BOOKS THREAD

"There's much more to life than books, you know, but not much more."
- the Smiths, "Handsome Devil"

 

Improv Nation is a good history of American improv. Goes back to the roots of the U of C theater group where Nichols and May started up through pretty much present day. It's filled with stories from SCTV, the Animal House, Caddyshack. Also get to learn about Del Close and some of the other people behind the creation of improv. Quick read with good access to the participants. I was reminded of it by the Animal House oral history that was posted.

 

Crushing through “Sticky Fingers,” the biography of Jann Wenner. Only up to 1970, about 150 pages in. Great so far.

 

Crushed the new biography of the making of “Caddyshack” by Chris Nashawaty. Picked it up Friday and finished it today. Couldn’t put it down. Does a great job establishing the background that allowed Caddyshack to get made — mainly the success of Animal House — and gives just due to the creative, coke-addled genius of Doug Kenney. The on-set stories are hilarious and insane.

 

Adding this to my summer reading list.
"Into the Raging Sea," by Rachel Slade.
A look at the sinking of the cargo ship El Faro as it sailed from Florida to Puerto Rico during Hurricane Joaquin in 2015.
There were no survivors.
The ship was a mess - in terrible seaworthy shape and still legal - and the Capt. was inept (at best).
Reviews have really hooked me. ...

A Disaster at Sea, Animated by 26 Hours of Black-Box Recordings

 

Getting battered by waves in the middle of a hurricane until you slowly drowned: yup, I’ve found my description of hell.

 

I really enjoyed this and found it informative, even though the author didn't have access (or even request it) to Prince for the book. He had interviewed Prince on earlier occasions, but didn't mention that until late in the book.

Joe Bob says check it out.

 

Fatal Discord, a dual biography of Erasmus and Martin Luther that wonders what the church could’ve become if it had gone down Erasmus’s road instead of Luther’s.

 

Almost finished with Portnoy's Complaint. It's interesting and good, and funny, and I relate to the Jewish neuroticism, but it has droned on too long.

If one was to ignore the Jewish neuroses, and the perversions etc etc ... then Alexander Portnoy could very well be @Dick Whitman.

 

Following my finally watching The Wire, just read the Jonathan Abrams oral history. He got great access and the most interesting stuff was the Ed Burns/David Simon disagreements. Wasn't super compelling but worthwhile.

 

Just finished Portnoy's Complaint.

1) it wouldn't fucking end; 309 pages felt like a thousand.

2) I might need therapy now.

I never want to read that again.

But it definitely wins more battles than it loses.