Month / March 2006
Richard Powers Alert
He has an article in this month’s Believer: “A Brief Take on Genetic Screening” (with an all too brief excerpt on the Believer site). (via Chekhov’s Mistress)
There’s Always Room for Bob
I’m still waking up here and I’ve had scant sleep. Don’t expect a coherent blog post until the late morning. But in the meantime, do check out Mr. Birnbaum’s interview with Thomas Beller.
The Bat Segundo Show #28
[NOTE: This podcast includes a free book giveaway of Spiotta’s Eat the Document. Listen to the podcast for details.]
Author: Dana Spiotta
Condition of Bat Segundo: Self-important and sleep-deprived, but surprisingly generous.
Subjects Discussed: Katherine Ann Power as inspiration, the ambiguities of terrorism, comparisons and similarities between Eat the Document and Lightning Field, witty political activists, the Billboard Liberation Front, cinematic influences, Don DeLillo, plotting, reader expectations, on stopping just short of September 11th, justifying pop cultural references, food as a Balzacian character indicator, the Beach Boys, literary influences, dialogue, how people talk in restaurants, the rise in contemporary novels dealing with 1960s & 1970s activism, innocence, and unanswered questions for the reader.
Listen: Play in new window | Download
Natalie Buzzed
So I’ve made my email rounds. And I thought I was alone in this. But apparently I’m not. The conclusion? Natalie Portman is MUCH sexier with a buzz cut. And at least five of my fellow geek buddies agree. It’s not the fact that she played a seminal role in an Alan Moore film adaptation. Irrespective of this pop cultural association, facts being what they are, Natalie has a pretty sexy head. So I post this message to the public, telling you that if you lust in any way for Natalie Portman sans follicles, you are perfectly normal. But if there are any experts here who might comment upon this contretemps or who may have a dissenting opinion, the thread, of course, is yours.
Regardless, I’m happy to pop that cherry, if you aren’t.