Books: Blogtown, PDX, Portland Mercury

Tao Lin Reading Tonight

Jacob Schraer — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:14:29 -0700

Tao Lin is visiting Powell's tonight to promote his new novel Taipei which I reviewed this week. (Full disclosure, I work for Powell's, though this review was a freelance assignment and not part of some clandestine marketing job which in my imagination pays really great but in actuality comes under a Craigslist description like: Do you enjoy ethical dilemmas and getting paid 15K/year for part time ingenuity and full time flexibility?...) I enjoyed the book and think Tao Lin is growing as a writer.

But there's always the other side. Over at The Millions, Lydia Kiesling loathed the book, and in a very personal way that Lin's work seems to inspire. She assures us that her "loathing was pure," being unaware of Lin's social media presence that has been integral to his persona since the beginning, though that does come into play later.

It's the writing itself that offends Kiesling. "I wondered why someone who hates words would take the trouble to arrange so many of them in a row." More to the point, "the novel reads as though it were the result of strict parameters imposed by a perverse contest, or the edict of some nihilist philosophy, to use as few interesting words as possible."

I understand her objections. When I reviewed Lin's last novel Richard Yates, I had also never heard of him. I viscerally hated the first twenty pages, endured the next hundred, and then accepted the rest of it. My loathing was also pure, but I found a purpose to the pain of his prose, even if in the end I didn't like the book that much.

Kiesling's review gets there, offering a grudging respect for Lin's ability to capture the mundane, but she still really doesn't like the book. The entire critical response is highly varied. The New York Observer gives Taipei excessive praise. The New York Times is positive about it but hesitant, as if not sure what to make of the book but afraid if they blast they'll seem out of touch.

This isn't to say that I have some secret key to understanding his work, but rather that such an array of varied and visceral reactions is in itself a good thing. I'd rather hate a book (or a movie or a tv show) than forget about it the week after I read it. While being bland and laconic, Tao Lin's writing is still provocative enough to bring out the most vituperative reactions people can offer. For me that's an amazing feat for a writer to pull off in 2013.

Tao Line reads tonight at Powell's City of Books at 7:30 p.m.

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A Cyborg Anthology Edited by a Cyborg

Erik Henriksen — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:59:47 -0700

One of the things I look forward to every month is the new issue of Clarkesworld, a fantastic digital magazine that collects new—and, as of the past few months, old—science-fiction and fantasy stories. It also has non-fiction pieces, but the fiction is what generally grabs me—weird and inventive, it's the sort of thoughtful, diverse writing that manages to take advantage of genre (without being predictable) and push genre's boundaries (without being pretentious). Subscriptions are cheap; if you're in any way inclined toward sci-fi or fantasy, I'd recommend checking it out.

Likewise, here's something else that might be worth checking out: Clarkesworld's editor, Neil Clarke, is Kickstartering what he thinks might be a first: an anthology about cyborgs, edited by a cyborg. (Clarke suffered a heart attack last year, and as a result has a defibrillator in his chest. CYBORG!) Clarke has a couple of big-name writers already lined up to contribute—like Elizabeth Bear and Tobias S. Buckell—but if past issues of Clarkesworld are any indication, it'll be the unknown and obscure authors who'll make the anthology unique and cool. Heads up, nerds.

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Win Tickets to Blumesday!

Alison Hallett — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:14:44 -0700

I've got a pair of tickets to give away to tonight's installment of Blumesday, the super-fun Judy Blume tribute night in which local writers like Courtenay Hameister, B. Frayn Masters, Emily Chenowith, and more share excerpts from their favorite Judy Blume novels. I went the first time the show was in Portland—back in 2007—and it was a really good time; I highly recommend this one.

If you'd like to win the tickets, just tell us in the comments which Judy Blume book is your favorite, and why; make sure that a real address is attached to your Mercury user account, and I'll email the winner by 3 pm today.

if you don't want to take your chances on the contest, you can still buy tickets—the show is tonight at the Secret Society, 7 pm, $8-10.

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The IPRC Turns 15; Asks for a New Paint Job.

Alison Hallett — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:29:00 -0700

I wrote about the Independent Publishing Resource Center in the books section this week: Fresh off a very successful move that saw their membership rates skyrocket by 72%, the IPRC is celebrating its 15th anniversary this week, and they're two days from deadline on a Kickstarter to produce a commemorative zine "filled with IPRC memories, writing and artwork by 30+ contributors." Contributors to this "Superzine" include Carson Ellis, Sarah Mirk, "Dishwasher" Pete Jordan and Nicole Georges; money raised will also go toward the IPRC's exterior renovation. They're asking for a modest $6,000; reward tiers include copies of the zine, IPRC memberships, prints, and more.

Here's the thing about the IPRC: That organization has its shit together in a pretty profound way. When we all rallied to save Reading Frenzy early this year, there was a seat-of-the-pants, last-ditch quality to that Kickstarter campaign—everyone knew it wasn't ideal, but it was better than nothing.

