I read this alongside Cormac McCarthy’s fantastic second and third novels (Outer Dark and Child of God). It fit right in. I was reminded of some of Ottessa Moshfegh’s narrators (Eileen) and some of Bret Easton Ellis’s (American Psycho or Less Than Zero). Elsby’s feels more naturally of the horror genre than those listed besides McCarthy and her prose is dense and claustrophobic in this novel of revenge–at least that’s what it appears to be on a surface level. It’s sometimes like philosophical writing–somehow clear and opaque at the same time–and in the best ways. Elsby was a philosophy professor and is not afraid of density, but she is also not afraid of horror. I loved this and am seeking out her other work.
Getting deep into The Dan after decades of despising them. I got obsessed with “Peg,” started learning the bassline, and have now been mainlining the albums.
This is a rough chronology told through the characters that appear throughout the Steely Dan catalog. If you’re a Burroughs fan (Dr. Benway, the Subliminal Kid, etc.), then you know how appropriate that structure is.
It’s as light and dark as the music and was a blast to read while hoovering up the discography.
A 1922 documentary about the race to plant a flag for the British Empire at the North Pole. It’s a collection of photographs, film, and animation mostly shot by Herbert Ponting. Disturbing and breathtaking. Obviously, one to pair with Nanook of the North when you’re having your next silent documentary double feature night.
Bertrand Mandico’s short film is an abecedarian fantasy documentary about Walerian Borowczyk, another filmmaker known for artistic and wild erotic films. Mandico is quickly becoming a favorite, a wonderful mix of Tarkovsky, Parajanov, the Brothers Quay, etc.— the variety of inspiration and artistic focus makes his work also unique.
Besides Steely Dan, I’ve been listening to Birmingham’s own Trees on the Moon.
Stephen McClurg 