Fiction
(in no order)
Mark Gluth COME DOWN TO US (Kiddiepunk Press)
Gary Lutz THE COMPLETE GARY LUTZ (Tyrant Books)
Meghan Lamb ALL OF YOUR MOST PRIVATE PLACES (Spork Press)
anon I’m us TEXTILOMA OR, THE POSTMODERN EPIMETHEUS (Calamari Press)
B.R. Yeager NEGATIVE SPACE (Apocalypse Party)
Lidia Yuknavitch VERGE (Riverhead Books)
Estelle Hoy PISTI, 80, RUE DE BELLEVILLE (After 8 Books)
Christopher Zeischegg THE MAGICIAN (Amphetamine Sulphate)
A W W Bremont HEY BOY (Rebel Satori Press)
Karolina Zapal NOTES FOR MID-BIRTH (Inside the Castle)
Thomas Moore ALONE (Amphetamine Sulphate)
Susan Neville THE TOWN OF WHISPERING DOLLS (FC2)
Pierre Klossowski THE SUSPENDED VOCATION (Small Press)
Julio Cortazar ALL FIRES THE FIRE (New Directions)
Audrey Szasz INVISIBILITY: A MANIFESTO (Amphetamine Sulfate)
Lee Rourke VANTABLACK (Dostoyevsky Wannabe)
Brad Fox TO REMAIN NAMELESS (Rescue Press)
Amanda Michalopoulou GOD’S WIFE (Dalkey Archive)
Douglas A. Martin WOLF (Nightboat Books)
Douglas Payne IF YOU HAVE GHOSTS (Amphetamine Sulphate)
Michael Seidlinger DREAMS OF BEING (Maudlin House)
Poetry
(in no order)
Joyelle McSweeney TOXICON AND ARACHNE (Nightboat Books)
Elaine Equi THE INTANGIBLES (Coffee House Press)
Lonely Christopher IN A JANUARY WOULD (Roof Books)
Sun Ra SOMEWHERE AND NOWHERE: POEMS (Arts Libris)
Bernadette Mayer MEMORY (siglio)
Matthew Rohrer THE SKY CONTAINS THE PLANS (Wave Books)
Bob Kaufman COLLECTED POEMS (City Lights)
Joseph Goosey PARADE OF MALFEASANCE (EMP Books)
Tony Towle MY FIRST THREE BOOKS (Vehicle Editions)
Fanny Howe NIGHT PHILOSOPHY (Divided Publishing Ltd)
Ted Rees THANKSGIVING: A POEM (Golias Books)
David Grubbs THE VOICE IN THE HEADPHONES (Duke University Press)
Laura Theobald KOKOMO (Disorder Press)
Rachel Levitsky NEIGHBOR (Ugly Duckling Presse)
SJ Fowler I WILL SHOW YOU THE LIFE OF THE MIND (ON PRESCRIPTION DRUGS) (Dostoyevsky Wannabe)
Nonfiction
(in no order)
Bruce Boone DISMEMBERED (Nightboat Books)
Steve Abbott BEAUTIFUL ALIENS (Nightboat Books)
McKenzie Wark REVERSE COWGIRL (Semiotext(e))
Maurice Sachs WITCHES’ SABBATH (Spurl Editions)
Lucy Ives THE SADDEST THING IS THAT I HAVE HAD TO USE WORDS: A MADELEINE GINS READER (siglio)
Jay Slayton-Joslin SEQUELLAND: A STORY OF DREAMS AND SCREAMS (Clash Books)
Laura Mulvey AFTERIMAGES (Reaktion Books)
Jeanne Gerrity & Anthony Huberman DODIE BELLAMY IS ON OUR MINDS (Semiotext(e))
Joanne Robertson & Byron Coley 1979 SONGBOOK (Tenderbooks/Bad Taste Press)
Wayne Koestenbaum FIGURE IT OUT (Soft Skull)
David Sudnow BREAKOUT: PILGRIM IN THE MICROWORLD (Boss Fight Books)
Harry Dodge MY METEORITE (Penguin)
Gary J. Shipley STRATGEM OF THE CORPSE (Anthem Press)
Momus NICHE (FSG)
Bruce Andrews and Charles Bernstein L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E: THE COMPLETE FACSIMILE (University of New Mexico Press)
Music
(in no order)
Yves Tumor HEAVEN TO A TORTURED MIND (Warp)
Destroyer HAVE WE MET (Merge)
Villaelvin GHOTT ZILLAH (Hakuna Kulala)
Concrete Mascara PERENNIAL DISAPPOINTMENT (Malignant Records)
Aki Onda NAM JUNE’S SPIRIT WAS SPEAKING TO ME (Recital)
Ewa Justka UPSIDE DOWN SMILE (Editions Mego)
Zeroh BLQLYTE (Leaving Records)
Chris Cochrane THE INVENTION OF SHOES – VOLS. 1 & 2 (bandcamp)
Guided by Voices SURRENDER YOU POPPY FIELDS (Rockathon)
serpentwithfeet APPARITION (Secretly Canadian)
Irma Vep EMBARRASSED LANDSCAPE (Gringo Records )
Stephen Malkmus TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES (Matador)
Soft Pink Truth SHALL WE GO ON SINNING SO THAT GRACE MAY INCREASE? (Thrill Jockey)
Klara Lewis INGRID (Editions Mego)
Moor Mother CLEPSYDRA (no label)
Sparks A STEADY DRIP DRIP DRIP (BMG)
