For the Love of Art

So this book represents a huge retrospective of 20th century photography that I saw in Budapest. While there I saw a photograph called "Blind Girl Playing with Sand" and I wept, literally. Now, as then, it brings tears of joy to my eyes (for no apparant reason other than that is an awesome moment captured forever). However, it is the back story of securing a copy of the book that I want to share here. In the morning I travel from down town Budapest on the Tram for about 12 stops (taking about 20 minutes). I arrive at the Szepmuveszeti Muzeum (Museum of Fine Arts) and wander around amazed at all I see. I then decide to buy this book (which weighs like 10 pounds). I go to pay and my Interac won't work (that's OK it's Eastern Europe and these things happen). So I go outside to the ATM and try again. Nope. Next, I try my credit card back inside the museum...declined? And then again, outside...declined. What the screaming hell? I have lots of money in both accounts. Therefore, I pull out a phone card and phone home. Just as the bank answers, my phone card runs out of money...GRR. And then I try another one (same result). Fracking hell. I then decide that I need this book so badly that I take the tram back to the hotel to get another phone card. I get back and decide that I will phone from the terminal (surrounded by Gypsies tugging at me for whatever it is Gypsies want). I finally contact the bank and they direct my call to the VISA people. Of course, they ask me some questions and while the Gypsies are distracting me I give the wrong answer to my security question...Because on that day Henry Miller was not my favourite author...ARGH. Eventually I answer all their questions and they tell me that it was a random security check on both my accounts that was causing concern. It seems that there were many transactions taken all over Europe (no kidding) and they wanted to make sure they were all by me. Ummm...I phoned you before I left and told you that this would happen. Anyway, back on the tram I go, all the way back to the museum (which, by this point, was ready to close). I got my book and lugged it back to the hotel thinking...all this for a book, all this for a picture....completely worth it.   

Joe Sacco the King; This guy a pretender!

David Axe is no Joe Sacco, the cartoonist who basically invented comic book war journalism. This book is boring, the author is a jerk, and the art is mediocre at best.

It's Bad Luck to Read this Blog

So from the box arrives a variety of stories. If you don't know what the box is you have to go back a few posts and look for a bird. The bird will tell you all you need to know. Unless he doesn't. Then. You are out of luck. The best stories/poems here are "Bad Luck" by Ralph Worsey..for example, "It is bad luck to count the stars" and so on. "In a Little Valley in West Jerusalem" by Joshuah Bearman, a story about the Dead Sea Scrolls and a Physicst and His son. "Idea" by J. Robert Lennon is GREAT. An artist has a great idea for a sculpture, but realizes in a flash that the idea sucks. I have days like those, all the time. The rest is just silly or lame. I won't pick on the authors of those for they will never know anyway.

A Cool Twist on the Vampyre

A great tale from the creator of Hellboy. The Plague Vampires plus WWI. Just plain cool. Thanks Book Fair and Scholastic.

A classic. I hate the message, but I love the discussion. Dear Grade 10: Bring your dictionaries.

Eggs!

A great little story by Rick Moody. Crazy ostriches and their hillbilly owners.

Modern Fables

So more from the box...Modern Fables. Nothing very special at all. Drat! 

Saunder's Satire!



Wow, it has been forever since I posted. This is a part of the McSweeney's box of fun stuff. However, these satirical stories about the insidiousness of corporations are obvious and, therefore, boring. Saunder's Pastorlia is better than this (if I recall). Obviously, I now have to read that to see if I'm even right.