The Sick Comedy of Steve Almond

Check out my review of Steve Almond's God Bless America:

And while you're at it, check out the trailer for the book:

Society's Child

Remember when Ronald Reagan claimed that Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" was a rousing patriotic anthem then used it as the soundtrack to his reactionary goosestep? Well, something similar just happened to me. A blog called "Society's Child" is loudly proclaiming that I have confirmed the existence of a worldwide Zionist conspiracy. First, allow me to state for the record, I am not proclaiming anything of the sort. Second, let me point out that the man who claims I am, also claims he has mites burrowing beneath his skin. Third, let me further note that said blogger has named his blog after a song by Janis Ian despite the fact she’s Jewish, lesbian and clearly singing in condemnation of intolerance. In other words, our mite-ridden provocateur is not exactly trustworthy – in fact, he’s outdone even the man who claimed ketchup was a vegetable in self-serving delusional thinking. Look, I’m sure there are special interests out there that are not always being straightforward with us, but why is it rightwing crackpots are always so convinced that it’s relatively powerless minorities (black, immigrants, Jews) that are doing the manipulating? Do I have power over anyone? Not that I can tell. Hell, even my dog rarely listens to my commands. And do I lust for power? Uh uh. If I lust at all it’s for the usual things everybody does. That’s right, huggin’ and kissin’. Perhaps if my friend at Society's Child removed his head from his ass long enough to take a real look around, he'd stop seeing plots everywhere and start treating his fellow citizens with compassion. Let’s see if we can help him do so. Here's a link to the blog in question. Feel free to bombard it with responses of your own: http://www.sott.net/articles/show/154359-What-a-Jew-can-say-others-can-t

p.s. You also might want to check out this post regarding his mite infestation. It's but one of many on the subject: http://www.sott.net/articles/show/234663-Morgellons-Disease-and-The-Quantum-Leap-of-Awareness

Amy Winehouse - A Shayna Maidel

Poor Amy! I saw a video recently where she looked pretty fucked up on stage and the audience was giving her hell. She seemed like a kid at a birthday party gone bad. The center of attention, but not sure she wanted to be. Were the guests there because they liked her or because their mothers had made them come? And was she going to start crying in front of them? Or shouting, "Go home, everybody, just go home!" I wanted to think she was going to open her gifts and start laughing, but it didn't look good by the end of the video and the guy on stage beside her looked like he just wanted to get his paycheck and split. Sad. Hopefully, they'll let her have her grave and leave her in peace. The tattoos were only skin deep, after all. Inside, she was a shayna maidel, Cleopatra eyeliner or not.

Tattoo "controversy" -- http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/26/winehouse-burial-raises-jewish-questions-about-tattoos-cremation/?hpt=hp_c2

And a bit of Amy "smoking bacon" -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9QA-8QwWuY

JewPunk Playlists

A very nice review with a great playlist. Reminds me of plans made to release a CD with the book. They didn't pan out, but I created my own playlists ... three of them, in fact. They were in my computer that got stolen last year, but perhaps someone out there who I sent them to still has a copy? If so, let me know! http://www.newsprint-fray.com/2011/03/23/i-used-to-shiver-in-the-wings/

xo,

sb

WHO Wrote That Book?!

Check out the interview at the following link to see why I suffered momentary metaphysical crisis recently (be sure to read through to the final comments to get the full effect.)

http://guitarinternational.com/2011/03/08/robby-kriegerinterview-the-doors-gibson-guitars-and-jim-morrison/

Reading, March 9, Babson College

I'm reading at Babson College this Wednesday, March 9 along with fiction writers Michael Martin and Rachel May.

The event takes place in Glavin Chapel, 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Here's a link for more info:

http://www3.babson.edu/Offices/AcademicServices/Upcoming-Events.cfm

Beefheart -- Conduit -- Hot, Sexy, Sultry, Sweaty

HI Everyone,

A couple of new items to check out.

The first concerns Conduit -- the lit-mag I help edit. The link for the interview is below:

http://www.thereviewreview.net/interviews/hot-sexy-sultry-sweaty-conduit

The second relates to the passing of Captain Beefheart -- my super-fave, all-time, A Number One, Top of the Heap kind of rock star-poet-painter-role model. I had a dream about him once in college that involved my being invited to join his Magic Band. We were standing under a gazebo in a Van Gogh green landscape, and there was something vaguely surreal about the whole thing (the landscape was Van Goghian, mind you), yet still happy and calm to the point of nirvana (or at least a damn good cup of coffee.)

In any case, here's the link for that one:

http://memoriousmag.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/think-music-steven-beeber-on-captain-beefheart/

Rock on!

s