Short Takes
August 10, 2011
Video of the Week: ‘Against all odds, we’re the big door prize.’
It’s called ‘In Spite of Ourselves.’ John Prine wrote it. He sings it with Iris DeMent. I can picture them singing it on a screen porch lit by fireflies.
July 29, 2011
Stephen King: ‘This wasn’t entertainment — this was life or death.’
King’s introduction to a new edition of Lord of the Flies is just breathtaking: "It was, so far as I can remember, the first book with hands — strong ones that reached out of the pages and seized me by the throat. It said to me, ‘This is not just entertainment; it’s life or death.’"
July 25, 2011
Garland Jeffreys: ‘Not getting any younger, but not feeling very old’
Heading out to see a 68-year-old rocker, you can’t help but ask yourself: Can he still do it? Last weekend, in a delightful bandbox of a New Jersey club, on the hottest day of the year and working under lights that added a few degrees, Garland Jeffreys proved he could — and then some. Working with a band of astonishing crispness, he rolled through his new CD, his greater hits and a golden oldie; he even jumped off the stage and sang on a table. It was a life-affirming, righteous performance — his wife, who has no doubt seen him perform before, jumped out of her chair and danced — and you won’t be wasting your time if you check his tour schedule to see if he’s coming your way.
July 24, 2011
“how do you like your blue-eyed boy, Mister Death”
You, of course, recognize that line — from an e.e. cummings poem. On Friday, when the news came from Norway, no one at The New York Times thought of it; the first Times stories focused on a kneejerk equation: “terror” equals “al Qaeda” and “Muslims” and “jihad.” But no one got it as wrong as Jennifer Rubin, who blogs for The Washington Post under the banner of “Right Turn.” Late Friday afternoon, she suggested that the Norway bombing and shootings were likely connected to al Qaeda and jihadists. Very soon after, the world learned that the Norwegian police had arrested a white, blond, Christian, right-wing, native-born extremist, but Ms. Rubin went on to post four more blogs on Saturday, and then, finally, at 8 PM on Saturday night, got around to making…. well, see if you call this an apology. I write about Ms. Rubin not to make a political point — the Butler ground rules wire my jaw shut — but a journalistic one: What does it say about the Washington Post that she is still employed?July 22, 2011
And now I take your head over for the rest of the summer…
It’s "Pumped Up Kicks," from Foster the People. Listen to it once and you’ll be its slave. Here is the real-world reference. You can download it here. This is an acoustic version, more personal, more gorgeous. And charming? Look how the drummer has taped his wallet to the drum head A reader responds: “Fine, you've had your fun...now be kind enough to publish the antidote. I am 50 years old and simply cannot continue walking through my days thinking, humming or mindlessly singing aloud (at times performing jerky little shoulder shrugs to the beat, god help me). I would never have encountered this song if it weren't for Head Butler, so you get ALL the blame!”
