Start spreading the news.

I'm leaving Portland on Thursday. It's time I get back to New York, and start my post-grad life (I know it started on May 22nd or whenever, but now it feels like it's starting for real). I still don't have a job, but I do have an apartment complete with a dishwasher (!) and two roommates who aren't strangers. The employment thing will happen.

Regardless, I'm moving, so I won't be writing much for the rest of the week. I know I don't keep the most diligent blogging schedule, but that's due for a change once I'm settled. Before I go, here are some quick thoughts on the latest entertainment I've absorbed:

• I raced through Brett Easton Ellis' Less Than Zero last night/this afternoon. It's a fucked up examination of the morally depraved, materially excessive culture of early 80's Los Angeles. All the characters do coke, are bisexual, and never sleep; you feel like you're holding your breath through the whole thing. These kids don't have anything to lose, so they constantly push the limits of acceptable behavior. It didn't disturb me so much as intrigue me. Like Clay, the narrator, I had a queasy desire to "see the worst" the characters were capable of. I think that's the point.

• Last night's Mad Men ("My Old Kentucky Home") was the best of the season, so far. Much tighter pacing/writing all around, with ample time given to the majority of the supporting cast. Did anyone else have the sinking feeling Grandpa Gene was going to do something really horrific to either Sally or Carla? Their scenes were tense. Episode highlights included everything Peggy or Joan did/said, Pete and Trudy dancing, and Don's conversation with the random man behind the bar.

See you in September.

Yay or nay?

I give you "We Are Golden" the new MIKA single. I can't decide how I feel about it. The random teenagers yelling through the chorus are kind of distracting/annoying, but it still has that fun sense of cheesy grandeur for which MIKA is famous.



Also, I'm about a third of the way through Unaccustomed Earth and it's fantastic (shocking, I know, what with The New York Times and Amazon and Jesus putting it on their best book lists). Lahiri writes her dialouge in block paragraph form, so the pages are dense, but her writing is so delicate and precise you hardly notice. Reading her stories is like sitting quietly on a cloud.

"Are you very afraid?"

I can't follow True Blood every week (no HBO at the family homestead), so I'm glad I caught "I Will Rise Up," the ninth episode of the current season, this afternoon. That final scene between Eric, Sookie, and Godric was easily the most beautiful five minutes of television I've seen in years (yes, that includes Mad Men*). With her pretty tears and graceful line readings, Anna Paquin broke my heart into a million little pieces.

*Last Sunday's Mad Men was still great, thanks to Peggy singing "Bye, Bye Birdie" into her mirror, the general awesomeness of Roger's ex-wife, Mona, and Don taking another step towards becoming the family man his wife and children desperately need.

Song for you.

Entertainment weekly.

I said that I would hit the ground running when I got home from my mini-vacation; I ended up wafting gently back to earth. I'm finally back, so let's get to it:

Dollhouse "Epitaph One": Like I said, easily the best episode of this show to date. It raises the stakes monumentally. The series is no longer sitting in Philosophy 101 debating the existence of the soul, it's staving off a zombie apocalypse! The episode also featured a lot less Echo/Caroline (she has got to be one of the least compelling lead characters, ever) and a lot more Adelle, Victor and Claire/Whiskey (this show has a killer supporting cast). I'm definitely on board for next season, both to see the flashbacks in context and spend more time with our merry band of post-apocalyptic rebels. The best thing Joss Whedon has made since Serenity.

The Lovely Bones: Friends told me they loved this book, but hated the ending. I'm neutral about the whole endeavor. Maybe I'm not the target audience? Susie's story just didn't pack the emotional punch that I thought it would. My favorite parts were the near-misses with Mr. Harvey; the chapter where Len ignores the phone to consummate his affair with Abigail was maddeningly tense. I wanted more of that thriller feel. The ending: I thought the point of heaven was that Susie had to let go of Earth and accept she couldn't go back? Her getting to possess Ruth/have sex with Ray felt like a cheat. Oh, and I liked the meaning of the title.

Mad Men "Out of Town": So, so, so great to have this show back. It's the best thing on television, period. The opening sequence threw me off, but once we got back to the Sterling Cooper offices it was smooth sailing. Loved Pete v. Ken, Round 1 (who knew Ken could be so awesome?). At first, I couldn't believe Don was willing to sleep with the flight attendant, but his boredom/increased unease with his behavior redeemed the redundancy of the encounter. I definitely wanted more Betty/Joan/Peggy, but we've got the whole season ahead of us. And poor Sal. I'm glad he got some, but he's got a long way to go.

