Archive for category pop culture
RIP: Joseph Wershba
Posted by admin in history, nonfiction, pop culture on May 19, 2011
Joseph Wershba worked with news pioneers Edward R. Murrow and Fred Friendly. Not many people can say they fought Senator Joseph McCarthy so effectively as this man. He died this past weekend and this is just one snippet from a six-hour 1997 interview with him.
Ethan Mordden on The Guest List
Posted by admin in ideas, pop culture on March 2, 2011
The Guest List
When you grow up with a sister who successfully conceived and produced a one-woman play about Dorothy Parker, you tend to take notice of new books that partially examine the Algonquin Round Table. So when writer Ethan Mordden recently released his book, The Guest List: How Manhattan Defined American Sophistication—from the Algonquin Round Table to Truman Capote’s Ball, my pop culture radar was alerted. Mordden’s book is summarized (by its publisher, St. Martin’s Press) as: “From the 1920s to the early 1960s, Manhattan was America’s beacon of sophistication. From the theatres of Broadway to the lobby of the Algonquin Hotel to tables at the Stork Club, intelligence and wit were the twinned coins of the realm. Alexander Woolcott, Irving Berlin, Edna Ferber, Arturo Toscanini, Leonard Bernstein, Cole Porter, Dorothy Parker, Truman Capote, the Lunts and Helen Hayes presided over the town. Their books, plays, performances, speeches, dinner parties, masked balls, loves, hates, likes and dislikes became the aspirations of a nation. If you wanted to be sophisticated, you played by Manhattan’s rules. If you didn’t, you simply weren’t on the guest list. The Heartland rebelled against Manhattan’s dictum, but never prevailed. In this lively cultural history, Mordden chronicles the city’s most powerful and influential era.” Mordden was kind enough to do a brief email interview. To get a better idea of the book’s perspective, make sure to read this excerpt provided by the publisher.
Ethan Mo
Tim O’Shea: In book loaded with great anecdotes and details, written by an author like yourself with a wealth of knowledge, how do you decide what great stories to include or exclude?
Ethan Mordden: I like stories that illuminate the subject: enjoyable but telling. For example, almost any Dorothy Parker story, however funny, reveals her despair at being too smart and not pretty enough, a real problem in her day, though much has changed since.
Crystal Zevon Recalls Warren
Posted by admin in Music, pop culture, streaming video on February 28, 2011
I have never seen an interview with Crystal Zevon, the ex-wife of the late Warren Zevon, until this gem. Being married to him could not have been easy, and you have to admire someone who clearly still loved and admired the man, despite the pain he put her through.
If you’ve never read her book on Warren, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, do yourself a favor and track it down.
Fagerstrom & Smith on More Show Me How
Posted by admin in iPhones, Literature, pop culture on February 9, 2011
More Show Me How
It’s great that the world supports eclectic books like More Show Me How: Everything We Couldn’t Fit in the First Book Instructions for Life from the Everyday to the Exotic. Described by its publisher (HarperCollins): “A new collection of fun, practical, and outrageous projects from the genius minds of the original Show Me How…Volume two of the Show Me How series contains brand-new instructions that show readers how to amaze, trick, create, style, and love, among other endeavors. Ideas range from the practical (hang a ceiling fixture; hem a pair of pants) to the outrageous (boobytrap a bathroom; forge an antiquity) to the romantic (ace a school crush; send a saucy cell phone pic.) So go ahead and learn some killer pool moves. Or stage your own impromptu gallery show. Style you hair in a fauxhawk. More Show Me How is the indispensable real-life resource that helps readers live life to the fullest and be the star of the party.” To find out more about this book, I recently email interviewed two of the creative forces behind the book, Derek Fagerstrom and Lauren Smith, who also operate “The Curiosity Shoppe in San Francisco‘s Mission District, selling (and falling in love with) everything from a make-it-yourself ukulele to a DIY bird-watching kit.” My thanks to Smith and Fagerstrom for their time.
Tim O’Shea: How was it decided what topics to include in the book? Were there any that were deemed too absurd or obscure for inclusion?
Derek Fagerstrom: We wanted to make sure that the book appealed to a wide range of people, with all sorts of interests and skill levels, which meant that there were very few restrictions as to what we could include. A lot of the topics came initially from the personal passions and expertise of the Show Me Team (it’s always more fun to start with what you know and love). From there we just made sure to have a good balance of topics that we found interesting, fun, and useful (with the occasional absurdity thrown in for good measure, of course!). The only real reason that we ever decided NOT to include something was if it turned out to be dangerous or overtly criminal.
It’s Back: The Bastard Machine
Posted by admin in criticism, episodic TV, late night TV, pop culture on January 10, 2011
Bastard Machine
Former San Francisco Chronicle Columnist Tim Goodman is one of my favorite television critics. I was intrigued when he joined the gang at The Hollywood Reporter (THR) in late 2010 and was bummed when the transfer of Goodman’s blog (The Bastard Machine) from the Chronicle to THR was delayed for myriad reasons. Well I am pleased to see it finally resume at its new home (THR) late last week. Goodman is a writer that is quite effective at building his readership through social media, be it through Twitter or his Facebook page. And he resumed his blog at just the right time, during the latest round of the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour (or Death March with Cocktails, as Goodman likes to describe it).
