Posts by author

Sam Riley

  • Readin Not Schemin

    No need to worry, everybody! Ponzi schemer extraordinaire, Bernie Madoff, is doing totally fine in prison. He’s been reading a bunch! James Michener novels, to be specific. Will books enrich him with a newfound sense of moral integrity? Probably not…

  • Kafka-ish

    Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis is being adapted into a “fresh modern horror” film of the same name. Shooting for the movie is beginning next month, but these things are already true: the traveling salesman Gregor Samsa will be a high-school teenager…

  • “We Who Are About to Tweet”

    On “We Who Are About to Tweet,” Ani Smith compiles twitter philosophies—which is great for reference on twitter etiquette and digging up 140-character gems of the past. And her most recent interview is Isaac “Why in the fuck was I…

  • How Does He Do It?

    Being overwhelmed by the myriad distractions and endless information floating around the universe can feel a personal struggle. How come it seems like everybody else can deal with it so calmly? This is how Gay Talese, one of the most…

  • Grading Teachers

    Mother Jones published an article about the latest battle on the education front—evaluating teachers, which is re-raising issues about what public school model works best. The implementation of the new evaluation methods involves both “internal measurements” (where teachers are measured…

  • Drinkin/Jammin

    There isn’t enough evidence of this summer season on this blog roll. We’re embarking on a wondrous season and it’s time to acknowledge it. One way to celebrate is through the inextricably-linked, summer-themed pairing of beer and summer jams. You…

  • In Defense of the Other Woman

    Where are the books about mistresses? Bookslut’s Jessa Crispin writes about the lacking mistress narrative, defending the other woman and scrutinizing her treatment in society as undermining that traditional institution that tons of Americans love (marriage). “The woman is supposed…

  • Online Dating, Then and Now

    A recent New Yorker article brings you the history of online dating, in all of its splendor. Nicholas Paumgarten traces back online dating to its roots at the World’s Fair in Queens in the fall of 1964, when it began…

  • Did You Just Eat Breakfast?

    This one time in the 19th century, some guys were hanging out in a store when a shotgun accidently went off, wounding one Alex St Martin in the stomach, exposing his breakfast and his digestive system. While the part about…

  • Less Bad News for NYC Libraries

    There’s more bad news about NYC’s libraries, but it’s less bad than ever, which in the context of libraries is almost like good news. The budget for the 2012 Fiscal Year is out, which was the impetus for Mayor Bloomberg’s…

  • “That’s Racist”

    Culturally sensitive accusations turned into humorous catchphrase? Sounds like the kind of comical turnover that only my millennial generation could come up with! “That’s racist” is a quip that has become abundant in various forms (the name of a hip-hop…

  • Tomi Ungerer Re-appreciation

    Tomi Ungerer, writer of over 150 books, illustrator, engineer and designer of a cat-shaped kindergarten, considers himself “basically an author,” amidst all his varying accomplishments. This NY Times article features an excerpt from an interview. Recently, his career has been…