Vladislav Delay RAKKA (Cosmo Rhythmatic)
Marja Ahti and Judith Hamann PORTALS (Cafe Oto)
Film
(in no order)
Tzuan Wu THIS SHORE – A FAMILY STORY
Guy Maddin STUMP THE GUESSER
Daniel and Clara NOTES FROM A JOURNEY
Pedro Costa VITALINA VARELA
Leslie Thornton GROUND
James Benning MAGGIE’S FARM
Patric Chiha SI C’ETAIT DE L’AMOUR
Margaret Honda EQUINOX
Dietrich de Velsa EQUATION TO AN UNKNOWN
Noel Lawrence SAMMY-GATE
Luis and Andrés Rodriguez ASCENT
Art
(in no order)
SUPERMARKET OF IMAGES (Jeu de Paume)
Peter Saul ART HISTORY IS WRONG (Almine Rech Gallery, Paris)
Keith Sonnier FILES, SHIELDS AND NEONS (Galerie Mitterand, Paris)
YOU (Musee d’Art Moderne, Paris)
Dan Flavin UNTITLED (David Zwirner, Paris)
Robert Grosvenor NEW WORKS (Max Hetzler, Paris)
Penny Goring ESCAPE FROM BLOOD CASTLE (Campoli Presti, Paris)
Allen Ruppersberg THE MYSTERY OF NABOKOV… (Michele Didier, Paris)
Internet
(in no order)
SCAB
Profound Experience
Small Press Distribution
X-R-A-Y
{ feuilleton }
Please Kill Me
Rhizome
Theme Park Review
Evergreen Review
The Call
TOWARDS CYCLOBE
Musique Machine
Original Cinemaniac
Fanzine
Volume 1 Brooklyn
Queen Mob’s Teahouse
dark fucking wizard
TL;DR
The Chiseler
Experimental Cinema
The Los Angeles Review of Books
3:AM Magazine
Alienist
largehearted boy
pantaloons
Harriet
Open Culture
Locus Solus: The New York School of Poets
giphy
The Wonderful World of Tam Tam Books
Hobart
Entropy
*
p.s. Hey. So it’s that time of year when I do my mid-year faves list, and thus I have. I’m sure I’ve forgotten some great things. If you have faves you’ve experienced this year that you want to recommend to the world at local/large and me in return, I would be appreciative. ** David Ehrenstein, There is that rare occasion when they’re 8 billion times cuter, but … Everyone, Mr. Ehrenstein’s now legendary and culturally rich house/yard sale is still a thing if you’re in the SoCal realm and into accruing goodies. Here’s David to explain: ‘If you live in the L.A. area please write me @ cllrdr@ ehrensteinland.com about my endless sale of CDs, DVDs and Books and make an appointment to drop by and buy. I have hand sanitizer.’ ** _Black_Acrylic, I enjoyed that as well. Oh, shit, man, about your phone. As implausible as that method seems, I do know a few people who’ve had it work miraculously, and I hope you are now one of them. ** Corey Heiferman, Hi. Everyone, Corey suggests that if you were left drooly by the characterisation of one escort’s diarrhea as a great spaghetti sauce yesterday, you might be into settling for this. Sorry about the job. My luck wish does a hairpin curve and angles at your new prospect. I didn’t do Danse avec les Robots because I have moon sickness issues re: things that revolve, but Zac did it, and he found it quite underwhelming. ** wolf, Howl! And not the Ginsberg version! They were a clever bunch of lads, I think so too. Yes, you were listening to GbV! You are even more of a god than you previously were in my head! It is an amazing record! And it is technically their latest although there’s already a new GbV album coming out in a couple of weeks. Praise for the almighty Bob Pollard! From you! You’ve done my entire soul, such as it is, a whole world of great this morning. Thank you! Two weeks off. Damn, I wish you could glide over here. It’s so nice. We got indoor restaurants and cafes back yesterday. So we’re just about fully reopened apart from movie theatres and old fashioned theatres and gigs. Well, I guess today is fortuitous since I would obviously say use the list right up above as a possible shopping list. Shirley Jackson knew her