4.28.2010

LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT I DO NOT AGREE WITH HER ANALYSIS OF PINKERTON

Because he got inside your head, Rivers Cuomo. He fucked you up. You still give dudes a closer look if they wear cool glasses.
--Sady Doyle, Rivers Cuomo Messes You Up Forever

4.27.2010

BEING BETTER BROS

One particular book, I said, broke me out of a phase where I couldn’t finish a novel.

My friend is precious and hopeful and took it to mean that I finished writing a novel. Actually the phase was one in which I couldn’t finish reading a novel, because reading is hard to do for sustained periods, because I would rather Tweet reviews of frozen pizza.

But she is excited to read this novel that I’ve written, and I am excited to be thought of as someone who wrote a novel, so I’ll wait a while before responding.

--Eddie

4.26.2010

I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THIS ALBUM ALL DAY AND IT JUST COMPLETELY BREAKS MY HEART

“High Violet” is the National’s latest album for their time. It’s the world according to a man who isn’t getting any younger, mostly wants to be a good father and husband and employee and friend — and might be happy, but for all that resistance he thinks he keeps tamped in his own head. He used to be the Great White Hope, the hero of his own box-size living room. Now he’s got a kid on his shoulder, lives on coffee and cut flowers while thinking about clearing out of the Silver City and going back to Ohio where life is simpler — until you get there and remember why you left.
--Nichloas Dawidoff, The National Agenda

4.25.2010

In my four years here, I've taken classes on everything from 20th century American poetry to black holes, from capital punishment in literature and film to social insects. I think these classes have had the effect of making me more interesting, but perhaps haven't done a whole lot in terms of qualifying me to enter the real world.

4.18.2010

It took an hour to get to the supermarket, or rather it should have taken half an hour, but he made sure it took an hour. During that time he smoked three cigarettes, recalled four sexual experiences, and told himself to try to remember to call his mom on Mother’s Day.
--J. Robert Lennon, The Impossible Man

THE SPEED OF A CAMEL

...If one of our key motives for travelling is to try to put the past behind us, then we often need something very large and time-consuming, like the experience of a month long journey across an ocean or a hike over a mountain range, to establish a sufficient sense of distance.
--Alain de Botton, A World Without Planes

4.11.2010

Her mother, Elizabeth Jayatilleke, a retired biochemist, said, “Traditionally, in Sri Lanka, girls do not date.”
--Elaine Louie, Arundathi Jayailleke and Michael Gelfand


In middle school I found the Vows section of the New York Times to be really charming and romantic, now it just drives me crazy.

4.08.2010

Corps members are not eligible to teach in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools without passing the appropriate Praxis exam(s) and will likely have to resign from the corps.
--Summer Programming, Teach for America Charlotte

4.06.2010

HEART SKIPPED A BEAT

Seeing The xx blew my simple mind to pieces last night. I left the show to news of a Duke victory and biked home after a brief and violent spring thunderstorm left everything smelling clean and delicious. And waiting for me on the kitchen table--a gift from a faraway friend.

Everything is so good.

4.05.2010

SO HANDSOME AND SMART

In 2004, winding through Yellowstone in a car full of fellow highschoolers, the only music we could agree upon was Brand New's Deja Entendu (seeing as we were all sixteen and sad) so we turned the volume up and scared the bears and rocked as hard as possible. Six years later, slogging through Pennsylvania with Brady and Martin, we revisited Jesse Lacey and goddamn if that album isn't as great as it was when we resented our parents and put up away messages to prove it.