There's nothing last-ditch about the IPRC: their growth has been strategic, their administrative infrastructure seems sound, and their budget is underpinned by grants and community support (they were the most-funded nonprofit in the Willamette Week's give guide last year). It's been around for so long that it's easy to take for granted, but the IPRC really is a unique organization, and a crucial part of the city's books community. Give 'em your money—or at the very least, go eat a 15-foot-long cake at their birthday party tomorrow. The party starts at the IPRC (1005 SE Division) at 7 pm; if you're so inclined, a comics-themed bike ride leaves Floating World at 5:15 pm and ends at the party.

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Judy Blume on Random Reads, and Blumesday!

Alison Hallett — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:59:00 -0700

"People always want to know—what happens to Margaret when she grows up? And I say, 'She doesn’t grow up! She’s 12. She’s always going to be 12. That’s it.'"

The AV Club has a great interview with Judy Blume up today—it's the first installment of Random Reads, a spinoff of their Random Roles series, in which actors talk about career-defining roles. I like that they're extending the concept to authors. Do Stephen King next! (I'm on a Stephen King kick—did you guys know he has a story in the new issue of Tin House? He does!)

And the country's most famous menstrual-scribe offers one last piece of advice:

But I just want to say this about your period: While you may not enjoy it, embrace it. Because it’s good to have it. Take it from me—it’s good to have it. I had it a really long time, but I don’t have it anymore. And I can’t say that I miss it, but I sure do miss the hormones.

All of this is roundabout way to tell you that this Monday marks the return of Blumesday—for the first time since 2007, a group of local writers are celebrating their favorite childhood author with a public reading of their favorite Judy Bume stories. I went to the first installment of Blumesday back when I was a little baby, and it was tons of fun. Readers include Courtenay Hameister, Laura Gibson, B. Frayn Masters, and not me for some reason (WTF GUYS).

They're only selling 150 advance tickets to the show, but as of right this second it looks like there are still some available. This was great fun last time-you might think you remember Blume's work, but if it's been a while since you've reread it, I guarantee you've forgotten how funny and complex it is, and hearing it live brings it all back.

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Wordstock Adds Guest Curator Kevin Sampsell, "Songwriting" Category

Alison Hallett — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:14:00 -0700

I like Wordstock, and one of the things I like the best about Wordstock is that, at least in the years I've been covering it, I've never gotten a sense of complacency. The organizers constantly strive to find new ways to improve the festival, whether by mixing up the author reading schedule with well-curated panel discussions, adding an adults-only sex writing themed section and a dedicated "graphic novel garden," or, this year, adding songwriting to its list of literary categories, and inviting local author/small-press genius Kevin Sampsell onboard as a guest curator.

If you know anything about Portland's literary scene, you know that if Kevin is organizing a reading, it's going to be fun. (Remember Booty Call, back on the patio of Plan B?) I chatted with Kevin a few days ago about Wordstock, and he's got some great ideas—including a bar-hopping Lit Crawl (finally!) and a "Squatters Row" on the book fair floor, where self published and small-press authors can temporarily take over unoccupied tables.

Additionally, "songwriting" has been added to the list of Wordstock sanctioned literary categories, and if I'm parsing the marketing-speech accurately, we can expect music along with readings this year:

Wordstock dares to compare the nuances of songwriting in league with other literary traditions. Lyric writing reflects and impacts popular culture like few forms of communication. In great songs, the power of rhythm, melody, and messaging partner to profound effect. Each element has potential for individual greatness, and in combination they can penetrate cultural consciousness. Acclaimed songwriters will reveal the intimate underpinnings behind the words we hum daily in a provocative forum of song-craft discovery, discussion, and performance. Festival Director, Katie Merritt, adds "Wordstock exists to support the process and experience of writing in every conceivable form. Are songwriters typically recognized proportionate to their societal contributions? We don't think so. As we invite songwriters to the regular festival table, our only question is, What took us so long?"

That means music, right? I think so. Wordstock is October 3-6. More details as we have 'em!

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USA On NSA: Who Cares? Let's Go Shopping!

Paul Constant — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:29:01 -0700

Gawker noticed that sales of George Orwell's 1984 have skyrocketed on Amazon this week. Which is surprising, because a new Washington Post story says that most Americans don't care about PRISM and the NSA's spying:

A large majority of Americans say the federal government should focus on investigating possible terrorist threats even if personal privacy is compromised, and most support the blanket tracking of telephone records in an effort to uncover terrorist activity, according to a new Washington Post-Pew Research Center poll.

It's pretty obvious by now that Americans will trade any right for the illusion of security. And why not? We have all sorts of proof that the NSA is making us safer: Look how they deftly dismantled that Boston Marathon bombing plot before anything bad could happen. Thank God we gave them access to our private lives!

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Want to Learn About Oregon's Depressing History of Racism?

