Living on video at Jacket Copy.
I think I’m going to like playing with this digital video stuff. Toy! Fun!
May 232008
May 212008
I’m driving across the country, as you might have noticed, and blogging about the literary aspects of my trip at Jacket Copy. So far I’ve managed to write about Ohio and Lexington Kentucky; look for posts about Tallahassee and the deep south later today.
From here (I’m in Houston) on out I’m sticking to the I-10, the southernmost interstate. If you have any suggestions for the literary southwest — Texas, New Mexico, Arizona or eastern Southern California — I’d love to hear ‘em.
Haven’t seen it since I was three. My parents say the pine trees all around were shoulder height; now they tower. Tallahassee, Florida: I’ve finally learned to spell it.
Mar 232008
I’ve posted the last of my Istanbul photos, including a graffiti piece that made me think Banksy (altho I couldn’t find any documentation that he’s been to Istanbul, so I think it’s someone else being Banksy-esque).
Also, I’m now officially medicated. Begone, evil flu virus.
Mar 132008
I’m in Istanbul. Today I took a ferry across the Bosphorus river to another part of Istanbul… the part that is in Asia.
It was my first time on the Asian continent. Super exciting.
Pictures of the trip start here.
When I am not traipsing back and forth between continents, I am blogging about bookish stuff in Istanbul for Jacket Copy at the LA Times, on bookstores and a Q&A about Orhan Pamuk.
I tried to go see some music last night but the band didn’t show. No problem — the beer was cheap and plentiful, and cheerful people arrived in waves. Tonight, after getting caught in the rain at the Spice Bazaar, my marvelous host friends and I stayed in and watched the final episode of The Wire. (Almost as exciting as going to Asia).
Hello from JFK’s Terminal One, home to several international airlines, including Al Italia. Soon I will be able to check in for my flight, which will take me to Rome, where I transfer to the flight that goes to Istanbul. That’s where I’m headed: Istanbul.
If you want to know what books I’ve packed, I blogged about that at Jacket Copy.
The one I didn’t bring, unfortunately, is the Lonely Planet-type guide to Istanbul I bought months ago. It has nice pictures and historical context but I’ve barely paged through it — I was saving it to read on the flight. Instead I’ve contented myself with Wikipedia, which makes me feel all dirty.
The other thing I forgot was the cable that connects my digital camera to my laptop. I was thinking about the camera — brought a big pack of extra batteries — but, apparently, I wasn’t thinking about it enough. So I hope that my friend in Istanbul, in addition to having excellent taste and knowledge of the city, have a little camera cable. That’ll make things here over the next week that much more interesting.
Some elements of a road trip you can plan, some you can’t. Among the latter:
- the price of gas
- inclement weather (15 degrees below average)
- evil, tenacious head cold
- NY weekend warrior traffic, if you’re on the 84 anytime on Friday
- NPR pledge week (noooo!)
On the up side, with the internet, any stranger can make their way through miles of windy, wooded streets to the local coffeeshop, the one with acoustic music on weekend nights, slipcovered couches and hearty espresso. Hooray for Molten Java.
Today’s photo, however, is from a diner yesterday. (more here)
After the jump, my spoiler-ridden take on You Don’t Love Me Yet by Jonathan Lethem.
May 182007
If you look really closely in the rearview mirror, you might be able to see Pittsburgh. For the summer I’m on the road, with a few clothes, a couple of electronic gadgets and more than 50 books to read. The big challenge is figuring out how to balance the driving with the stopping (makes for safer reading).
Right now I’m ina place that is surely more fun fictional than real. But I have to pack up and move on; perhaps I should get one of these tote bags.
Currently reading: Jonathan Lethem’s You Don’t Love Me Yet.
Mar 272007
Today Gloria Fisk writes about Orham Pamuk’s role in her move to Turkey in n+1; her students aren’t nearly as charmed by him. Her essay will conclude tomorrow.
A work of art really can make another place come alive. One of the things that made me imagine New York as a city where I could live, circa 1993, was the way Chris Noth wore outdated leather jackets on Law and Order. OK, Law & Order is an exhausted TV franchise and can’t compare to a Nobel prizewinner. But the sweep of those jackets against gray streets and dingy offices made a version of NY so real that I could imagine myself trudging down a sidewalk there in the rain.
It’s not just me, I swear. I know several people who have detoured to Winslow, Arizona just because of a pop song: “Take it Easy” by the Eagles. One claims to have waited on the corner for hours until a girl in a flatbed ford drove past. Now that’s a dedication to art.
Aug 082006
Meet Ron Hogan, of Beatrice and Galleycat. He’s also the author of The Stewardess is Flying the Plane!, which we talked about yesterday over drinks at the Hudson Hotel. Of course, the recorder was rolling, and it will soon be a podcast near you.
Yes, Ron is smoking a cigar. Big city living at its finest.
