The Pinup Promised-Land
Still warm in her grave, Bettie Page’s mid-century pinup appeal is unlikely to cool off anytime soon. Artist Lauren Bergman puts pinups like Bettie on a pedestal,
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Rumpus Articles
Just What the Literary World Was Waiting For!
After months of speculation, and a piece in The New Yorker‘s “Talk of the Town,” it’s official:
THE EYEBALL: What I Watched This Weekend, Yojimbo
I’m fascinated by cultural cross-pollination when it comes to art. The Beatles dug Buddy Holly, the psychedelic bands of San Francisco dug the Beatles, the Britpop bands of the nineties…
A Challenge to Publishers: Just Say No to Gonzo
We’d like to introduce you to The Blurb, the Rumpus Books blog. Check this space for frequent posts about the state of our writing culture, our literary community, and the…
An Apple as Eve
Apple seeds and the parted pages of books, fleshy fingers and bald heads are among the symbols Alexi Worth uses to conjure a sometimes sinister sexuality. In “Head and Shoulders,”…
Oliver Wasow’s Affordable Art
Now that our government has finally conceded that we are in a recession (depression?) it is exciting and lovely to find brilliant artwork that you can actually afford.
The Dead Kennedys Punk Humor
Jonathan Swift, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde . . . Jello Biafra?! The Dead Kennedys’ acerbic frontman deserves to be placed in such rarefied comedic company by virtue of the three-minute…
Letter from Paris, Part 3: Kissing on Furniture
After kissing on furniture I later learn from Wet is intensely germ-ridden, I followed Antoine up the curving, wrought-iron staircase and out into the street.
Reading in the New Year
Rumpus Books asked dozens of writers what they’ll be reading on New Year’s Day, 2009. Here’s what they said:
Letter from Paris, Part 2: Butch Is Beautiful
All I wanted to do in Paris was have an affair, go to the Louvre, and see the catacombs...
A Rabid Fan of the Novel Revolutionary Road Compares It to the Film
It has come to my attention that you keep adapting my favorite novels [see Atonement, Revolutionary Road, et. al.], and turning them into mediocre movies. Cease and desist! Get your own ideas!
Going to See the Elephant, by Rodes Fishburne
Going to See the Elephant, the debut novel by Rodes Fishburne, is a paean to newspapering and young love, by a writer whose ambition is worn lightly on his sleeve.…