Three great reads

1.
Here I am at an antiwar rally in Central Park (that’s me with the peace button on my shirt). I have arrived at what I think of as the summit of the world. Everything is within my reach in New York, and the intoxication of it is such that I will be expelled from that high school before the end of the year. —Luc Sante, "This Long Century"

2.
In the latest Lapham's Quarterly, Paul Collins writes about child prodigy Barbara Newhall Follett, who published her first novel, The House Without Windows, to acclaim at age 12; at 26, she disappeared. An excerpt from Lost Island, her third novel:

Not even a cat was out. The rain surged down with a steady drone. It meant to harm New York and everyone there. The gutters could not contain it. Long ago they had despaired of the job and surrendered. But the rain paid no attention to them…New York people never lived in houses or even in burrows. They inhabited cells in stone cliffs. They timed the cooking of their eggs by the nearest traffic light. If the light went wrong, so did the eggs…

“I don’t like civilization,” she said, to the rain.

(Shades of Daisy Ashford...and Lee Tandy Schwartzman...)

3.
Adam Kempa, who wrote about unusual vinyl-groove techniques in the Believer's music issue, has picked his top one book of 2010: Touchable Sound: A Collection of 7-Inch Records From the USA. Adam's recommendation turns into an interview turns into a multimedia extravaganza...

I understand about 67% of this but it's still worth reading

Adam Kempa (of groovy Blvr. piece fame) on "The Case of the Audiosonic Identiglyph"

“Greetings from the World Wide Web is a bold experiment in 21st century consumer outreach protocol by Brand Labs of Rochester, Michigan. By utilizing the Audiosonic Identiglyph (AI), the modern businessperson is no longer limited by the archaic constraints of print and digital media when the time comes to seek out new markets. Using the AI allows the businessperson in question to access as yet unreached customers by promulgating the most critical information about their operation in an easy-to-use, algorithmically encoded audio file that is ready-made for broadcast over the public airwaves – ripe to be captured, decoded and interpreted by any clients within range of the transmission. When you think next level ecommerce, think Brand Labs.”

...with an assist from Erasing's Scott!

THE 2010 MUSIC ISSUE — THE BELIEVER

It's here! The Believer's MUSIC ISSUE!

Joe Hagan's epic look at Nina Simone's life and career, through her (previously unseen) diaries and letters...Saki Knafo (aka the Best Journalist in the World) on "Orientalist Party Music" (read it here)...the fascinating Adam Kempa on unusual vinyl groove-tactics (WOW)...Rick Moody on drum machines...Ken Tucker on Tammy Wynette's other anthem...Sad TV theme songs, Rush (!?), a chart by Ben Greenman, and MORE...

There's a CD with songs—aka your summer soundtrack! Janelle Monáe! Nina Simone! MORE! Actually here's the track listing:

1. “SELF!,” DEEP COTTON
2. “HYDRA FANCIES,” OF MONTREAL
3. “DEPRAVED VALET,” ROMAN GIANARTHUR (FEAT. KEVIN BARNES)
4. “COME BACK LIKE SPRING,” CODY CHESNUTT
5. “B.S. IN A TAMPON,” SAUL WILLIAMS
6. “COLD WAR (WONDAMIX),” JANELLE MONÁE
7. “IIETYS,” BLK JKS
8. “CHAOS,” SPREE WILSON
9. “REWIND,” SCAR
10. “VELVET ROPE BLUE,” ROB ROY
11. “HAVE YOU EVER MADE LOVE TO A WEIRDO?” HOLLYWEERD
12. “OFF THE GRID,” FEAR & FANCY
13. “TURN OFF THE TV,” GEORGE 2.0
14. “BORN FREE,” M.I.A.
15. “ONE,” HOT HEAVY & BAD (JOI)
16. “COLD BOY,” TENDABERRY
17. “CLOSER 9 ¹⁄₂,” MOTHER NOVELLA
18. “I NEVER CRY,” NINA SIMONE

WOAH!!

Plus interviews! Joshua Clover coming out of music-critic retirement to interview M.I.A...Robert Christgau and Carola Dibbell talking to Go-Betweens' Robert Forster...Erik Morse convenes a forum on Warp records...Plus: regular columnists Nick Hornby, Jack Pendarvis, and Greil Marcus...plus poems and MORE...