shit, for sure. You sound good. It’s so good to hear from you. All is well enough on this end. Let’s Skype again. That was a blast. Love, me. ** Bill, Indeed! Possibly an escort first, or at least amongst my blog’s motley crues. The return of bookstores is a biggie. But, yeah, work first, or as long as it’s your work. ** john christopher, Hi. Oh, it makes sense. People often assume I must be an Araki fan. I like his first few, really early LA-meets-Godard films that no one ever talks about anymore. In Switzerland. Huh. It certainly is possible that he was/is more appreciated over here than in the States. That does happen. Have a great day, sir. ** chris dankland, Hi, Chris!! Very good question. I have no idea, but, yeah, there is surely a culinary version of Grindr or at least of Craig’s List out there somewhere. I believe that was the first time I’ve seen someone use a BDSM site to seek a jobs= as a chef or cook. There are definitely guys on those sites hoping against hope that some Master will take them on as a non-sex, non-torture house cleaner and so on. My strange pleasure about the harvesting. The crowds at Futuroscope were not gigantic but healthy sized. There were social distancing rules/guidelines all over, yes. Most people wore masks everywhere, and everyone wore masks in the rides and lines and at eateries and so on. The French are being very good and dutiful about the precautions, which is a big reason why we’re (so far) moving out of the pandemic with flying colors. Hm, I would need to have a think to tell you my fave Black Metal, etc. albums. I’ll do that. I generally just play tracks, but I’ll check my storage bin for files of full-on LPS, as I do have faves. It’s a good genre. It finds a spot that no other genre really does and hits it squarely. Cool. You good in general? Things getting any better there in AZ? I read somewhere that they aren’t, but I don’t believe what I read very much these days. ** Jeff J, Hi, Jeff. Yeah, they weren’t too linguistically shabby this month. I put together v=a Bette Gordon post yesterday, and I saw during its course that ‘TUSoA’ is on The Criterion Channel, which, you know, is not available here tragically. Very interesting about the new Pere Ubu. I didn’t know about it. Well, that’s kind of a must-get, isn’t it? I’ll go do that. Sure, sure, whenever it’s good re: Skyping. I’m around. ** Steve Erickson, If you mean porn that uses COVID/quarantine as a forefronted thematic or narrative device, no, I haven’t noticed any of those. I have seen some that mention that the sex occurred under quarantine conditions to give the sex a kind of ‘ooh, we’re so daring’ kind of vibe. Ah! Everyone, Mr. Erickson has written article about LGBTQ-themed films that are currently streaming on MUBI if you’re interested and/or hold a desire for that form of entertainment plus have a MUBI membership. Go here. ** JM, HI, Josiah! University does have a semi-guaranteed derailing effect, god love it. Great to hear that you’re freed! And I hope your visit there today (or yesterday?) goes/went smoothly. Watch your back. Anyway, victoire! Happy for you! I’m good. Semiotext(e) says they love Zac’s and my conversation-afterword for Derek McCormack’s astounding upcoming novel, so that’s a relief. Getting the new GIF novel ready for launch. About to pow-wow with the producer of Zac’s and my new film. And other stuff. And still exhilarated by the amount freedom we have to actually live here. Great to see you, my friend! ** Okay. The day is already introduced up north and is now awaiting your perusing and possible counter-suggestions. See you tomorrow.
