The Semiotics of Sloth: Archive

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Fredric Jameson, "Realism and Utopia in The Wire" →

I’m not always in agreement with Fred, but I really enjoyed this essay. At the very least, it helped me to further understand Frank Sobotka, who I’ve always seen as a sort of postmodern Willy Loman. I’m not sure where Jameson is going with the “post-racial” bit (that, in fact, makes me a little nervous), but aside from that, there are quite a few interesting ideas...

Dec 30th

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Dec 28th

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Dec 26th

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An Editorial Closed Caption In The Title Sequence

“(stirring orchestral music)” — Band of Brothers, Episode 5: “Crossroads”

Dec 26th

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Dec 25th

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Choice Sentences From Students' Final Papers (Part...

“I feel weird turning in papers, like some kind of fake or liar.” “Some of the essays we read were humorous, many were political, and all of them seemed to have another meaning behind them.” “Now that I have made it to the fifth page, I will stop boring you with my ranting about what I learned this semester.” “Breasts, now that’s what I’m...

Dec 24th

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Dec 24th

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Choice Sentences From Students' Final Papers (Part...

“The class of Writing 1301 comes to an end with the blessings of Jesus and gifts from Santa Claus.” “The church-like silence and awkward tension that penetrated the packed-to-the brim classroom could be attributed to the nervousness of the new students. The unique and pleasantly quirky personality of the instructor immediately grabbed the attention of my fellow stone-faced...

Dec 23rd

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I Slept Until 11 AM Today

This is the first time I have done that in a very long time. It felt really good.

Dec 23rd

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Dec 22nd

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Dec 22nd

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Dec 21st

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A Dream

Last night I had a dream in which I was at my parents’ church in San Diego as it appeared in the early 1990s. My father and one of the pastors of the church were scolding me for something as if I was a child — I only saw myself in the POV way one sees oneself in a dream, but I was wearing the pants and shoes of contemporary Andrew. In fact, the pastor commented on them, cunningly:...

Dec 20th

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Ten Books I Intend To Read Once I Am Done Reading...

Gilles Deleuze & Félix Guattari, A Thousand Plateaus Herbert Marcuse, An Essay on Liberation Guy Debord, Society of the Spectacle Norman Mailer, The Armies of the Night Terry Southern, Red Dirt Marijuana and Other Tastes LeRoi Jones, Blues People Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Phenomenology of Perception William Gaddis, The Recognitions Susan Sontag, Against Interpretation and Other Essays ...

Dec 20th

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Dec 20th

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“To Ernest Hemingway —because finally after all these years I am deeply...”

– Norman Mailer, in a signed inscription to a copy of The Deer Park (sent in 1955, but returned to Mailer by the post office).

Dec 20th

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Dec 18th

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“When one reviews the history of the last ten years and takes into account the...”

– Norman Mailer, “David Riesman Reconsidered” (1954).

Dec 17th

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Dec 17th

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London Records: From Suburbia to Apocalypse →

This is a really long, weird essay I wrote a few years ago about concept albums & the city of London. Unfortunately, my MOG account has since been deleted, so the discography can’t be as easily sampled. Also, I should add that there isn’t much of an argument here — this was my first sustained attempt at descriptive music criticism.* Nonetheless, I haven’t seen anything...

Dec 17th

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Twenty Albums Released This Year Which Appeal To...

Real Estate, Days Bon Iver, Bon Iver Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi, Rome James Blake, James Blake Washed Out, Within and Without Toro Y Moi, Underneath the Pine The War on Drugs, Slave Ambient Destroyer, Kaputt Twin Sister, In Heaven Tom Waits, Bad As Me Iron & Wine, Kiss Each Other Clean Toro Y Moi, Freaking Out EP Little Dragon, Ritual Album M83, Hurry Up, We’re...

Dec 17th

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Meek's Cutoff →

I watched this film tonight. It reminds me simultaneously of Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo and Antonioni at his best. It is also the most compelling critique of the Western I have seen since Jarmusch’s Dead Man, and — as a feminist statement — a much needed addition to the canon of American historical films. Kelly Reichardt is a true auteur and, I think, very important to the...

Dec 17th

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My face was in the newspaper today. →

Dec 16th

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