Among all of the blockbusters from authors such as Richard Russo, Thomas Pynchon, et al, in release, Victor LaValle's "Big Machine" is gaining a lot of attention and, with writerly obsessions of "mental illness, horror and religion," seems to be seriously worth a read:
Excerpt from "The Big Machine" by Victor LaValle
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204886304574308490641328908.html
Big Machine” by Victor LaValle Copyright © 2009 by Victor LaValle.
Wall Street Journal review: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203517304574304274003899240.html#articleTabs=article
Mr. LaValle interviewed about narrative and writing:
http://www.hobartpulp.com/website/october/NarrativeVoice.pdf
More details on the author and his work here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_LaValle
Ideas in Art, culture, technology, politics and life-- In Brooklyn or Beacon NY -- and Beyond (anyway, somewhere beginning with a "B")
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
How to Talk to Town Hall Crazies and the American Experiment
Congressman Barney Frank takes the health care reform debate by the horns and shows that there is more than one way to respond to the one dimensional ragin', ridiculous Right response. Dems need to stop being so nice, and Congressman Frank's response, which is less vitriol, and more bonhomie and humored back-zinging on the absence of intelligent discussion in the health reform "debate" shows how it is done. The GOP and their minions have lost. The Dems should not give up on any fronts. The time for compromise is over, as the GOP had 8 years of railroading their agenda. Maybe if the Obama administration shows what it is like to push an agenda in an uncompromising way, their could be unexpected results: (a) the GOP will come around and tone down their insane klown posse rants, or (b) maybe the Democratic agenda will in fact bear fruit. Face it folks, this is public policy. Although the business world still wants us to believe that "business=science" it doesn't, it is in many ways a gamble, as the meltdown proved. And the same for public policy. The freely elected administration running the government simply needs to be able to exercise the authority that they have earned for the next 4 or 8 years and see if this change of philosophy and direction works. Clearly, Obama won because the GOP proved themselves inept stewards of our national trust. Why should we think they are capable of anything else. We need to be able to try things to see what is possible in these here United States of America.
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2009/08/how_to_talk_to_a_health-care_c.html
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2009/08/how_to_talk_to_a_health-care_c.html