Netherland: I read this two books ago, so pardon my failed attempts to generate a detailed response. It's good, challenging at times, very literary. It's the kind of book I could see being taught. The cricket stuff bored me, a little. I felt cool recognizing NYC cross-streets. It's the first book I've read about 9/11 and the Iraq War (it's not really about those events, but it does touch upon them) that didn't piss me off (I just think writing about 9/11 is so cheap/easy; what is the new take on that day? It was horrible for everyone. Writing about 9/11 is the Sally Field performance of literature). Read this book, but not at the beach.

To do.

I made some layout/formatting changes with which I'm continually tinkering, so bear with me. As for my personal status, I'm still in Maine/unemployed, but maybe/hopefully that will change by the end of the week. Who knows? I'm in limbo; it kind of feels like being an Active on Dollhouse (except I would not like "a treatment," thanks)*.

Anyway, the point of this post is to say that I'm going out of town for a night, but here's what I'll be writing about when I get back:

• Thoughts on Netherland (short version: good, literary, challenging) and maybe The Lovely Bones, if I finish it (so far: like it, don't love it, can't figure out why).


• Thoughts on the Mad Men premiere (LOVED IT, for various reasons) and the "lost" episode of Dollhouse (liked it ten times better than any other episode I've seen).


• Something about music? I am really digging The Airborne Toxic Event, Say Hi, and Regina Spektor right now (that might be all I have to say about music).

See you in a few days. I promise to hit the ground running upon my return.

*How perfect is Amy Acker on that show? The Echo/Ballard stuff bores me to tears but anytime Claire/Whiskey comes onscreen I am totally hooked.

Nerd alert.

I spent some time in Portland's local comic shop today a) because I am that nerdy and b) because I was looking for the first volume of Grant Morrison's The Invisibles (they had every volume except the first, which happened to be the only volume Borders did have, but I digress). I don't buy comics in the monthly issue format (the ads are ugly/break up the story, trade paperbacks look nicer on a bookshelf), but I did flip through a few this afternoon.

Fables #87: Fables was my big graphic novel obsession of last summer (replaced throughout the year by Y: The Last Man). It's a great series, very entertaining, with absolutely gorgeous artwork from Mark Buckingham. Frankly, I stopped buying it because the trade paperbacks were getting too expensive, and issue #50 (Bigby and Snow's wedding) felt like a good stopping place. This issue is part one of the Witches arc, and addresses Baba Yaga's recent escape from imprisonment. It's the usual Fables loveliness (and it features the debut of Ozma), but I'm not sure I'm ready to buy the four volumes needed to catch up. We'll see.

Uncanny X-Men #514: The X-Men franchise has been floundering since Grant Morrison left. The post Messiah Complex era has felt more cohesive, but I'm a long ways away from buying a new X-Men comic. That said, this issue wasn't that bad. The Utopia storyline is getting some good press, and the story has a fun sense of momentum. The book still needs a regular cast of less than 15 characters, and I'm not sure it's a great idea to rip the team out of San Francisco just yet, but I'll be keeping a closer eye on this one.

I can't wait . . .

. . . for this Sunday.

The Magicians

Lev Grossman's The Magicians officially came out today; I read an advance copy (say it with me) at Columbia. While at the course, I also met Grossman, his editor, Molly Stern, and members of the book's marketing and publicity teams. Needless to say, they all love this book.

My classmates had a more mixed reaction to a story I'd characterize as Harry Potter goes to Narnia, except with sex, drinking and drugs (so maybe it's the cast of The Secret History goes to Narnia after graduating from Hogwarts?). Grossman positions his text as a darker, more realistic exploration of conventional young adult fantasy. It's true that Harry, Ron, and Hermione only ever engaged in the chastest of kissing, and that Aslan sent the Pevensie children to war (twice).

In The Magicians, Grossman follows these events to their logical conclusions. Even if Rowling didn't acknowledge it, students at Hogwarts had to be having sex. And how did Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy not end up totally fucked in the head*? I'd still rather re-read The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but I appreciate Grossman's approach (the Antarctica and Manhattan chapters are particularly inventive).