Yes, tomorrow I’ll have updates on the being-fully-freed – yay! Very interested in that upcoming McCormack novel, and also the Kiddiepunk Gluth novel. Have you read any Grant Maierhofer? He has a new book out today, his Peripatet from Inside the Castle was just amazing, my favourite of its year. I really need to see that Costa. I don’t really have any recommendations, I’ve been woefully underreading and underviewing this year, alas – the new Spike Lee is interesting enough though and you may have some interesting things to say about it. Available on Netflix. Only worth a look if you’ve ever found him previously interesting. Breath held for the new You-Zac film!! I am back into the theatre myself in two weeks time. Promenade theatre cashing in on the lockdown situation but should be good or at least interesting enough. Working on a piece of elevator-music absurdist-horror for it which is coming along well enough.
J
Oh shit, these best of the year so far blog entries always shows up how little I read and how out of touch I am with new releases but heres my tiny contribution. I’m always playing catch up especially with fiction.
Music: Adult – Deception is / as / of Deception. The single “Total, total damage” is kicks ass, video for that here: https://youtu.be/qIWtIEcYGrs
Film: Oh shit. Ive hardly seen any this year but over at Vulture they list a few interesting looking ones. https://www.vulture.com/article/best-movies-2020.html I guess seeing the eye candy of Birds of Prey on Imax was the only new movie release Ive seen this year.
Art: Again I will have to list one of out of very limited few. The Francis Bacon exibition at Pompidou was far more impressive than peter hujar at jeu de paume for reasons of scale and colour.
Book: I will have to recommend next week’s book release by Ottesa Moshfegh (Eileen, Mcglue, Homesick for another world) entitled “Death in her hands.” Audio excerpts here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/612693/death-in-her-hands-by-ottessa-moshfegh/
Correction: Adult – Perception is as of deception
Dennis, The stunning thing about this is that it’s mid-year already. I really hate when we pass that solstice and days start getting shorter again. Kind of dreading it. Then again, if I’m allowed to keep working from home for the rest of the foreseeable future, it won’t be as bad.
I was looking through the escorts yesterday, and I think they’re blurring into slave territory (I’ve mentioned this before). I don’t know that I’m happy about that. I don’t know, kind of picture the escorts as being happier and a little more light and poppy and carefree and just pleasing in a less abusive way. That’s my Pollyanna take on it, hahaha.
Oh, so the stromboli turned into calzones. But I fucked up. This family is so weird, I can’t just make a couple big ones and then cut them up into servings. Everyone wants something different in his/hers. Argh. And they want extra sauce. So I had to double the recipe and make smaller individual calzones. So with the marinara, I got to listening to the TV and shit going on on the news and my mom talking the whole time, and with my having to double everything…I ended up putting twice as much basil in the sauce, which totally ruined it. Would you like some tomatoes with your basil?
Anyway, threw the whole fucking pot out and went and bought some jarred, already-made marinara. Still worked out all right, but it made me sad.
