Ames Alert

As Return of the Reluctant readers know, last year we signed a contract with a well-dressed man who happened to have a pair of horns. The man promised that we would have great artistic success and that, one way or another, we would somehow learn to play more than pentatonic scales on our guitar, wowing audiences with our preternatural abilities. The one proviso, of course, was that we note any and all Jonathan Ames developments on this blog.

As of yet, we have yet to play like John Lee Hooker or Stevie Ray Vaughan and the phone number on the red-horned man’s business card is “disconnected or no longer in service.” (If anyone else knows how to get a hold of “Beezle Bob Harris,” please let me know.) But as we’re men of our word, we must note that Jonathan Ames has made yet another unwonted nonfiction appearance over at the New York Observer. The piece involves tennis, a subway conversation and many other amazing things.

(We should also note that Mr. Ames now has an Observer email address. Does this mean a regular return to nonfiction?)

Round the Sphere

SF Katrina Benefit

From Stephen Elliott:

The Progressive Reading Series Presents:
A Special Benefit For The Victims Of Hurricane Katrina

When: Monday, September 19, 7pm
Where: The Makeout Room – 3225 22nd Street, San Francisco, (415) 647 2888
Price: $10 – $20 sliding scale
Proceeds to benefit the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Fund

What: Authors band together to help victims of Hurricane Katrina
Featuring readings from: Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket), Firoozeh Dumas, Julie Orringer, Peter Orner, Daphne Gottlieb, Kaui Hart Hemmings, Truong Tran, Michelle Richmond, Anne Marino, Micheline Aharonian Marcom, Tom Barbash, and Michelle Tea

The Bat Segundo Show #7

Approximate Interview Date: An afternoon in San Francisco in late August, 2005

Author: Periel Aschenbrand

Condition of Mr. Segundo: Strangely ambiguous about his identity.

Subjects Discussed: Balance between the personal and the political, evolution of The Only Bush I Trust is My Own and Body as Billboard, getting clearance from friends and family, online dating, on being half-Israeli, half-New York Jew, Gaza and the Palestinians, provocative book covers, accessibility and extremism, responding to the Philadelphia Weekly, public perception, the T-shirt as message, ironic imagery, Sandra Bernhard and “endorsement,” Monique Wittig, shock value, concerned citizens vs. political activists, the waning stigma of the F word, Lenny Bruce, epithets, “date rape,” vintage T-shirts, the validity Motley Crue, the unexpected removal of a T-shirt, cognizant egomania, Mr. Rushdie, conversational vernacular in memoirs.

If This Is True, Here’s Your Grounds for Impeachment

The Washington Post: “Shortly before midnight Friday, the Bush administration sent her a proposed legal memorandum asking [Gov. Blanco] to request a federal takeover of the evacuation of New Orleans, a source within the state’s emergency operations center said Saturday.”

If there was an ultimatum issued and troops and aid to save lives were delayed because of this power grab, then the real investigations need to begin right now. Sickening. (via MeFi)