You are currently browsing the monthly archive for November 2016.
…who last week treated me to some awesome VIP treatment.
We drank a few beers as we enjoyed Dem Atlas…
…Brother Ali…
…and Slug and Ant of Atmosphere.
Ali even joined the fellas for a track or two.
Thanks again for the great night, EmJo!
The night ended, as it often does, at McDonald’s,
As I mentioned back in September, a good friend of mine started publishing a railroad zine called n8tch (AKA “Notch Eight”).
The newest issue is out, so order your copy here.
We reused Grey’s #1 candle so just imagine it in there twice.
She’s come a long way since number ten.
Back when I was living in Columbus, Ohio my friends and I started a quote wall. Whenever a bit of brilliance (or otherwise) poured out of someone’s mouth, somebody would yell “Quote!” thus nominating it for Quote Board status. The quote then had to be seconded by someone (it almost always was), and then it would be written down to be forever immortalized on the Quote Board.
This is the modern day equivalent of that classic piece of my past.
QUOTE BOARD:
“Look at how white everyone is.”
– KB watching a cheer squad perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, 11/24/16
It looked like a Trump (AKA Klan) rally,
…someone in our neighborhood has decided to shine a light on these dark days by leaving positive, chalk-written messages on area sidewalks and exterior walls.
Of course, positive messages don’t fully make up for the fact that 60 million Americans knowingly and willingly voted a racist into the White House, but it’s a great reminder that not everyone in this country is completely insane.
Trying damn hard to see the glass half full,
…mostly to distract myself from the shit-fuckfest of November 8th.
I’ve decided to name the books here, partly to keep track of what I’ve read, but also to share books with people that may be interested in checking them out.
I recently finished two books (both on loan from my friend Sarah): Lenore Skenazy’s Free-Range Kids, and Anne Lamott’s Bird By Bird.
The former is a parenting book about letting your kids be free to, you know, be kids. I had never read a parenting book before and, honestly, I only read this one because I knew it lined up with what I was already doing.
The book outlines a lot of common sense stuff—allow your kids to play by themselves; don’t hover over them all the time; encourage them to problem solve on their own, etc.—but it was still good to read a fellow parent validating what we’re doing.
The latter is a book about writing. Like Free-Range Kids, Bird By Bird is filled with a lot of common sense tips—write every day; write about what you know; create a schedule and stick to it, etc.—but again, sometimes it’s good to read things you already know and have your creative way of working validated.
I don’t know how helpful the book will be—it won’t help me with writer’s block, for example, as I’m fortunate enough not to suffer from it—but it’s a good solid read if anyone out there is looking to learn more about the creative writing process.
I’m currently reading the autobiography(ish) Mo’ Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove by Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson and Ben Greenman (as on loan from the Library of Milan).
I just started it yesterday, but I’m devouring it quickly. If you have any interest in ?uestlove, music, or growing up as a creative weirdo, check it out.
So, uh, yeah. Those are the books I’m reading. That is all.
Steinbeck’s The Pearl is next,
The Blarg 