Haven’t been reading or listening to anything “new” lately. This is my favorite film so far this year
also like Jean-Marie Straub’s short “France vs. The Robots” and Chis Munch’s new film “The 11th Green” which will be premiering (somewhere somehow) shortly. It’s a deliciously nutty sci-fi mini-extravaganza involving flying saucers, extraterrestrial visitors saving the world from doom and Presidents Eisenhower and Obama.
Here’sa fascinating piece on Flannery O’Connor that couldn’t be more timely
Dennis,
Thanks for the love. Also, I need to get that Gary Lutz. I’ve only ever read divorcerI bought it at Powells based solely on the cover and the title. After I read it I wouldn’t say it was my favorite book but it stuck with me and I’ve never forgotten it.
A very very impressive list. I even read some of the books on this list! I would recommend “It Gets Me Home, This Curving Track: Objects & Essays 2012-2018” by Ian Pennman. A wonderful collection of essays on music – specifically James Brown, Sinatra, Prince, Charlie Parker, etc. One doesn’t even have to be a fan of these artists to enjoy this book. Pennman is a magnificent writer. “Stockhausen Serves Imperialism and Other Articles” by the British composer Cornelius Cardew, which is fascinating. A far-Left look at aesthetics, especially on composers such as Cage and Stockhausen. I’m looking forward to checking out the books and music of writers/musicians that you list I don’t know about. I love that!
Coop! Aha, very timely indeed! Great recommendations, thanks!!
So you’ve got Surrender Your Poppy Fields in there, of course [* makes ‘same wavelength’ finger gesture *] Yeah, it’s fantastic. Oh and you’ve got Moor Mother too! To whom I was ALSO listening yesterday! [* gesture intensifies *] I’ve been really getting into her stuff. Have you heard the punk split with Mental Jewelry they just released as Moor Jewelry? True Opera it’s called. Really fucking good.
Oh man, cafés and restaurants… to think! Well next time you’re sitting down sipping a double espresso just think of me for a few secs and maybe I’ll receive the caffeine-dolce-vita rush televicariously haha. Fuck knows when things like that will reopen here. Not for a while I reckon.
Skype! What a marvelous idea. Let’s do that.
hi dennis !!
thanks so much for putting xray on yr list !! it’s a big honor 🙂
i added a bunch of the fiction books u mentioned to my reading list – very interested in those yeager, moore and zeischegg books. I’ve hardly read any contemporary fiction this year, but I am mostly finished with imaginary museums by nicolette polek, I’m enjoying that book a lot.
the destroyer and gbv albums have gotten a lot of replays by me this year, I like those albums too
most of my fav albums from this year or thereabouts are metal:
Internal rot – grieving birth
Acxdc – satan is king
Warmoon Lord – Burning Banners of the Funereal
Fluids – Ignorance Exalted
Cythonica – Typhomanteia
Miscarriage – imminent horror
Witch Vomit – Buried Deep in a Bottomless Grave
Pissgrave – Posthumous Humiliation
if there was one I thought u’d be the most interested in, it might be the miscarriage album b/c it kind of resembles a drone album where the scenario might be “falling infinitely down the throat of a giant demon” – the vocals sound so good
I’m glad that paris is starting to open up safely and ppl are following the rules. my hope is that if something like this happens again in the near future, other countries will follow the model of countries that did the right things, like france, germany, south korea, etc. right now, for the most part, i feel like we are making all the wrong decisions down here.
last week the main epidemiologist that works with the governor said “we can’t control the spread of the virus, but we can’t stop living either” and the governor is saying basically nothing about contingency plans, except that our hospitals are have enough capacity to serve people who get sick. which is like saying I’m sorry for all broken razors everywhere, but we do have plenty of bandages. meanwhile the VP is telling governors to blame the new cases on increased testing.
so basically I’m preparing myself for a worst case situation where there are tent hospitals and doctors will have to start picking winners and losers in terms of who’s gonna make it, and everyone is very freaked out. it seems like they just want to let it burn through the population and hope that the economy keeps going. so far only .5% of the arizona population has been infected (plus more asymptomatic cases) and it takes like 70% infection for herd immunity, so the idea that the economy is gonna weather that just fine for the long duration is so stupid. such inept, short-sighted, cowardly leadership decisions being made that are basically guaranteed to blow up in everyone’s faces.
bleh, I’m sorry to ramble on about that.
this message is too long, so I’ll just say thanks for the list !! many cool things on here that I’m sure I’ll be checking out in the weeks and months to come. have a good morning !!
