A little bit of self-pimpage
By Jodi | Filed under Books | Comments (4)
I don’t do this very often. But I think some of you Westernerds should head over to MN Reads to check out my review of Nick Hornby’s Juliet, Naked. Have you read it? Will you read it so we can discuss what it means to be a weirdo fan on the Internet?
One of the main characters has an undeniable similarity to our own Mr. Paul Westerberg (cult-rocker turned soccer dad). I’d like one of y’all who are vastly more knowledgeable about the history of rock & roll and The ‘Mats to see if there are anymore similarities, or who Tucker Crowe (that’s the character) could be based on.
Read it! It’ll be fun.
Tags: Nick Hornby, westerberg bookclub
In the Blogs: The go read a book edition
By Jodi | Filed under In the Blogs | Comments (4)
There ain’t much going on in blogland. Jim Walsh wrote about Chris Mar’s Tolerance for the MinnPost and Aquarium Drunkard has a phenomenal write up of the Sire-years reissues. And about 1000 vacuous bloggers put their iPods on shuffle and randomly listed 10 songs without any context whatsoever.
Go read a book. I’ve just started Juliana Hatfield’s memoir When I Grow Up (thanks to her publisher for sending it to me). It will probably make it into the Westerberg Bookclub. I’m only 15 pages in and she’s already mentioned the ‘Mats.
What are you reading?
Tags: Chris Mars, jim walsh, Juliana Hatfield, westerberg bookclub
The Paul Westerberg Bookclub – The Night of the Gun
By Jodi | Filed under Books | Comments (11)
I like to pretend that y’all love books as much as I do and that when I suggest ‘mats-esque books you kind of dig that, even if you don’t read them. Please do not disabuse me of this delusion, okay?
Anyway, I am here to tell you about David Carr’s memoir The Night of the Gun. Some of you might remember Carr from his NY Times piece about The ‘Mats a few years back. Some of you local old-timers might remember him from his stint at the now-defunct Twin Cities Reader. A lot of you probably have no idea who the fuck I’m talking about.
You should read this book anyway. It’s a thrilling, fascinating, can’t-lookaway-like-a-trainwreck book. See, before becoming Mr. Successful NY Times Writer, Carr was a skeevy crackhead trolling the streets of the Twin Cities. We’re talking dirtbag of epic proportions — a woman-beating, child neglecting, drug dealing, kind of dirtbag. Reading about his depths and how he slowly dug himself out makes for a good time. This isn’t one of those glory be to God on the highest, let your little light shine kind of bullshit recovery memoir. So don’t worry about that.
Seriously, it is jaw-droppingly fascinating. I don’t throw that word around lightly, and I’m generally the snobbiest of the book snobs, but this book is worth your time.
Also there are a few blink-and-you’ll-miss-it ‘Mats references, which is totally my justification for writing about this book here. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: We should always support authors who have the good sense to like the ‘Mats. Right?
Missed my other Paul Westerberg Bookclub Recommendations?
Joshua Furst’s Sabotage Cafe
Er, I guess that’s it though I could have sworn I talked about Brock Clarke’s An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New England. I should have. Ha! I did. I’m so smart.
Tags: Books, david carr, westerberg bookclub
Paul Westerberg Bookclub: The not messing around edition
By Jodi | Filed under Books | Comments (6)
Okay, so did you think I was kidding about starting that Paul Westerberg Bookclub? Well, I’m not.
How many of you have gotten your copy of The Sabotage Cafe by Joshua Furst? I got mine and in fact I’m about 160 pages in. The book kind of kicks ass, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of y’all think.
Anyway, I am not sure how we’re gonna do this bookclub thing. But I promise to think of something brilliant soon. Also, because he kicks ass, Joshua Furst has offered to participate in whatever kind of discussion we have. I might see if we can get him to post a bit about the book and that kickass Book Notes essay.
In the mean time, pick up the book and you Minnesotans? You should try to catch one of Furst’s upcoming local readings.
He’ll be at the UofM Bookstore on September 19th and on September 20th he’ll be reading at (my much beloved) The Loft (I’ll be at this one).
So did you get that book yet? How about now?
Tags: joshua furst, westerberg bookclub
We should start a bookclub, really (and yes, believe it or not this is Paul Westerberg related)
By Jodi | Filed under Books | Comments (6)
I spent tonight reading Milan Kundera’s Ignorance (because I have to discuss it in bookclub [Wolfdogg is in the club] tomorrow) and catching up on some blog reading. Yes, it’s a sexy Saturday night in Minnesota.
During my online catchup, I stumbled upon Joshua Furst’s Book Notes essay about his novel The Sabotage Cafe.
Can I just say, based on the playlist Furst created for the novel, I think we should all read it? Of course I can say it. That was one of the dumbest sentences I’ve ever read. Anyway, the playlist includes five or so songs by The Replacements, Husker Du, Tom Waits, The Clash, and well shouldn’t we as Westernerds support any author with such good taste in music?
Hell yes we should. But more than that, Furst writes over at Largehearted Boy
The first thing you should know about The Sabotage Café is that it takes place in Minneapolis. Every scene in the book is affected by the mixture of stoic endurance and landlocked despair that makes the upper Midwest such a complicated, moody place.
So come on, let’s read it! Or I should say, I’m gonna read it, you should too so I can have someone to talk to about it.
I don’t know about youse guys, but I’ve already ordered the book (it doesn’t actually come out until Tuesday, August 28).
I think we should all read it and then we can come back here and discuss it. How much fun will that be? (I am being sincere here). We can consider it practice for The Replacements: All Over But the Shouting: An Oral History, which comes out in November.
Tags: joshua furst, westerberg bookclub
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