paultron

Sep 1st, 2010 4:14 pm

“…when I connect with a good book, often by somebody dead, and they are telling me a story that seems true, and they are telling me things about myself that I know to be true, but I hadn’t been able to put together before—I feel so much less alone than I ever can sending e-mails or receiving texts. I think there’s a kind of—I don’t want to say shallow, because then I start sounding like an elitist. It’s kind of like a person who keeps smoking more and more cigarettes. You keep giving yourself more and more jolts of stimulus, because deep inside, you’re incredibly lonely and isolated. The engine of technological consumerism is very good at exploiting the short-term need for that little jolt, and is very, very bad at addressing the real solitude and isolation, which I think is increasing. That’s how I perceive my mission as a writer—and particularly as a novelist—is to try to provide a bridge from the inside of me to the inside of somebody else.”

Jonathan Franzen - Books - Interview | The A.V. Club (via peterwknox)

Hello, explanation of modern life.

Edit: However, as a friend has pointed out to me—which I agree with—it’s a little silly and very elitist to compare emails and books. To expect the same of them is pretty much invalid. And, as books are a one-way form of communication, then where does that leave the reader?

Only to conclude that writers sure can be assholes about stuff.

Reblogged from Peter W. Knox.

4:12 pm

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

devotchka-:

folk jam ~ pavement

Re-got this album the other day. Haven’t heard it in about 6 years maybe, but danged if I don’t know every note!

Reblogged from ö.

11:09 am

Reading about dogs and came across the Bull Terrier, which always makes me think of good ol’ Spuds MacKenzie.
The dog’s real name was Honey Tree Evil Eye, and was not a dude.