Hi Dennis,
Great list! Have you read much Steve Finbow? I was so lucky to get him writing an intro for my book on Burroughs & Scotland (due 2021) – ‘Grave Desire – a cultural history of necrophilia’ is also amazing.
Did you ever enjoy any of Mike Dania’s zines? Pre-ordered ‘Wrong’, Diarmuid’s critical bio (due out int he UK June 30). Can’t wait!
Stay safe,
Chris
@ Ferdinand, I’m also psyched about that new Ottessa Moshfegh. Enjoyed her My Year of Rest and Relaxation a whole lot.
As far as my mid-year faves list goes, like everyone else my consumption has been severely curtailed by recent events. Vladislav Delay has been a major discovery for me and I’m sure to spring for Rakka very soon. Lots of Amphetamine Sulphate reads so far in 2020 too.
Seems my iPhone never survived its toilet water bath. Even with the attempted rice cure, I stupidly tried to plug it back into my laptop so probably shorted all the circuits. But the good news is that my brother Nick has given me his old iPhone 7 so I’ve spent today uploading everything onto that instead. It’s an upgrade if anything, and I’ve even ordered a replacement Comme des Garcons case for the replacement handset. Got to have that heart logo on there somehow.
Howdy Dennis!
What a list of goodies. Your lists keep me connected to the world I love it. I really like the books you choose for your non-fiction section too. That Gary Shipley book sounds so good. I read the intro and I think i’ll have to cop the ebook as the physical is quite steep.
Great music choices too, but have you listened to Ka’s new album ‘Descendants of Cain’? For my money the best rap of the year. The sample for Pray is crazy. David Toop may as well have produced it.
Last night I almost melted my laptop. I left it on the burner and, and this is the craziest thing, the burner had turned on and started frying the bottom of my laptop. There’s a big melted circle around the bottom now. Everything works it’s just a deformed laptop now. I still have no idea how the burner was turned on as i haven’t used my stove in days. Fucking wild. I was cracking up once I realized everything still worked.
Well take care D!
Thanks for the great lists, Dennis! Will be combing through these, and also the DL’s in the next few days. Wow, didn’t know there’s a new Michael Seidlinger. Let’s see if one of our reopening bookstores has a copy. I don’t read a lot of poetry these days, but the Joseph Goosey looks great.
I had no idea there’s a new Pere Ubu. Last year’s Long Goodbye/Montreuill set was pretty excellent, look forward to the new set. I’ll try to get to Variety before the Bette Gordon day goes live.
Hmm, I’m having trouble tracking down Luis and Andrés Rodriguez’s ASCENT. Any tips appreciated.
Chris, so sorry to hear about the mess in Arizona. Hang in there…
Here’s what I have so far for 2020:
Books:
S.D. Stewart, A Set of Lines
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53417275-a-set-of-lines
Percival Everett, Telephone
Samanta Schweblin, Little Eyes
Anthony Huberman, Dodie Bellamy is on Our Mind
Audrey Szasz, Invisibility: A Manifesto
Diarmuid Hester, Wrong
Music (mostly scratchy/squonky):
Bridges of Konigsberg, Buster Keaton Maneuver
https://ftamproductions.bandcamp.com/album/the-buster-keaton-maneuver
Jeremiah Cymerman, Systema Munditotius, vol 1
https://jeremiahcymerman.bandcamp.com/album/systema-munditotius-vol-1
die ANGEL (Vaisanen/Dresselhaus), Utopien I
Cyanobacteria/Hubsch, Are you an orchid or a dandelion?