*Personally, I'm waiting for the day Gregory Maguire gives Susan Pevensie the Wicked treatment (seriously, how fucking sick would that book be, especially if she ended up as the White Witch?).

Wolfish!

My friend, Melissa Wolfish, recently started a blog of her own: Squirrel Fancy. I met Melissa at Columbia - she is crazy talented, funny, and smart, so make sure to check her out. As an extra incentive, you'll also find a rather ridiculous picture of yours truly, delivering a truly ridiculous toast at our final banquet (let's just say that glass of wine in my hand was not the first).

We have a winner.

I don't actually watch So You Think You Can Dance, I just YouTube the performances the next day. This season hasn't wowed me as often as last year (the hip-hop, in particular, has been lackluster), but I'm still excited for the winner, Jeanine Mason.

Jeanine's been a regular component in almost all my favorite routines, and she comes across as a really down-to-earth girl. In honor of her win, here's one of her stand-out performances:

Entertainment weekly.

I'm home in Maine until my New York lease starts later this month. It's very quiet here, so I've got lots of free time to do all my favorite things (lay in bed and read, lay in bed and watch movies, etc.). Here's what I read/watched this week:

The Tenderness of Wolves: Really, really good. I don't normally go for historical fiction, but I got this for free at Columbia, and figured I might as well give it a try. I'm glad I did. Stef Penney strikes the perfect balance between intricately complex plotting and strong character work. The entire cast exists in three dimensions: Mrs. Ross, Parker, Moody, Francis, Line, the list goes on. Mrs. Ross, in particular, is a triumph. The plot (which begins as a murder mystery) grabs your attention, but the characters are the real reason for sticking around. Maybe my favorite book of this summer; Olive Kitteridge has some stiff competition, at the very least.

Watchmen: I never saw this in theaters, and I'm kind of glad I didn't. I watched it in two installments (I paused when Rorschach went to prison), and the break kept it from feeling too long. I really liked it - a smart take on the superhero genre that didn't call too much attention to itself or suffocate the viewer with its sense of self-importance (I'm talking about you, The Dark Knight). Malin Akerman was as horribly miscast as everyone said; I wanted her to be angrier, goddammit! Having seen the film, I think I'll commit to finishing the graphic novel.

(Last) weekend update.

I spent last weekend on Nantucket with my former roommate Kevin, and former teammate Terry (above). Besides the usual mix of sun, sand, and booze, the visit included yet another instance of my friends completing grueling athletic challenges for charity.

Since I met Kevin, he's talked about doing the Rock Run, a day-long, team run around Nantucket. This year, Kevin, his sisters, two family friends, and Terry, finally did it. Combined, they ran 50 miles, and donated $200 to Autism Speaks. I couldn't be prouder of them. My contribution to the day was some spirited clapping and a sunburn; I'm sure it made all the difference.

We also saw Kevin Spacey at a local bar that night. Sorry, Sherri Saum, you are no longer the most famous person I have shared public space with.

And finally, I deleted the "Let It Rock" post, since the video was no longer available. Sad times.

Support my bro.

My good friend, and former (tear) stroke seat/team captain, Adam Furlong, posted the following on his Facebook profile last week:

"On a whim, signed up for a 45 mile bike ride in Philly on Aug. 23rd for the LIVESTRONG Challenge. Donate money, I'm trying to get to $250."

To that I say: HELP HIM OUT. Adam is a total badass athlete, and merits the support on a personal basis, but also, it takes cash to fight cancer. Any dude willing to bike 45 miles, and raise money to save lives, deserves to meet his goal, for himself, and for all the people fighting the good fight (seriously, cancer, fuck off).

Donate here.

Recently read.

Olive Kitteridge: I liked this quite a bit. It's most definitely a short story collection; at times, Olive's presence in pieces where she isn't the protagonist feels forced. For example, in "The Piano Player," or especially "Ship in a Bottle," you could remove Olive entirely and not miss a beat. That said, her appearances in "Incoming Tide," and "Starving" were essential. I also wish Strout had included a story from Christopher's point of view, since Olive's relationship with her son proves tempestuous at best. He's just such a shit to her, and we never really understand why (though I suppose that enables us to relate all the more to Olive).

Still, this is an incredibly beautiful collection. Strout captures the intimacy of small moments, brief glances, and mundane ritual with true artistry. I had the great pleasure of meeting Elizabeth Strout about a month ago; having met her, this book makes perfect sense. She's just as slightly offbeat and endearingly human as her characters. You can tell that she knows and likes these people, even as she breaks their hearts. Strout described the book as "good sentences," and she's right, but it's also much, much more.