Bloggers to Know: Corey Blake
Posted by admin in pop culture on December 12, 2010
Every once and awhile, there are bloggers I respect immensely. Back in the late 1990s, I briefly worked with a writer on a website that was admirable, but quickly forgotten, unfortunately. Fortunately that fellow went on to larger successes and greater things. Robot 6 has been enjoying some of his finds lately, but I would be remiss to not give a nod to blogger Corey Blake. Next time I talk to him, I have to find out how he discovered that 1980s era BBC Superman documentary.
Alonso Duralde on Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas
Posted by admin in Film, pop culture on December 8, 2010
Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas
Longtime pal of mine and great critic/pop culture pundit Curt Holman introduces me to many fascinating creative folks through his writing–and he has for years. And every once in awhile he literally introduces me to talented people. The latter is the case with this week’s interview subject: Alonso Duralde, the author of Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas. Duralde and Holman are old friends–and while he and I have exchanged pop culture email exchanges in the past, this is the first time I’ve had a chance to discuss Duralde’s pop culture work with him. His latest book (published by Limelight) aims to be “the first film guide written specifically for holiday film viewing, including traditional classics alongside more unusual choices of films that are set at Yuletide without being thought of as ‘Christmas movies.’ The guide will spotlight Christmas-themed adult comedies, dramas, action thrillers, foreign films, and horror films—even a documentary—as well as movies for the whole family.” My thanks to Duralde for the interview (and Jamie Scot for his assistance in making this interview happen [as well as my pal Holman]). As a longtime Frank Capra fan (my late father had me watch It’s A Wonderful Life when I was seven), it’s an early Christmas present for me to encounter a critic who appreciates Capra as much as I do. After reading this interview, be sure to check out this preview of the book.
Tim O’Shea: In considering these holiday films are there certain ones you grew to see in a different light, be it more positive or negative?
Alonso Duralde: I was really surprised how politically progressive and bold the two Frank Capra films are. Both “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Meet John Doe” have things to say about corporate greed (and control of the media) and the disparity between rich and poor that are amazingly relevant to 2010 audiences. Capra gets a bad rap for being corny and sentimental, but I think he was making very incisive movies about what was going on in Depression-era America, and his messages remain very timely.
Missed It: American Masters | LENNONYC
Posted by admin in Music, politics, pop culture, streaming video on November 27, 2010
I was kicking myself earlier this week when I missed the latest installment of American Masters | LENNONYC, the “two hour documentary exploring Lennon’s life in New York City during the 1970s as a father, husband, activist and artist”. Then I realized that PBS might post it online. Indeed they did, and in fact I am able to embed the full documentary at the site.
Watch the full episode. See more American Masters.
Sneak Peek: Brad Meltzer’s Decoded
Posted by admin in history, nonfiction, politics, pop culture on November 22, 2010
Friend of the blog/New York Times best-selling author/Guy generally juggling three amazing projects at once Brad Meltzer sent me a link to his new History Channel show, Decoded, which is set to premiere on Thursday, December 2, at 10pm. (Ya gotta love that Brad, fellow child of the 1980s, referenced the old LA Law timeslot when mentioning his show’s timeslot to me.)
Here’s how the History Channel describes the show:
“What if the history you knew was only half the story? Brad Meltzer’s Decoded investigates the other half: the secret history of the symbols and codes that surround us everyday. Best-selling author Brad Meltzer has been writing novels for more than a decade. He has studied and written about some of the most revered institutions and documents in human history, including the U.S. Supreme Court, the Presidency, the Secret Service, Wall Street and the Bible. Brad has assembled a team to investigate the countless clues and theories uncovered through his years of research, but unexplored until now. From the dollar bill to the first Presidential Codes, the hidden messages of the Statue of Liberty and the ciphers protecting the location of lost Confederate gold, the team uncovers the truth behind history’s most provocative secrets.”
The show looks to be an interesting premise, plus I’m jealous that his show is sponsored by Porsche and that the hosts get to drive a Porsche as part of the show. I look forward to seeing it on December 2.
Regan Jaye Fishman on KingCon II
Posted by admin in comics, episodic TV, pop culture, sequential art, webcomics on October 28, 2010
KingCon II
Coming up November 6 and 7 (plus special events the evenings of November 4 & 5), the Brooklyn Lyceum (located at 227 4th Ave at President) will host the KingCon II, an independent comic, animation and illustration convention. The cost will be $7 day/$10 weekend (kids: $3 day/$5 weekend). To get the scoop on the con, I recently email interviewed the con’s co-director Regan Jay Fishman. Also the Lyceum’s program director Eric Richmond was kind enough to chime in with in-depth details about the special panels on Thursday (November 4). My thanks to Fishman and Richmond for their time.
Tim O’Shea: This is the second year of King Con, expanded from two to four days. As noted in the comments section of the Beat’s coverage of the announcement, the venue will be warmer this year. What other improvements or changes (adding an Artist Alley, for example) have you made based on feedback from last year’s attendees?
Regan Jaye Fishman: We have added an Artist Alley! We have also removed some risers to make for more room downstairs, Made the panels fifty minutes instead of a full hour to allow for changeover time, signings will be in the mezzanine instead of upstairs and the con has been extended by 30 minutes each day so that panels aren’t STARTING the SECOND people walk in the door.
Also, I will not be sporting a constant expression of abject terror.
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