Category Archives: Books Publishing and Writing

Quote Du Jour

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: INTERVIEWER What were the kinds of work you were doing to earn that “little money now and then”? FAULKNER Whatever came up. I could do a little of almost anything—run boats, paint houses, fly airplanes. I never needed … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Art Du Jour

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: “Daughters of Lusting Torment” is my nominee for Title of the Year. Published February 1939. Click on the image to enlarge.

Posted in Art, Books Publishing and Writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Fuck Clement Greenberg

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: In discussions of literature and architecture, I still come across would-be intellectuals who invoke art critic Clement Greenberg’s distinction between the avant-garde and kitsch. Of course, for such people avant-garde is doubleplusgood, while kitsch is one small step … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books Publishing and Writing, Commercial art, Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Art Du Jour

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: Published October, 1930. Click on the image to enlarge.

Posted in Art, Books Publishing and Writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Art Du Jour

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: A pulp cover by Victor Kalin. More here and here. Click on the image to enlarge.

Posted in Art, Books Publishing and Writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A Wide and Spacious Field

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Fabrizio del Wrongo

Fabrizio del Wrongo writes: The canon and his servants were surprised anew when they heard Don Quixote’s strange story, and when it was finished he said, “To tell the truth, senor curate, I for my part consider what they call … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Is It Time to Bring Back the Guilty or Shameful Pleasure?

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: Over at BoingBoing Mark Dery suggests that it’s time to get back in touch with our guilt and shame when it comes to certain things: Guilty pleasures are all about cognitive dissonance. When I say Thomas Harris novels … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Movies | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

A Literary Immortal

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: English novelist John Banville writes in The Guardian about how he’s been commissioned by Raymond Chandler’s estate to write a new Philip Marlowe novel. Banville — called “the heir to Proust, via Nabokov,” a Nobel Prize contender, winner … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books Publishing and Writing | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Book Notes: “Kay Francis: A Passionate Life and Career”

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: I semi-enjoyed this biography of the ’30s film star Kay Francis, a once hugely popular and famous actress from the Hollywood Golden Age who is now remembered only by film buffs. For the uninitiated, Francis was known as … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Movies | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Adventures and Misadventures Never Begin with a Trifle

Posted on January 25, 2015 by Fabrizio del Wrongo

Fabrizio del Wrongo writes: Just then, whether it was the cold of the morning that was now approaching, or that he had eaten something laxative at supper, or that it was only natural (as is most likely), Sancho felt a … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment