problematic when the world begins to forget what it is he does exactly. You're a musician, Mayer. No one expects you to be squeaky clean, but at least let the tabloids do all of your dirty talk for you. Keep writing love songs. That's all anyone asks of you.

4. Californication. Finished with Season 1, onto Season 2. Further illustration of why those in creative fields have excessive problems with narcissism, alcoholism, and a host of other "-isms." The constant weight of carrying around a body of work within oneself that has yet to come forth in any logical or productive way, and the incessant existential fear of being forever unable to actually produce anything of value lead to self-medication, constant introspection, and an inability to properly relate to anything outside of oneself. Plus a whole lot of sex, drugs, rock-n-roll, and unrequited love. I can't get enough of Hank Moody.

5. New Orleans. As I gear up for my trip in two weeks to the still-recovering areas of America's messiest social-natural disaster, I'm doing my preparative research. What's being uncovered for me is a whole lot of realization of how much racism and classism play into these devastations and how, world-wide, these problems are the root of everything that's been forgotten as societies progress. So much has been swept under the rug, glossed over, and forgotten about five years after the fact.

Speaking of, thanks to those of you still hanging in there with this blog. My goal is to blog everyday during the trip to New Orleans, with pictures, commentary, and updates. I haven't forgotten about you, Glitteratis, I promise. Hang in there with me.

Cheers.