By Mary on May 22, 2010 in approved, reading | 0 Comments
Train ticket to Cairo, found in a Michael Cunningham novel rescued from a stoop box in Brooklyn. (Verso: “Train No. 916, Car No. 6, Chairs 29/30.”) Scribbles on Working Assets notepaper, found in an otherwise forgettable book defending New Urbanism. From the Portland library. Pictoral ode to Newsies, found, marvelously enough, in a volume of [...]
By Mary on Apr 28, 2010 in a worthy ponder, internet, reading | 3 Comments
I had another one of those moments this week, where someone made reference to a popular television show and I looked like an idiot because I was unfamiliar with said television show — “George Jefferson? I haven’t met him,” those were my exact words, and they were met with incredulous laughter. Parents: you may think [...]
By Mary on Apr 5, 2010 in a worthy ponder, cheap distraction, cooking, lists, notes from the trenches, reading | 1 Comment
The scene: Hannaford. Also known as “Hannafuhhd.” Or “the grocery store.” The players: A woman, 40s-ish; her teenage son; an Unrelated Observer. All are in line (also known as “on line”) at the checkout. Son: Hey, we forgot something. Be right back. [Son dashes away and returns moments later with a box of granulated sugar.] [...]
By Mary on Jun 24, 2009 in approved, internet, lists, reading, the meaning of christmas | 1 Comment
Item! Carrie Tryharder is running a sweet summer contest, and you have until Friday, July 3 to enter. Details are as follows: The task: Turn this spam headline into something entertaining: Police end funereal striptease acts. The format: Short story, comic, photo essay, pop tune, whatever, as long as it is bloggable The prize: A [...]
By Mary on Jun 12, 2009 in cheap distraction, reading | 0 Comments
Front page of the hometown paper today.
By Mary on May 5, 2009 in killer trees?!, notes from the trenches, reading | 3 Comments
This sentence was just a lose-lose situation from the outset, comma-wise. Via the local paper, obvs.
By Mary on Apr 24, 2009 in approved, cheap distraction, reading | 5 Comments
I would read that book again and again and again and again.
By Mary on Apr 9, 2009 in politricks, reading, ugh | 0 Comments
You thought the publishing industry was in trouble? Come now. Would an industry in trouble hand a million (plus?) dollars to a 24-year-old campaign prop blogger best known for writing some captions in a children’s book about torture, and also for having bad grammar? Absolutely! I mean, no! My point is, this is going be [...]
By Mary on Mar 18, 2009 in approved, hail hail, reading | 0 Comments
We start with guilt, because I had intentions of taking these things I’m about to tell you and polishing them into professional shapes and sending them into the world through a proper conduit, a gate with a keeper, a lit blog at least. I intended to pitch this story over the walls of my nut [...]
By Mary on Mar 5, 2009 in hail hail, reading | 0 Comments
I saw this headline: Tobias Wolff Wins $20,000 Story Prize and then this video screencap: And my first thought was 1. Included in this amazing $20,000 prize was the privilege of sitting on stage with John Darnielle! My second thought was 2. Or maybe sitting on stage with John Darnielle WAS the prize! Valued at [...]