No, Call Me "Jay"

Suggestions for Intro Class

I am teaching intro to political theory this fall.  I would like to include some non-traditional texts.  Some novels, poem, and films would be great.

Any thoughts.

At the moment I am leading toward Persopalis (comic), There WIll Be Blood (film), 12 Angry Men (film), and American Pastoral (novel).

I am also thinking abou assiging a TV show to be watched through whole semester.  I am leaning toward Deadwood or The Wire.  

Bye Bye Rabbit

One of America's greatest authors, John Updike, passed away.  His "Rabbit" series was amazing.

Bye, Bye Rabbit....

VOTE

GO VOTE!

Infinite Sadness

One of our great contemporary authors committed suicide. David Foster Wallace killed himself. 

I feel bad because I had often mentioned that I did not think Wallace was as good as his reputation; I thought Zadie Smith or Denis Lehane or Norman Rush or Philip Roth were better.  But Wallace's "Infinite Jest" is clearly a modern masterpiece.  This is a sad day.

Stuff I have Liked Lately...

This is simply a litany of things I have really enjoyed lately.

"On Beauty" - by Zadie Smith

Smith's book is one of the best I have read in the last year or so.  It is simply a hilarious spoof of the identity politics, academics, liberals, conservatives, rappers, poets, and all kind of people.  It is a wonderful read from the very first page.

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"Friday Night Lights" - Season One

This show has been very entertaining in its somewhat bleak portrayal of small town America and how it clings to high school sports as a source of meaning.  I do not think it is "'The Wire' about small-town Texas" as some people have written.  In fact, I do not even think it nails high school as authentically as "Freaks and Geeks."  That being said, it is similar to "The Wire" in that it attempts to show the way the 'upper' and 'lower' echelons of society have a symbiotic relationship.  Overall, I enjoyed the season, especially the episode "I Think We Should Have Sex."  Also, the coach and his wife are a nice realistic portrayal of the complications of a marriage between people in their 30s and 40s.  Plus, the two of them are just lovely:

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"In Bruges"

Just a wonderful dark comedy.  To say more would be to give it away.  Just rent it.

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Dennis Lehane:

A grand P.I. detective novel. Lehane offers the standard "gotcha" moments of noir novels, but also is able to address issues of corruption and race-relations in Boston.  Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro are Lehane's protagonists/detetives, and they have a great flirtatious-but-frustrating relationship. Lehane's work is a fun, and intelligent, read.  (Lehane wrote several episodes of The Wire because David Simon liked his dark and complex style.)

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Evan Longoria and the first-place Tampa Bay Rays

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My three favorite CDs of the year so far:

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A few more theoretical works that have expanded my mind in the last few months:

Simon Stowe's "Republic of Readers"

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And of course, my reality tv "fantasy" wives:

..... Be seeing you,

Jay