Besides being a great writer, Larry McMurtry is a great bookseller. The story of The Last Book Sale is a moderately long but fully fascinating: McMurtry wrote it up for the NYRB blog. Suffice to say that in August, McMurtry sold off the contents of several of his bookstores, to make sure he didn't burdenContinue reading “Larry McMurtry on selling 300,000 books”
Category Archives: local heroes
The semi-true story of “Rocking the Casbah”
Yet another day of stifling heat, but this time with rising humidity too! Time for a break. Here's a tremendous cover of the great Clash song Rocking the Casbah, by Algerian rocker Rachid Taha. Except that probably Taha and his band of Algerian outcast rockers inspired it…see below. From The Guardian (in 2007): The French-Algerian singerContinue reading “The semi-true story of “Rocking the Casbah””
Did Truman Capote set off the breast implant craze?
From George Plimpton's vastly engaging oral biography Truman Capote: In which various friends, enemies, acquaintances, and detractors recall his turbulent career. In this interview, Maria Theresa Caen, married to the famous wit and columnist Herb Caen, recounts how in the 60's she and Herb took Truman Capote to the first legal topless bar in SanContinue reading “Did Truman Capote set off the breast implant craze?”
Woody Guthrie: the raw, sexy American spirit
Nice piece from Randy Lewis on a new collection of Woody Guthrie material from the Smithsonian, released on his 100th birthday (today). Makes a strong argument that Woody's radicalism began in L.A., where he wrote one of his first and greatest folk songs ("Deportee"). Also includes a wonderful quote from John Steinbeck, who in aContinue reading “Woody Guthrie: the raw, sexy American spirit”
John Clare: Peasant poet (of environmental loss)
Surely one of the most interesting of all environmental columnists is George Monbiot of The Guardian, who this week penned a luminous tribute to the great "peasant poet" John Claire. Clare found great success in his youth, but saw his beloved coutryside divvied up by enclosure and, argues Monbiot, it drove Clare crazy. Into theContinue reading “John Clare: Peasant poet (of environmental loss)”
Ray Bradbury the environmental activist
In a lovely tribute to the late great writer Ray Bradbury, Felicity Barringer of the inevitable New York Times shows us how much he cared for our planetary home, and how little he trusted our species: Unlike classic environmental writing that focuses largely on the good that nature does for the soul or mankindContinue reading “Ray Bradbury the environmental activist”
When 1 + 1 = 3: Ken Burns on Story
A fascinating short film (in the Burns style) on what the documentarian thinks makes a good story: Sez Burns: Abraham Lincoln wins the Civil War and then he decides he's got enough time to go to the theatre. That's a good story. When Thomas Jefferson said "we hold these truths to be self-evident, thatContinue reading “When 1 + 1 = 3: Ken Burns on Story”
The last great rock star
In 1967, perhaps the last great rock star… …was born this day.
Clint Eastwood: It’s halftime in America
A TV news station asks the horserace question about perhaps the biggest ad of the Superbowl this year: Clint Eastwood's. Which has to do with "Imported from Detroit" car company. Will this be as big a hit as was last year's adored Emimem commercial? Short answer: Yes. As with the rapper, Eastwood risks his credibilityContinue reading “Clint Eastwood: It’s halftime in America”
CA Fish and Game proposes regs to save sea bass species
Here's my story from the Santa-Barbara Independent. I thought the quote below was the memorable from the hearing, from one of the agency's commissioners at the hearing, about the dangers of fishing aggregations of spawning fish. Fishing massed groups of spawning fish can mislead anglers into unwittingly devastating a fish population in real trouble, aContinue reading “CA Fish and Game proposes regs to save sea bass species”
Kit Stolz 