What did we say about silent reflection?

[sovay]

I write from Providence, where I am spending the night on an air mattress belonging to greygirlbeast and humglum while Selwyn investigates my backpack. He is a lilac-pointed behemoth with a feather duster of a tail that curves over his back like a shiba inu's; it is the weirdest thing to see on a cat. Hubero has already shed possessively all over my computer bag, so I assume they are dividing my stuff between them. In the morning I will discover they have reached détente over my coat.

Barbara's Bestsellers has returned to South Station! I bought the recent reprint of Boyd McDonald's Cruising the Movies: A Sexual Guide to Oldies on TV (1985) and had a great conversation with one of the booksellers about the self-published paperback of Piers Anthony's The Magic Fart (2003) that has been sitting on the shelf for two and a half years; no one has ever bought it, to which we may credit the continued postponement of the apocalypse, but periodically school groups of thirteen-year-olds discover it, giggle over it, read dirty lines to one another in hushed, daring voices, and then get surprised mid-snicker by the bookseller and flee in panic. I was vaguely sad this did not occur while I was around to observe with popcorn.

I did manage to leave Boston this year, but I don't think I'd taken a train from South Station since 2014. I bought a round-trip ticket for the commuter rail and watched the sun set over the salt marshes, the low gold light of very late fall; I finished my first trip book, actually pulled my cap down over my eyes, and almost slept for the last fifteen minutes before Providence. I dreamed a man's face turning away from me, grey-eyed, sharp-profiled, but that was all.

I have been shown the first two episodes of the first season of True Detective (2014) and I plan to watch the rest as soon as the effort won't keep me up until dawn. It's beautifully written and photographed; its crime scenes would not be out of place on Hannibal; I did not realize that so much of it would be so funny, if occasionally in the same way I find Wittgenstein funny. I have never especially paid attention to Matthew McConaughey, but it should not surprise anyone that I think Rust Cohle circa 1995 is beautiful. And fucked up eight ways from Sunday, so let's just clock my favorite character on this show and move on. No wonder sales of Robert W. Chambers went through the roof.

It is very good to see people I haven't visited in three years. Not to mention their weird-ass cats. I am going to attempt sleep.

Comments

[skygiants]

the self-published paperback of Piers Anthony's The Magic Fart (2003) that has been sitting on the shelf for two and a half years

Jesus God, what

[genarti]

SECONDED

[sovay]

SECONDED

That was more or less how we started our conversation: I registered the existence of this object and commented that it meant we must have reached some kind of apogee, but I wasn't sure I wanted to know of what. The bookseller reassured me with the information above.

[sovay]

Jesus God, what

It's the sequel to Pornucopia (1989)!

[kore]

Oh my fucking God, I think I remember picking that one up in a store somewhere, and instantly dropping it. Yeesh.

On the Amazon page: Piers Anthony has really let it all hang out, and the results should please. -- Norman Spinrad

UHM.

[sovay]

Piers Anthony has really let it all hang out, and the results should please. -- Norman Spinrad

Well, I can ignore Norman Spinrad's literary recommendations from now until the end of time.

[kore]

sitting on the shelf for two and a half years; no one has ever bought it, to which we may credit the continued postponement of the apocalypse, but periodically school groups of thirteen-year-olds discover it, giggle over it, read dirty lines to one another in hushed, daring voices, and then get surprised mid-snicker by the bookseller and flee in panic.

That is too fucking adorable. Also, now I want that Cruising book.

[sovay]

Also, now I want that Cruising book.

I recommend it highly based on the pieces I've read! It is illustrated with a combination of portraits from classic Hollywood and gay porn.

[kore]

illustrated with a combination of portraits from classic Hollywood and gay porn

WIN

[phi]

I'm glad you had a good trip!

[sovay]

I'm glad you had a good trip!

Thank you! I even slept!

[martianmooncrab.livejournal.com]

Selwyn investigates my backpack.

he is doing his PhD (and you know the P stands for Pussycat() on humans..

[sovay]

he is doing his PhD (and you know the P stands for Pussycat() on humans..

He walked over me in the middle of the night, like a small friendly mammoth. His research concludes this gesture will wake a person with startling suddenness.

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

It's a very great pity that the second season of True Detective doesn't remotely measure up to the first. But hey: we have a very good first season, which is more than some shows can say.

[sovay]

It's a very great pity that the second season of True Detective doesn't remotely measure up to the first.

I've been informed it's very different, modern noir instead of weird fiction. I may give it a try just to see, but I am going to enjoy the weird fiction first. I kept saying, "This is amazing."

[swan-tower.livejournal.com]

It isn't just that it's noir -- it lacks the punch of its predecessor. I can't say how much of it is writing vs. acting vs. cinematography or what, but I've gotten two eps in and haven't yet found any reason to care.

[gwynnega]

I loved season one of True Detective (and Rust Cohle). Pretty much my first reaction was: That's Matthew McConaughey??

I bounced hard off season two, but I would happily watch season one again.

[sovay]

I loved season one of True Detective (and Rust Cohle). Pretty much my first reaction was: That's Matthew McConaughey??

What else do you recommend him in? Since I feel I should now start paying attention, assuming he's done other roles as good. (It might be difficult. Rust is a gift from a character actor's gods.)

[gwynnega]

I pretty much ignored his career until True Detective, but he is also very good in Dallas Buyers Club.

I saw a joke somewhere that, when asked why his roles suddenly had so much more substance, McConaughey said, "I started reading the scripts before I agreed to do the projects."

[sovay]

I saw a joke somewhere that, when asked why his roles suddenly had so much more substance, McConaughey said, "I started reading the scripts before I agreed to do the projects."

Okay. I'll pay attention from now on.

(But I will clearly have to pay attention. Damn.)