Sean Meehan, Souvenirs
Michael Foster, Grist for the Mill
Kyle Bruckmann, Triptych (tautological)
Sorabji, Sequentia Cyclica (solo piano 7-CD set)
Arthurs/Khroustaliov/Sartorius, Hangkerum
Movies (very behind this year, mostly 2019 releases):
Shirley
The Wolf House
Deerskin
Bacurau
Come to Daddy
Synonyms
Moor Mother really has been prolific lately. I had never heard of CLEPSYDRA.
My lists;
MUSIC:
Fiona Apple-FETCH THE BOLT CUTTERS
Yves Tumor-HEAVEN FOR A TORMENTED MIND
Polo G-THE GOAT
Ka-DESCENDANTS OF CAIN
Perfume Genius-SET MY HEART ON FIRE IMMEDIATELY
Rina Sawayama-SAWAYAMA
Menzi-IMPAZAMO
Ashley McBryde-NEVER WILL
Pongo-UWA
Scuru Fitchadu-UN KUZA RUNHU
U.S. Girls-HEAVY LIGHT
Denzel Curry-13LOOD IN + 13LOOD OUT
Backxwash-GOD HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS SO LEAVE HIM OUT OF IT
Run the Jewels-RTJ4
Poppy-I DISAGREE
Carla Bley, Andy Sheppard & Steve Swallow-LIFE GOES ON
Couch Slut-TAKE A CHANCE ON ROCK’N’ROLL
Bob Mould-“American Crisis”
Yaeji-“Waking Up Down”
Hayley Williams-“Simmer”
Caribou-“Home”
Destroyer-“Crimson Tide”
YG-“FTP”
Bat for Lashes-“The Boys of Summer”
Roddy Ricch-“The Box”
Brent Faiyaz-“Fuck the World”
Dua Lipa-“Don’t Start Now”
Inter Arma-“Southern Man”
the 1975-“If You’re Too Shy”
Various Artists-BLACK RIOT (drum’n’bass reissue)
FILMS:
VITALINA VARELA (Pedro Costa)
THE ASSISTANT (Kitty Green)
NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS (Eliza Hittman)
ON THE RECORD (Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering)
NOTES FROM A JOURNEY (Daniel and Clara)
FIRST COW (Kelly Reichardt)
FOURTEEN (Dan Sallitt)
I WAS AT HOME, BUT… (Angela Schanelec)
FRANCE AGAINST THE ROBOTS (Jean-Marie Straub)
Hey Dennis, thanks! How are things? Things here are as you probably know. In Washington at least protests are thriving, growing, and cohering. Something feels super imminent, it’s so exciting.
Hey, Dennis.
Lots of stuff to look into, here, I’m going to go to the Bandcamp pages of the musical choices where applicable and listen.
I recently finished Negative Space, which I liked lot. Did you know that Yeager’s friend Burial Grid recorded a soundtrack album for Negative Space? https://burialgrid.com/album/negative-space . I recently listened to all of the Burial Grid stuff at that bandcamp, some good stuff.
I ordered Thomas Moore’s Alone today, looking forward to that. Out of these, I want to read The Magician, Invisibilty: a Manifesto, The Voice in the Headphones, Witches Sabbath (which I’ve already read a bit of), and Stratgem of the Corpse.
One I’ve been looking forward to is Sam Pink’s The Ice Cream Man, probably going to order that soon.
A good experimental novel from this year that I just finished reading and which you might like is The Metapheromenoi by Brendan Connell.
Ok, take care, man.
Oh yeah, read and very much liked Come Down to Us recently.
Hey DC. It’s been a while, but I’ve been following the blog on and off when I get a chance. Things are crazy here, as everywhere. DC’s is a reliable intellectual haven.