Joe Streckert — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 11:14:30 -0700

“What’s with all the white people?”

That’s a question I’ve been asked more than once by confused visitors during my day job as a fact-shouting tour guide. I suspect that for every one person whose asked me directly about Portland’s off-putting monchromism, there are probably several more who have noticed, but haven’t said anything.

Breaking Chains, a new book by former Oregonian reporter R. Gregory Nokes, gives a bit of insight into Oregon’s ugly and complicated racial history. The book is dry and dense, but it’s also a great read for anyone who wants to understand the single nastiest element of Oregon history.

Slavery was not specifically legal or illegal when Oregon first became a territory, and a small group of slave-owning settlers, mainly from Missouri, did bring slaves to the territory. After slavery was made formally illegal, several former slaves were still kept on as “servants” or wards, still working for the same landowning whites as slaves in all but name.

The core of Breaking Chains focuses on the one and only slavery case ever tried in Oregon. Robin Holmes, a former slave, sued his former owner Nathaniel Ford. Ford was holding Holmes’ children after slavery had been formerly outlawed by the territorial government. However, even though Holmes had the law on his side, his was an uphill battle. Several of Oregon’s early power players (including territorial governor Joseph Lane, who would also become one of Oregon’s first senators) had deep sympathies for the pre-Civil War south, and were loathe to see a black man triumph over a white landowner in a court of law. But Holmes won, successfully rescuing his children from slavery.

As fist-pumpingly cool as Holmes’ story is, though, most of Breaking Chains is a chilling reminder of just how racist Oregon used to be. Voices for actual, real equality in Oregon were few and far between. Early debates about slavery focused just as much on the exclusion of African Americans as they did on the institution itself. One widely circulated polemic against slavery in Oregon, known as the Free State Letter, was just as opposed to the very presence of African Americans as it was to slavery. Judge George Williams, the same man who wrote the letter, would later also argue for excluding Chinese, saying that he wished to “consecrate Oregon for the white man.” The examples of institutionalized racism in Breaking Chains are too numerous to name but most outrageous is that Oregon rescinded its ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868. You know the whole thing about “equal protection” and all that? Oregon decided not get on that wagon.

Portland’s lily-white demographics aren’t just a weird accident of migration. There are very real, very nasty reasons for why this city is as un-diverse as it is today. What’s with all the white people? Oregon’s founders wanted it that way.

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"Summer Reads" Are Bullshit

Alison Hallett — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:14:02 -0700

I've written about this here before, but I absolutely don't buy the notion that summer is for reading light, throwaway, "fun" novels, and I wish marketing campaigns would stop pushing books that way. I'm sure I've ignored good books because I saw a beach umbrella or a lipstick-smeared wineglass on the cover. I will concede, though, that reading a book in the sun is objectively one of the best things ever. So if you're planning to do that this summer, and you've read Anna Karenina already (it's a great summer read!), here are a few of the better things I've read recently:

Wild Ones : I'm a little verklempt over how much I enjoyed Jon Mooallem's examination of mankind's relationship to "wild" animals. My review is here, and for a sense of what it's like, read the New York Times article that inspired the book, Taking Flight; it's about a ragtag campaign to teach captive-raised whooping cranes to migrate that involves men dressing all in white, like giant birds, and coaxing the cranes to follow tiny airplanes across the sky. One thing I didn't have room to talk about in the review: Mooallem's young daughter pops up throughout the book, as he wonders about her relationship to animals, and what kind of world she's going to grow up in. As a 30-year-old squarely in "Do I have kids?" territory, I found his perspective both comforting and illuminating. Which brings us to...

The Stud Book: My friends just started having babies and I have a feeling they're not going to stop anytime soon. Monica Drake's The Stud Book is set among a group of Portland women—some mothers, some not—navigating adulthood and parenthood in this silly city of ours. I'm gonna quote myself because I like this part:

It's not quite accurate to say that our fair city is a character in Drake's newest—The Stud Book is a book about motherhood, and so it seems more fitting to describe Portland as the womb in which Drake's characters gestated, where in utero they absorbed grunge music and Henry Weinhard's beer, and learned how to separate the recycling.

Life After Life: I'm a Kate Atkinson fangirl—if you haven't read her human, satisfying mysteries, please just go do it. You'll thank me. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival-set One Good Turn is a great place to start, though if you're a completist, Case Histories is the first of the series starring the Marlowe-esque Jackson Brody. But her newest, Life After Life, isn't a mystery in the traditional sense; it's about a woman, born in 1910, whose life begins anew every time she dies; and with each new iteration, she's dogged with an increasingly powerful sense of a deja vu. I found the novel frustrating at first—it keeps starting over!—but after about 50 pages or so I settled into it. And any literary novelist who takes on "What if you could travel back in time and kill Hitler?" gets points from me.

