BitLit

The Daily Lunchtime Blog Roundup

There's a tremendous amount of alone-time associated with my job in the summer.  Edith's an awesome companion, but she doesn't talk.  Yet.  (Wonderfalls, anyone?)  Since the feeling of disconnectedness is the enemy, the daily lunchtime blog roundup has become pretty important to me. 

If you're craving your daily dose of celebrity dish, ditch Perez Hilton and make your way over to Dlisted instead.  Blogger Michael K. always says the appropriate inappropriate thing, and I'm not fooled - he's one clever man.
Initiate Yourself: "Kate Gosselin's Hair Continues To Boggle My Mind"

If it's entertainment news you want, I'd skip the vapid people at People and try Entertainment Weekly's EW.com instead.  It covers too much American Idol for my taste, but I'm choosing to assume it's just a phase.  Get your movie, tv, music, dvd, book, and pop culture updates here. 
Initiate Yourself: "Style Hunter: I Want THAT 'Lost' trench coat!"

io9.com is the newest member of the GawkerMedia family and, if you ask me, the best.  Where else can you read-up on the back story of Star Trek before seeing the new film, catch the latest pics from outer space courtesy of Hubble, or hear about Jacqueline Carey's new novel all in one fell swoop?  If I could be one of their interns, I could die happy.
Initiate Yourself: Chart Porn - The Measure of a Robot and Killer Chip - Germans Deny Patent for GPS/Poison Microchip

You might think I'd stay in the Gawker family and head to Kotaku for my gaming news, but I prefer Joystiq.  I'm eagerly anticipating Mass Effect 2 and more dlc for Fable II.  Joystiq tracks the business models, development news, and reviews for XBOX, PS3, Wii, and handhelds and even has a partnership with WoW Insider if, you know, you spend your nights in Azaroth.  I don't judge. 
Initiate Yourself: How many people are working on Assassin's Creed 2? A lot. and Silent Hill: Not your mother's cosplay

I fell in fashion love with Tom & Lorenzo over at Project Rungay back when it was chronicling the triumphs and disasters of TV's Project Runway contestants and hosts.  Since Project Runway appears to have plummited off the runway faster than a model in 7-inch lucite heels, their blog is now more about fashion on tv and celebrities in general, and has opened up to include recaps of new fashion shows.  And it's wonderful - they do their research and we get the pay-offs!  So that's how the gays roll.  To get the straight-talk from the straight gals, check out Go Fug Yourself.  Each post is like a love letter.  A love letter begging the pictured to reconsider their hideous red carpet choices.  Their hatred of the romper and their love of Tilda Swinton makes me just want to read more.  Initiate Yourself: The Fashion Show: Report Card Time! and Well Played, Rachel Weisz

And, just for fun...

Twilightguy Kaleb Nation blogs about reading Ms. Meyer's books.  As a male.  Hilarity, and a surprising amount of insight, ensues.  Initiate: Reading Breaking Dawn: Chapter 1 (Engaged)

Jodienas - because it's more fun to watch a cute Australian teach you about make-up than to try it yourself, alone.  Initiate: My Contest Entry - Ursula

What Claudia Wore takes a look at the cover fashions of our favorite childhood heroines - The Babysitter's Club - and close reads the text in a way that indicates that the blogger has a lot of free time.  Intensely smart, though, and from the same blogger who gives us What Chuck Wore, which details Mr. Chuck Bass of Gossip Girl and his TRULY TERRIBLE wardrobe choices.  I prefer What Claudia Wore because of the literary bend and its ability to take you back to the early 90s in an uncomfortable way.  She critiques poor Dawn, MaryAnn, Stacey (did you know she has diabetes?), and Kristy, but somehow the funky Claudia Kishi can do know wrong.  Initiate: Mystery #5 - Mary Anne and the Secret in the Attic and #65 - Stacey's Big Crush

Happy Hunting!

KAB

sleepy thought #1: lyrics and poetry?

Yawn.

Good morning, BitLit. It's been a while, but I have a pretty good excuse for my recent shortage of updates. You see, I work in a magical place called the campus library, and I spend most of my time working with periodicals in the basement. Aside from its lack of natural light, this environment isn't exactly conducive to sitting down and blogging. Today, however, my supervisor has fallen ill, and I have been permitted to dwell on the surface (at least for now). With that in mind, I will use this time to do what I do best...sitting at a computer and losing track of time.

