Red Mafiya explains a lot
With all the constant headlines about Russia, I made an effort to seek out books that examined criminal enterprises in the former Soviet Union published prior to our current political obsession. My thought was that I could fill in my own knowledge of the culture without reading being tainted by opinion influenced by the right…
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The preciousness of cookbooks
The Atlantic has a story about the long history of cookbooks serving as status symbols. The piece examines how cookbooks were clearly marketed to specific classes, such as the obviously titled Plain Cookery for the Working Classes, published in 1847. It’s an interesting piece and well worth a read. However, what strikes me about this…
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If I’m under ground, sell all my shit you can sell
Here’s an interesting article on whether whether an author’s wishes must be honored after death. The article mentions that famed writer Terry Pratchett instructed that his hard drive should be crushed after his death. I suppose every writer has a right to decide for themselves, but as far as I’m concerned, if I’m pushing up…
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The inevitability of book deals
There are shortcomings to energetically following any industry. If you’re a sportswriter, you learn that heroes are actually fallible and sometimes frail human beings. If you are a tech blogger, you probably get sick of hearing new pitches about how this gadget is going to “make the world a better place.” If you constantly write…
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4 decades since Skynyrd plan crash
Today is the fortieth anniversary of the plane crash that claimed the lives of Ronnie Van Zant and five others associated with the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Rolling Stone magazine remembers the tragedy that altered music history. A number of interesting books have been published about the band over the years, including Lynyrd Skynyrd: Remembering…
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