The Interestings: Meg Wolitzer's The Interestings is one of the big books of the year, and while it's not set in Portland, it very well could be: Its subject is white people who think they're special, and grown up to realize they're just regular. That's a glib summation, though, for this dense, satisfying novel about childhood friends whose fortunes dramatically diverge as they reach adulthood. If you're looking for a giant novel to crawl into for a few weeks, this is it.

Any one else read anything good recently? Right now I'm on suspense novelist Alifair Burke's If You Were Here, about a prosector-turned-journalist who stumbles into a vast conspiracy and yadda yadda. I'm not enjoying as much as her last novel Never Tell, but it's still a good bet if you want something you can read in a day and a half. (If you're looking for that kind of summer read.)

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The IMAGINATION Inside Your MIND

Erik Henriksen — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 15:13:00 -0700

This is William Shatner reading Where the Wild Things Are to a group of small children. It is as magical as you want it to be.

Get More:
MTV Shows

Good day.

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Black Prairie Soundtracks Jon Mooallem's Wild Ones

Alison Hallett — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 10:14:00 -0700

I'm not quite finished with it yet, but I'm enamored so far with Jon Mooallem's new book Wild Ones: A Sometimes Dismaying, Weirdly Reassuring Story About Looking at People Looking at Animals in America, which surveys our historical and current attitudes toward the animals we consider "wild."

Mooallem begins by examining the polar bear's status as a grim talisman for climate change activists, and goes on to consider how popular perceptions of wild animals have changed over the years. He recounts the moment when the black bear went from feared pest to adorable children's toy; digs into the history of lepidopterists in the San Francisco area; and describes how an eccentric, racist taxidermist saved the American buffalo. It's great stuff, full of odd, fascinating historical anecdote but solidly grounded in pragmatic questions of what is worth saving, and why.

And! It's accompanied by a great piece of music: Local bluegrass act Black Prairie composed a soundtrack for the book, which you can find streaming on Spotify. In an article for Slate, Mooallem explains how the collaboration came about, and how a few of the songs were directly inspired by the book.

It's worth noting that this isn't Black Prairie's first unusual collaboration: Last year, they teamed up with Oregon Children's Theater to score the Dust Bowl-musical The Storm in the Barn. (I have it on good authority that they still haven't picked up the Drammy Award they won for that show...)

Black Prairie will join Mooallem at Powell's for his Portland reading—which is on a Tuesday. At noon. :(

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Jack Vance

Paul Constant — Wed, 29 May 2013 13:59:46 -0700

The beloved science fiction pioneer has died, Locus Magazine says:

SF Grand Master Jack Vance, 96, died May 26, 2013 in Oakland CA. Vance was one of the most influential SF authors of the postwar period, and his visionary imagination and sophisticated, often playful use of language inspired countless SF writers, including Avram Davidson, Harlan Ellison, Matthew Hughes, George R.R. Martin, Michael Moorcock, and Gene Wolfe. His landmark Dying Earth sequence, set in the far future, began with collection The Dying Earth (1950) and continued with novel The Eyes of the Overworld (1966), Cugel’s Saga (1983), Rhialto the Marvelous (1984), and several related stories. Vance redefined the nature of planetary romance with his Big Planet (1952), and continued exploring that universe in sequel Showboat World (1975).

I'm embarrassed to say I haven't read very much Vance—a couple novellas, I think, and Dying Earth—but I've read dozens of books that wouldn't have existed without Vance pointing the way. For more Vance, check out this Mercury review of The Dying Earth from the archives.

(Via Sarah Weinman.)

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Seats Are Limited For Maggie Nelson This Friday, Get Yours Now!

Thomas Ross — Wed, 29 May 2013 11:44:00 -0700

This Friday, the 31st, Maggie Nelson is giving a reading and an interview at The Little Church, a neat but rather small venue on Alberta. Seats are limited, but also free! It's a function of Tin House and the Portland State MFA Creative Writing program, who collaborate on a graduate seminar every year, focusing on a living, contemporary author of importance, such as the brilliant Maggie Nelson. Basically, this open reading and interview is a chance to dive into a couple of rather exclusive, rather enlightening educational experiences—the MFA program at PSU and Maggie Nelson talking about anything at all—for free.

If you haven't read Maggie Nelson, she's a poet and the author of non-fiction books like The Red Parts and Bluets, books that blend memoir, essay, criticism, philosophy, and the ear for language of a poet to create something powerful, challenging, and kind of harrowing, but comfortingly complete, or at least enclosed: like a warm, full bed made out of new ideas, but that you might have confusing dreams in... Or, you know, not like that. Here's a description of Bluets from the publisher, Wave Books:

Suppose I were to begin by saying that I had fallen in love with a color. ...

A lyrical, philosophical, and often explicit exploration of personal suffering and the limitations of vision and love, as refracted through the color blue, while folding in, and responding to, the divergent voices and preoccupations of such generative figures as Wittgenstein, Sei Shonagon, William Gass and Joan Mitchell. Bluets further confirms Maggie Nelson’s place within the pantheon of brilliant lyric essayists.

