Whatcha reading?

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Dr. Medulla
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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Silent Majority wrote:
24 Jun 2018, 5:34am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
23 Jun 2018, 6:12pm
Image
Reading this for possible inclusion in my class this fall. A few students have pointed out that my reading list is almost exclusively American—true, because I'm better equipped to contextualize the work better—but It's a fair critique so I'm seeing whether this might work.
Recommend it?
I'll have to get back to you as I'm only one chapter in (I'm pretty slow because I'm also taking notes). Because I'm mostly a dummy on that area of the world, I expect it to be a revelation. Already it's quite striking (tho not terribly surprising) how much different and fluid Communist life was compared to the totalitarian models created by political scientists and propagandists.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Dr. Medulla
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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Tub book starting today:
Image

Came in the mail this morning. I don't think this will be very good for a number of reasons. First, that title. Pompous and laughable. That's metal band absurdity. Second, oral histories are usually just bland presentation of material, collage more than history. They can be readable and entertaining, but it usually amounts to reading someone's research notes. And third, that definite article in the subtitle grates. Claims of being definitive are sand in my soul. However, there is the first book on the band, so I was kind of obliged to get it.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Kory
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Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Kory »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 11:01am
Tub book starting today:
Image

Came in the mail this morning. I don't think this will be very good for a number of reasons. First, that title. Pompous and laughable. That's metal band absurdity. Second, oral histories are usually just bland presentation of material, collage more than history. They can be readable and entertaining, but it usually amounts to reading someone's research notes. And third, that definite article in the subtitle grates. Claims of being definitive are sand in my soul. However, there is the first book on the band, so I was kind of obliged to get it.
I hate oral histories. I've been trying to get through Please Kill Me for ages.
"Suck our Earth dick, Martians!" —Doc

Dr. Medulla
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Re: Whatcha reading?

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Kory wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 12:20pm
I hate oral histories. I've been trying to get through Please Kill Me for ages.
Yeah, that's a good example. There's also the similar one on the L.A. punk scene, We've Got the Neutron Bomb. They're decent research resources, occupying a weird primary/secondary source zone, but they feel like a bit of a cheat to me. They're an excuse to do only interview research and they let the author off the hook from making open assessments. Plus, in editing the interview transcripts, there's a framing of the evidence that the reader isn't fully aware of.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Silent Majority
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Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Silent Majority »

Kory wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 12:20pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 11:01am
Tub book starting today:
Image

Came in the mail this morning. I don't think this will be very good for a number of reasons. First, that title. Pompous and laughable. That's metal band absurdity. Second, oral histories are usually just bland presentation of material, collage more than history. They can be readable and entertaining, but it usually amounts to reading someone's research notes. And third, that definite article in the subtitle grates. Claims of being definitive are sand in my soul. However, there is the first book on the band, so I was kind of obliged to get it.
I hate oral histories. I've been trying to get through Please Kill Me for ages.
Maybe cos of Legs McNeil, maybe the font, but everyone in Please Kill Me comes off as a dunce.
a lifetime serving one machine
Is ten times worse than prison


www.pexlives.libsyn.com/

Kory
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Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Kory »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 12:47pm
Kory wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 12:20pm
I hate oral histories. I've been trying to get through Please Kill Me for ages.
Yeah, that's a good example. There's also the similar one on the L.A. punk scene, We've Got the Neutron Bomb. They're decent research resources, occupying a weird primary/secondary source zone, but they feel like a bit of a cheat to me. They're an excuse to do only interview research and they let the author off the hook from making open assessments. Plus, in editing the interview transcripts, there's a framing of the evidence that the reader isn't fully aware of.
It seems to me that format is fine for documentaries but not for books. It all just seems too scattered and difficult to get invested in. I suppose authors could make an argument that the people that were there are better judges of what actually happened or what it meant, but as you say, the editing and order of the quotes takes the place of what the "author" interprets, which kind of takes the wind out of that argument anyway.
"Suck our Earth dick, Martians!" —Doc

Kory
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Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Kory »

Silent Majority wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:06pm
Kory wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 12:20pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 11:01am
Tub book starting today:
Image

Came in the mail this morning. I don't think this will be very good for a number of reasons. First, that title. Pompous and laughable. That's metal band absurdity. Second, oral histories are usually just bland presentation of material, collage more than history. They can be readable and entertaining, but it usually amounts to reading someone's research notes. And third, that definite article in the subtitle grates. Claims of being definitive are sand in my soul. However, there is the first book on the band, so I was kind of obliged to get it.
I hate oral histories. I've been trying to get through Please Kill Me for ages.
Maybe cos of Legs McNeil, maybe the font, but everyone in Please Kill Me comes off as a dunce.
Is it a large font? I haven't looked at it in a while.
"Suck our Earth dick, Martians!" —Doc

Silent Majority
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Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Silent Majority »

Kory wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:08pm
Silent Majority wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:06pm
Kory wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 12:20pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 11:01am
Tub book starting today:
Image

