Monthly Archives: October 2014

Then and Now: Downtown L.A.

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: The intersection of Hill and Third in downtown Los Angeles, 1919 v. 2014. The concrete structure on the left is the parking lot for the Grand Central Market. Click on the image to enlarge.

Posted in Architecture, History | Tagged Bunker Hill, Grand Central Market, Los Angeles, traditionalism, urbanism | 12 Comments

Architecture Du Jour: The Shaker Style

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: The basic standards that defined both the buildings and their interiors were simplicity and utility. The Shakers frowned on any kind of decoration, and they favored pure, clean forms that were highly functional and economic to make. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | Tagged North America, religious art, Shakers, vernacular architecture | 5 Comments

“Inherent Vice” by Thomas Pynchon

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Sax von Stroheim

Sax von Stroheim writes: Short enough and readable enough that I sailed through it, but I only ever semi-enjoyed it, and, looking back at it, overall, holistically, it’s a bit of a bummer. Pynchon’s Raymond Chandler/Philip K. Dick trip is … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing | Tagged books, literary fiction, Thomas Pynchon | 6 Comments

(Mostly) Clothed Ladies Of The Week: Art Gallery of New South Wales

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: My long weekend in Sydney included not only culture of the liquid sort, but actual art. I’ve been to Sydney dozens of times and somehow failed to visit the AGNSW, an oversight I regret after having spent … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Travel | Tagged agathon leonard, art gallery of new south wales, clewin harcourt, elizabeth stanhope forbes, ernest ludwig kirchner, francois boucher, grace cossington smith, jacques blanchard, jan van biljert, jean-marc nattier, john dickson batten, john evertt millais, john hoppner, joseph wright, robert peake, rupert bunny, thomas cooper gotch, thomas francis dicksee, violet teague, william henry margetson | 10 Comments

“The 50 Year Argument” (2014)

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: Co-directed by Scorsese and David Tedeschi, this is Scorsese’s second documentary chronicling the intellectual and cultural life of New York. Although I enjoyed Scorsese’s PUBLIC SPEAKING, a profile of Fran Leibowitz which I thought was a good evocation … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Movies | Tagged David Tedeschi, documentaries, Martin Scorsese, New York Review of Books | 3 Comments

Question Du Jour

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: Why are so many young Americans today (esp. of the white-and-privileged sort) not-OK with the idea that there’s a difference between messy, bad sex and rape? Is it mainly because everyone these days craves victim status? And, if … Continue reading →