I didn’t know David Sedaris was such a fan of monkeys before we went to see him at Symphony Hall tonight, but it was certainly clear by the end that he’d be happy to have a monkey make him toast, rummage through his pockets, and scratch his forehead if it itched. The last time we […]

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When I’m far removed from my present life, I think I’ll be amused to know what it was like back then, coming home from five hours spent at a book signing, exhausted from the heat, sipping Gatorade from a half-empty bottle retrieved from the fridge, shirtless and sockless in front of my computer, following the […]

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Aimee and I enjoyed an early evening event with Andrei Codrescu, reading a passage from his new novel Wakefield, at the Coolidge Corner Theatre, put on by Brookline Booksmith. The man himself was witty, dry, and charming, and the book sounds entertaining and exceedingly well-written. The real impression left from the evening, however, was another […]

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A full Iceland update will follow, but first, something that happened this morning. David Sedaris‘ new book was released today, and the Brookline Booksmith, in order to sell books and promote Sedaris’ June 15th reading and book signing at their store, gave away free tickets to the appearance with the purchase of a book, one […]

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I’m in the middle of The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes, the second of the Oxford Sherlock Holmes volumes I’ve been re-reading lately. Come to find out tonight that a bunch of Doyle’s papers and effects are up for auction tomorrow. The ownership of the items is a little controversial, but even more bizarre is […]

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I came across a new reprint of Mark Alan Stamaty’s classic Who Needs Donuts? while browsing through the Brookline Booksmith last night. What a great book – I’d forgotten about it, but immediately recognized it and remembered what strange, scarily detailed illustrations it has, and how I got a sort of nightmarish yet alluring image […]

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