A Man Named Pearl
I was pretty sure, based on the ridiculous soundtrack alone, that the story of topiary artist Pearl Fryar was a mockumentary. And a good one. Living in rural South Carolina,…
Recent posts
Rumpus Articles
The Rumpus Interview with Catherine Brady
“I don’t think virtue has a downside. I think human nature does… There’s something heroic to me about people taking risks for the sake of this fragile and intangible thing.”
The Last Book I Loved: Atmospheric Disturbances
Galchen keeps us wound tight with anxiety, desperately waiting for some ray of hope for a man with a badly damaged mind and heart.
Poetic Lives Online: Links by Brian Spears
Interesting conversation going on about a piece in the latest Poetry. Start here at Samizdat, then find further discussion at A Compulsive Reader, Exoskeleton (multiple posts–click around), and back to…
“I am lonely. Truly, bone-chillingly, ceaselessly lonely.”
Dear Sugar, I am lonely. Truly, bone-chillingly, ceaselessly lonely. I just moved to a new city, and I’m worried no one would take time to identify the body if I…
The Last Book I Loved: The Centaur
I read The Centaur by John Updike out of funereal obligation, and had given up on it twice before, but this time put my misgivings to rest and plowed through…
Comic Book Legends Revealed
Think you know the origin of Superman? Think again. Comic Book Legends Revealed weaves the kinds of stories you didn’t know you cared about. CBLR is often for the hardcore…
No One Is Innocent
Yiyun Li’s arresting debut novel, The Vagrants, should be required reading for anyone interested in political fanaticism and state-sponsored tyranny.
FUNNY AMERICA: Bye American
Can we stop with the waving of the sharp instruments for a minute and speak rationally to this whole ugly recession mess we find ourselves currently mired in? C’mon. You…
Jesse Nathan: The Last Book I Loved
How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone by Sasa Stanisic was the last book I love love loved. It’s explosive, a text that’s sinewy and daring. It tears open the marks…
High Fidelity: The Rumpus Review of Watchmen
It is the comic book movie equivalent of Gus Van Sant’s Psycho: a technically accurate but dramatically inert copy of its source.
Bootleg/Out of Print Comedy Records
At the A Special Thing message board, users have devoted a thread to posting bootlegged standup comedy shows and out of print comedy records. Many of these shows feature familiar…