Month: June 2006

Hal Niedzviecki (BSS #47)

Author: Hal Niedzviecki Condition of Mr. Segundo: Temporarily replaced, due to being incapable of being crass and making a generalization at the same time. Subjects Discussed: The advantages of studying American culture from Canada, individualism vs. conformity, pop star aspirations, American Idol, karaoke, television, the economics of media, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Yeah, William […]

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BEA 2006 Part 4 (BSS #46)

Guests: Eric Reynolds, Mark Binelli, Matt Cheney, Jeremy Lassen, David Axe and George Scithers. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Revealing himself to be a closet poet. Subjects Discussed: Peanuts, Dennis the Menace, Popeye, Fascist Italy, eerie historical similarities, classic comedy teams, journalism vs. novel-writing, free lunches, on being frightened by Bat Segundo, zoot suits, how to […]

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BEA 2006 Part 3 (BSS #45)

Guests: Paul Slovak, C. Max Magee, Carolyn Kellogg, Anne Moore & Dan Sinker, Lauren Landress, Terrie Akers, Camille March and Alan Davis. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Showing an unexpected grasp of history. Subjects Discussed: How Slovak manages Bill Vollmann’s prodigious output, details on Vollmann’s Imperial and the upcoming A.M. Homes memoir, a report on “what […]

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Derik Badman & Jordan Stump (BSS #44)

Authors: Derik Badman and Jordan Stump Condition of Mr. Segundo: Gone, relieved not to be involved with Bolsheviks. Subjects Discussed: French humor, Jacques Tati, how Stump translates, comic beats, auctorial tone and linguistics, the pros and cons of long sentences, the benefits of reading aloud, translating Verne vs. translating Touissaint, why translators get a bad […]

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BEA 2006 Part 2 (BSS #43)

Guests: Chad Post, Dennis Loy Johnson, Laura Kellner, Judith Recke, Eleanor Herman, David Ulin, Cary Goldstein, and Eli Horowitz. Condition of Mr. Segundo: Resistant to party atmospheres, stumbling around for dubious wisdom. Subjects Discussed: Reading the World, multiple badges and Chad Post’s doppelganger, a few unexpected reasons to be a bookseller, torture taxis, minor speculation […]

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