Category Archives: Books Publishing and Writing

My Year in Books: 2014

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: I already shared the movies I saw this year, now here’s the books I read.

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing | 1 Comment

Our Favorite Things from 2014

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: For approximately the 14th year in a row my pop music taste slid into middling mediocrity, but I’m perfectly OK with that. I long ago abandoned caring about or following new music. I loved The Black Keys’ “Turn … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books Publishing and Writing, Food and health, Linkathons, Media, Movies, Music, Performers, Personal reflections | Tagged 2014 year in review, Agata Kulesza, Agata Trzebuchowska, Amazon, Amazon Music, beer, Belle & Sebastian, Bill Burr, Chvrches, Cohen Film Collection, D. W. Griffith, Darwyn Cooke, donald westlake, emily browning, ESPN, Eva Green, Facebook, George V. Higgins, Ginger Baker, goses, Hachette, Hayao Miyazaki, John Milius, John Turturro, Karina Longworth, Marc Maron, Marco Bellocchio, Meghan Trainor, Michael Connelly, Natalie Moore, Pawel Pawlikowski, Penny Dreadful, podcasts, Sarah Polley, Steve Sailer, Stuart Murdoch, Taylor Swift, The Black Keys, The Cloisters, The Nerdist, Tom Stoppard, Vanessa Paradis, Winsor McCay, Yik Yak, Zishy | 14 Comments

The Treasure of Treasures

Posted on December 9, 2014 by Fabrizio del Wrongo

Fabrizio del Wrongo writes: Lately I’ve been enjoying, bit by bit, the Cohen Film Collection’s restoration of D.W. Griffith’s “Intolerance,” which is available to stream via Hulu Plus. (It’s also available on Blu-Ray.) I’ve seen the movie many times, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Movies | Tagged Billy Bitzer, D. W. Griffith, Film, Intolerance, movies, Pauline Kael, Silent Film | 5 Comments

Book Journal 2: Anarchism and Anthropology

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: “Two Cheers for Anarchism: Six Easy Pieces on Autonomy, Dignity, and Meaningful Work and Play” by James C. Scott. I love the work of the Yale prof James C. Scott and consider him in a class with … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Politics and Economics | Tagged anarchism, anthropology, books, James C. Scott, nigel barley, nonfiction | 2 Comments

“The Classical Language of Architecture” by John Summerson

Posted on November 23, 2014 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: PR recommended this one to me and I found it to be a great little intro to classical building. The book is actually the transcript of six talks that Summerson, an architectural historian, gave on the BBC in … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Books Publishing and Writing | Tagged ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, classical architecture, renaissance, traditionalism | 5 Comments

Book Journal 1: Classical Liberalism and Gold

Posted on November 23, 2014 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: “The Law” by Frédéric Bastiat. Alas, I came to this book too late in my poli-sci education. No disrespect meant, let alone any quarrels with its status as a classic of the libertarian tradition, but it didn’t advance any … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Politics and Economics | Tagged bastiat, books, detlev schlichter, economics, gold, judy shelton, nonfiction, politics | 2 Comments

It’s a Crazy Book and I Didn’t Mean to Write It…

Posted on November 22, 2014 by Glynn Marshes

Glynn Marshes writes: I did not know this. Another major, and separate contribution to the confusion surrounding the Celts was begun in 1944 by one of the greatest modern English poets and historical novelists, Robert Graves. In three weeks during … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Philosophy and Religion | 2 Comments

Manon Lescaut, Five Ways

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: She done him so, so wrong. L’Histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut is a scandalous novella written in 1731 by Abbé Antoine François Prévost. Frequently banned and censored, it’s the story of a bourgeois … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Movies, Music, Sex | Tagged abbe prevost, anna netrebko, beverly sills, catherine deneuve, five ways, jean aurel, jules massenet, manon 70, manon lescaut, new york city opera, Opera, puccini, roberto alagna, sylvie guillem | 3 Comments

Feature Writing House Style, Cont.

Posted on November 15, 2014 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: Way back here, PR had some fun with the New Yorker’s style when it comes to article ledes, which he summarized thusly: On a date that’s peculiarly specific, and in a sentence that uses more commas than … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing | Tagged New York TImes, The New Yorker, writing | Leave a comment

Notes on “The Long Goodbye”

Posted on November 15, 2014 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: 1. What a wonderful book. A sprawling mini-epic with L.A. as a Potemkin paradise that, like “The Big Sleep,” is confusing as hell. More than a few times I stopped short to say, “Wait, how are these people … Continue reading →