Congrats about the Hester bio, I’m excited to dig into it and found a lot of good stuff from his intro post. I’m disappointed there haven’t been (and probably won’t be) any release events for it in Iowa City, as there usually are when such things are published here. That would have been so exciting, especially after many recent milquetoast literary events. The last big hubbub was over Garth Greenwell, whose prose excerpts and readings didn’t strike me as worth the hype.
Thanks for these recs, I’m all too behind on this year’s releases. At least I caught the Pedro Costa in theatres before all fell down. My favorite films this year not on your list probably include: Jodie Mack’s Wasteland No. 2 Hearty Hardy (if that counts as this year), which has one of the most masterful, hallucinatory uses of the flicker film format I’ve ever seen, and the Kevin B. Lee and Chloe Galibert-Laîné installation-video essay thing about watching and exhibiting ISIS videos on the internet Bottled Songs 1+2.
Glad to hear good news re: upcoming projects. Hope your city and your mind are treating you right.
Dennis!
Hey my friend, I’ve actually read two of the books you mentioned up north, as you say, and I own three of them! Negative Space (read it, psychoactive material), If You Have Ghosts (read it, hauntingly beautiful), and THE MAGICIAN by Christopher Zeischegg, which I own (he was kind enough to sign a copy and send it to me, gratis, he’s a very nice guy), but….. I haven’t read the magician. But I will. This year! I’m a glacially slow reader, man!
I did read two books this year… ok well I’m reading them right now. Ladivine, by Marie NDiaye, and I am a strange Loop, by Hofstadter. I was working on a novel(*), and I don’t read while I’m working on a project, so I have a good excuse for being so illiterate, haha. That Cortázar sounds awesome! And I’m going to pick up the Audrey Szasz book, too. Now I’m just waiting for I WISHED to drop!
Sorry I’ve been away so long, my friend (see asterisk above)* … but I wanted to drop by and say hello and hi and I love you and,…… when are you coming back to the States? February of Never? That’s what I’d highly recommend. Hahahahaha
Love,
James
Hey Dennis, Quinn here, hope this finds you well. How’s your June so far? I’m sure you’ve been following the riots and demos in America passively if not actively; I’ve been very confused and distressed. I was out on the first weekend with Sean and his boyfriend and some other friends of ours, and then it was my birthday. Things in New York were intense for another week or so and then things became more “peaceful protest” oriented. The tension between black civilians and police officers only seems to be getting worse though, I don’t really have anything particularly insightful to say about all of this. I’ve just been so confused and disoriented. I don’t really handle stress that well, and last week my mood was out of control. I’m feeling a little better now though, thankfully.
In any event, I rebooked my ticket to Europe for July. I still have a few months left over from my German residence permit, and residents are allowed to enter the Schengen zone during this whole mess. So I’ll be flying into Paris and then probably going straight to Berlin, although maybe I’ll hang around if possible. Hope we can hang out! I take it your art piece is postponed indefinitely? It would have been great to see it but life had something else in store for us.
Are you hanging around Paris for the whole summer? What are you working on lately? I’ll keep you updated on my travel plans for sure. Btw it’s Sean’s birthday tomorrow! I relayed your message to him and he was flattered 😉 Talk soon!
So happy you listed my Campoli Presti show Dennis – thanks. We went to Paris (from London) on 12th March and installed the show knowing we could not have an opening night, but by the time we’d finished installing on the 13th, we became aware the show was not going to be able to open At All ! All my doll sculptures etc have been hanging alone in that gallery all this time. And they will be there until we don’t know when. Campoli Presti keep extending the closing date. I really hope it is open to the public before it comes down. So yeah, it is heartening that the show hasn’t gone totally unnoticed. (weeps). Love Penny xx
Hey, we published the Fanny Howe book
We’re so proud it’s on your list !
Do you have a postal address, so we can send you the new one
‘What the Fire Sees’ A Divided Reader
https://divided.online/publications/what-the-fire-sees/
Love from DP x
It’s open ! !
https://www.campolipresti.com/info
<3 <3