Naked: I don't have as much to say about this one. It's David Sedaris; either you like him, or you don't. I like him, but I don't think this was his best effort. This might be another instance where I love previous books by the author so much, that I set the bar too high (Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim). My favorite Sedaris essays usually focus on his family, with hearty doses of poignancy and self-deprecation. He achieves that here with "Ashes," and "The Women's Open," but I don't think he achieved it often enough. I usually can't put his books down; this one took me almost two months to get through. It's still David Sedaris (brilliant, biting, hysterical), but reading Naked felt like going through the motions, instead of breaking new ground.

Song for you.

I miss these people.

I saw this image at Low Resolution yesterday; I quite like it. It tells the whole story, Six and Eight and Baltar ushering in a terrifying, uncertain future; Kara and Lee opposite Laura and Bill, making home out of the space between each other. When this show was good, it was really, really good. Episodes like "Faith," "The Hub," and "No Exit" were some of the best television I've ever seen, period. The finale was awful and gross, but for the first time in a while, I can see past that to the smart, beautiful show I loved.

Good times.

Famous ladies.

I've been in NYC a little over a week; it's great. My summer course entails a lot of long days (and a lot of sitting), but it's definitely worth it in terms of what I'm learning and the people I'm meeting along the way.

Speaking of who I'm meeting, I had my first celebrity sighting yesterday. The most famous people I'd previously encountered were MJ and Randy from The Real World, so it was a pretty big deal when I stood in line at Subway (the sandwich place, not the train) next to Sherri Saum (!) from In Treatment (!). She's tall and pretty in person. It was hard to like Bess as a character, but Saum did good work with her.

Another famous lady: my former classmate, Becky Krier, gave the commencement address at our high school this spring. You can read her speech here. It's very wonderful and very wise, which is an accurate description of Becky herself. I'm lucky to have known her the past eight years. She'll do (many more) great things.

TV time.

So, time to address those finales I mentioned last week. I watched them a while ago, but I still have something to say about all three, so here we are.

The Hills: Goodbye, Lauren Conrad; hello, Kristin Cavallari? I didn't mind Kristin back on Laguna Beach, her confidence was rather appealing, no matter how bitchy she got. I have a feeling she'll do whatever the producers ask of her in terms of starting drama; she can't possibly care too much about the likes of Audrina and Stephanie, plus they're paying her a shit ton of money. As for Lauren, I'll miss her. She proved herself a class act all the way to the end; she looked great and kept her shit together even at Heidi's wedding. Not only did she manage to grow up on national television, but she also managed not to lose herself in the process. I just really like her. Best line of the night goes to Kelly Cutrone though, with her "be smart, and be brave, tell the truth, and don't take any shit" advice to Lauren. So true.

In Treatment: I love you, April. And Mia, and Walter, and Gina and Paul. I'll miss you all so much. My favorite stories are the ones where the protagonist learns they're the only person holding themselves back, and then unleashes their newly discovered awesomeness on the world. I think the cast of In Treatment is on their way to doing just that. Alison Pill as April particularly wrecked me, time and again. I had the biggest smile on my face (and tears in my eyes) for the final ten minutes of her last episode. April might have put off therapy, but she more importantly decided to live. Great show.

The Office: Pam is pregnant. That's really all I remember at this point. That and that the episode was the usual mixture of sweet, sad, tender, touching and funny that The Office does so well. These people are old friends by now, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy spending time with them. Whenever the series does end, Michael and Holly need to end up together. Can we all agree on that?

Coming soon . . .

. . . a whole lot of things. I'm in Folsom, California right now for the National Rowing Championships. I'll be here until Saturday, then home, then New York City; it's a busy time. Once crew is over, I plan to post on the finales of In Treatment, The Hills and The Office (in short: I liked all three of them).

So, some TV, with maybe a little music thrown in for good measure (I'm having trouble deciding how I feel about Jordin Sparks' "Battlefield"). Who knows? I'll be back next week, as soon as I've landed and settled in Maine. For now, here's the brilliant Jacob Clifton revealing the meaning of life according to Gossip Girl:

"The entire point of becoming a human being is entering and maintaining a state where you are strong enough to do without the lies altogether."

He gets me every time.