Last time I saw Maggie Nelson speak about writing, she was furiously trying to explain her process, using everything from a projected slide show to what looked like science-fair posterboards covered in Wittgenstein quotes and trails of sentence fragments, dropping in equal measure self-deprecating anecdotes and brilliant asides, seemingly having these ideas, each one as fascinating as the last, as by-products of her own intelligence working with and against her main argument.

It's an experience, is what I'm saying. Here's the reservation info. Get a seat now, while you still can.

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Second Glance Books to Close in July

Alison Hallett — Wed, 29 May 2013 10:59:01 -0700

Well, this is a bummer. Last year when Erik and I spent a weekend exploring Portland's non-Powell's bookstores, Hollywood's Second Glance Books was one of the pleasant surprises: We'd both driven past it a hundred times without going in, but once we finally did we found a charming, book-lovers bookstore with a friendly proprietor and adorable staff dog:

Second Glance Books
An unassuming storefront on busy NE Sandy makes Second Glance Books easy to drive right past—but once you're inside, you'll find a deep, broad selection of contemporary and classic fiction... and a disconcertingly large romance section. (So. Many. Pink. Covers.) Bonus points for their store dog! She's incredibly sweet! Her name is Maggie!
4500 NE Sandy, 249-0344, Mon-Sat 10 am-6 pm, Sun 11 am-5 pm, secondglancebooks.com

In a letter to her customers posted on Facebook last night, owner Rachelle Markley writes:

"Since I took over ownership of Second Glance Books in March of 2005, it has been a great joy to be a part of this community and to make books available in a small, independent shop in this ever changing world of technology. So, it is with great sadness that I tell you, Second Glance Books will close its doors at the end of July.

As many of you know, I have worked hard to provide a personal book buying experience, centered in a small neighborhood retail shop. I am committed to customer service, and love the face to face contact with customers that happens in an open shop. But, the reality is, the store is no longer able to pay for itself. Bookselling and book buying have changed dramatically in the last few years, and will continue to change for a while yet. I plan to continue to be a part of the world of books for a long time to come, but how I do it will be different."

She goes on to explain that while Second Glance's storefront will close, the business will remain based out of the Hollywood, selling online books and "selling in other nontraditional venues." Read the whole letter here.

So that's two down, since we put together our bookstore list last August—Murder By the Book closed its brick and mortar in April. I hate this.

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Unlikeable Smug Bastard to Become Likeable Smug Bastard

Thomas Ross — Mon, 27 May 2013 12:27:20 -0700

This is my favorite miscasting news ever:

Vincent Kartheiser, best known for playing upright puddle of unlovable slime Pete Campbell on Mad Men, is going to play Mr. Motherfucking Darcy in a new stage adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The production is directed by Joe Dowling and adapted by Simon Reade and will be presented at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.

I'm so ready for this to finally ruin Pride and Prejudice for everyone. I'm going to move to Minneapolis for the duration of this show just to spend every night watching women's faces fall as their sweetest, softest piece of literary-fantasy man-candy is conflated with the bitter, pomade-and-failure-flavored after-sex mint that is Pete Campbell.

But good for Vincent Kartheiser. Way to beat that typecasting, man.

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My Life, The Phrase "That's Not Canon" To Lose All Meaning

Thomas Ross — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:44:59 -0700

So. This is insane.

Amazon, already the place just about anybody can "publish" a "book" for "people" to "read," is about to launch a system for legally publishing fan fiction. It's called Kindle Worlds. Amazon is paying the owners of some popular material (Alloy Entertainment, so far, seems to be the only group biting) for the rights to their material, meaning the rights to the characters, settings, stories, and situations. Basically the rights to the entire world of the show. Then you, or your weird cousin who writes creepy slash fiction, or your awesome cousin who writes brilliant fan fiction, can literally get paid to write Gossip Girl stories.

So that's what a "Kindle World" is: the universe in which fan fiction takes place. So far, your options for Worlds are Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries, and Pretty Little Liars, but more are promised to be on the way. But don't shut down your private website yet, because even though you can get paid, you can't have any fun. Amazon does not allow any of the following:

Pornography: Let's face it, they're probably going to call all slash fiction porn just to be safe.

Offensive Content: This includes "racial slurs, excessively graphic or violent content, or excessive use of foul language." Not a huge problem with the Worlds in play so far, but you can presumably only get away with anything they can get away with on network TV.

Crossover: It looks like even if Amazon offers both Worlds, Stefan and Damon from Vampire Diaries can't show up at Constance Billard High School and fight over who gets to bite Serena van der Woodsen's pretty, pretty neck and ultimately be slain by Penn Badgley. (Sorry if I got some names wrong in there, I can't possibly explain how cursory my glance at these shows' Wikipedia pages was.)