Today, I'd like to mumble incoherently about a subject that's haunted my oversized skull for quite some time now: the literary implications of song lyrics (sorry for sounding pretentious, but I'd rather be concise). I know it may seem somewhat contrived, but I first became aware of this idea after listening to Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. As much as I'd love to enumerate the ways in which I adore Jeff Mangum's zany lyrical genius, I'll just post a link and save some (space-)time. Okay, enough rambling...here's a small (non-Mangum) example that will hopefully bring a few of my muddled thoughts to light:

"And you should always pass
When you get the inside lane.
Don’t pull your hair out;
I won’t pull my hair out.
For I have never seen the sun
That did not bury his head in the side of the world
When the day is done.

You are a waterfall
Waiting inside a well
You are a wrecking ball
Before the building fell
And I will mutter like a lover
Who speaks in tongues, oh he speaks in tongues.
Oh I speak in tongues."

Just in case anyone's curious, that was an excerpt from Sunset Rubdown's "Us Ones In Between," and I won't even try to explain what Spencer Krug (that guy from Wolf Parade without all of the tattoos) meant to say in this song. That would be terribly presumptuous and (more importantly) unfair to the artist, right? Anyway, I'm more interested in the sonic properties of Krug's lyrics...and how the inherent musicality of the words enhances the atmosphere of a relatively simple tune. Despite the fairly predictable nature of the rhyme scheme, the overall quirkiness of these lines (who else would begin a stanza with driving advice?) transcends the expected limitations of the traditional "pop song" format. Krug's obvious repetition of images  (i.e., pulling one's hair out/speaking in tongues) doesn't strike me as particularly lazy or overly deliberate, but rather as a reminiscence of some ancient nursery rhyme for the disillusioned emerging from an uninhibited, dream-like state of mind.

I don't know. Don't trust my opinion. I just use big words because they sound pretty to me. I'd rather leave the ambiguity as it is, you know? The simplicity of Krug's lyrics encourages me, though...I must remember that it's alright to follow my own (seemingly) nonsensical instincts from time to time, whether I'm trying to write poetry or lyrics (both at which I consider myself hilariously inept). Still, it's not going to be easy to let go of my old tendency to constantly self-edit. For example, I rewrote that last sentence about three times in the last minute, but nobody really needed to know that. I guess that's all I have to say today. Hope it wasn't all bad.

RAD

Idiots'Fest 2008: Subscribers that Rock!

IDIOTS'FEST 2008: Subscribers that Rock is a two-day literature and music festival in celebration of the Idiots'Books subscribership. THE LIT HOUSE IS A SUBSCRIBER, SO YOU'RE ALL INVITED! Come see and hear authors, musicians, comics, idiots, and physicists. Come eat slow-cooked Virginia barbeque. Come see lovely, historic Chestertown Maryland in the dead of winter! Just come.

Visit the IDIOTS'FEST website!

GUESTS
Jim Shepard, Brian Slattery, Drew Bunting, Matthew Swanson, Robbi Behr, Brian Wecht, Rich Flynn, Aidan Shepard, Victor Wishna

SCHEDULE

Friday, Feb 15, Rose O'Neill Literary House 6:00-8:00pm
Robbi and Matthew read from their work while musicians Brian SlatteryDrew Bunting attempt to distract them with musical instruments
Drew Bunting and Brian Slattery play original and unoriginal music while singing and playing the following: guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and kazoo

Saturday, Feb 16
The Bookplate backroom, 112 South Cross Street, Chestertown, MD
2:30-5:30pm
Victor Wishna, stand-up comic stands up and acts comical
Robbi and Swanson read from their work while musicians contribute tones, both dulcet and jarring
Brian Slattery, author of Spaceman Blues: A Love Song, "rocks" his book while musicians Drew Bunting (guitar), Brian Wecht (keyboard, sax, and clarinet), Rich Flynn (bass), Aidan Shepard (percussion), and Matthew Swanson (harmonica) provide the score. Offensive to the eye and ear
Intermission: Brian Slattery and Victor Wishna will sign their books; also, the audience may rest
Dr. Brian A. Wecht, B.A., PhD., member of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, delivers a stirring lecture titled "String Theory for Idiots" which may involve musicians
Jim Shepard, novelist, short story writer, and finalist for the 2007 National Book Award in Fiction will appear before you. Perhaps he will read. Perhaps he will simply stand and stare. Regardless, you will be grateful to have been there

5:30-6:00
Jim Shepard will sign books for adoring fans and bitter enemies alike

6:00-7:00
Virginia barbeque-brisket, ribs, chicken, seafood, veggies; you will eat a lot and feel sick. $10 a head, $5 for WAC students!

7:00-10:00
The Reverend Drew Bunting and his backing band "Textual Healing" take you places that you have never been. Band members are Brian Wecht, Rich Flynn, Aidan Shepard, and Matthew Swanson