Dressed in crisp white apparel, the pagans gathered before the east wing of the temple's imposing Corinthian columns and prayed to Athena, the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom and patron of Athens, asking her to protect the Parthenon from further destruction.

fun things to read on a saturday

I kind of agree with this.  It’s not that I don’t think Catcher is worthy, it’s that it’s too worthy.  Look down at the “newer”, more “relevant” selections.  Other than Junot Diaz, and maybe the Virgin Suicides, which of these has serious staying power?

Maybe if I don't buy music or books for a month or two, I wouldn't feel so terrible about buying this unbelievable superbook.

Also, a very cool idea that probably needs to develop a little more.  Exactly what it looks like: an index of books that only exist within other books.  Some Argentine would have a fit.

Endlessly entertaining.  Though I kind of suck at it. 

And two new streams from Pitchfork.  Here and here.

aprilish

Xiu Xiu - Buzz Saw
M83 - You, Appearing
Beach House - Auburn and Ivory
The Books - Read, Eat, Sleep
She & Him - You Really Got A Hold On Me
Laura Veirs - Pink Light
Holy Fuck - Royal Gregory
MGMT - Kids
Neko Case - Star Witness
The Knife - You Take My Breath Away
Jeff Buckley - Lilac Wine
The Octopus Project - Black Blizzard/Red Umbrella
Hercules and Love Affair - Raise Me Up
The Black Keys - Strange Times
Big Star - Thirteen
Grizzly Bear - Eavesdropping (Simon Bookish Remix)
Bon Iver - Re: Stacks

i happened to glance at the ingredient list on some sort of frozen potato pancake thing in the grocery store today and happened upon the word 'effectively.' between salt and some hydrogenated oil. on a box of frozen potatoes. i'm clearly staying in this country forever.

so, a list of 'very uncommon adverbs' and one 'randomly generated paragraph' that i doubt you'll really enjoy:

whithersoever
southwestwardly
apeak
daylong
sunward
flatwise
cryptanalytically
nonfictitiously
overslavishly
unwistfully
consciencelessly
preluxuriously
noncontrollablely

The wren entrances a chorus. Albert Camus exists with Callie. Albert Camus offers Callie throughout a sexist mole. Callie oppresses Albert Camus after a galactic horizon. A robot arrives within Callie.

things i like a lot right now:

neko case. she's pretty much all i listen to.

zooey deschanel. her too.

the new bakery by my apartment. best baguettes in france. you think i'm kidding, but i'm really not. it's shocking.

reading blog entries about the pope in america. maybe i just find this a really interesting concept. benedict gallivanting around in a bulletproof golf-cart i've seen referenced several times. how can you not smile?

proposing my thesis. well, now that the process is over.

julio cortazar. really.

blogs are boring.

horn section!!!!

i'm so into this translation i'm doing. it's a 30 page Camus story about a painter who can't handle fame and keeps moving his studio further and further from view, into his bedroom, then behind a curtain in his bedroom, then into the bathroom, and then into the attic. i was up until four last night obsessing over the word obscurely and trying to translate the 'on' into english. it's completely fascinating.

i just got home from freezing cold vienna. egon and the bagel station.

i'm listening to death from above 1979 remixes and daft punk pretty exclusively. a little justin timberlake and xiu xiu.

i'm going to have a really hard time moving back to america.