Came in the mail this morning. I don't think this will be very good for a number of reasons. First, that title. Pompous and laughable. That's metal band absurdity. Second, oral histories are usually just bland presentation of material, collage more than history. They can be readable and entertaining, but it usually amounts to reading someone's research notes. And third, that definite article in the subtitle grates. Claims of being definitive are sand in my soul. However, there is the first book on the band, so I was kind of obliged to get it.
I hate oral histories. I've been trying to get through Please Kill Me for ages.
Maybe cos of Legs McNeil, maybe the font, but everyone in Please Kill Me comes off as a dunce.
Is it a large font? I haven't looked at it in a while.
Don't remember to be honest.
a lifetime serving one machine
Is ten times worse than prison


www.pexlives.libsyn.com/

Dr. Medulla
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Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Kory wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:07pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 12:47pm
Kory wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 12:20pm
I hate oral histories. I've been trying to get through Please Kill Me for ages.
Yeah, that's a good example. There's also the similar one on the L.A. punk scene, We've Got the Neutron Bomb. They're decent research resources, occupying a weird primary/secondary source zone, but they feel like a bit of a cheat to me. They're an excuse to do only interview research and they let the author off the hook from making open assessments. Plus, in editing the interview transcripts, there's a framing of the evidence that the reader isn't fully aware of.
It seems to me that format is fine for documentaries but not for books. It all just seems too scattered and difficult to get invested in. I suppose authors could make an argument that the people that were there are better judges of what actually happened or what it meant, but as you say, the editing and order of the quotes takes the place of what the "author" interprets, which kind of takes the wind out of that argument anyway.
The author of this one claims that his choice is to preserve the multitude of perspectives to the story, not to privilege his own. Which sounds nice and noble, but it's more like evading authorial responsibility. Your fucking name is on the cover and you're getting some kind of income from this; it's not privilege to put your interpretation out there, it's the job.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Dr. Medulla
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Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Silent Majority wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:10pm
Kory wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:08pm
Silent Majority wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:06pm
Maybe cos of Legs McNeil, maybe the font, but everyone in Please Kill Me comes off as a dunce.
Is it a large font? I haven't looked at it in a while.
Don't remember to be honest.
Just looked at my Penguin edition—it's small print, Times-esque font. I dislike McNeil, tho. I first encountered him when he wrote for Spin in the late 80s, and he came off as a pompous doofus (mind you, that seemed to be Spin's editorial mission statement). I haven't seen anything to challenge that, so the impression remains.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Kory
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Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Kory »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:23pm
Silent Majority wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:10pm
Kory wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:08pm
Silent Majority wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:06pm
Maybe cos of Legs McNeil, maybe the font, but everyone in Please Kill Me comes off as a dunce.
Is it a large font? I haven't looked at it in a while.
Don't remember to be honest.
Just looked at my Penguin edition—it's small print, Times-esque font. I dislike McNeil, tho. I first encountered him when he wrote for Spin in the late 80s, and he came off as a pompous doofus (mind you, that seemed to be Spin's editorial mission statement). I haven't seen anything to challenge that, so the impression remains.
Well, his name is "Legs."
"Suck our Earth dick, Martians!" —Doc

Dr. Medulla
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Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Kory wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:30pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:23pm
Silent Majority wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:10pm
Kory wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:08pm
Silent Majority wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:06pm
Maybe cos of Legs McNeil, maybe the font, but everyone in Please Kill Me comes off as a dunce.
Is it a large font? I haven't looked at it in a while.
Don't remember to be honest.
Just looked at my Penguin edition—it's small print, Times-esque font. I dislike McNeil, tho. I first encountered him when he wrote for Spin in the late 80s, and he came off as a pompous doofus (mind you, that seemed to be Spin's editorial mission statement). I haven't seen anything to challenge that, so the impression remains.
Well, his name is "Legs."
Wikipedia says it's actually Roderick. A pick 'em as to which is worse.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Kory
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Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Kory »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:49pm
Kory wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:30pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:23pm
Silent Majority wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:10pm
Kory wrote:
26 Jun 2018, 1:08pm


Is it a large font? I haven't looked at it in a while.
Don't remember to be honest.
Just looked at my Penguin edition—it's small print, Times-esque font. I dislike McNeil, tho. I first encountered him when he wrote for Spin in the late 80s, and he came off as a pompous doofus (mind you, that seemed to be Spin's editorial mission statement). I haven't seen anything to challenge that, so the impression remains.
Well, his name is "Legs."
Wikipedia says it's actually Roderick. A pick 'em as to which is worse.
I guess he could go by Rick at least. That's kind of a rock n' roll name...
"Suck our Earth dick, Martians!" —Doc

Silent Majority
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Location: South Londoner in the Midlands.

Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Silent Majority »

Orlando - Virgina Woolf. An absolutely brilliant novel, in love with language and writing. I adored Woolf's witty, heavy-minded but lighthearted prose and the journey of the person born a man who becomes a woman and then lives from Elizabethan times to the novel's publication and beyond. A Tilda Swinton film of this is now on my hard drive and I reckon it'll be a good one.
a lifetime serving one machine
Is ten times worse than prison


www.pexlives.libsyn.com/

Silent Majority
Singer-Songwriter Nancy
Posts: 18702
Joined: 10 Nov 2008, 8:28pm
Location: South Londoner in the Midlands.

Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Silent Majority »

Mack the Life - Lee Mack. I like this mainstream British comedian's quick wit, though his BBC sitcom is unwatchable. Nice easy read, uncomplicated with a few laughs along the way. Seems like a nice fella.
a lifetime serving one machine
Is ten times worse than prison


www.pexlives.libsyn.com/

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