And if you don't write steamy crossover cussfests where every character dies violently, then you're probably writing because you love the material and legitimately want to write new stories in those worlds. And if that's the case, as John Scalzi points out on his blog, Kindle Worlds might not be the right place to go:

...there are a number of things about the deal Amazon/Alloy are offering that raise red flags for me. Number one among these is this bit:

“We will also give the World Licensor a license to use your new elements and incorporate them into other works without further compensation to you.”

i.e., that really cool creative idea you put in your story, or that awesome new character you made? If Alloy Entertainment likes it, they can take it and use it for their own purposes without paying you.

Scalzi says over and over that this is a great deal for the rightsholders, a great deal for Amazon, and a terrible deal for the people writing the actual fan fiction. But what kind of deal is it for the fans?

I think nerds everywhere should be concerned, and not just Gossip Girl nerds or Vampire Diaries nerds or Pretty Little Liars nerds (I don't know if there are Pretty Little Liars nerds, actually), but all kinds of nerds: comic book geeks, Trekkers, Star Wars fans, Game of Thrones freaks, anime junkies, and people who run message boards about any topic that anyone has ever enjoyed. These stories are all going to be published legally, with not only the permission but the endorsement of the entities that own the original material.

Now that every possible (nonpornographic, nonviolent) iteration of every conceivable story is 100% possible in any "World" Amazon buys, flame wars will be more unwinnable than ever. Every canon is going to be as convoluted as DC comics' was in 1985, or even worse. I don't think we're ready for Gossip Girl: Crisis on Infinite Earths.

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Damon Lindelof Can't Win

Erik Henriksen — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:29:27 -0700

Okay, he can win, in that he's an incredibly successful screenwriter and producer who, I'm guessing, has been richly rewarded for his efforts. HOWEVER. Lindelof is also a guy who gets an incredible amount of shit online—not only because big parts of his projects like Lost, Prometheus, and Star Trek lend themselves to being obsessively critiqued, but because the amateur critics offering those critiques are usually the relentless, furious sort of fanboys who dig away at movies and TV like the meth heads on the 15 bus dig away at scabs.

In an entirely excellent interview with Alex Pappademas at Grantland, Lindelof talks about that—and Star Trek Into Darkness, his TV adaptation of Tom Perrotta's The Leftovers, the upcoming Brad Bird film Tomorrowland, and stuff like this:

It doesn't come naturally to have a work ethic. Maybe it does, but not to our generation, certainly, and for me, my work ethic is largely derived from a competitive spirit of people telling me what I can't do. I was never the guy who looked at myself in the mirror and said, "I feel special, and I'm going to achieve great things." I always felt like, "Man, I love writing so much that it would be a real sick joke if I can't make a living doing it, but in order to accomplish that, I'm going to have to really work my ass off, long and hard, and face a tremendous amount of rejection, and then once I break through, I'm still going to face a tremendous amount of adversity. And when I'm not feeling the adversity, I need to go and find it."

... When I take the blame for something, when I fall on my sword and I say, "Hey, I made a mistake; I wish it could've been better"—that feels good. Like, it feels good for me to say it, and I think it feels good for people to hear it. Because I love hearing it from filmmakers that I love and respect, or even sports figures, who are basically saying, like, "I friggin' missed the shot. I shouldn't have even taken the shot." I have so much more respect for them than the guys who basically say, "I just knew if they gave me the rock that it was going in." It's like, no you didn't! What are you, Nostradamus? There's no way you did!

It's a great interview, and a great look at the gears of Lindelof's brain. If you watch TV or movies—or have ever written anything, or commented on the internet, or, like me, have harped on Prometheus' flaws a few too many times—you should read it.

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Tonight at Powell's: John Scalzi

Erik Henriksen — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:14:00 -0700

Tonight at 7 at Powell's Cedar Hills (3415 SW Cedar Hills, Beaverton), sci-fi author John Scalzi is reading from his latest, The Human Division. I reviewed it this week. I really liked it! The short version:

The Human Division is all over the place: There's military sci-fi! There are Nazis in space! Jokes about how terrible the Chicago Cubs are, even centuries in the future! Dog-eating plants! Salinger-esque sibling squabbles! Brains in boxes! Rush Limbaugh, pretty much! A murder mystery? A very patient alien dealing very patiently with those Nazis! "Never a dull day in the lower reaches of the Colonial Union diplomatic corps," Wilson cracks, and he's right: The Human Division's episodes are great, and together, they demonstrate not only how clever Scalzi can be, but also how good he is at thrills, comedy, politics, and making jokes at the expense of the Chicago Cubs.

Today is stupid deadline day at the stupid paper which means I'm going to be stuck at stupid work until past stupid 7, so I won't be there—which means maybe you could go in my stead and get me a signed copy? Thanks, internet pals.

