Harper's has just posted—in what reads to me as a big extending of the middle finger to the New York Times, in light of this morning's Times piece on Harper's— Renata Adler's fantastic "A Court of No Appeal," from 2000, which addresses her interactions with the Times in specific and also the idea of a media contretemps in general. It is a must-read if you have never had the pleasure. @3:00 PM 15
Local Man Has Far Better Plans For This Fall Than You Do @12:40 PM
You know what you could be doing? Spending three or four months floating down the Chattahoochee river, which goes from the top of Georgia down to Lake Seminole, at the top of Florida. Think about it. I mean, you're stupid not to, really. 15
Two Weeks Out: Dress Up and Stay Home @2:40 PM
It's so difficult to create an American movie hero for mass consumption! The marvelous Pauline Kael, generally a sturdy populist when it came to American movies, wrote in 1964: "we don't want to see the image of ourselves in those cheats and cuckolds and cowards. We want heroes, and Hollywood produces them by simple fiat… A drama about a man's defeat would seem somehow antisocial, unamerican, 'arty,' and even decadent." But, surely, our tastes have evolved since? But then, maybe Kael's assessment still holds true. Even if men like Clooney and Pitt are allowed to flirt with darkness, ultimately, the hero must be a force for good and it helps when he is Will Smith. Okay, so here are great things that are happening that don't involve Will Smith. READ MORE 16
Two Weeks Out: Steal Penelope Cruz's Glow in Person, Your Last Trip Outdoors, Russian Photography, and One Really Big Diamond @4:20 PM
In a 1964 interview, Playboy asked Vladimir Nabokov about American sexual mores. Nabokov dismissed the question and said: "Sex as an institution, sex as a general notion, sex as a problem, sex as a platitude—all this is something I find too tedious for words. Let us skip sex." Couldn't the same be said about rock 'n' roll? Writing about music often feels akin to saying something interesting about sex; it's all so rooted in one's own neuroses that the subject is usually maddening to write and banal to read. Yet when Chuck Klosterman wrote that the Bob Dylan/Kiss collaboration meant that "rock 'n' roll reached its logical conclusion" it felt like a true statement (Klosterman argued that the genre's most genuine individual joining up with the most contrived meant that rock 'n' roll had been solved, and was now done). So while I don't exactly understand why the forthcoming Bob Dylan album of Christmas standards makes me sad, I can tell you about other things to listen to, see and do that don't make one all conflicted and weird and downtrodden in the heart. Well, sometimes. READ MORE 13
Two Weeks Out: Diablo, David Byrne, and The Brave Keep Undefiled Wisdom of Their Own. @3:15 PM
The problem with books that get adapted into movies, is that, well, if you've taken the time to read the novel then you've created an entire ecosystem of scenery, face and motivations in your head. It's a completely unique world that's precious and belongs only to you. But when an auteur armed with a budget and his own ecosystem comes along, all those images are forcibly replaced. It's like a referendum on your imagination. It's not even a matter of not seeing the movie; advertising and promotion are unavoidable. So while there is some thrill in watching fuzzy-wuzzy creatures come to life or some Victorian suitor resurrected, it most often feels like a transgression, like something is being taken, not given. And that's why I won't be seeing "The Informant," which is based on the Kurt Eichenwald book. (Ha, got ya.) But here's some stuff that you should see and do. READ MORE 17
Two Weeks Out: The Haus of Gaga, Genesis P-Orridge, Hamlet, Destroyer @12:08 PM
And now, our irregular but handy guide to happenings in New York, L.A. and the rest of the world! Oh hey, remember when MTV's video music awards had some level of relevance in our lives? No? Wait, what about when Jean-Paul Gaultier designed Madonna's colonial orgy for the VMA's. It was such a delicious confection of fashion, pop, and spectacle; everyone was like "oooh, this is pretty AND IMPORTANT!" Has such a theatrical, crazed moment played out on the VMA stage since? Well no. Even when Kanye or Fall Out Angel Waves or whomever does a ditty for the broadcast, it always feels like some afterthought on a publicity tour. But not Lady Gaga. She's set to take the stage on Sept 13th and in her words "inspire a movement." Oh, the Gags. READ MORE 9
Here's What To Do This Weekend, You Putz @4:15 PM
Untraditional tourist activities for this coming weekend recommended by Awl readers include: The Brooklyn cyclones, the dance party on Governors Island and what is apparently a swinger's party. ("Single men (or women) are NOT allowed but a couple may elect to bring an extra girl for an additional $30 on any night.") 4
Even If You Don't Go, Click On That Link And Read Her Bio @3:13 PM
If you're in New York tonight, head over to the New Museum for a panel on the legacy of the '90s featuring Michael Azerrad, Mark Greif, A.S. Hamrah, Marisa Meltzer, Aaron Lake Smith, and Awl columnist Emily Gould. 5
Do Pilates With Jarvis Cocker In Paris @1:46 PM
Jarvis Cocker, of Pulp fame, is taking up residence next week in an art gallery in Paris. There will be open rehearsals, bring your child day, and yoga and pilates classes! No seriously. If I were in Paris, I would be there every day. (ALSO? Orbitz says it's a cheap time to fly NYC to Paris!) READ MORE 12
Inside Yayoi Kusama's Magic Box @12:40 PM
Oh yes, you need to go see the Yayoi Kusama show. In the back of Gagosian on far West 24th Street in Manhattan, there is a little room, and you will wait briefly in a little line and an attendant with a stopwatch will lock you in for 30 seconds. You will emerge reset and rebooted and refreshed! Funnest thing to do in New York. (For 30 seconds.) Art critic and fun-guy Jerry Saltz was there when I was, and he certainly looked rejuvenated after the experience. 7
Sophie Calle At Paula Cooper @9:45 AM
Don't miss Sophie Calle's show at Paula Cooper gallery. Oddly this has not much been written about here, even though this is the first time her enormous sweeping tribute to getting dumped has been shown in the U.S. Prepare to spend about an hour there, because the video interpretations of her breakup are particularly magical. (Yes, magical!) 8
In Which A Cat Is Abandoned @1:41 PM
Vice magazine has finally found its sweet spot, in this article entitled I DITCHED MY CAT IN THE HAMPTONS OVER THE WEEKEND, in which the author allegedly ditches his/her cat in the Hamptons over the weekend. Update: Crazily typical and yet still surprising! Now s/he swears that s/he still has precious kittens in custody. 15
David Hockney On View In New York @1:45 PM
You will be hearing more on this in the days to come! For now, let's just say that you should pay a visit to this David Hockney painting at Christie's. It has been hidden away in Betty Freeman's kitchen in Los Angeles since the early 60s. And it will be sold on May 13, most likely to a major institution and for a world record for Hockney. But you can see it for free at 20 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City every day until then! It is awesome. 1