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The Truly Epic Epic of Gilgamesh

Thomas Ross — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:29:57 -0700

If you’ve been following local comics artist Kinoko’s Epic of Gilgamesh, the second issue of which was released at Stumptown Comics Fest this year, you know it’s a cheeky, breezy retelling of the classic tale, told in superflattishly simple but vibrant and recognizably Mesopotamian cartoons. If you haven’t been following, I’ll try to explain: It’s like being grabbed by some clear-eyed maniac at a party who says, “Dude, I have got the most epic story for you,” only it turns out to be a legitimate historical epic. It’s somebody who knows the source material but is a little tipsy or high or just amped on ancient mythology—someone whose Gilgamesh says shit like, “What the fuck do they want!!?” (That line, including its punctuation, is Gilgamesh’s first bit of dialogue.)

The art is emotive, clean, and manga-influenced (wild half-man Enkidu’s fat wet adorable eyes when he realizes his bro love for Gilgamesh are hilarious), but rough and brisk enough to match the storytelling. The story moves along at a fair clip, not bothering to gloss over the darker or more challenging bits of the story—Gilgamesh is initially an unpopular king because he’s been overusing his droit-de-seigneur or prima nocta privileges. And the gods, in their infinite wisdom, decide to fix this by distracting Gilgamesh with, basically, a bro named Enkidu for him to chill with.

My favorite page comes in the second issue, after Gilgamesh and Enkidu's first encounter, which is a fight, because Enkidu understandably is anti-rape and Gilgamesh is kind of a rapist. (Don't worry, this plotline drops out almost immediately.) In mid-combat, each suddenly realizes how awesome the other is. This leads to one of the best Gilgamesh lines, “Let’s go to my palace. We gotta kick it!” and what accounts to a best-friends montage: playing games, getting sexy massages, wrestling lions for probably dubious reasons, drinking beer, getting swole at the gym, and culminating with a truly triumphant chest bump.

This kind of levity, combined with the expressive, unique characterization in even minor roles like Gilgamesh’s hilariously supportive and sweet mom (the goddess Ninsun) or the grotesque giant Humbaba make one of the oldest stories on Earth totally accessible. I haven’t read the actual Epic of Gilgamesh since high school, but from what I remember, this one is pretty accurate.

Kinoko is obviously drawing from all the versions of the story and adding her own unique and delightful touches, but it feels cohesive and stilted at the same time, the way myths always do. There’s a very dry “This happened; this happened; this happened; this happened” rhythm to ancient storytelling that Kinoko plays up for both comedic effect and emotional power. The abruptness of the storytelling seems, in fact, to be tailor made for the serial and even visually segmented form of comics.

Honestly, it should always be a breeze to read old stories like this. They were meant to be told to everyone young and old. They were meant to be accessible and easy to understand. At the same time, they contain a lot of wisdom and knowledge and power and deep, lunatic absurdity. Kinoko is mining all of that, and rendering it in a comic that gains a lot on every read through. I can’t wait to see what she does with the next few issues. Fingers crossed she includes the deluge.

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Irish Teenager Writes Incredibly Irish Short Story

Alison Hallett — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:59:47 -0700

...and then Ireland put it on a stamp.

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Fantasy Book Recommendations from Powell's MaryJo Schimelpfenig

Erik Henriksen — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:14:00 -0700

In this week's paper, I've got a feature called "Adventure Time." It's about how fantasy—once the realm of the nerdiest of nerds—is going mainstream. You should read it!

Once you have, here's some DVD-style bonus material: When I was interviewing Powell's New Book Purchaser MaryJo Schimelpfenig for the story, she not only had some crazy stats for me about how Powell's Gold Room is pretty much Powell's Fantasy Room—

"Looking at the past 15 bestsellers in the Gold Room over the last four years," she says, "only two are science fiction, one is horror/fantasy, and the rest are fantasy."

—but she was also kind enough to take some time and recommend some titles when I asked her what books people should try if they were curious about fantasy. Here are her picks, presented in handy list form.

Howl's Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones—Yes it was a charming movie, but the book never fails to make me laugh. It's very charming in a non-cloying way, and it's a great story.

Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart—Set in a China that never was, this is a romantic adventure story, full of wonderful characters.

The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch—A pair of thieves and con artists turn the town upside down. So much fun, and Locke Lamora is a character you won't soon forget. Great book to take on a trip.

The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss—Yes, it is as good as everyone says, in fact likely a good bit better. One of my favorite books of all time that I recommend to anyone who likes fantasy or wants to try reading fantasy.

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Everything Is Terrible and I Want a New Job.

Alison Hallett — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:14:00 -0700

From the inbox:

Subject: Does Her Reading Material Reflect Her Willingness to Put Out?
Date: May 15, 2013 12:31:56 PM PDT
To: arts@portlandmercury.com
Hi Alison,

I thought you would be interested to learn about a new study that finds a link between what a woman is reading while she is traveling and her willingness to indulge in a casual hookup. The study, produced by travel dating website MissTravel.com, reveals key characteristics shared by women who are reading similar titles off the New York Times Best Seller List. Our study found that 83 percent of women admit to saving the majority of their reading time for traveling, with 91 percent of all women purchasing their travel reading material at the airport. MissTravel.com polled 47,320 female members, asking a series of questions about reading preferences, travel and relationships. Based on the results of this study, we are releasing what we call, the "Summer Reading Guide for Single Men".

“We found it interesting that most women only read when they are traveling,” says Brandon Wade, Founder & CEO of MissTravel.com. “We wanted to take that information and see if we could find meaning behind the books they choose, and use it help guide the single man, in his search for romance abroad.”

The Synopsis:

If she's reading The Great Gatsby or Silver Linings Playbook, she's probably hooked up with a stranger before, and history often repeats itself. Chance she's DTF: Odds are 3 to 1.

If she's reading Divergent or Game of Thrones, she is probably willing and able, but is looking for more than just a one time thing. Chance she's DTF: Odds are 2 to 1 with strings attached.

If she's reading Fifty Shades or Crossfire, she's looking to be rescued from a loveless, passionless love life. Chance she's DTF: Odds are 2 to 1.

If she's reading BossyPants or Is Everyone Hanging Out With Out Me?, it could go either way. Chance she's DTF: Odds are 4 to 1.

If she's reading Gone Girl or 12th of Never, she is probably more interested in the outcome of her book than hooking up with you. Chance she's DTF: Odds are 7 to 1.

:'( :'( :'( :'(

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Faulkner and Franco, Together at Last

Erik Henriksen — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:44:00 -0700

Thanks to what I will only describe as a fairly awful experience in high school English—high school, that great ruiner of literature—I've yet to be able to make it all the way through any book by Faulkner, which... look. I know. I don't feel great about it either, okay? Do I feel any more great about the fact that James Franco is now directing a movie version of As I Lay Dying—and one with his Your Highness costar Danny McBride? I have no idea, because I feel like the sentence I just wrote should be a Saturday Night Live sketch. But what do I know? It's not like I ever made it through As I Lay Dying.

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Marc Maron at Powell's—and Helium?

Alison Hallett — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:14:00 -0700

Comedian/podcaster Marc Maron is at Powell's on Sunday, reading from his new book Attempting Normal. I liked the book okay—it started out brilliantly, with some great, personal writing about Maron's first marriage, his days as young comic in Boston, and his life-long search for meaning through books and music. I particularly liked what he says about the massive collection of books he keeps in his famous garage: "Reading is like a drug. When I am reading from these books it feels like I am thinking what is being read, and that gives me a rush," and "Every book is a self-help book to me."

Writing those sentences it just hit me: Attempting Normal begins as a self-help book, in the sense Maron is using the term; in the sense that learning about how other people live and think can make us feel less crazy and alone. My copy is heavily dog-eared for the first 100 pages or so, but all my underlining dried up toward the middle, when the book starts to read more like a hastily compiled essay collection, full of anecdotes you'll probably recognize if you listen to Maron's podcast with any frequency. On balance, though, I'd recommend it.

The Powell's reading is gonna be packed, but you all knew that, right?

And then there's this:

I'm thinking about crashing the @nerdist show @heliumcomedypdx this weekend.
— marc maron (@marcmaron) May 10, 2013

So if you're a huge fan, you might wanna keep an eye on Maron's twitter account, and consider buying tickets to see Chris Hardwick at Helium in case Marc shows up for a guest set. (I'm lukewarm on Hardwick's standup, but he gets a life-pass for some of the great programming he puts out through his Nerdist empire.)

UPDATE: And of course, Maron will be appearing on Live Wire tomorrow night, along with local author Monica Drake and io9's Analee Newitz (who's also reading at Powell's tonight, in conversation with Douglas Wolk)

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Fresno Has a Poet Laureate, Do We Need One?

Thomas Ross — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:14:52 -0700

So the New York Times has a short thought piece on public arts/puff piece about Fresno, CA. It's about how Fresno's got itself a poet laureate and apparently a bunch of other cities and towns are doing this, too.

The idea seems to be that Fresno is an important literary city, but its residents need a reminder or something. Also, the city is lacking a way to express itself. So they chose this guy James Tyner, who calls Fresno a "bathroom stop" and who wrote a poem for his inauguration that starts "I am Fresno" and isn't amazing.

Philip Levine, former US Poet Laureate, sounding kind of strung out about it, is quoted as saying, "I don't know, I don't know." He worries it might "water down the award" and asks if cities really need their own Poets Laureate to express themselves. I agree, at least for Portland.

We've got a strong, diverse literary scene, and appointing One Poet To Rule Them All seems unhelpful and maybe damaging. That said, let's brainstorm some ideas in the comments. Because if Fresno and my old hometown of Boise get to have a Poet Laureate, so do we.

So who will it be? Dickman? Schomburg? Vlautin? My idea is to just let anybody write the poems but always have Sam Elliott read them.

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